AuntyNin's Place

That is how it's supposed to go, isn't it? Finish one project, cast on a whole bunch more?

The Time Traveler scarf is done, with 28 repeats of the pattern stretching to a length of about 70 inches. It took just under two balls of the Gioiello yarn, leaving me with one ball and a bit that just might turn into a matching hat one of these days.

Li'l Bunny Foo-Foo is progressing, now on the final chart, and the turquoise STR socks grow every time I take a bus ride. Now, that's far too few projects in progress for my liking, so the golden yarn I mentioned winding earlier has been cast on for something called "Sausage Innabun" - yet another Mmario pattern. Another ball of sock yarn is also lurking in the active projects bag, just waiting for me to select a pattern for it.

There's also a sweater's worth of charcoal gray wool starting to raise a rumpus in the yarn room, wanting to be cast on. Unless I've completely forgotten how to translate from "woolen" to "English," it wants to become a cardigan. Time to start sorting through patterns again... but before doing that, it might be a good idea to sew up the last sweater - the knitting's been done since sometime in September. One of these days...

It's much too early in the year to see that dratted white stuff floating in the air outside my windows! And it's beginning to settle on the trees and grass, dusting them with a bit of white. Something tells me this is going to be a looooong winter.

Projects tend to have minds of their own at times, and the Basic Boring Sock mentioned last post is definitely one of those projects. For reasons best known to itself, it was working up much larger than usual for my standard sock recipe, so much larger that it'd have been more suitable for Bigfoot than for me. Another project visits the froggy pond. Starting over meant the possibility of changing patterns, so I tried one from More Sensational Knitted Socks in a traveling vine stitch. No such luck. The yarn fought back, pooling in a way I just plain couldn't live with. Froggy pond revisited.

This time around, the turquoise STR seems to be cooperating better, in a simple texture stitch. We'll see how long that lasts...

Startitis is still trying to take control, to such an extent that when I had to wind a second ball of alpaca for "Li'l Bunny Foo-Foo," I found myself also winding a hank of laceweight in a tone-on-tone gold shade. Mmario's "Matryoshka" pattern has also somehow made its way from the notebook to the table next to the Knitting Throne. I'm beginning to sense a conspiracy here.

Wow, this year is going by fast! It seems like just yesterday I was setting off for the SeaSocks '09 cruise, and here it is getting cold again. Where does the time go?

In spite of all the upheavals of this year, knitting is progressing nicely. There's a nearly-complete sweater in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool just waiting to be sewn together, assorted socks and shawls have found their way onto and off the needles, and my toes are being kept toasty warm by hand-knit woolen socks.

Life is good.

What's on needles today? Let's see...

"Li'l Bunny Foo-Foo" designed by Mmario, in a lovely heathery coral Misti Alpaca
"Time Traveler's Stole" also designed by Mmario, adapted (narrowed, essentially) to make a scarf
A Basic, Boring Sock in Blue Moon Fiber Arts' lightweight Socks that Rock color Turquoise
Mittens from Ann Budd's Handy Book of Knitting Patterns in some Classic Elite Mini Mochi purchased at Rhinebeck

Only four projects active... that's not normal (at least, not normal for me anyway), so it's going to be time to cast on something new in the next few days. What should it be? I have a huge notebook full of Mmario patterns, not to mention about a zillion others downloaded from the internet or found in books scattered around the house.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll go digging in the stash and see what yarns leap out and demand to be knitted. Then again, it might be time to review the "I wanna knit that!" list and see what appeals. Or, maybe I'll be really daring and settle down to actually finish a few things. Scary concept, I know, but stranger things have happened around here at times.

Stay tuned. Even I don't know which way this is going to turn out.

Rhinebeck.

Yikes.

Last weekend was my first-ever experience of the madness that is Rhinebeck, also known as the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. Two dear friends, Rarely and Iso, decided that I "needed" to go with them for the event, so they abducted me Friday morning and we headed out. Much of what happened is of the "you had to be there" variety, and so won't be outlined here. Suffice it to say that the three of us entered "teenage slumber party" mindset very soon after hitting the road. Incredible amounts of giggling resulted; my sides are still sore from the laughing.

The festival wasn't anywhere near as crowded as I had expected, though it was more crowded than is really comfortable for me. Still, there was fiber to be purchased, online acquaintances to meet, jokes to share, yarn to fondle, angora bunnies to stroke, alpacas to pet, and some really amazing Aztec Cocoa to warm the tummy.

My accomplices and I definitely reduced the stocks of yarn and fiber available; Rarely bought mostly rovings, while I resisted the siren song of the spinning wheel and drop spindle, contenting myself with lots of gorgeous yarns, a new basket for Ren Faire, and some sheep's milk cheese. Photos will appear if / when the Daughter of Infernal DigiCam consents to cooperate.

During the weekend, I saw lots of knitted items that have firmly lodged themselves into my "I Wanna Knit That" list, and met some delightful folks. Both nights at the hotel, we took possession of the hotel's internal patio, accumulating more and more knitters and spinners in our impromptu party. Great fun.

Rhinebeck is definitely an event that produces sensory overload, not to mention fiber overload. If you have a chance to get there, do... it's worth fighting the crowds to see all the wonderful yarns and patterns to be found there.