Dyeing, dyeing, dyeing and some knitting. . .

The shop is down due to the fact that i am having it completely redone and customized. I have hired a professional group to redo and gut the website. it will be fresh, original, easy to get around and just plain beautiful. I hope everyone likes it when it is done. I expect it to be done by the middle of July. =)

I would also like to introduce you to my new shoe. . . yes, it's a hard soled shoe for my broken toe. It was horrible standing and dyeing yarn for hours with a broken toe. I am very glad to say that with this new shoe, the pain is down to a minimum. Yes, it does cause my legs to be different lengths when not wearing another shoe, but whatever, it helps! I have been dyeing quite a bit of yarn and spinning fiber. I will be introducing four new yarn bases at Sock Summit. I really hope everyone likes them.

ONTO KNITTING CONTENT!
These are a random pair of house socks I knit for 52ppIII.
Details:
Pair #3 for 52ppIII:
started: June 2nd, 2009
finished: June 12th, 2009
Yarn Jojoland Rhythm 2 skeins
Pattern: my own (24 stitches toe up)
needle: US 3

Below are a pair of socks I knit out of yarn that my very dear friend Karen (Lykkefanten) sent me as a graduation gift. She also sent me some Drops alpaca yarn and a Danish shetland/wool blend. Yes, she is the sock club designer. I will be taking her patterns with me to both Sock Summit and Stitches Midwest.
Details:
Pair #4 for 52ppIII
started: 8 June 2009
finished: 19 June 2009
yarn: Hjertegarn Strømpegarn Jacquard Print
colourway: 4499
pattern: Sock Recipe: A Good, Plain Sock done toe up with short row heal
needle: US 1 1/2 2.5mm

Thee are part of my never ending destash. I just want the yarn to be gone!
WIP plain vanilla socks with 64 stitches toe up
yarn: Spunky Eclectic Panda
colourway: Raisin Wannabe
needle: 1 1/2 2.5mm

More destashing, but I LOVE Kirsten's yarn bases. i really want to track down her supplier. . .
WIP plain ribbed socks with 64 stitches toe up
yarn: handgefaerbt.com Nature Pure Merino Medium
colourway: army of orcs
needle: 1 1/2 2.5mm


Boy is coming to my brother's wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =) <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

A broken toe and knitting. . .

Sooo, yesterday morning after I fed the three dogs, I stubbed my toe extremely hard in the frame of a door. Afterwards, I literally passed out from the pain and slept half the day. When I woke up, my dad was home from helping pack my sister in Iowa. (That's a 2 1/2 drive mind you). So, I've been having great fun wobbling all over and trying to keep Mac from stepping on my left foot too often. Ugh.

Anyways, despite the set back I have been knitting. I finished these simple garter rib socks for myself, but I lost one of the socks. AAAAHHHH!!!! That didn't make me happy either. The yarn is yarn workshop's footscray that I randomly dyed. The yarn is kind of rough and not my favourite base. These are my first finished pair of socks for 52 pair plunge III.

These are a finished pair of Tadpoles in my Skye Sock Yarn in the colourway "Emerald Serpent." They're a little tight due to the fact that I continued the pattern on the back of the leg. This is pair #2 for 52ppIII.

Below are two pictures of my current and temporary workshop for the summer. I took over my dad's workroom under the garage. This may look like a lot of yarn, but it is nothing compared to what I'll be taking to Sock Summit in August or Stitches Midwest in September.

OOOO below is my new toy, next to my old toy. YES! That is my beautiful 6 skein winder!!! It'll pay for itself in the end.


BTW, 5 weeks until my brother's wedding! Scary, he's growing up! They're also buying a house. Very scary. . .

Knitting and shop update. . .

I did a shop update last week. I added several skeins of Chubby Sock Yarn, Skye Sock Yarn, and various fibers, including a new 100% Superwash Wool.

I've been knitting! I swear I have! I finished boy's socks last Thursday at 2am. He likes them even though they're green. They fit perfectly, which is awesome and the weather turned cold so maybe he'll ear them in the dorm. This is a horrible picture because he wouldn't cooperate and not cover his face! Blah!

My day yesterday started with all of these WIPs, including my dad's second pair of socks that I started last November. I actually thought that I had lost the first sock i finished. it showed up in my dad's car on the front seat. In order to finish the socks I had my mom measure the leg for me. I FINALLY finished them and am sooo happy they're off my needles.

Here's a pic of the second and lonely finished sock.

I also started a pair of socks for my future SIL, Alicia. This is also part of my destash. This is Knitterly Things 400 sw merino/nylon base. I'm not a huge fan of the base yarn. it is very splitty and dry when knitting with. The colourway is Dragon's Blood.

Ahh, a clean apartment. . .

Yep, this past weekend my dad and I gutted and cleaned my entire apartment. It's nice having it clean again. i just need to keep it this way for 2 months until I move into the larger condo. The main part of the other condo that I am looking forward to, besides the fact that the dryer works, is the basement. it will become my studio for MacKintosh Yarns. I am going into the business full-time. Yay!

I received my second pair of mannequin feet yesterday and need to start knitting the socks for them. I am knitting up examples of my yarn to be shown at conventions. I am only knitting up one sock per yarn base. I also need to knit up my lace weight yarn and the two worsted yarns that are being shipped to me soon.

Granted I have been knitting quite a bit lately. Below is a random hat I'm knitting out of some of my handspun. I'm still trying to destash.

This is also a destash project, as this yarn has been sitting in my stash for over a year. It is Spunky Eclectic's Super Sport in Mud Season. These are going to boy. I'm going to be knitting him a few pairs this summer, during the destash.

And there has even been some spinning! I dyed this fiber up over the weekend and while trying to braid it, it ripped. Sooo, I figured I might as well spin it up. It is superwash corriedale and it just beautiful!

Yay, an order!

Sooo, I received an order yesterday for my yarns and some of my fibers from The Backwards Loop. I will be sending her 100 skeins of yarn and 12 braids of fiber. This is extremely exciting!

I am also on the waiting list for a vendor spot at:

Hopefully I will get a spot, because it would be such a great honor!

On another note, it's spring here, kind of. It's been "warm?" Eh, maybe. it definitely has been breezy and yesterday I didn't wear a hoodie when going out. So sad, I want my snow back!! Seriously, I prefer autumn or winter. BTW Happy Passover!!

Btw, I have been knitting. I finished my Mountain Color footsies last week. The colourway is Bitterroot Rainbow and was knit toe up on size US 1 1/2 circular needles

I then out of nowhere grabbed two skeins of my Iona Sport Weight yarn and cast on for a second pair of Corazon mittens. I love this yarn!!! These two colourways, Taurus (green) and Bluebird (bluish purple) go so well together! I'm extremely happy with how they're turning out. Also, I knit the first mitten in a day. Now I just ned to finish the second one. =)

Happy Birthday Mac!

Yesterday my precious little aussie turned THREE. THREE!!! I have had him for 2 years and 10 months. It seems like forever. =)

On Mac's birthday I also did a photo-shoot for my book. I am writing a knitting book called "Knitting Through College." Mac was cooperative (kind of) for the photo shoot and allowed my friend Anne to take photos with him. the one below is the best of the entire shoot. =) Mac is a natural model.

I also knit up my "Logical Beanie" for the photo-shoot. This is Wollmeise worsted in Rittersporn. This used up some of my stash, which made me happy. Luckily we were mainly shooting hats because it was cold outside. It kept Anne warm.

I have basically finished both heels on my basic toe up Mountain Color socks. Now I just need to finish them so I can continue my "use up stash" mission.

I also started another pair of my "Roundabout Socks" for the book. The yarn being used is Alpaca with a Twist's Socrates. This is a wonderful yarn! Very soft and beautiful. I bought it while up in Cedar Falls visiting boy.



I went and saw boy on Saturday and just had fun hanging out in downtown Cedar Falls. It's nice getting away and spending some quality time together. While we were in Crazy Girl Yarn Shop, boy walked around and FELT yarn. LoL I have trained him well. =)

Rain??

Today is a beautiful gloomy Monday. I love two kinds of days, gloomy rainy ones and crisp white snowy ones. I love over cast skies and cooler to cold weather. Those are both ideal to me. The snow is melting and it feels like spring, even though it's only February. Quaint eh?

I have been slowly but surely been working on my wedding shawl.
Details:
Pattern: Shetland Triangle
Yarn: Baby Cashmerino
Color: white
Needle: US 5 24" and 32"

Apparently the orange beanie That I knit a while ago doesn't fit my dad's head properly. Sooo, while I was home over the weekend I picked up some Debbie Bliss Como in grey and a set of US 13 circulars and cast on. The hat is 52 stitches and will be a basic beanie. The yarn is awesome and soft to work with, if only the skeins had more yardage.

Of course this post would not be a proper post unless I had a photo of my beautiful baby boy. He's enjoying the cooler/warmer weather, but not the rain.. This dog hates rain, baths and any other source of water that gets on him, except snow. odd dog.


For spring break I'm going to down to Austin to visit my brother and his fiance for a few days. it should be fun. =) Boy was supposed to come with but he never gave me an answer and I said screw it I'll go alone. Life does go on.

Tis the season. . .

Okay, I am holding a contest and the prize is this beautiful skein of MacKintosh Yarns Mey Seacell in the colourway Victoria. The contest is to help me come up with a new name for my World of Warcraft mage Lyxi. Please leave your choices (up to 5) in a comment. You have until December 1st. Please tell your friends, I need as many options as possible. Thanks!


BTW all Celtic Sock Yarns are on sale for $18 from now through Black Friday.

On another note, I'm sick, I've been sick and I'm not getting better. For the past several (since March really) I've been having problems that could be IBS or could be IBD. My stomach is more sensitive and so is my bowel. My lactose intolerance has gotten worse and it's just not fun being me. Next Wednesday I will be seeing a gastroenterologist, aka a bowel specialist to see what's wrong. I hope it's not IBD, I have an uncle with it and it's a rather frightening thought.

As I was saying in the header, tis the season. . . .for cowls. . .LoL
Below is a plain stockinette cowl that I am working on for myself. The yarn is MacKintosh Yarns Iona Sport Weight in the colourway Mulled Wine. I love this yarn!!! Sooo soft!

Here is a cowl I knit for my mom. It's the birthday cowl again, but in a yarn she chose while we visited Loopy Yarns in downtown Chicago several weeks ago. The yarn is Sublime Aran Merino Silk Cashmere blend. it's sooooooooooooooooooooooooo soft!!! Light, but also warm. Love it!


I also need some ideas on what to get boy for Christmas. . . yes, we're back together. . . .okay, I'm a sucker and I love him. It's kind of hard not to love him, he has the most adorable blue eyes. . . .damn him. . .

BTW bundle up!! It's getting cold!

New Website!!

MacYarns.com is now open for business! I hope you guys like the website. i tried to keep it very simple and clean. I love the green in the background.

Here is a mosaic of some of the products in the shop right now. Lots of new colourways!!

I am currently working on another Old Shale Scarf in Woodland Sock Yarn in the colourway Jasmine. The sock below is probably going to my dad, with a mate of course. The yarn is Paton's Kroy Sock. I hope I have enough yarn, these new skeins only have 166 yards, which sucks.

The leaves are all falling and the trees are becoming bare. I love autumn and winter, so the transition is gorgeous to me. The weather is also turning colder now. It's supposed to snow Saturday. Yay snow!!!

Here is a picture of a sunny (70 degree) day on the way back to my moped after my production class. Pretty eh?


Update: Boy and I are talking. You see, love was never the problem with us, an online game is, among some other things. We'll see what happens. When we're good, we're really good, when we fight, we really fight. Unfortunately he's going home for Thanksgiving, his mom jumped right on it and bought plane tickets the moment she heard we broke up. Yeah, bitch. Anyways, I still need to fix my door. Luckily the jam is perfectly fine.

New Yarn Bases!

Sooo, a couple days ago I received a box from Canada. In the box were four new yarn bases for MacKintosh Yarns. One is an 80/10/10 SW Merino/Cashmere/Nylon sport weight, one is 70/30 SW Merino/Seacell fingering, new chubby sock and a new sw merino called Mey. These are gorgeous yarns that will be put up tomorrow in my shop update. I am also ordering a fingering weight version of the cashmere blend. So Soft!

I have been making a lot of progress on my Faiye Twist Socks. I'm actually almost done. I just need to finish both cuffs to the height I want. Isn't the colour gorgeous? Two skeins will be put up in tomorrow's update. =)

Here is a skein of the 80/10/10 cashmere blend I dyed up the other day. This colourway is Mahogany. beautiful isn't it?

Also here is Moroccan Market wound into a hank. This is such a beautiful colourway. I can't wait to dye the new bases in this. =)

Here is lastnight's dying.  There are 15 skeins there. I'm hoping to dye up some more tonight for tomorrow's update. =)

And I will end with a picture of mac, just because it's Mac.  He's loving this cooler weather and so am I. I LOVE wearing my handknit items. Plus right now is the perfect time, except at night when I'm riding my moped and freezing. . . 

Hanging on. . .

My sanity is hanging on by a thread. Lately I've been depressed, not wanting to get out of bed or do anything. Not a great thing when I've suffered from depression in the past and it almost ruined my life. I'm also constantly crying over things. I seriously need this horrible feeling to go away. My relationship is also hanging on by a thread. I try and try and try and I feel empty, used, and thrown out at times. Kind of like right now. This really needs to turn around or I'm going to lose my mind.
I get to retake my finance midterm next Monday, thankfully. I was gone on the day of the review due to Yom Kippur and was excused. But I didn't really receive any notes about the review until Tuesday, the day before the exam. So, my professor is allowing me to take it again.
This image from a few days ago looks how I feel right now.

I have been doing some knitting here and there. Right now I'm really working on a Old Shale Scarf in Mamablue's troika sock in Little Wing. Yes, it's kind of soft and I like it, but I think the colour is horrible for socks. I think it's better for a scarf.

Here's a close-up of the pattern.

I also have 3 new colourways to put up and one of them is below. it's all Faiye (well, new and improved Faiye that is). it's one of my old colourways and I spruced it up to my liking.


I also took 5 large bags of yarn to Crazy Girl Yarns in Coralville to destash. It was a long time coming. I feel better after that.
Have a great week! <3 <3

Week of studying

Sooo, I went home last Wednesday to study for my three midterms this week. I was actually supposed to go to Blizzcon in Anaheim, California, but because of my exams, i stayed and studied most of the weekend. I got a couple of breaks, but most of it was spent grinding entrepreneur finance into my brain. Yes, very fun. I have a midterm tonight, tomorrow and Thursday. I can't wait for the weekend to get here.
I did get some knitting done while I was home. I finished my dad's socks, finally. Here he is wearing them below. He likes them and will hopefully wear them. I did the garter rib from sensational Socks and knit them in Trekking XXL, forget the colour though, sorry.

I also finished my Corazon Mittens. These are a project for my production class, so thankfully those are done also. The yarn used is Nashua Julia. it's a great yarn and very soft. I'm quite proud of these.

My Sundara sock club shipment arrived today. While I like the name, I'm not fond of the colour. I'm not a huge purple fan, if you hadn't noticed. I'm willing to part with this one heh. I'll sell it for the normal price of Sundara sock yarn $23 plus shipping.

Last week Mac and I also had a photoshoot while he was laying on his bed outside. This was one of the cuter ones.

I am also in the process of destashing some yarns. These will included some Wollmeise, Hazel Knits, Plucky Knitter, etc. The images will be posted in my next post if you're interested.