unpacking

i’ve been home for a week already and while i dissembled my suitcase almost immediately (haha, most of it going into the wash), the boxes i sent home were still in transit. the second one arrived yesterday, containing the trunk show and a few other items i’d collected between sock summit and berkeley.

as long as i was unpacking boxes, i thought it’d be a good time to photograph and share it with you. i started out my trip in london where i was very, very restrained about taking on extra baggage, since my suitcase already weighed in close to the limit.

however, this slim book, which was a gift from the author, ann kingstone, did secure a place in my bag. novel knits is a compilation of thirteen patterns for accessories and garments that take their inspiration from fictional literary works.

the designs include a variety of accessory objects, from socks to shawls to hand coverings, as well as a couple of sweaters. the projects include a range of techniques, from colorwork to lace to cables.

designs are available in both PDF and printed book form through ann’s ravelry shop.

speaking of colorwork and technique and my friend cookie—oh the trouble we can get into doing late night internet surfing. we should NOT be allowed to shop together, haha.
especially on european websites after 1am or so, when the currency has no real dollar meaning.

just look what we bought . . .

bohus sweater kits—WHAT were we thinking??
haha, well, clearly we were thinking we would totally cast on right away this week and knit them by october.

and actually, that is the plan. but i gotta tell ya, i am not going to rush this one as if it’s another job. i plan to enjoy my bohus sweater. if it knits up fast, so be it. but if it takes some time, i do not want to be needled or nudged about it. it’ll get done when it gets done.

that said, we do plan to make it a KAL. haha, probably just for the two of us, to be named “the runaway bohus tour bus; for those magical thinkers among us” or some such silly thing (i doubt anyone else will want to come near it, haha). maybe janel will join us; she has yet to weigh in.

now, i’ve always wanted to knit a bohus sweater; i’ve had the book since it’s first printing and long admired this shaded type of colorwork. then a few years ago, the yarn harlot knit one and i was reminded again how much i wanted to knit one myself. my problem has always been deciding which kit to purchase—it’s tough, lemme tell you; i like all of them.

but for some reason, with cookie at my side, i knew the instant i set eyes on the myrtle green, that this was my bohus. i even slapped my head and said it out loud.

these colors are the colors of my soul—i think i’ve loved them all my life. and david’s too; we actually have to actively look away from woodsy greens sometimes so as not surround ourselves completely with them.

so that’s going to be our first bohus—cookie’s doing the same one. we opted for the body in charcoal gray though, instead of the white. she’s decided on a pullover and i’m waffling between pullover and henley. the KAL begins as soon as we can get organized—good timing because for the next five minutes, i can actually afford to cast on something new, having finished a few things in the last week.

and you read that right when i said our first bohus, because—and here’s the part where we got into trouble—we had a little bohus accident that night and oops, we each ordered two kits.

good thing we were on a working trip.

i just couldn’t decide, you know? so i succumbed to my other favorite, the forest darkness and cookie got herself a green wood. i’m definitely doing this one as a cardigan . . . some day. but i really should get those buttons i saw for it in kristine’s shop; i somehow left without buying them and now i’m sorry.

whew, i bet you’re really chomping at the bit now to see some yarn, aren’t you?

after london, i flew straight to portland for sock summit. one of the pre-summit events was the teachers dinner, where each teacher was given a wonder-filled bag with lovely stuff provided by show vendors and sponsors.a few things from the sock summit teacher bag are missing because i shared them with my cousin liz, who will make very good use of them, i’m sure (just look at all the knitting she does!).

but there is plenty here for us to paw through . . . let’s get started.

first, a sample of the terrific everything balm, from goodies unlimited. this stuff rocks, plain and simple. it soothes skin from lips to hands to heels, making it a most excellent travel buddy; i love me a good multi-purpose product. and most importantly, it really works.

they are also the makers of wood beams, well known to discerning spinners who like to keep their wheels looking lovely, but also excellent for use on fine kitchenware and other wood surfaces throughout the house.

this beautiful skein of solstice luna sock was in my bag; the mix of denim colors will be great for socks, but the fiber blend of merino/cashmere/nylon also makes it a nice blend for a small accessory project such as hat, mitts, scarf, or even shawlette, i think.

this beautiful skein of plucky knitter MCN primo! in colorway flying monkey is destined for something beautiful. it’s not enough to knit socks for david, but maybe for me?

tucked in between yarn skeins were small treasures as well—stitch markers were traded and gifted by many show participants—the one from plover designs was actually included in my bag from the pre-summit luncheon at gino’s, but donna was selling their jewwlry at summit, too.

and i sorta succumbed to this bracelet and necklace set in recylced aluminum. it’s so delicate and pretty and i love leaf shapes. they also make earrings and shawl pins. donna has become a dear friend through our professional encounters (she also works with gardiner yarn works)

so it was with great pleasure that i accepted a gift of a matching shawl pin (thank you again donna!). the shawl pins are particularly light and pretty, perfect for fine lace fabrics. i can’t wait to use it in a photo shoot (i was moaning that i had sent it home JUST before we did the first club shoot, ack).

and there is more yarn . . . here we have some pretty samples from indigo dragonfly

who gets the prize for the best sense of humor in naming products and marketing, haha. and omg, looks like she’s going to be at knitters’ fair in september—so am i!

in fact, i’ll be doing a trunk show at the fair and also speaking at the guild meeting that following tuesday night AND teaching some classes for a couple of days at the new shall we knit?; see details on the shall we knit? registration page. please join us at one of these events!

now . . .where was i?? oh yes, more yarn.

now here is a show favorite and the only reason i got a skein was because wendee, the dyer, saved one out for me. this is hazel artisan sock, one of my all-time favorite sock yarns, in colorway pink purl

wendee first showed me this color when i visited her in april and we discussed a possible accessory design for it, around the idea of the pink pearl eraser. i took it home and swatched it, then asked what she thought about putting some charcoal smudges on it. she agreed and pink purl was born. her shop seems to be out of it at the moment, but i know for sure she plans to dye more; we’ll keep you updated.

wendee also handed over the two skeins of yarn that i dyed in her studio back in april, when cookie and i visited during my spring trip to seattle.

omigosh, they came out lovely. the brown mix is her entice MCN base and the coppery one is the piquant lite 9-ply fingering. all the fun of that day we spent with her came rushing back when i saw them; thank you again wendee for a wonderful visit.

now here was a real surprise, modestly nestled into the bag—a certificate for a gift set of any signature needles we wanted, WOW!

now, i have been studiously avoiding the rabbit hole of their celebrated circular needles for some time, but then some evil witch sock camper or other, put some in my hands and that, so they say, was that.

they have haunted me ever since, appearing at my most vulnerable moments—mostly while teaching—because you know how exposed we are then, to the breadth of tools and materials people bring to class.

so i chose to take a set of circulars myself. these are really fine, fine needles. all you have to do is hold them to know that they will knit like a dream. better than the DPNS, which i do find a little too sharp for me, the circs are an entirely different animal. i am falling hard, i gotta tell ya.

but i have a strategy, oh yes—i have created a wishlist and i will make someone else pay for them. someone who knows the importance of fine tools and who never knows what the heck to get me for christmas or my birthday. someone who definitely knows now that i do not need another weather station (i have two; don’t ask).

someone whose initials are DAVID.

speaking of david, here’s one last cool gift that was in our teacher bags, which i know he will use as often as i will

a stitch light from buffy ann designs.

this clever and powerful little light hangs around my neck with a soft tape that also holds a tiny zippered pouch for essentials such as small tools or cards. you can use it for knitting in dark areas or while walking.

they also make lights to clip on your helmet, should biking be your preferred mode of transportation.

one last yarn from my sock summit bag is this alpaca blend from dirty water dyeworks.

hmm, i don’t see it listed on their website, but it is lovely—mostly merino, with some alpaca and nylon blended in. it’s soft and bouncy, too; it would make cozy fall accessories.

the box which arrived yesterday contained a few nice mementos of my visits with janel and with the verb family (kristine, adrienne, and michelle). i’ll show you these in order . . .

yummy hazelnuts from hazelnut hill farms, where janel and i pulled off to explore on our way to corvallis on my last day.

hazelnuts have never been my very favorite nut, but these changed my mind about them completely. they tasted nothing like other hazelnuts i’ve had. freshness is the key; these are sweet and toasty without a hint of bitterness. the farm store has a wonderful selection of hazelnut products, chocolates, and dried fruits and they are in the process of developing their own chocolate hazelnut butter (which we tested, yum!).

an if you live nearby, there is an additional treat in store

delicious ice cream cones and sundaes. obviously there is hazelnut ice cream, but we opted for the maplenut flavor and were treated to a sundae in a cone that really hit the spot.

what a way to end our visit (and what an incentive for going back!)

ok, one last yarn from the road—this one was a surprise that kristine tucked into the trunk show box before it followed me home

a skein of verb’s reliquary II merino/silk lace yarn in (my new favorite) colorway transnational fury, a beautiful vintage red. this will make something gorgeously lacy, hmmm.

when i got home there was much to sort out, but one thing i noticed right away were these two skeins of shalimar zoe sock yarn sitting atop the living room sofa

in black truffle, too—looks like mister knitspot got his wish.
(well, half of it; i still have to knit him socks with it, haha)

ok, i think that winds up the yarn parade for today, how about that?

one more note on events though . . .

remember a little while back when i mentioned the little iris doll shawlette that was included in the coffee break knits booklet published by kollage yarns?

well, this pattern, which includes both the doll shawl version and and adult/teen version is now available through patternfish or on the kollage yarns site.

if you are holding onto a skein or two of any kollage fingering yarn (creamy, 1/2 n 1/2, sock-a-licious, or luscious), you might want to check it out.

or you might want to take it one step further and join in the kollage yarn group KAL during the month of september on ravelry.

good company, good fun, and prizes too; what have you got to lose?