FYS...

If you're here for Flash Your Stash, I'm sorry to disappoint but there's been no time in the past few weeks for me to even try to flash it.  I could have taken a picture of the closet the yarn is hiding in, but it's all in boxes, so what's the point?

If I have some time this weekend, I may transfer the yarn to new homes.  The cardboard boxes that are holding the yarn at the moment won't make it through another move.  

When it rains, it pours

Guess I really needed a break this past weekend.  Instead of working on papers and studying for my exam today I decided to spin again on Sunday.

This used to be 5.5 oz of Corriedale roving.  Though I didn't use all of it, because I only have a 4 oz bobbin.  So I'm guessing it's a bit over 4 oz.

Single ply, worsted/heavy worsted. I'm starting to really like single ply handspun yarns.

These colors remind me of spring much more than the last skein I did.  So now, which one do I send off to my SP?  I had originally thought about sending both, but I've decided to put something else in the package.

I do still have a spinning wheel

I just haven't been doing a lot of spinning.  I'm still not as good as I'd like to be, and spinning fine yarn so I can ply it and have less than a bulky weight when I'm done takes me forever.  This weekend I unfolded my wheel to make this...

I truthfully can't remember where I got this fiber.  It's BFL, and I think there was four ounces.  This skein is the first time I've ever used a single as my finished product.  I got about 200 yards out of it, so I'm guessing it's a worsted weight, but here's the dime shot.  Of course, I caught three strands and they didn't want to separate.

Yarn pr0n shot

It seems my camera doesn't like to take close up shots anymore.  This is the best shot out of fifteen.  The colors are more accurate in the wider shots, but this shows the twist and how it fuzzed a bit.

This skein will soon be sent to go live with someone else.  I'm pretty sure she doesn't read this blog, but even if she did, I don't think she knows I'm her SP yet so I feel safe showing off.

Happy Purim!

Things I learned last night:

1.  There are such things as Hassidic rock groups.. and they aren't half bad (sorry, it was too dark for pictures)

2.  Hamentaschen do not go with jack daniels, even with the soda.

3.  You can daven in a bar (heh, that was cool)

4.  I can still flirt with guys who are ten years younger than I am and get away with it.

5.  Purim is more fun as an adult! 

A bit of a difference

What you see on top of the computer is what is left out of two skeins of Nature Wool after making six fish.  As you can see, one skein has quite a bit left over and one has almost nothing.  Makes me wish I had a scale and had weighed the skeins prior to starting.  Let this be a lesson, not all skeins have the amount the label claims they do.

If you wish to follow the creation of this blanket, you'll have to do it on Ravelry.  I've decided that at least something about it should be a surprise, hence no posts here where my sister can see them.

I'm a bad blogger...

I'm normally very good.  If you send me something, or I win something, I will normally email the person who sent it and blog about it within two days.  Seems I totally forgot to tell Bezzie that my prize got here.

Yes, I won Bezzie's Ugliest Couch Contest.

In my defense, the couch cost me $12 at Good Will, and another $10 at Joann's to repair the missing straps that would have held up the cushions.  I'll freely admit I've done nothing about the cushions but cover them with a blanket.  I truthfully don't expect this couch to stay with me past August, but we'll see.  It's not quite as uncomfortable as it looks, though it could use some new foam cushions.

Oh... what did I win?

Magnets from her etsy shop.  She still has a few left.  Bezzie, if you need more magazines to cut up, email me.  My kitties chewed the envelope you sent them in, so no return addy.

FO

I started this sweater last December to help me relax while studying for finals.  It seems appropriate that I should finish it now over spring break when I'm trying to relax a bit.  It's made up of the odds and ends from dad's blanket, along with a skein of WotA and about 1/2 a skein of Cascade 220 that never made it into the blanket.

In the bathtub before it's soak.  I thought I was being smart by putting in a garter stitch bottom, but you can see how that worked.

It did block out nicely though.  I just stretched and let it dry.  No pins needed.  It turned out to be about 30 inches around the chest.  I have no idea what size kid this will fit, but it will be going to Warm Woolies at the end of the summer.

Now I actually have to start it

The color choices have been approved by my sister.  She hit town a day earlier than I thought she would.  I'm currently finishing up a sweater I started last semester during finals, but I should start the first fish by the weekend.

For those who are wondering what I mean when I said "she hit town a day earlier", my sister is currently through hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.  You can follow her adventures on her journal site.

Another fish blanket..

Yes folks, I'm insane.  My sister, who I love dearly, was rather annoyed that my father got a fish blanket and she didn't.  Somehow, she managed to get me to agree to make her one.

Here are all the colors I've managed to obtain.  Some are the worsted weight, some are the chunky.  Most of them I have two skeins of, some only one (the third and fifth from the left on top).  There are a few with more than four skeins of each color.  Assuming I only get two fish out of each skein, I need 36 skeins to complete the blanket in a twin size.  I currently have 46 skeins (but that includes 15 skeins of one color, the third from the left on the bottom).  A few of the worsted and chunky skeins look like the same colors, so that should make life a bit more interesting.

Anyone have any serious objections to any of those colors?  I'm hoping my sister will look at this next time she hits a town with internet access.

HOCKEY!!!

Now, I'm not the world's biggest hockey fan.  Truthfully, I barely know the rules of the game.  BUT... I still enjoy watching ice hockey from the stands.  I have ever since I did EMS at the Meadowlands as a volunteer.  Tonight is the first annual Philadelphia Sticks and Stitches!  This is so cool!  I'm going to have to bring something easy to work on so I can watch the game.

To make the day even better, it's basically the start of spring break for me.  Though I'll be doing clinical over spring break to make up some hours, at least I won't have to wake up at 6am four days a week for the next 10 days or so.

To top all that, my yarn came from The Knitting Zone.  Now that R has started off on the trail, I guess I have to start her blanket.  They had 25% off all yarn a few days ago in honor of the leap year, and I ordered two skeins each of 3 different colors to add to the blanket.  Yes, I already had enough yarn, but that included 15 skeins of the same color!  Plus, I needed to add a bit more purple to the mix.  Now I have a total of five skeins of purple for the blanket, which should mean at least 10 purple fish.  If I think of it.. and my camera cooperates, I'll take a picture of all the different skeins that I'm going to use for the blanket.

Of course, I can't pass up a good sale.. and thanks to the wonders of Ravelry, I've been introduced to lots of new yarns.  A skein of Smooshy ended up in my order.  Oh my... not like I don't have more than enough sock yarn sitting around, especially considering that even at my fastest, it takes me two weeks to make a pair of socks.  Don't worry mom, I'm currently working on your pair.