Connected Through Yarn

I have always loved acquiring yarn in ways other than the typical.  Yesterday was no different!  I had inquired about some yarn for sale on Craigslist a long time ago, and had totally forgotten about it.  I got an email asking if I was still interested…………Well, what knitter isn’t interested in more yarn?  I’ve never met one!

Short story: The  yarn is now in my studio!  Favorite spool?  The white one on the top of the lavender.  It is a wool, silk blend that has a twist that looks shiny in certain light.  Love the feel of this one.  Then, there is that luscious lavender and some workhorse basic colors too.  Most are wool blends which will keep me in winter scarf/hat yarns for a couple seasons!

The rest of the story?  The woman selling the yarn asked if I was interested in fabric?  Well……..that led to a very cool connection. Her mother has been sewing professionally for decades & lives here in the same county. She & I have now been “introduced” on line, and I see great things down the road!  I have wanted to find someone to refer clients to, when my schedule was over-full (as it is now).  This woman has been wanting to transition from larger commercial orders to smaller/quicker jobs for individuals.  We’re both happy. The daughter who sold the yarn is happy.  Win, win, win.  Love it when things just come together!

 

Estate Sale Haul

Yarn & More Yarn

Here’s the van with the goodies from yesterdays Estate Sale visit!  I’ve taken a couple boxes out, so it shows how far the boxes go!  I’ve got space for them inside already, but I’m waiting for the 80+ temps to subside first!

I brought some of the vintage items in from the first row of boxes, and plan to get some pictures of them tomorrow.  There will be some things I didn’t plan on bringing home, as people kept going through “my” boxes before they got moved to the van…….but, I’m thrilled with what I see on the top layer of this collection!

Buying yarn or supplies this way is one of my favorites.  Not knowing exactly what I have to work with is part of the fun.  Getting items I wouldn’t normally choose……….seeing color combinations I wouldn’t typically put together……..is so much more fun than ordering on line.  I certainly didn’t get the “shopping” gene!

The crew at the sale didn’t really believe me when I said I’d take a van full of yarn! 

Place Catchy Title Here

Too tired to think of a catchy title ……..so feel free to make one up!

I had a day that was just a bit too long.
It happened to be the first day to hit 80 here in the Seattle area (I fade fast at anything above 72)
I didn’t get a decent nights sleep, late night phone call….my moms twin had fallen & was in the ER
Up at the crack of dawn this AM, to get some things in the yard accomplished before the temp headed UP….and to check on my aunt.

Met with a new client this AM & he is going to be so fun to work with. In the small world dept, we ended up with a connection through a mutual friend. Love when that happens!

Then, the fun really started. I have been watching a new email list re; estate sales & auctions and had really checked out 1 that was happening this weekend & was less than 10 miles away. I decided not to go on Fri, or Sat….but to wait closer to closing time today. This one had what looked like obsessively sorted fabric, notions and YARN. LOTS……..OF……..YARN.

I stowed my seats in the van, took cash, and bags for the yarn, but was totally unprepared for the crowds, the weather and the mind boggling amount of yarn this woman had. Besides a 3 story house, there was a huge garage and 2 buildings that I’m not sure what they were used for. One building was ALL fabric, and then there was fabric on all 3 floors of the home. The yarn was also located in 3 places. Not a convenient set up in my opinion, but then……they didn’t ask me!

The yarn was in labeled boxes (apple boxes) and I ended up not needing my bags. The crew just took the boxes I had set aside and loaded my van for me! Great news, as I was more than warm at this point. The van is FULL. Boxes stacked 3 high, from the front seats to the back lift gate, and a bolt of fabric squeezed in on the top layer for good measure.

I’ll get a picture of the bounty ……….but not tonight. As I said, I’m more than tired. Happy. But tired.

Think it is time to grab some yarn, get in a comfy chair with my feet up and watch some mindless TV for a bit.

Not sure if my brain will shut off. I learned today, that after the sales (at least from this company) if there is yarn, fabric, or crafty stuff as they called it…..leftover……they take it to the dump. The staff did tell me to contact the office tomorrow & let them know I’m interested, as well as a list of others that would be happy to take this type of thing off their hands! When I left at closing this afternoon, there must have been 75 more boxes of yarn that didn’t sell. It’s going to haunt me!

Will be dreaming of yarn……

New Supplies

I’ve been adding supplies to my etsy shop for several reasons:

*  When I couldn’t find a supply I needed from other etsy shops, I located & ordered what I needed…..which left me with a bolt of extra.

*  I’m able to list things from my “stash” here at Stitchknit…..which is helping me get way more organized!

*  And, the underlying, real reason is…..   It gives me an excuse to search out fabrics and yarn in local estate sales, thrift shops and antique malls.  I love looking through collections of other crafters supplies and now I’ve got pages to fill with fabulous ‘finds’!

So, watch for more supplies like these!

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10 Reasons Why I Knit

Saw this list in an email recently & thought I should be able to pin down why I knit ……….so here goes (in no special order)

1)  I love color and oh, my goodness is there a chance to play with color when one is knitting.

2)  Texture………..the chance to touch all the yarns!  Some I don’t even need to knit up, they are just yummy to touch!  Like the baby camel yarn in this cowl:

Luxury baby camel yarn…..too soft to describe well.

3)  Something I love to do, that I can share with others.  Teaching knitting is almost better than knitting itself!  And, people pay me for it! 

4)  I have always wanted/needed something to do with my hands.  I truly dislike just sitting.  And, waiting is not my best skill……..but, give me needles & yarn and it is no longer considered waiting!  As a foster parent, I learned early on, to have projects with me at all times.  (much time spent in ER’s or an endless list of doctor, dentist & therapist appts)  Nothing worse than wasting time in someones’ waiting room, with out dated magazines!

5)  I love the magic of knitting.  After all, it is just 2 sticks and some string and a series of knots.  I am frequently in awe of the designs that come from arranging that same string into an actual ‘thing’.

6)  Knitting is one of those skills that has no end.  I believe one can always keep learning new techniques when it comes to this craft.

7)  Picking out a pair of socks for the day always reminds me why I love to knit!  There is just nothing like a hand knit pair of socks. Made to fit MY strange feet, made to stay up, not scrunch down in my shoes and made with as wild of a color combo as I choose!  My entire sock drawer is now filled with what I call “loud socks”.

8)  And, I have to admit, I love the wow factor when I knit on these little size zero needles!  Always a good conversation starter if I’m out knitting in public!  Then, of course I can point out my socks I’m wearing too…………for added effect!

9)  Knitting is something I learned from my mother & I love it for that reason too.  We still share knitting as a common interest!  Mom is a great one to bounce off tricky bits in a new pattern.  We find that just saying the sequence out loud to each other often times clears up any questions.  Having knitting as a bond between friends is great too, as they totally ‘get’ the need for all the yarn, tools and patterns one HAS to have on hand. 

10)  I like the part of knitting that allows me to take something out, to re-do a section until I’m am content with how it looks.  Easy to substitute a different technique, or decide I’m not happy with the whole affair and unknit it back to a ball of yarn!  I have one finished piece here in the studio that I’m not happy with right now & am threatening to unknit it and start over.  Love the colors and the yarn, they just need to be knit into something allowing for more movement.

Why do you knit?  I’d love to know.

 

 

Whose Voice Did I Get?

Well, I can talk now.  But, I didn’t get my own voice back after my month long bout with laryngitis.  (wow, was it quiet around here)

I have enough of a voice I can even answer the phone!  Letting all the calls go to voice mail was getting tedious.  Being able to just answer, seems like a small thing, but wow, has it made life easier.  Maybe I’ll get used to this new voice of mine………….maybe my own voice will return???  Either way will be better than mute!

Since I can use the phone, and talk to clients………the calendar is filling up again.  I’ve got some fun projects to do, both sewing and knitting.  Classes to teach and new items to create.  What could be better?

I’ve been adding to my Etsy shop, since there was no talking required!  This is one of the stash buster yarns I listed recently……the sock yarn from Red heart, that has aloe infused into the yarn.  Great to knit with, and it works up into terrific socks too!  Since I can only wear 1 pair of socks at a time, and I have a FULL drawer of hand knit socks already…………I am thinning the sock yarn stash.

See this new listing here, in my supply section.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                              This is one of the many items I worked on during January, a very chunky basket weave design which will likely end up being a cowl.  I’m hoping I can finish this off with just a seam, making it appropriate for either men or women.  It’s a rich dark navy, and worked up to be pretty soft.  The stack of items is going to keep me busy for awhile!  There is everything from a white cotton shrug to purple felted flowers and a couple cones of new yarn to play with too.

If all goes well this week, I’m going to start participating with a new team on Etsy.  The SNS for those in the know.  For the rest of us, it’s the Saturday Night Sale.   Starts Saturday evening and runs through 6AM Sunday.  My first task will be to figure out the times, as it is EST and I’m in the pacific standard time zone.  I guess it would help if I could remember when Saturday is too!  After having no appointments for a month, I’m out of practice keeping a schedule!  I’ve decided the Special at Stitchknit will be free shipping anywhere in the US.  More info to come, as I figure out what I’m doing!    Keep up on Twitter or Facebook, or here on the blog.

Best get to work, I’ll try to get some of these new things in the shop before Saturday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Noise!

I have been voiceless since the first week of January………..so when I discovered I could make some noise this week, it was cause for a minor celebration!   Noise does not translate into a speaking voice however.  And, I can’t just open my mouth and make noise on command.  Sometimes I still get nothing!  And, other times I sound like the calls from seals at the beach!  So, answering the phone is not on my list of skills yet.  (Thanks to Melinda and Rachell for helping with the phone chores!)

Since I’m just sitting quietly here…………I have been making headway on my knitting & sewing projects that were getting a bit backed up.

This is truly a white shawl, but I can’t get it to show up as white.  I’ve got a couple ends to weave in, and the picture problem to solve, then this should be listed in the shop.  The yarn is 100% silk…………the shawl is an Adult Small………..and it turned out to be a pretty bit of crocheting!

 

 

 

 

One of the new yarns in the shop, see them all here in my supply section.  I have the same corn fiber yarn in a solid seafoam green and a deep charcoal gray.

I’m slowly adding vintage lace trims too…  Emphasis on slowly!

 

 

 

Since I’m just this week, starting to feel more like myself…….everything I do is done slowly.  And, in between doing most everything, I need to find a sit down job………….which is why I’m getting lots of knitting time in! 

 

Nothing Better than New Yarn

Well, maybe getting my voice back would be better!  Still can’t talk, but wow………have I been knitting.  (and crocheting)    Will get pictures of the latest creations this week, but for today…..it’s just yarn.

All of these are listed, with more to come soon!  See the full descriptions and additional  pictures here in my supply section.  Time to get those knitting needles fired up!

 

Just Listed………..and Sold!

Love writing that!  These ruffled scarves are a popular item.  I wonder if people know how simple they are to make?  One could knit these with their fingers I think…..

Have one more of these in browns still in the shop here.    Hoping to get some of these done in a solid red and maybe a red with silver?  Would be beautiful with a black coat for the holidays.  And, I had a client ask today, if I had this in red!  Reason enough to make one right there!

I finished one tiny little item and added it to the shop yesterday.  Stop by & take a peek.

Lots of projects in the works here:  Still working on the 2nd hot pink sock for me!   New color of this scarf that just sold The new color is a camel or beige or khaki…..depending on who I ask!  Still have the white crocheted shawl in silk…..it’s going to take something huge to get me back to this piece.  Little girls scarf in Pinks!  (looks like cotton candy) And, I’m knitting and crocheting in ALL my spare minutes, to create a big bag full of yarn goodness for my 2nd Yarn Bombing event coming up soon!  I’ll be sure to take pictures as this one is going up.

Thanks for stopping in and a big welcome to the new followers!

Crochet 911

 

This was delivered to my house this week end.  Two vintage ………..no, probably certifiably antique at this point………granny square afghans made by an aunt of mine.  When she died, these two went to one of her sons, and since he just died………..they are now going to her daughter.  No one in the immediate family was willing to work on either of these…………so, here they are!

Two afghans in need of some TLC

I didn’t get a close up of the areas that had disintegrated, but trust me, there are places where there is just no blanket there!  Trickiest piece to fix is going to be the black bordered one on the right. Some of the yarn used on this piece was wool………..and over the years it has felted………….and felted WELL.  I know my cousin isn’t going to fuss over those types of details, but I do want this to be repaired so that I’m happy with it.

 

First thing on the list is to start assembling the necessary yarn.  I think I have plenty of black, but some of the other colors I’m going to have to pick up.

Next, I think I’ll copy the squares so I can just ‘paste’ them into the straight forward problem areas.

Then………….I don’t know.  The plan only goes so far!

 

I’m open to any and all advice you might have.  If you’ve pulled a granny square piece back from the brink, please share!