Its been a busy month!


I started a new job and actually that's about it. I know that its big news for anyone, but when you haven't had a job in a few years it seems like a monumental occasion! I like it(in case you cared) and its nice to get out of the house and make some money!


I have been doing a bunch of knitting. For now the new job is like that. We have a bunch of down time and I've been knitting. I get a bunch of jealous looks since everyone else is just sitting around waiting and I'm busy knitting away!


I finished my Tilted Duster:

I love it! I still haven't blocked it properly and it smells like sheep but its one of the best things I've made. I'm wearing it right now!


I bought some yarn.

Yarn Nerd was having a sale on an overdye color(math nerd) and I snatched one of those up right away. His yarn is a little finer than mine and I'm looking forward to trying it out.

I also bought some Ultra Alpaca Light for my snail mittens. I decided to wait until I got a new coat before I made new mittens. I'm glad I waited because my coat is not colors I would normally pick.

I found just the right (heathered!) yarn to match at Knit Witz in Hellertown.


I'm stocking my yarn at Knit Witz too and I've sold a couple of skeins there. I just put 7 there to see how it would go and now I need to restock! Its fantastic.


I also have some yarn at Yarny Goodness which opened today! Pam did a great job on the shop and she has some colors that aren't available on my etsy shop so check it out!


My current knitting project is top secret but hopefully that'll be done soon and I can post some pictures with the recipient. I'm very excited about so I wish I could tell you but it might be found in my Ravelry pages within the next week so you can see it there.


The high speed internet fairy has visited my house so more blogging to come.

After much deliberation the winner of the January 2008 Name That Colorway Contest is. . . .

MH1982

with her suggestion of

Krakatoa

Having been a huge fan of the book 21 Balloons in elementary school I was thrilled with this suggestion. Krakatoa?
This great new yarn will be up in my etsy shop very shortly so make sure you get a skein before it sells out.
As an added bonus all entrants in the contest will receive $2 off a skein of their choice for this week only. Just enter your Ravelry name in the comments and I'll adjust the price and send a new invoice.
I'll also be updating with another new color and also some more of the Kettle colorway in sock weight by tomorrow. Head on over.

Name that colorway contest!

I had such a great time with the last color contest that I decided to do it again!

Here is the color:

gray(lt. to dark) and bright red

The rules are the same:

1. Leave all entries in the comments of this post.




2. You can submit as many entries as you want.




3. Make sure to leave an email address or blog site or Ravelry user name with your entry.(No contact info, no entry)




4. The winner will receive on skein of handdyed yarn in the colorway of your choice from starbugknits.etsy.com.(I will also do a custom dye if you wish)

Now, have at it!

ETA: Contest ends January 10 @midnight EST.

New Year Wrap Up

I haven't blogged as much as I thought I might this year. The coming of Ravelry saw to that. Adding pictures and projects on there makes the blog seem a little redundant. Blogging has also been slower than I thought with my dial up connection. This year it'll be different. I have a new camera that takes great pictures, and we're getting high speed internet in the next few weeks. So more to come. . .
As far as knitting goes I'm going to make a list of all the things I have knitted this year. Heck-- I might even throw in some pictures.
I made:
1. 4 pairs of socks (one for my sock pal, one for my sister, one for my mom, and one I frogged already for myself)

embossed leaves for Kari

2. 1 pair of mittens(bird in hand)

3. 3 adult sweaters
4. 4 children's sweaters
5. 1 purse
6. 5 pairs of felted slippers

first pair for Michael

7. one scarf

8. 2 headbands

one for my mil

9. 3 Christmas stockings

New Years knitting resolutions?

1. Try steeking(bought a Dale of Norway book so I'm half way there)


2. Knit Dan's sweater in time for our sixth anniversary


3. Knit Dan some socks.


4. Knit more socks in general


5. Finish up my UFOs that are hibernating on Ravelry


6. Make Christmas stocking for Dad, Mom, and my family.

Here's to a Happy New Year!

Hello, all my faithful readers(all two of you) I'm back to posting on this here blog a little more regularly, I hope.

Between not having a camera and Ravelry, I just haven't gotten the chance to get on here in so long! I've been super busy with Christmas preparations. I'm knitting a whole bunch of gifts this year but I'm almost done with the bigger ones.

Like three sweaters for the nephews:

I've since put the initials on the front and the rest of this afternoon will be devoted to weaving in ends and blocking!

Those are about the only Christmas presents I can show you since I'm not sure who in my family (still) reads my blog. I promise that I'll get plenty of post-Christmas knitty gifts up as soon as I can.

I do have some finished knitting although its been since Rhinebeck!

I finished this in enough time to wear it on Sunday at the festival. I've actually worn it lots of times since too but only got around to taking pictures of it today.

Its 93-27 Sleeveless jumper with belt from Drops. Super cute although I wish I would have added about 3 more inches to the bottom. That seems to be a big issue with me. I know its going to be too short, just reading the pattern, but the idea of knitting 2-3 more inches in plain stockinette when all I want is to change it up and do some decreasing is just too overwhelming for me. So I am forever fated to too short sweaters. Now I just have to buy a bunch more longer shirts to go underneath.

I did buy some yarn at Rhinebeck too. It occurred to me after we left that that day must have been a "red" day as the only yarns I got were:

Yup, almost the same exact shade too. However, the bulkier is slated for a Tilted Duster and the Chaco for Dan's Cambridge Jacket. Both will have to wait until after Christmas or I'll get nothing else done!

I am really enjoying Ravelry. I have gotten some really great feedback and some even greater yarn from swaps! Like 5 balls of this Nashua Vignette so I can try entrelac!

It has really helped the shy, introvert part of me actually promote Starbugknits.

I'm doing really well at the whole business stuff but my dye studio is still not completely done. I'm waiting on my propane tank for the stove and the sink hook-up. I have to talk to Dan about that! I'm getting so bored with my already dyed stuff and I am really anxious for a shop update!

Rhinebeck was AWESOME! THe YARN HARLOT WAS AWESOME!!! I BOUGHT TWO SWEATERS WORTH OF YARN!
That is all-- no pictures-- no explanation :)

Just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I'm not knitting.


Quite the contrary actually!


Lets see I'll do a list since time is short:


1. Andrew's Weasley is done except the letter on the front. Just a picture of the sleeve I'm afraid. Its just green and stockinette anyhow.

2. Evan's Weasley is almost to the armholes. I'm taking break from the yarn--its getting cold here and my hands are itching for some wool and alpaca.


3. After frogging a a sweater for myself twice, finally decided on a pattern Thursday. I finished the back and the left front and started the right front(almost 8 inches in). Its a Drops pattern that was exactly what I wanted and its using less yarn than I thought it would! So I'll definitely have enough to finish it! that has to be finished by Friday.

4. I started a Christmas stocking for Mrs. Polly. She's had two grandchildren born this year. Thanks to Steph and Kelly for keeping me in business!


5. I am almost done a pair of slippers for the gazillion people on my list. 1 down, 7 more to go.

I'm starting to get that nagging feeling that I won't finish in time. I keep pushing it aside saying "Its only October, you have plenty of time" but I fear I will not make it! I refuse to make a schedule because I know if I don't keep it I'll be depressed!
I bought some yarn from a destash on Ravelry. Cherry Tree hill Sock in Peacock! Lovely stuff!

In other news, I attended the National Apple Harvest Festival on Saturday. Mom, Dad, my two brothers and of course Dan went together. It was really fun! I also found a vendor selling yarn! I didn't buy any because. . .


We're going to Rhinebeck next weekend! I reserved our campsite! I'm so excited that we're going on Sunday because the YARN HARLOT IS GOING TO BE THERE!!!!!!!! Hopefully I'll remember to take the camera!!!!





I'm slowly getting the dye studio up and running. I'm still not sure about my heat and water sources but I think I'll just let Dan take care of that. I have soo many ideas that I can't wait to get started again! I want to do some alpaca and some different weights but I can't until the studio is going!