Planning ahead

As I posted in my last post, The Day of 95 skeins (v.1), I have a yarn hoarding sickness. I still plan on posting some yarn pornz from that haul, but the weather has been yucky, the lighting in my house stinks and I would like to capture the beauty that is Araucania Aysen in all of it's glory.

Sneaky peak

It truly is stunning. And, if you're in that big of a rush to see what kind of shenanigans I've been up to, you can take a stroll on over to my stash. Prepare to be disgusted impressed.

The trouble with having such an addicting hobby is that even when you dedicate hours to said hobby/addiction, it still never feels like it's enough. As much as I knit, I never get sick of it. Sure, I may get burnt out on a project (Matt's Urban Aran Cardigan...), but then I can just move on to something else for a little while.

Shrug WIP

Take "The Shrug That Would Not Shrug," which I have been working on for most of the month of April. It is my April goal to knit this shrug, but I got a little burnt out. So this time, instead of pressing through it, and eventually hating it (like with the UAC), I set it aside and cast on for something else: The Karen Shawl by Amy Swenson.

Karen Shawl edging

I fought casting on for the Karen Shawl because, quite honestly, I need another WIP like I need a hole in my head. But, after starting it for 3 or 4 people at the shop and seeing Gretl's beautiful first and second attempts, I gave it. And bought myself some Madelinetosh Pashmina in "Port," which is a lovely color that I like to compare to my newly dyed hair (dark purpleish black with red tints). I've run into a few snafus since casting on, but I'm glad I did. Karen has saved me from hating "The Shrug That Would Not Shrug," which I really do love. And am excited to share (in May, probably).

I'm also excited to announce May's "knitting resolution" in this post: Ecuador (photos from Rav)

I've been a huge fan of Joji's (Rav username Jojilocat) for awhile now. Her designs are very cool and she uses some beautiful yarn. I mean, she's from Argentina! Land of Beautiful Yarns. Anyway, she posted her Ecuador design yesterday and inquired for some test knitters. I, of course, jumped at the opportunity. I've never knit a vest//swing cardigan before! My initial plan was to use some Noro Kureyon Sock, but I feel like that might be too busy and I would never wear it. So I've decided to use some Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in "Filigree." This knitting everything out of Tosh phase will end some day...won't it?

Joji used Malabrigo Sock in "Indiecita" for her prototype, so mine will be slightly lighterweight. I'm very excited to try this new garment style. I think it will be perfect for wearing over a short-sleeve shirt in the summer and versatile enough for the transition into fall. I'm hoping to finish it before our England trip this summer.

I'm gonna be a Pogona Shawl someday!

I also have the Multnomah KAL I started (and haven't cast on for) with my dear Cyborg friend, the Pogona I'm itching to knit using my new Socks that Rock AND the Golden Wheat Cardigan, another Cyborg KAL. AND I have a baby to start knitting for (not mine :p). It sucks jumping on the shawl/shawlette bandwagon so late in life.

The day of 95 skeins & a most excellent LYS

Remember when I accidentally ordered 83 skeins of yarn from Little Knits?

Yeah, me too.

Well, I didn't exactly order 83 skeins of yarn all at once. As I mentioned a few posts back, Little Knits holds orders (if you've placed, oh, I don't know, two or three in a week) and then ships them all together. Which is really good (they offer free shipping), but also really bad. Especially when your yarn weight amasses to a whopping 19 pounds. Which is what happened to me.

This is what 19 pounds of yarn looks like.

Using my chubby fluffy cat as reference

As Kate made a point to tell me, when I texted her said photo, "you're crazy." Well, yeah, but now I have some luscious, luscious new yarn. 

Now, dear readers, you may be viewing the post heading and scratching your head. "But Ashley," you may ask, "where did the other 12 skeins come from?" The answer, my dear Watson, is the magical place known as The Fold.

Located in Marengo, which doesn't really seem to offer much to passersby, The Fold is an amazing little yarn shop. They sell some incredible yarns (Blue Moon Fiber Arts! Malabrigo Sock! Frog Tree! Etc.!) and have the best selection of spinning wheels, roving and spindles that I have ever seen in a LYS. And you can really find some amazing deals. Or, in Christie's case, you can walk away with a free skein of Art Yarns Ultramerino ($22).

"It doesn't have a price sticker. It must be free!" - Toni, the owner

While I didn't get any freebies (oh wait, I did...), I did find some incredible steals. My entire haul cost around $60. Did I mention she offers a 10% Guild discount? Even on sale yarns?

2 skeins of Cascade Heritage Paints

This Cascade Heritage Paints cost me $1 (pre-discount). I snatched up the last two skeins. Same thing with this Beatrice I bought. I should have enough for a hat.

2 skeins of Beatrice by Classic Elite Yarn

I also bought two skeins of Artyarns Ultramerino 4 (fingering weight) for $2.25 each. They're two different colors, but Christie suggested I make some funky socks using both skeins. So much sock yarn!

Amazing, right? I also got a freebie mystery skein (I suspect it is Koigu) from the free basket. I'm pretty much in love with the colors.

Can anyone tell what this is?

I also bought some Classic Elite Miracle and Blue Moon Socks that Rock, but I shall save those for the next post. Because they are just that delicious. Plus this post, dedicated mostly to The Fold (and also my yarn hoarding tendencies), deserves its own digs. I will definitely be returning again, because each time we go it just gets better and better. And I'm sure we'll need more yarn in a few lifetimes weeks.