Smiling!

Dear Cynthia,

First, I want you to know that your posts always make me smile! Your projects sound and look great! Are you by any chance going through a red streak? I know that the primary colors yarn is one of your favorites, and according to my kindergartener, who knows everything about a lot of different topics and will not be swayed by proven facts, red is, indeed, a primary color.

Second, I just want to say that when it comes to my stash, I will NOT be held accountable for:
1.) Skeins leftover from finished projects. These are just at "added bonus", and something I can dream about as I examine them once in a while and try to pair them with new fun patterns/projects.
2.) Yarn received from other knitters who have given up the craft and have given me their stash. I have several skeins which I obtained this way, some really really nice, some not quite as nice, but all of it very usable for nice knitting projects.

And so, I present my current stash..... The first picture shows "Fiesta Mittens". The picture doesn't do the finished mitten justice. I saw these at Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill in a bright colorway, and just had to try them. It is a pattern by Lucy Neatby, and a stitch which looks pretty interesting to try. Also shown here are two skeins of sock yarn. The top skein will be used for a pair of striped Jaywalkers; I'm not sure which pattern to use for the bottom skein.

This next photo shows my lace projects in queue. I think the Summer in Kansas lace shawl, knit in black wool/silk will be my next big project so that I'll have it for this spring/summer. I've made one lace project so far, but never a shawl. I've wanted to do one ever since I had that shetland scarf class when we were at Stitches Midwest a couple of years ago. The white yarn shown is a washable merino which I am going to dye pink using KoolAid, and then use it to make a mobius scarf, casting on as seen in the Magical Knitting book, but then using my own lace pattern.

This next picture shows Cascade 220. I'm going to make a Harry Potter weasley sweater with it, except it will have an "L" on the front of it (L is for "loser", "Laura", or "we're having 'Leftovers'", whatever seems appropriate for the moments I'm wearing it). I'm not sure why I've wanted to make one of these; it just seems like it would be fun. I'm going to add some ribbing on the sides which will run from the bottom edge up to the arm hole, just to try to give it a little shape and not hang too loosely in the back, which happens sometimes with my sweaters which have no waist shaping.

Finally, I bought this kit, including buttons, years ago, at Cass Street Depot in Fort Wayne. It is for a cute little girl 's sweater which I fell in love with in the store. I thought one day I might make it for one of my kids, or for a niece. Then, I had two boys, so I couldn't really make the sweater for them using this exact yarn. And so, I bought yarn in more masculine colors and made it for my little guy. BUT, the girlie colors remain in my stash, and my nieces have all grown past this size, so now I'm thinking I might try to find the same main color yarn and purchase enough additional to make an adult version of it for myself.

Well, my little guy is over at a friend's house, where he goes every Tuesday morning, and now it is time for me to get cracking on my homework which is due tomorrow. Blogging about knitting just always sounds so much more interesting, though.....

Warm regards,
Laura (aka YarnThrower)