Remember S. A. B. L. E?

Well, this trip to San Francisco – Book Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.

Every time I travel, I go a little nuts. This time, same amount of money spent, but all on books. And the crazy things is, I don’t even understand the languages in some of these books. I bought a total of 13 books, which almost made my luggage exceed its weight limit only 4 of them are in English!!!!!

I can’t really believe it myself. But here you go.

This is the craziest purchase:

A $70 Japanese book that is supposed to be difficult Nieblings and another book which is supposed to be easier Nieblings. Don’t even ask me what language the 2nd book is, cuz I’m not sure.

Then there is Penning’s Doilies and the infamous Lyra.

Stitch Dictionaries, in Japanese. This is ok, I think they are all charted out and I can pretty much decipher them.

More Japanese Pattern books. They just are so vintage that I had to buy them.

Zimmermann’s Almanac from Stash in Berkeley and Knitted Lace of Estonia from Lacis.

And finally, from knitting camp:

Shetland Lace, by Sarah Don and Knitalong.

Did I go overboard?

Well, the timing was a little off, just because the post man screwed up the delivery, otherwise, I would have got my birthday present TO MYSELF on the same day as my birthday.

Remember this?

Well, that is what I bought for myself!!!!! I don’t care if my non knitting friends think that it’s ugly, fugly or freaking ugly, me and you all think that it’s an awesome pattern and that I would like to try it as my first VERY DIFFICULT Fair Isle project. And what else is better than to throw in a wrench and make it a Starmore! (I’m such a glutton for punishment!)

I got all this stuff from She Ewe Knits. First of all, let me tell you this, Anne is fabulous. If there were anywhere I would recommend for great personalized service and prompt response, it would be She Ewe Knits! Everything is also sooo nicely packaged in zip lock bags and zippered bags and everything. Anne was also soooo helpful and encouraging in getting me pumped up for all of this! It’s because of you I think that we still have knitters out there. Thanks Anne for making my birthday present bundle so nice!

Here’s more:

Anyway, enough of the excitement and I’d better hurry up and finish my current projects before starting on this one!!!!

I can start by telling that my knitting is evolving by looking at the books I am starting to buy. Meg Swansen? Alice Starmore?

You gotta be kidding me!!!! I wouldn’t have touched those 2 knitting Goddesses with a 10 foot pole, but look:

Well, I am particularly interested in this one from the Celtic Collection – Aberlady, except, I want to make it an AberMan.

I just love how really tight knit and purls give this raised arrow effect. Things are spinning in my mind!!!

But before all that hoopla, I need to finish some project first. Remember Miss Walker? Well, I’m getting back to my own Modified Saddle Shoulder Sweater from the Top with the corrected collar. Much better don’t ya think? No more flaring. The secret? Go down 2 needle size and my neck takes about 77 stitches around in 1×1 ribbing. Just a guess and it came out ay-ok.

I will be starting another interesting thing about this sweater tonight, short-row set in sleeves from the top. Ay yay yay…….. the all the things that is still out there to be learned!

Did I tell ya’ll that I love Laura? Well, I also love Blaise and Wannietta.

Blaise so kindly borrowed Tudor Roses from his Library and offered to share the Henry the VIII pattern with me. And you know what’s funny? Coincidentally, my interlibrary loan came in the same day!!!!

And now I have:

To make this:

Thanks Blaise! And thank you Laura for the suggestion of the library thingy. And thank you Wannietta for the Bam Boo suggestion.

That’s why I love ya’ll!

Oh My Gosh!!!!

Remember all the pretty patterns in this post?

All the Japanese patterns seem to come from this Japanese Chain Bookstore called Kinokuniya. And I just found out that there is one in Malaysia!!!!

Well, the reason I’m so excited is because my parents live there in the same city close to the bookstore. I can now ask them to get them for me, and it’s probably sooooo much cheaper in Kuala Lumpur.

Yay……..!!!!

Just thought I had to share that.

Phew…… I sure am glad to be back. I had mail stacked up to the ceiling (all bills), new yarn to catalog, new yarn to take pictures off, update my blog, meet my sponsor (which I soooo didn’t this morning because I overslept!), unpack, laundry and the list goes on.

Notice how the yarn stuff came first.

So, there was one part of my trip that I hadn’t written about yet, it was my little visit to San Francisco’s Japan Town. What a treat!!! I knew, from word of mouth, that there would be little knitting treasures there and I sure found one at this book store – KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORE. Here, just look at the bag.

And due to the lack of time and the problem of the foreign language, I randomly picked out:

Hell if I know what it says, but I think that first, it’s a stitch book, like the Barbara Walker books and second, it’s Aran themed. Look at all these little beauties…….. well, I wouldn’t call them little, but I just love how they have take the Classic Western Aran and added an Eastern touch to it. Don’t you think?

Lovely, I think it would be great to design some sort of vest with my 10 balls of Californian Hempathy bought from Article Pract with one of these designs and then I can call it my Japanese/All-Material-Bought-In-California Vest. LOL, that is IF I am even ‘capable’ of designing. I just know how to read patterns, not creative at all. But anywho….

I’m excited…… for now. But I got to get another thing done first, and here is the very latest of Kelp Knits’ Ironworks sock, again another Japanese derived Pattern, hence the title, All Things Japanese.

Even though this pattern is already for sale on Ravelry, I’m still finding errors in the charts. Well, but that’s the whole point of test knitting. And I love it.

Ok, time to get on with the chores and cataloging and all the Christmasy things to come.

If you all don’t hear from me, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you do, I’ll just wish you again!

Hey all, I thought I would get more excitement about the yarn shops in Berkeley. And as I promised the stash acquisition.

2 skeins of ShibuiKnits Socks

10 balls of Elsbeth Lavold Hempathy. I’m not sure what I can make with this? Would 10 balls be enough for a sweater? Maybe a cabled vest. Hmmmm……. suggestions?

Miss BW’s 3rd Treasury

and 4th

Which almost about forces me to learn how to design. I have a theory. There are 2 kinds of people, talented and hardworking. All those people designing everywhere are talented. All I am is hardworking. But I think I might give it a try since I have more to post about stuff bought in San Francisco!!!!

More to come.

My infection is getting worse, my knitting infection that is…..

As if EVERYTHING FROM HERE is not enough, look what more have I added to my plate!

Yeah, a whole damn afghan, book all spiraled bound and ready and all.

And test knitting for Kelly. But I can’t help it…… I’m so infected………..

No, no, no….. not the conventional kind, but I seem to have caught or maybe re-caught the knitting and blogging flu.

Lately, my head has been brewing with excitement as I think about all the things that I can blog about and all the new and exciting things that I could be knitting in the horizon that could fill up my progress bars! Lately, they have all been at a 100%.

Well, let’s see, my new job is great, as it should I say, influences 2 important things in my life right now – yoga and knitting. The “company” has yoga classes at lunch with a teacher that I already know and like. There’s plus 1.

Then, there’s Nancy’s Knits which is like a 3 minute drive from work. No problem to drive there and knit a little during lunch time, since I don’t have my biddies anymore at the “old company”. Having a yarn store really close to you is very enabling. I think that’s where I caught the knitting and yarn bug, which became a blogging infection which now leads to a online complication. (Gosh, my analogy or attempt at being witty just sucks today!)

Nancy really has such a nice shop but there just doesn’t seem to be much visitors and we chatted about her business being slow. And I suggested some marketing ideas, and one thing lead to another and I’ll have to go into another post on that. But, you all Houston knitters out there, go visit Nancy. She’s stellar and her prices aren’t bad and she has a blowout sale right now. Inventory cleansing as she calls it.

Anyways, let me tell you about some of my grand ideas.

First off, I really need to finish Hazel Carter’s Sampler Stole for my sister before her wedding in November. Yikes!! With all this new found excitement, I need to instill some discipline into my knitting activities. At least I’m half way done there.

Then, through my course plan on top down sweaters, I’m finally trying to get a real sized one done for myself.

It’s coming along. More progress on that.

Then, all of a sudden, there is this obsession about natural plant fibers like linen and cotton. Which lead to these purchases:

From left to right, top to bottom:

1. Plymouth Bamboo, 100% Bamboo
2. Jo Sharp Soho, 100% Cotton
3. Jo Sharp Dessert Garden, 65% Cotton, 35% Microfiber
4. Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, 80% Cotton, 20% Merino Wool
5. Knit Picks Main Line, 75% Cotton, 25% Merino Wool
6. Knit Picks CotLin, 70% cotton, 30% Linen

What the hell?!?!? Here I go again, 1 skein/ball purchases which will amount to make up nothing!!!!! Just like I talked about here – stash or trash when you can’t make anything useful. Well folks, get ready for some BIG ASS swatches!

Then, there is this hat that I promised David (biddy boy from the “old company”):

Next, a sudden impulse to knit from this book, this sweater for Annie and Burner.

Then socks. I have no idea how socks got into the picture, but I liked Cat Bordhi’s youtube.com videos so much that I bought her new book – New Pathways for Sock Knitters. I’m not going to make this post too long, so, a book review in a separate post. But in short, great book, in the sense of innovation, ideas and techniques.

Then finally, Kelly at Kelp Knits made a call out for test knitters and guess who volunteered? You got that right!

So…….. This post is just to give you all a general idea of what’s going on in my head. Details to come soon for each project. I don’t like to read long blog posts, so I won’t torture you guys with a long one from me.

Keep coming and keep visiting. Thanks a bunch!

Muah!

It’s time to post again.

Geez, I’m being really bad about this blog thing these days. I remember how I used to have a fan base and I posted like at least twice a week.

Well, now, things just seemed to have moved into another direction.

Let’s see, update.

1. Depression lifted, so I get out of the house more.
2. Becoming a super yogi. Well, not that good, but working out with yoga to look better.
3. Concentrating more on work. Didn’t get a very good review and need to kick ass this year.

But something that I’ve been wanting to share is my publication. I know that this book came out years ago, but I finally got it and took some pictures.

I’m PUBLISHED!!!!!

Men Who Knit & The Dogs Who Love Them

This is the cover:

This is my quote:

This is the pattern I knitted. Look here for the long story about that project here. Long story short, is that the yarn for the sleeves didn’t match the yarn for the body, and Annie tried to dye the whole thing and it felted. That’s why it’s not in the book.

But at least I’m of worthy mention:

So, there, I’ve posted. Later gators……..

More about my Sampler Stole to come……