Stitches West

Some friends and I went to Stitches West (a very large knitting show) in Santa Clara, CA this weekend. It was fitting that the trip started out with us drawing the Disney airplane for the trip down. Yes, it did take us to the "happiest place on earth", Stitches West!

The flight was without incident and the weather was rainy and on the cold side. We rented a car so getting around the area was easy. The parking at the hotel and at the convention center was free.

San Jose airport is small and different because you exit the plane and walk through a long canvas tunnel to get inside the terminal. The car rental place is reached via a shuttle bus from the terminal to the car rental lots. Having friends with a positive, adventurous outlook, and being patient, made the trip fun and very rewarding.

This is the biggest show I have ever attended that centered around knitting. Crowds were biggest on Saturday. It was nice that we were able to attend every day of the show to look at the different vendors displays, help out where we could, see (and touch) hand knit treasures throughout the weekend, and of course get to bounce ideas and thoughts off of one another. Bottom line for me though on what made the weekend, was the people. The friends we got to spend time with was the absolute best part of the whole weekend.

Speaking of friends....

here are Michael and Sheila, Rod and Lisa, and Jen and Sam

They don't allow us to take photographs inside the convention center. I wish that they did because it was amazing. We did our best to bring items home from the show for you to see. Yes, I know you will be grateful that we made these purchases of wonderful treasures just for you. You will be seeing these items appear over time on this blog. Just to give you a teaser, there are some of those gorgeous glass needles from Sheila and Michael as well as beautiful yarns from Lisa and Rod that will be showing up. Wait till you see the hard twist superwash yarn Lisa is dying - it's wonderful stuff! I got a sock knit out of this yarn, in only 2 days, using a set of Sheila's needles and the magic loop method. I am working on sock #2. You should be seeing the pair sometime next weekend.

Socks!

Here are some of the socks I've been working on. The blue and black are made with Lisa Souza Sock! in the colorway Blue Sky and some of her Heels and Toes Sock! in Black. I love this stuff. I knit these on a size 1 Addi needle. I think I could go up a needle size especially where I doubled up the yarn on the heels and toes. These will be sturdy socks and great for wearing with open sandals or with boots. Yes one of these socks is not like the others, but they all are the same size and shape. I need to get a sock blocker to really show these off.

This pair is a made from Mountain Colors, Bearfoot yarn in Elderberry colorway. I wasn't in the mood for a lot of ribbing when I started these, and I should have probably done more before I moved onto the foot. They are cozy anyway. If they shrink a little, it will be actually a good thing, they are a little loose on me. The color in the single sock picture is what they really look like. The flash went off on the shot of both feet. I think I'll knit the next pair of these in Ruby River, with a smaller needles size. I used a Addi size 2 on these and they seem a bit loose. I will give in and do the ribbing too - I like a cuff and I was just lazy on these.

I'm getting socks out of my system I guess because that's all I've been working on lately. They are very satisfying for me right now.

The Cold Season is Here

This time I'm not talking about the weather. I've got a cold and my cheek bones hurt. It is the part of this cold that makes me want to curl up in a ball and stay there until I'm better. Only I cough and sneeze and well, we won't go into that. Our son also has a cold and has stayed home from school the last two days. He's feeling pretty bad too.

Wayne got me a wonderful card and some lovely chocolates for Valentines Day. He's a sweetheart. He even cooked dinner and served it on the "you are special" dinner plate. That's what made me feel so special today.

I've been knitting socks. I have made a pair since I last put up photos of the Rooster Rock socks. I'll have to get some photos when I'm feeling better

Plied and Plied Again, I Replied

I finished your birthday present on your birthday Sandy! Sorry I couldn't give them to you today, but you can see them at any rate. These are made from lightweight Socks that Rock in the colorway Rooster Rock. I hope you enjoy them. I have another skein and I'll start up a pair for myself very soon. I've never blocked socks. I suppose I think of them as meager socks and that a foot is the perfect object to block them with. I am sure you will like them when they are warming your toes. The cuff turns down so the colors that are pooling wont show when you have these babies on your feet. I never mind the pooling myself anyway. It gives the socks character.

I plied the soft wool and tencel that I blogged about before. It came out very loosely plied. So, I plied it again. Heck, I plied one two ply with another two ply and now have a four ply yarn! It is so soft and bouncy, I'm not sure what I will end up making out of it. It would be perfect for a soft hat with lots of shine and warmth. I think that's what it wants to be.

New Sweater

Gumby was in need of a little something to brighten his day. The result was a evening of design and knitting for a new sweater! Saint Valentine's Colorway by Lisa Souza in Sock! Size 1 double points 16 stitches at neck, and 18 at the bottom. Sleeves are 9 stitches round. Yeah, you have to love a sweater project when you see it being worn. Sheep are from Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. Pokey's blanket has shoulder (or is that back, withers?) shaping.