Playing Catch-Up

This Sunday was spent trying to get a handle on just how huge my stash, list of WIPs and list of In the Queues (ITQ?) has grown. Then there was the list of items to get into the crafts co-op shop in the next few weeks, since tourist season is when the bulk of our sales take place. I was overwhelmed... however I did make some great progress in deciding where to go next. Which was to Ben Franklin, to purchase the rest of the supplies I need to finish my Knit Sock Kit Swap buddy's bag! I also picked up supplies to make DD a bag (she was helping with trim and handle choices) and another to put in the shop, as well as a pillow form for a pillow ready to go in the shop, and a set of those cute little sock-shaped point protectors to go with the Kit... yarn is on its way here and pattern is printed up and in a nice plastic sleeve. I'm sure glad something is getting done around here!


Wools I wound this afternoon: the handpainted blue/green/purple yarn that goes so well with the watermelon was my Dye-O-Rama gift from Bev, the light green is a cotton/rayon laceweight from Textiles a Mano, for a Lily of the Valley shawl that will be started later this month, and the sunset pinks and purples, from Plain and Fancy (no web address, sorry), will be socks, although a pair for DH will come between them and finishing my Trekking socks.

I also came up with some great items to contribute to a gathering of labeled yarns being collected as a benefit for Emma and her son Oliver; I read about this project on Susan's blog, where there is an address to mail off any yarns you decide to contribute. I was both heartened and dismayed to find that while there were full skeins in my stash I would be ok parting with, most did not have ball bands, as required.... heartened to see that much of what I have amassed comes from small producers, but dismayed that I had so little to contribute, and that several balls had been rolled up, then not put into use! I did decide that the four balls of Rowan Cork sent to me by accident by the vendor I got Rowan Calmer for CeCe from was better used in this way than languishing in my stash - it was a gift to me in the end, so I am gifting it further.

While busily winding those lovely balls, I reached my divorce point with my swift... it is a lovely wood item that I bought on Ebay, made by a craftsman who doesn't have a twit's idea what you use the thing for... I wanted a model that would sit on the table, rather than clamp on, and the two legs for this sit firmly on the table, with nice little rubber feet, and are solid, but it's all downhill from there. The two arms that the yarn drapes over are made to assemble and be held with a crafty turned peg, very pretty but totally worthless. The pegs that you adjust for skein size promise four different holes to put them in on each of the four directions will allow you to accomodate all kinds of sizes of skeins, but it isn't till you are in full swing that you realize the center peg wobbles off, the individual pegs on the arms can fly loose at any time, sending your skeing into tangles, and also require constant re-adjustment as the skein gets smaller.... it's time for an improved and saner version of ballwinding here at the old Camp and I am certainly open to suggestions!


Thanks for the Find of the Week go to Margene, who suggested that I might enjoy this book, especially since my gauge is so far off from everyone elses'.... I am in love, and can't wait to find the time to try several combinations. The charts are such an excellent help for someone like me, saving me the math of adjusting every single pattern I want to make. This could even warrant a future Product Review (anyone remember those? It's been awhile...).

For those of you NOT working tomorrow, I do truly hope you enjoy yourselves, and I will do my darndest not to be bitter.