Yarn Stalking

Did I ever tell you about the time I stumbled across an obscure independent German yarn dyer? Her site was cute and she had amazing colors. But you know how difficult it is to special-order things from overseas. I thought maybe sometime if I really wanted to, I could figure out the process and get something from her. Well, then she was discovered by North Americans. For a while her stuff was so popular that it seemed to the only way to get it (beside luck) was to pay scalper prices for it on Ebay. It seems that only the recession has been enough to bring her yarn back into the realm of imagination. Some of her least popular colors are now being sold second hand for $40 per skein of sock yarn.

There have been other rushes on popular yarns. Remember when everyone who was anyone was trying KPPPM, then Socks That Rock, then Sundara etc. etc. ? So this time, when I started to see some work on Etsy that intrigued me, I decided to order some. You know, before it turned into a top dollar global phenomenon after being launched to fame by a leading knit-blogger's stunningly photographed FO (yep, I can tell I just lost my non-knitting friends - sorry y'all, tune in next time).

This is the first (more skeins coming) to be procured under my new early yarn stalking system. What do you think, will it have tripled in value by next year?

Dreaming of Christmas

I've been enjoying the photography advent calendar by Moonstiches. You might want to take a peek too.

Today when unpacking the ornaments I came across these. I didn't notice until photographing them that there are five. Five Christmas trees on December 5th.



and five shadows...



Yes, I'm dreaming of Christmas. Here are some of my Christmas wishes:

- sing Christmas carols around a tree decorated with burning candles
- eat 7 Layer Cookies
- surprise someone with an unexpected gift
- laugh so hard my abs hurt for days
- go shopping for clothes with my awesome sister
- go LAST MINUTE shopping with my mom
- catch up with friends

Happy Swap

Blindly swapped some alpaca blend fiber for whatever another raveler wanted to send me.



A few days later this arrived: 200g of lovely BLF/Silk blend. I've been watching this Etsy seller and now serendipitously, some of her work arrives on my doorstep!

But that wasn't all... Jennie also included stitch markers (matching olive green and purple), chocolate, and copies of TWO patterns currently in my queue. The pretty things were wrapped up with care in patterned tissue paper and stickers. Wow! Thank you Jennie :)

PS - Her blog is in Swedish, but my browser offers to translate it for me. It comes out a bit odd, but enough to follow the gist of things.

Life's Rhythms

You know how it is, life is busy and the blog gets quiet. However, looking back on my past posts, I realize how this place has given me a place to journal. It's good to look back and see what I was thinking and doing a year or two ago. To see the flow of it again...

I don't want to lose this fall. This was the first year that there was Thanksgiving at my house. The stuffing came out just like Mom's (yea!) and because of her scripted schedule (emailed to me by request) the event was tear free. My MIL and FIL brought cranberry relish, 3 pies, and their wonderful company. It was cosy and joyful to be together. Next time I might even have the brain space to think about things like table decor... and napkins :)

Another autumn discovery - My neighbor just happened to be making apple-sauce when I came by - could it really be that easy? Yes, yes it was. Peel, core, simmer, enjoy. After that I went to the store and bought Golden Delicious and Macintosh. Peeling that Golden Delicious took me right back to the first taste of fresh pressed cider, hands and nose frozen after hours working with wet apples. It was like finding a long lost friend.

As usual December has erased my desire to spin and filled me with a longing to knit. everything. now. I'm not sure if it is the darkness, or the cold, or the strange combination of happy and sad memories that the season evokes. But I'm continuing my quest for the perfect hat and a few gifts are in progress.

I hope to share more here soon!

Saddle Mountain

A hike under a sickly, November sun.



First through the deciduous trees.



Then by an uprooted pine.



The trail became a stream, and the rocks were mossy.



And on the way home, the last few leaves, a golden glimmer in the woods...

Thank you for the special day.

What did I ever do to alpacas?

That this should happen to me?
.
.
.
.
I have some variegated deep gray alpaca batts that are just begging to be made into a shawl. A shawl that every so gradually shades to light grey at its beautifully blocked tips. A shawl that is so light, and so soft, and so warm that one imagines it has magical properties (like those cloaks from the elves). The fiber itself was hand prepped by the genius at Loop Fiber Arts
and I have hoarded it for the day when I would be "a good enough spinner."



And, dear friends, it turns out that I am allergic to alpaca. Not just snuffly allergic, but hand- itching, nose-running, pretty-well-miserable allergic.

For this reason, my lovely loop batts and lots of other alpaca fiber now for sale on my ravelry page (mention that you read about it here and I'll give a special discount to my blog readers... um... if I have any readers...)

*sniff*

*a-CHOO*

Yesterday

My MIL kindly sent this little table loom home with me:



It is simple, two shafts, 15 inches wide. I've been curious, but not sure how to start without a warping board. Yesterday a friend from the guild showed me how it's done. With all the proper tools it is much easier than one might expect. My camera didn't make it to the lesson, but I look forward to taking pictures next time.



Putting all those ends through all those eyes is quite meditative if one is not in a hurry...