Cashmere Cookie's

I love knitting, I love cashmere and I love socks so needless to say, I love knitting cashmere socks! There is something luxurious about having hand knitted cashmere coddled feet. As a member of Ravelry, I was recently introduced to the knit designer Cookie A. who it seems is best known for her exquisite sock designs. I googled her and found several of her patterns on the internet for free! I coveted those socks and realized that I just had to have some, preferably in cashmere. So, I've joined a KAL (Knit Along) to make myself a pair of hot-pink, feminine, lacy, cashmere Cookie A. socks. (Actually, I'll be making all of the socks in her soon to be released book Sock Innovation: Knitting Techniques & Patterns for One-of-a-Kind Socks with this KAL.)


I went to the stash and pulled out some hot pink cashmere sock yarn, printed out Cookie A's "Baudelaire" pattern, and cast on my first of what I have no doubt will be many Cashmere Cookies. These cashmere confections are knit from the toe up, beginning with what is known as a figure eight cast on. Now, I have been knitting since I was twelve years old when Mrs. Wilson, who lived across the street and smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day, taught me how. It would take several washings to get the smoke stench out of my project, my hair, my clothes and my nostrils but it was worth every eye-watering moment, every lung-searing breath I took to learn how. I teach knitting, I have subscribed to various knitting magazines over the years, and I even have June Hiatt's Principles of Knitting that I paid way too much for several years ago, and I had never heard of a figure eight cast on. Fortunately, there was a tutorial at the www.knitty.com website. After I got past the frustration that sometimes comes when I'm learning a new technique in an area that I consider myself to be somewhat expert at, I actually saw the benefit of this cast on - no grafting at the toe which will make for an extremely comfortable seamless fit! Love it!

The idea that a couple of hundred knitters from diverse backgrounds, many nations, all ages, and both sexes are celebrating connectedness, comfort, and Cookie A.'s creativity appeals to me. I will wear these socks and remember that I am not alone in my love for fiber, beauty, and the art of well crafted handmade socks!

Be Blessed, Cookie A. and bless my little cashmere socks!

D.D.

I Love Ebay!!!

I needed more yarn.

No, really let me explain. I'm knitting EZ's ASJ (see yesterday's post). I'm using yarn from my considerable yarn stash. (In the she-who-has-the-most-yarn-wins competition, I have no doubt I've won, yarn shop owners are ineligible for the contest, more about that another time.) I have some Lane Borgosesia "Bijou" and some GGH "Toskana" that I've swatched up and I'm lovin' what I see.

I have enough balls of a couple of shades of green, blue, a wonderful wine, and 1 lowly ball of a beautiful, rich, ruby red. I needed more red and the yarn is discontinued! I searched Ravelry to see if any of my fellow ravelry-ers had it listed in their stash, but noooooo. I googled discontinued yarns to see if any of the online discontinued yarn retailers had it again, nada.

I had dismissed ebay, after all this yarn hasn't been around for awhile, why would anyone have it listed for sale at ebay. I know I wouldn't get rid of mine 'cuz it really is luscious. But there it was, 9 beautiful, radiant, rich, ruby red balls of it and now they're on their way to my house! I also bought 8 gorgeous, glowing, glorious gold balls of it which will make the ASJ everything I'm hoping it will be and more! (somehow I find myself humming the Twelve Days of Christmas...."and a partridge in a pear tree".)

I really needed this yarn, no, really!

One ball is too many, a thousand is never enough!

Be Blessed!
D.D.

EZ's ASJ

I'm knitting Elizabeth Zimmermann's Adult Surprise Jacket for myself with some really fabulous yarn that I've had since Methuselah was a baby. (Okay, I'm exaggerating I've probably only had the yarn in my stash for 10 years.) But the Lane Borgosesia "Bijou" yarn is discontinued and it's one of the first not cheap acrylic yarns that I bought. I probably hadn't knitted anything with it because my perfectionism got in the way, I didn't want to make a mistake in my choice of projects for this really good yarn, nor did I want to risk knitting something that didn't fit, would become dated, _______ fill in the blank with any number of other great perfectionist reasons for not starting a project.

Anyway, I'll be casting on today, after I finish making my calculations. I started an ASJ group on Ravelry yesterday for very selfish reasons: I need the support and I need the accountablity factor that having a group engenders. The number of people joining the group over the last 24 hours really surprised me. I have since, in response to various posts, gone through my knitting magazine piles and actually gotten some really great information that I'm finding useful and that I'm delighted to be able to share with others.

I found some directions for creating a hood on the BSJ which I think I'll adapt to the ASJ (Knitter's Magazine Winter 1999). I found a pattern that actually provides directions for the ASJ for sizes small through xxlarge, complete with yarn amounts, needle sizes, gauge, and a color changes chart (Knitter's Magazine Fall 2000) and I also unearthed the ASJ pattern I bought from Schoolhouse Press several years ago after reading through EZ's book "Knitting Workshop" which I retrieved from my bookshelf and dusted off. My penchant for pattern books and magazines is definitely paying off!

I also am going to use some other stashed yarn, "Toskana" by GGH, to make the ASJ. This yarn was in a close-out bin at a LYS that went out of business a couple of years ago. The colors compliment the "Bijou" really well and I like the spongy almost terrycloth like texture of the "Toskana". I'm praying that someone will have 3 or 4 balls of the "Toskana"color number 3, sort of a ruby read that they're willing to sell or trade. I'll post y request on Ravelry and see what happens!

That's all for now. Be Blessed.
D.D.

It's Nora's Fault

My name is Jordan and I'm a yarnaholic. I had vowed to not make anymore major yarn purchases (sock yarn was the only exception) until I had made a large dent in my exceedingly abundant yarn stash. I had successfully avoided going into any of the LYS' in my area. I was happily and unselfishly knitting socks for Kai (my 4 year old grandson), Stellie ( my daughter-in-law), Drew (my only child) and Gi Gi (my 91 year old mother, Drew's Gorgeous Grandma & Kai's Great-Grandmother), as well as Linda (my best friend), and several others on my I love-you-enough-to-hand-knit-socks for-you-list, until I had to go to my LYS to find a particular sock yarn and saw a Noni bag pattern. I didn't buy the pattern, it seemed like too much money to spend on just one pattern, I bought Eva Weichmann's "Pursenalities" 20 Great Knitted and Felted Bags instead. (I justified buying the pattern book, I needed some inspiration and ideas for all of the yarn I have.)

I coveted that pattern. Somehow those whimsical little flowers on that darling little purse were insistently demanding that I go back and purchase the pattern. I resisted the temptation, I focused on making a more functional, utilitarian felted bag. I made one on my bulky knitting machine, it was nice, but...it wasn't captivating like the Noni Bag.


I reasoned that if I just went back for the pattern, it would be a waste of gas, I reminded myself that I shouldn't even think of buying anymore yarn, I worked on a new French Sailor's Boatneck sweater for Kai. It had a pirate-ish feel to it and he's definitely in a pirate phase. Every stick or branch he finds when he's out on a walk with his Dad is a sword.

I broke down, drove to my LYS, and bought the pattern! Then I came home and went through my stash. (I worked at a yarn shop for 2 years, wearing an invisible sign around my neck that read "Will Work For Yarn"; I never got a paycheck!) . Nothing was bright, fun, or funky enough, so then I went online and found Wool of the Andes on sale. I created a wish-list but didn't place the order. Two days later, at 10 minutes to noon (the sale ended at noon) I capitulated, logged on and tried to place the order, my server was down. I grabbed the phone, called the order line and placed the order by phone, with seconds to spare. (Later, I found out that as long as I'd started the order before noon, I would get the sale price.) Talk about brinkmanship, with myself no less! Now I'm waiting for the yarn to arrive. Enough of this delayed gratification!!! I want to make this bag for myself. I also will be busily making them for my sistah-friends for Christmas.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Thy will not mine be done. I simply have to stay away from yarn shops, they are slippery places for me. I wonder if there's a 12-step program for yarn junkies? I'm signing off for now, I've got to track my yarn shipment to see when it's scheduled to be delivered. TTFN

D. D.