Cass's Contest and Stash Building

Well, part of this was easy. Cass wants to know my favorite vegan yarn. Sigh. She knows. She really does, but because I'm a good sport, I'll tell you too. (Bet you can guess!) Wick. I love it. It's so squooshy and yummy, knits up quickly, and the fact that it draws moisture away from the body is too cool. I used it first to knit my yoga socks, but I bought more (and was swap-gifted still more!) so my female relations and a couple of friends are getting Wick footies for Christmas. (You don't know it's you for sure, and you don't know what pattern or color, so quit acting as though I've spoiled a surprise. Geeze.) Yes, it splits a bit, especially with my love of wee, sharp needles, but no yarn is perfect. Wick is as close as it gets, at least until they make it in a fingering weight...

Cass is lucky I love her. I hate to have my picture taken, so the thought of taking my own picture knitting in public was PAINFUL. I thought about taking it at the firehouse, sitting on the tailboard of an engine, but it was raining HARD Tuesday, so I didn't take my knitting or my camera. (I don't generally knit at the station because of diesel smoke and cigarette smoke.) So, since I had my can-travel sock at the ready while at the vet yesterday, I snapped a photo. This sock was actually cast on in the parking lot in front of the Northside Library on Monday night, and I got the stitches divided onto two needles in the vet's. I wanted Fred to pose with us, but he was busy having a nervous breakdown. I'm sure if you click on the photo and enlarge it, you can see a wad of Fred's hair in the corner.

This is also my first effort at taking a dpn pattern and knitting it on two circs. I find it easier to travel with circs. I can just push the working portion off the needles, and it rests safely on the cord(s) until I pick it up again. No waiting until the end of a needle, no shoving the little pointies into a keeper of some sort, etc. Yeah Anne, gloat. (I'm rolling my eyes, okay?) I can't see ever giving dpns up entirely, but I think I am headed towards being a two circs gal, with dpns in second place, and Magic Loop remains a very distant, non-ribbon-worthy third.

I hate admitting the Knight is right, and he's insisted since the first moment he saw those canister-style yarn "jars" that I needed the large one. Whatever, walk away, roll my eyes... Oh, how I wish I had that STILL honkin' big hunk of Pound of Love in one. It's a good thing blankie is going to a home with two dogs, because I think I've knitted Mugsy hair in on every row, with a Fred hair here and there too. So, when I slipped into my local Michael's to buy a magnifying glass for my boss (Hush. My father inlaw is my boss, and he doesn't mind if I do some stash building while I shop for him. Really.) I couldn't find the canister (it's too late anyway), but I found this thingee instead. The picture on the right shows it being used with three different yarns, and I figured it might come in handy on the Knight's blankie, which will be done in secret, and will need to be tossed into hiding when I see his lights coming down the drive. I also picked up some of the much-recommended Caron Simply Soft in a cheery red, for baby's first Christmas kimono, and a TLC variegated that caught my eye.

In the most exciting news of the day, I'm a Loopy Groupie! I didn't take a picture of the tote, nor will I share the details of the "couple of surprises" but I can assure you, Sheri treats her loyal customers generously. I picked up some Panda yarn, which is sock yarn speak for "Bamboozle in a finer gauge." The blue is for me, and the green is for... someone else. The All Things Heather in the center is also for a gift, so I'll say no more, other than that when Sheri answers your recommendation request and the drool stains come through the email for one yarn in particular, order it. You won't be disappointed.