sheep in the city

New shop in Kansas City

On my trip to Kansas City, my mom and I visited a brand new store, open for just three weeks, called The Yarn Shop and more. I loved the layout they chose. All the yarn was organized by color and it made a stunning entrance, it was a delight to my eyes. Of course I was immediately drawn to the pink section. I was thinking in my head, "how can I have a wall of pink yarn at my house?" Hmmm, I'm going to have to work on that! If you are ever in the Kansas City area, it's located in old downtown Overland Park on 80th between Metcalf and Santa Fe. There is a great coffee shop and a fabulous quilt shop just down the street. I love seeing old neighborhoods and businesses being rejuvenated.

This is my Grandma Sue and I outside the yarn shop. She is an amazing lady, who at 78, just retired last year from directing a Preschool! I want to be like her when I grow up!

The loot: 2 books:one that I'll use when knitting with elementary/teenage kids called Funky Knitting and another called Knitting Languages, which has knitting terminology in Spanish, Swedish, Norweegian, Danish, English (UK), French, German, Icelandic, Italian, and Japanese. I think it is a nice book to have in your reference section. 2 skeins of Koigu...I know, I know, I said I was only going to buy one, but...I couldn't make a decision so when in doubt, buy both! I love Jenn's version of Charlotte. So I had been hunting for a light green. The colors I bought are P808 and P103. I can't say enough good things about Koigu. The big pink skein is a whole lota yarn, 497 yards to be exact. It is a company called Bonkers out of Lawrence, KS. The color is called Flamingo Fest, how could I resist? Last but not least is a yarn I had never seen before, called Filaro. It's a hot pink boucle with silver threads running through it. Perfect for Voodoo Wrist Warmers? Another project slated for Fall.

This is my first foray into sewing in a long time, the orange for the outside of the purse, purple inside. I still need to get some bamboo handles. I saw an example made up in the shop where someone had sewn tiny beads onto the flowers...what do you think??

Home sweet home

Ahhhh...it's good to be home! Much fun was had, new yarn was bought, projects were finished. I spent a total of 26 hours in the car, yuck!! I hope to write more tomorrow, but if not I'll definitely have something to say after my trip to Brown Sheep on Tuesday!! Whoo hoo!!

Nine hours of knitting!

Well, I'm driving to Kansas in the morning...usually I don't end up driving that much so I'm hoping to get a lot of knitting in! Like finishing some of these projects I've been talking about lately...yikes! Here are the promised pics of my birthday tea, no explanation for the champagne cork picture, what can I say, I'm a weirdo! The poncho that I'm wearing is made with Rowan Handknit DK and Linen Print...I finished it in a day...I love size 19 needles!! My dad, who never really notices my knitting said it was the coolest thing I've ever made. Now that's sayin' something!

More pics: me and my fabulous friend Meghan opening the champagne! And the bottom one is one of the MANY pictures my mom took of me opening presents (notice the pained expression on my face, ha!) ...you'd think I was a little kid the way she was snapping shots...gotta love her!

I Heart Koigu

I can't get enough of this stuff! It has become my secret indulgence. It is the one kind of yarn that I don't blink an eye when I spend $10 a skein on it. I've seen eveyone making such beautiful stuff lately...I love the top that Shobhana made. What an inspiration! And a great excuse to keep buying one skein at a time...someday all that Koigu will come in handy. I'm desperate to start Charlotte, everybody's doin' it. I've actually started her and ripped her, started and ripped. Now she has been put on hold...but just for a while, I'm thinking late summer, early fall I'll get started!

Oops, I forgot some...

Ok, so I thought that I had listed all of my projects that are on the needles. Well...I forgot a few...I have a pair of Regia striped socks that are super fun, they're red, brown, orange, yellow, burgandy, and fushia. They are totally my colors. A pair of plain jane socks with Interlacements Toasty Toes , and the alien illusion scarf from Stitch 'n Bitch.

So I tell myself, don't buy more yarn, don't start any more projects...but do I listen...of course not! I'm going to Kansas City this weekend and one of my favorite yarn shops is there and there is a new shop that my grandma wants us to see, so it's vacation and yarn purchasing on vacation doesn't count, right?? I have a problem. I need to find a YA. That would be Yarnaholics Anonymous.

Can one have too many projects?

This is a question that I ask myself on a regular basis...I never answer it, I just start a new project! My current thing is joining knitalongs. I'm knitting along with the Six Sox group at yahoo , Live Journal Passalong Scarf , Salt Peanuts , and most recently the Azkaban Knitalong . I've decided to make a Gryffindor scarf for the POA knitalong. I'm going to pick up my yarn hopefully when I visit the Brown Sheep Mill in Mitchell, NB next tuesday. I'm going on a chartered bus with 40 other knitters. Fun, fun!

My first pair of socks for the Six Sox group are coming along. I have never made socks with a lacy pattern. After many attempts at starting I think that I have it down! This picture was taken shortly after I started, but you can see my fun color of Lorna's Laces that I'm using...it looks so yummy!

My Salt Peanuts sweater has been put on hold for a while, due to the fact that I have put off making my sister a baby blanket for her first child, that is now due in a month and a half! Holy crap! Where did the time go? I chose Plymouth Dream Baby in a fun light teal color. My mom and I are driving to Kansas City on Thursday (for aforementioned sisters baby shower...so I plan to knit across Kansas and whip this blanket out. It's a carseat/stroller blanket, sort of a big rectangle. Probably won't take me that long.

I'm also almost finished with a felted christmas stocking for my roomate, fingerless mittens made with one skein of Koigu, a baby sweater using Mission Falls washable wool (for said baby), my 11th pair of felted clogs (no the other 10 weren't all for me, just 2 of them!), a shawl/scarf made with one skein of Rowan Kidsilk Haze and one skein of Colinette Point 5. I started a sweater from the Poetry in Stitches book almost a year ago. I've made a quarter of one sleeve. It's sad, just sad. This has become the sweater that I WILL finish before I die:), For now that's all! That's not too many, right??

Rainy night knitting

Well, it has been raining all day here in Denver. The sky has progressively been getting darker and darker, and the thunder is booming...sounds like a perfect night to go home, order in, sit in my big comfy chair, pop in Buffy: season 5 which I got for my birthday, and knit. I love the sound of rain on the rooftop. I'm currently working on my sock for the Six Sox Knitalong It's coming along nicely. I have never made a lacy sock before (this one has a cloverleaf design on it) so I'm broadening my horizens with this group. The purpose of the group is to make six pairs of socks in the next year, one every two months. What is it about rain that makes me want to be cozied up somewhere? I say bring on the rain, bring on the knitting!

Oh Happy Day!

So yesterday was my birthday...and boy did I score big! My mom bought me enough Rowan Plaid in Sea Thistle #164 to make Tidal Wave or Spray from the Rowan Plaid Collection. I am having a hard time deciding which one to make. Any suggestions? I've seen a sweater knit up in this yarn and it's absolutely to die for. Over the last few months I've been trying to figure out how in the world I could swing buying enough of it to make a sweater...and in comes mom and saves the day! Aren't moms the greatest! She also gave me a fun knitting basket and a table swift. I think there was an ulterior motive with this gift though...she might have been sick of holding skeins while I use my ball winder! Thanks though Mom, you're the best! I'll write more about the amazing Tea she had for 8 of my friends later! I need to work on my Passalong scarf!

Passalong Scarf

This is a closeup of the scarf I started for the Scarf Passalong. I mailed it off early last week and recieved the next scarf to work on last Friday. I have to say there is not much that can top getting yarn in the mail. I have been meaning to learn some new stitch patterns (there are big sweater plans in my future!) and thought that this would be a good way to practice.

Brain Fart

This is Stacey's brother (the man of myth and legend). I'm trying to help her figure out how to do this BLOG thing... in the mean time you should checkout Home Star Runner ,on a scale of 1 to awesome... it's super great!