Quickie - Burberry Inspired Sock Yarn

I go to a lot of fibery events where lovely fibers are available for sale.  I've seen hundreds of vendors of fine handmade wares - knitting tools, jewelry, yarns, spinning fiber, spinning wheels, buttons - everything I could imagine.  And I see it weekend after weekend.

So when I see something I've never seen before, it's a big surprise.  This past weekend at the Woodstock Fleece Festival in Woodstock, Ontario, I saw three things I've never seen before, all of which I thought were terrific.  One was pre-weighed, pre-portioned nylon to be spun with other fibers into sock yarn.  There were little tubes of different weights in different colors, with notes on how much to add to different types of fiber for different weights of yarn.  Love it!  But since I don't spin, I don't need it.

Then I saw this.  Turtlepurl TurtleToes yarn.  I love it!  I love the colorway, and the fiber, and the way it self-stripes on a typical sock.  This is their web shop, and this is the link to the yarn I bought.  (I've borrowed the photos at left directly from their website.)  The owner usually divides her sock skeins into pairs so that folks can knit two at a time, but I bought a single 450yd hank.  I'd love to make socks, but my immediate thought was to make gloves, and see how the stripes distribute themselves across the fingers. 

I also saw an antique sock knitting machine, which was operated by a hand crank.  If you're into such things, it was remarkably beautiful.  A woman was using it to make socks, and demonstrating how moving different pins around made different patterns.  It was manufactured in 1924, and a pair of socks, excepting the heels and toes which were added by hand, can be made in about 15 minutes.  Photos to follow in a future post, when the crazy days of Rhinebeck are behind me!

 

Straight Needle Gloves - Sneak Peek!

This is the swatch for the first pattern of the Gift Knits Kit Club!  The pattern is finished, and I'm knitting the sample today. (Yep, those are some little bitty cables on there!)  It's for GLOVES, and it is written and charted for BOTH straight needles AND for those who knit in the round.

There will be a contrasting, dark brick colored cuff.  The yarn for the body of the glove is called "Embers", 100% Superwash Merino DK Super Sheep, and it's from Holiday Yarns.  I love it!  It's knits up soft and warm and dreamy. The yarn alone retails for $22.00!  The whole kit, mailed to your door, is just $27. 

I'm making each of these items as a Holiday knit ahead for the 2012 holidays, so next year I'll be less frantic about finishing my gift knits list. 

I've just opened a few more spots in the club, so join us!

Gift Knit Kit Club Features: 
New kit each month including original Liz Marino pattern and premium yarns to make the Gift Knit of the Month, shipped on or about the 15th of the month

Exclusive Liz Marino Club patterns will not be made available to non-club members until 3 months after Club release date

Kits will not be made available retroactively or to non-members

Jan = Straight needle gloves for her (s,m,l)
Feb = Snuggly Socks - adult (men, women)
Mar = Woven-look Purse
Apr = Eco-Friendly Washcloth Gift Pack
May = Holiday Knit-Ahead Hat
June = Yoga Stirrup Socks - one size

No substitutions are available.  Color and size is determined by Liz Marino.  Each month's kit is the only kit available for that month.  Kits are not available retroactively. 

Membership will not be automatically renewed for July-Dec.  Membership will be opened to current members in April and non-members in May based on availability.

Membership is open to North American mailing addresses only.  The price is $27 per month, for a total of $162 USD.  Payment must be received in full; no month to month memberships are available.

Thanks for joining this adventure!  I can hardly wait!

After joining, email me at esliney@yahoo.com with your:

Name
Shipping address

Do this even if they are the same as the ones on your PayPal ID, please, just to confirm!  I want to make sure I know how to reach you via email and USPS.  If this info is not emailed, your membership will be rejected and your payment will be returned.  Thanks!

Freebie Friday - Surprise!

This week's freebie comes from Cherry Tree Hill Yarns, and it's not your standard late-spring fare:  Gloves!

Ok, hear me out.  First of all, many of my readers are from the Southern Hemisphere, so it's fall for them.  Second, in the summer, we want light, small, portable projects.  A whole lap full of wool is tough to take on a hot and sunny afternoon.  Third, they're made on TWO NEEDLES!  I know, right?  Thanks to Discounted Brand Name Yarns for making this PDF available free of charge.

Make these stocking stuffers now, and cross one recipient off your list.  Or make a few pair, and spend this fall baking apple pies and carving pumpkins instead of frantically knitting your gift list items.  Nobody will associate the knitting now with a gift they'll receive in six months.  Even if the recipient sees them now, you're golden!  Lie!  They'll forget by Christmas/Hanukkah.

Behind Schedule

I'm in a cold sweat.  I have a lot of winter knitting I've committed to, and winter is winding down faster than I'm knitting. (Didn't I just say last weekend that I wasn't letting the backlog scare me? WRONG!)

The Mr. Mittens are mostly finished.  The Two Color Brioche rib scarf took a back seat to mittens and schoolwork.  My brioche vest is visible as a tiny speck on the horizon, and seems to be getting farther away.

My best friend from childhood is owed gloves.  My daughter helped me design No H8 mittens for herself, and I haven't made them.  I have a class to teach on a sweet, slouchy tam, and haven't chosen yarn or started the project.  (I've made this pattern before, but not for years.) My socks are waiting in my "go" bag, and I treat them like a mistress, a guilty pleasure.

I need to stop committing to projects.  I think I need to write this stuff down, and make much more vague agreements as to when things will be finished.  Of course, then I wouldn't have these adrenalin-creating panic attacks.  Where's the fun in that?