Clearly Koi!

I have two fine and fun things to show you today, both of which I am quite excited about. So excited that I am blogging even though I am really tired of typing today!

First, you see some very pretty yarn. This is my special, made just for me, yarn that Ray at Knitivity made for me. It's two skeins of his DuraLace yarn, and one skein of his Down Home Socks yarn. They were dyed at the same time, so they match perfectly. Do click on the close-up to see what it looks like. These are a weird combo of colors, but I just love them together!


Here is what inspired the colorway, a t-shirt that my husband got me from Threadless, our favorite shirt source. Isn't it a cool image? The colors are very saturated and smooshy. I love fish, especially Koi. Ray did a great job on this yarn, and I am not just saying it because he has become my friend over the past couple of years--this is very pretty yarn, not too intense, not too pastel. Delicious.

I know I am going to make some wonderful socks out of the sock yarn, but I am thinking hard about what lace project to make with the laceweight. I saw a fairly simple rectangular stole in Victorian Lace Today that someone made, that has a fancy edge. Maybe that will not get overwhelmed by all the colors...we'll see. Mostly I am just carrying the yarn around with me and swooning. Thanks, Ray!

Next you see where I currently am on the Dianna2 shawl. Check out those needles! I got some of the new KnitPicks clear ones! They are called Zephyr and the name fits. I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I like them. Why, you ask?

1. They are not too slippery, not too grippy. They will be great for lace, I predict.
2. They bend a little. It makes doing difficult stitches easier, somehow.
3. They are very pointy. I like pointy needles. Again, makes lace stuff easy.
4. I love this: they are SILENT. It makes NO noise to knit with them. It's eerie!
5. They are INVISIBLE. Clear, even. I love how the other side of the yarn looks through the needle, and how yarn looks through it. Just plain fun.

These don't go smaller than size 4, but that's fine. I really like the wooden ones for socks. If you can do it, get yourself a pair of these in your favorite size, and give them a try. You might like them, too. I honestly didn't think I'd be as fond of these needles as I am. Usually I don't like plastic much, but this is pretty and feels good.

I need to get a bit of knitting in this evening, so I will sign off. But, I just had to show you my new toys!

Surplice Top Progress Report

Surplice Top Back
Originally uploaded by sunasak

Regular readers probably remember me promising to get back to this project, the Surplice Lace Top, from Nashua Handknits American Designer Collection, in Natural Focus Ecologie Cotton, logwood colorway. I started it in June then went on a sock binge.

This week I finally managed to get the back complete. I don't get much of a thrill out of long stretches of stockinette--feels like it will never end. But the way this natural dye makes mottled effects certainly makes the tedium worthwhile. Thank goodness for football games! As of last night, I am well into the third repeat of the lace panel for the front.

I am glad I found encouragement for knitting the back and front each in one piece, rather than attaching the lace panel later. It looks just fine.

Of course, I messed up and had some challenges--that's the way knitting goes! I think I used the smaller needle rather than the larger one on the top, but the size is only off a quarter inch. Then I tried to use one of my new KnitPick harmony needles on the second lace pattern, but my size 4 set has one defective needle--it won't screw all the way in. Grr. Now I will have to test them all to be sure they work and return the ones that don't work.

I must say the new Kntipicks needles are pretty. They are quite slick compared to bamboo, but not so much as their metal needles. I am questioning my decision to get the smallest sizes in 16-inch models, thinking I'd use them on little projects. They still give my hand a cramp. Wah. I will order 32-inchers too.

I know I will really enjoy wearing this, so I will work hard to finish it. My other motivation is that I bought enough of my favorite Cascade 220 hand-dyed for making that beautiful little cabled one-button cardigan Greenjeans from the new Knitty (see previous post). It has jumped to the front of the queue, because I both love the pattern AND the black/red Cascade yarn that looks like dying embers.

Grab Your Credit Cards!

OMG! Even a headache and arthritic hands couldn't stop me from buying a lot o' merchandise before my first cup of coffee was finished this morning.

KNITPICKS HAS NEW WOODEN NEEDLES!

Run! Quick! You know they'll sell out!

THEY ARE ALL COLORFUL AND RAINBOW-Y!

And they are birch, with fairly sharp points. Oooh, that sounds nice. I think my knitting life may now be complete. I will have circulars in 0-3 including all the wonderful "in between" sizes we sock knitters love, plus 4-11 interchangeables in this beautiful new needles. Heck, who cares if I like to use them or not. They are PRETTY.

I think my morning email from Knitpicks was the most exciting thing that's happened in many a week.

Oh happy day! Since I have been missing out on things by dawdling (like Ravelry and the Cat B. sock book), I figured for ONCE I'd get my stuff in time. It's only been a few hours since the email came in, and many people sleep in on Saturdays...maybe I will actually get the needles!

In My Own Less Hyperventilation-Inspiring Knitting News

I did get down to the gusset on the second brown sock between the bus and lulls in the high school football game, which, by some miracle, our high school won. We were WAY the underdogs. Off to the yarn store to shriek about the new raibow needles and finish that one and get moving on the Disco #2.