yarn yoga

Yep. The last 3 yarn orders I've attempted to make have ended up with an email from the owner saying that they are sorry, but they are out of stock. That goes for the 2 attempts at Kathmandu as well as my most recent attempt at getting some Plymouth Fantasy Naturale. I'm going out of town this weekend (to Houston, TX) and I hope I can find some yarn subs there for either the beaded top or the AV Shawl collared pullover.

The yarn shop in Houston that I'll be visiting doesn't have the Fantasy Naturale, either. I called them today. They do have Classic Elite's Bam Boo yarn, though! The gauge isn't exactly right for the beaded top, but it IS the right gauge for the AV pullover! I had thought about giving up on the pullover, but I'm reconsidering.

So, has anyone out there used bamboo and decided it just wasn't the right drape for a sweater? I could probably alter the pattern so that the gauge will work for the beaded top. That's probably what I'll end up doing. I just need to learn how to adjust so that I have the right yardage. Hmmm.. I bet SNB Nation covers that! Gonna have to hit the book soon. ;)

Has anyone out there ever used pure tactel? Skacel makes a yarn called Prince that's 100% tactel. I had considered this yarn for the pullover as well. I really have been anxious to check out the bamboo, so I guess tactel will be on the backburner for a little bit.

Did I mention that I'm a very lucky vegan? Well, I am! A friend from my stitch 'n bitch is opening up her own yarn store. She's going to stock some bamboo and soy for me! :) I'm SUPER excited about that! She's not scheduled to open until mid-late May, but if she gets some in early, she'll let me know. :)

Has anyone seen the movie "The Forgotten" ? I won't give anything away, but it's a really good movie! I want to talk to someone about it so bad! It was just... well, you decide for yourself.

My heart just can't take it.

Yesterday I found out that the Kathmandu that was in stock from knit2purl2 was 18 sks total, but from 2 different dyelots. She had 9 of each dyelot and they were completely different shades. Apparently, it just wasn't meant to be. I'm going to start looking for alternative yarns for this sweater, but cruelty-free only!

This means that I'll be working on the Beaded Top first. It calls for cotton yarn, so I'm in the clear. I will work towards dying some organic cotton yarn, but I'm taking things one step at a time.

Save the Sheep! is a wonderful site with tons of information about sheep and the wool industry. Want to see the video that convinced me? Remove the wool from over your eyes. I couldn't make it through the entire video. It isn't easy on the heart, so view at your own discretion. Keep in mind that they are focusing on the sheep coming from New Zealand and Australia, which is most of the merino wool on the market. Don't like PETA? Here's another resource: What's wrong with wool?

I say, if you just 'have to have' wool, get handspun from farm raised sheep. Meet the sheep that you are taking the wool from. Make sure he or she is happy and is more like a family pet than just there for his or her usefulness.

I am going to a spinning convention at the end of next month. I know a lot of the women that will be there from my area. Most of them raise their own sheep. I know that the textbook vegan would argue that animals are not here for our personal use. I have to agree. But I do believe that we can have a symbiotic relationship as long as there is a MUTAL respect for each other. Yes, I'm mainly pointing at humans here.
So, IF I do use wool again, which I probably will, it will only be from a family raised sheep. (I guess that makes my title a little deceiving, but it isn't meant to be.)


FUR IS DEAD!

If you go to Fur is Dead, you can learn about how the fur industry works. These sites are very depressing for me. I only visit them when I need more information or am linked to articles. I really think that the more people who knew about the actual process that took place to get the fashion to their body, the less they would buy furs and leathers.
There's a video somewhere on the site, and it's from US fur companies. I can't find the link to it atm, though.

Unfortunatly, I am still wearing leather. Daily. I've been looking a few places for some affordable cruelty-free shoes, but I haven't found any yet. I mean, I want 100% cruelty free shoes. I know that you can go anywhere and get pleather. I just want to be 100% sure that no animal was harmed for my 'anything'.

If any of you know of any good resources let me know. I've looked at Alternative Outfitters, but I haven't found anything affordable in my kind of style. I need sneakers and casual shoes. OK, more knitting content soonish. :)

Yup, I finished my FIRST sweater! It was officially completed yesterday. I'm so proud of myself ~ in a non gloating, simple, happy kind of way. :) It came out a little bigger than I expected, so it kinda fits like a nice sweatshirt. I think the raglan sleeves make me think of it as a sweatshirt. Anyhow, I hope to post pics of me in it tomorrow. I hemmed the neckline, but I left the bottom and the sleeves unhemmed. I like the casual roll up look. I also added tons of rows to the top so that my bra straps won't show so much.
Overall, I'm pleased with it as a first sweater. I actually got to wear it today and received a lot of compliments on it from family and friends. Most were just amazed that I knit a sweater! No one else in my family knits.
**edit: I can now truely appreciate all of you people who take amazing pics of yourselves. It's quite a feat! Here's the best shot I was able to get. Maybe I can get my hubby to take a better one later.



What's next on my list?

AV Shawl-Collared Pullover (Vogue Knitting Winter issue '04/05- pattern 23)
Well, I've cancelled my yarn order with Knitting Garden and reordered my Kathmandu aran from knit2purl2. It actually came out a smidget cheaper. Their site advertises that customers usually receive their orders within 2-3 days. If I get it by the end of the week, I'll be stoked!

Beaded top (Vogue Spring issue '05 - pattern 1)

This one will be a fairly quick knit on size 9 needles. I'm looking forward to the embroidery at the top with the beads, sequins, and crystals. Boy, when it's typed out like that, it sure looks glitzy. It's very subtle and beautiful though.

For those of you out there who haven't gotten the new Vogue yet, here's all of the patterns. Just scroll through. :)

I've made a few minor changes to the blog today. First off, no more LYS links. These people aren't giving me the best service, and they sure aren't giving me discounts.. so Off they go! (Elann actually gives great business, so I highly reccomend them!) On the other hand I've gotten really awful business from another yarn shop that I'm not going to name, but I bet that if you tried really hard you could guess who I'm referring to. ;) Not to whine, but hey it's my blog ~ I'll whine if I want to, but today officially marks one month of waiting for the yarn to start my shawl collared pull over.

Another change I made is to add a new friend to the Knifty Knitters lineup. Her name is staralee and her site is listed to the right. She has a fairly new blog with some cool WIPs going on and links to some nice tutorials. (I'm considering making the buttonhole bag, too. It's so cute!)

I received the yarn to finish up my hourglass sweater from elann yesterday. I started on it today and progress is going quite well. Although the yarns are from 2 different dye lots, there is no difference in color or tone at all. I'm really excited! I hope to get pics up as soon as I get it finished. I think I'll only hem the bottom and the neckline. I like the little roll up I have on the sleeves. So if you wanna know what I'm doing this weekend ~ tadaaa.. I'm working on my hourglass sweater!

I have been neglecting the strap on my waterbottle sling a bit. I had midterms last week and had to devote all my time to studying, but now it's spring break! Wahoo! I still have to work for a living, but I should get oodles more knitting time in. So I should get that done, too.

A new LYS opened up about 1 hr away from where I live. I can't wait to check it out. I may go tomorrow. I'll be sure to post any finds that I nab up. I have plenty of projects going on, though. So I'm going to try to behave myself. Plus, a lady from my Stich 'n Bitch is going to open up her own yarn shop in May! Oh yeah! I WILL be there pretty often (read: daily). Will work for yarn! :) She's already asked me what I want her to order, and we have a lot of the same tastes in yarn, so it's gonna be sooo great! She's even going to get some bamboo and soy yarn for me! Ok, I'm calming down now. Oh that reminds me, Calmer! Rowan, Debbie, Noro.. we're gonna be best pals!

Today I decided to go ahead and frog the strap. I've ripped it all the way to where the pocket finishes. I didn't like the look of the garter stitch strap. The edges just looked too raggedy for my taste. I also needed to shorten it, so some frogging was neccessary regardless.

For the strap, I am going to continue with the double stitch (not sure of the terminology) that I did to create the pocket. The border for the strap will now be:

K1,slip 1,K to last 3 stitches, slip 1,k1,slip 1

This will give it a nice border and a clean edge.

This is the watter bottle sling from Knit-Wit. I made it with the nifty little library card holder on the strap. This was my first project on dpns and if it looks a little sloppy, well, it is. It was an ok project, but I would have much rather been working on a sweater. I decided to make this to get more experience with dpns (other than hats) and to use for work. Ok, enough with the critique, here's the FO.



Yarn: Four Seasons Hot Socks
Yarn content: 75% wool, 25% nylon
Amount: 1 skein (230yds or 210m)
Colorway: 220 (jeweltones)
Project Completed: March 17,2005

Notes about the pattern: Since I used a sock yarn instead of 100% wool, the strap was more springy. (The pattern calls for Koigu PPPM 100% merino wool.)
I am going to shorten the length. I'll remeasure and post the length that I end up going with.

If you make the pocket, after Row 5 stop on a WS row. This will keep your pocket on the outside instead of it being on the inside. If you want the pocket to be more hidden, on the inside, you can end on a RS row.

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OK, here's the rant part: I received an email back from the knitting garden this morning and it's not great news. She says they should get the yarn I ordered, for the AV pullover, in by the end of the month! I ordered it Feb 24th! Yes I said I could wait 2-3 weeks and technically the end of this week isn't that much longer, but still!! I keep considering cancelling it, but by the time I pick out something else it will probably take the same amount of time to get it. I'm really frustrated with this. She could have at least sent the 2 magazines I ordered (rowan calmer collection and noro knits) to hold me over while I wait. I was going to order some Calmer yarn for a sweater I want to make in the catalog, but I am definitely going to wait to make sure I get and like the yarn that I originally ordered. I did get an apology, which was nice, but a gesture would have been nicer. Bleh.

I wanted to work on this sweater over the spring break from school. I guess that's out. I placed an order with elann to finish my first sweater disaster (the designer didn't call for enough yarn on the original pattern), but I don't think that will be in before spring break.

Ok, /rant off.

Click the pic to see what they say about 'progressive girls' Take the quiz

In other comments, Christine asks what the deal is with vegans and wool. Aside from the link the the Vegan Baby! post. I wanted to give some sources of vegan information in case others wanted to learn more about it.

First off, Vegan Info. This site is where I got started. If you sign up for their mentoring program, Fran will hook you up with a 'Vegan near you' so that you can chat with them about good vegan food sources and how they got started and any questions you may have. There is also a great FAQ to give you an idea about what products are considered non-vegan and why. (Did you know that many refined sugars use animal bone charcoal in the bleaching process? Ewww.)

Here is a link directly to the wool question in the WOOL

I think that this best answers the wool question though:Ask Jo

It is my sincere hope that not all sheep are treated this way. I read that Australia is the worst as far as ethical treatment goes, but how do we find out which wool was derived from sheep from Australia.

Here is an aritcle that directly addresses sheep in Australia. The words are a bit graphic and I couldn't really read this all the way through. Australian sheep

I feel like many people who raise thier own sheep treat them much better than some companies. Well, I know that they do. I just hope that they never get sent to slaughter from those caring families, because then they would die in a way that didn't match the loving lifestyle they once knew.

On all those notes, if anyone wants to point me to healthy happy wool, aka cruelty-free wool. I will be glad to post them here and check out their products. I am going to meet with the spinners and weavers guild in my area in the next month or so and see if they have any wool to sale.

/hugs

No really, I do. She saw my post on the hourglass knitalong (see button bottom right) that I ran out of Elann's Peruvian wool in Orange Brandy. She was nice enough to track me down and let me know that Elann has more of it in stock. Now I don't have to frog all my work! Who cares if it's a different dyelot!? I don't. A little bit of contrast at the neckline can look intentional. I'm sooo excited! Of course, I don't know how many skeins to buy, but I think I'll overdo it with 4. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I bet you've been wondering about what I have been knitting recently. Well, I'll tell ya. Between homework, work, classes, and spending time with DH, I've been trying to knit. Oh, cooking time needs to be squeezed in there somewhere too. Cause vegan wannabes need to cook! Anyhow, I've been working on the bottle holder from knit-wit.
I've got about 2 ft of strap left and I'll post it. I'm using some sock yarn I ordered from Herrschners in a jewel color mix ~ royal blues, purples, greens, golds, and pinks. I like it. This is my first project on dpns, and it wasn't bad at all. I think I'd like to try a pair of socks soonish ~ probably while I knit my next sweater.

Speaking of my next sweater. It's Adrienne Vittadini's shawl-collared pullover from Vogue Knitting winter edition project #23.
Here's a pic:

I'm using the Kathmandu Aran Yarn from Knitting garden in shade 130. It's on backorder, so I suggest emailing Elizabeth at KG if you want some first. I ordered mine in late February, and she quickly emailed me back to let me know it could be 2-3 weeks. It's been a little over 2 and I'm trying to keep my patience, lol. I'm doing my best to keep busy! I just lust for this yarn. :) If you are interested in knitting this along with me and some others over at craftster, join us here.
I hope to make a blog KAL for it soon. If I don't get to it over the weekend, it will definitely be done over spring break.

Happy Knitting!

Well, almost. It's funny how all my life I've tried to avoid labels, but now, I'm actually striving for one. I was a vegetarian for a full 2 years nearing the new millenium. I was never really a big meat eater to begin with. My family raised some animals. We had horses, rabbits, at one point we had a pig. One day we had pork for dinner and something clicked. We were eating Wilbur! I cried while my parents tried to reassure me that it wasn't him (it was). Vegetarianism didn't happen just then, but it did get me thinking.

Living in Louisiana and not eating meat is just, well, it's unnatural! lol. That was the mind frame of just about everyone who knew I was vegetarian. Only my mom was genuinely supportive ~ and it's a good thing, cause she cooked all of our meals! She was really sweet about making things that I could eat as well, or at least having something on the side for me.

When I decided to go Vegan, over the last few days, she wasn't suprised. She didn't fully understand how it differed from vegetarianism, but I think she does now. My hubby, being an avid carnivore, wasn't thrilled. He is supportive as he can be, but it does sadden him that he'll never come home to a juicy steak on the table ~ not that he ever has.

Unfortunately, as much as we try. I don't think that anyone is actually 100% Vegan. And if someone is that precise, are the neccessarily making the world a better place? My point is this: There is an ecological impact created from Every single thing that we do. (Think about the pesticides used on cotton crops.)This is where the knitting content comes in. There's been quite a bit of debating over at craftster. Pleasant debating, which I am quite proud to say!The BIG wool debate

After all this debate, I think that I am probably going to continue to knit with wool and perhaps, silk. We'll see. I already have a ton of guilt on my shoulders as I type this. I am definitely going to avoid wool from Austrailia ~ as soon as I find out which wool that is. I would love to say that I will only buy organic cotton or other non-animal derived products to knit with. But I'll have to see if I can afford to first. And honestly, I don't really have a problem with well cared for sheep getting a trim in the spring time as long as it is done in a way that is painless to the sheep. I know people who raise their own sheep and use the wool that they grow for yarn. These people speak of their sheep as if they are one of the family. So I know that they are in good hands. I will continue looking for affordable cruelty-free yarn, but for now I'm taking it one step at a time. And, as a vegan-wannabe, I'd buy homespun wool over pesticide cotton any day.

That's what my fortune cookie says, anyway. We'll see. I've just posted my first ever auction on ebay. I'm not so skilled with decorative jewelry photos, but I did my best. Unfortunately, the photo doesn't do the bracelet any justice. It is simple, but so functional and beautiful. I've got a few row counting bracelets to sell, but wanted to just list one and see how it does.

Here's a link and photo of the listed bracelet in ebay. (I had a lot of trouble photographing this. The red and green beads have black flecks in them that look really cool. The topaz aren't flecked.)



Here are more that I would love to sell... I'd be glad to make a bracelet using whatever color combos you would like, just let me know! You can look at my ebay feedback for reassurance. I have No negative feedback! (My husband and I share the account.) If you order through Yarn Yoga, I will charge you only $12.95 and $0.05 shipping. Yep, $13 even!

Purple Passion


Aqua Light


Info on how to use them and their findings can be found on the ebay auction. I listed LOTS of details, lol. For any other questions, feel free to contact me.

Ok.. seller mode off.. Sorry!

Last week was a busy week! I had a major math test, tons of homework, and lots of crafts to finish up! It was really fun, though, and I had lots of creative energy to let out! Sooo.. if you were my craft partner in a swap, be warned! The following images may ruin the suprise for you:

This is another rag bag. I just love making these!! I lined the inside with a light blue fabric that had sewing notions and said "sewing is our common thread". I keep forgetting to take photos of the lining. The blue flower is crochet on top of fuschia felt ~ hand-sewn. This was only the 2nd thing I've ever sewn! (My ragbag was the first.)


This is a flower pin that I made. It's actually the first crochet I can actually take credit for. I did it all by myself! *beams*
The blue leaves are felt. I wish I would have more time to attempt at embroidering the leaf veins, but time was a constraint and I doubt I could sew very straight. I'm pretty new at that too!


Another cherry-poppin new skill is beading. I've done a few bracelets already, but this is my first ever stitch markers! You can see I got better as I went along; they are in order of creation from left to right. I really had tons of fun with these and I intend to make lots more of varying sizes for my future knitting endeavors. (Sorry for the 'flashy' photo)


If anyone wants to point me in the way of a nice photography tutorial for showing off your crafts, please do!

And finally, here's a stitch marker I made for myself with a smaller size split ring. I used a 9mm for this one, whereas the ones above are 12mm which fit up to a size 11. I haven't tested out the 9mm ones yet.


Right now I'm working on top-secret goodies for another craftster member. It's the chinese zodiac swap and she is an earth lamb. I'm having some troubles with the 'earth' part, but I've got TONS of ideas for the lamb part. ;)

I'm also about to start making some pincushions for yet another swap!

On the knitting needles:

I'm using US size 2 dpns to make the water-bottle sling from knit-wit. It'll be a great way to carry water around with me, well, everywhere!

When I near completion on that, I'll order my size 9 circs to reknit a shrug from suss patterns that I'm not happy with. The pattern isn't symmetrical! Bleh! I'll have to rewrite it, so I'm being lazy about the whole frogging process.

Happy craftin'!

I've got sooo many gifts to make this month! My mom's birthday, my dad's birthday, and Kira's birthday ( a 3yr old friend is turning 4). My husband's birthday is the beginning of april, so I may as well get started on that, too. Of course, I don't have ideas for any of them yet!

I'm also on the edge of deadline time for several craftster swaps I'm doing! I've got the purse and flower pin finished. I will finish up my stitch markers tonight and get everything ready to mail out. My Chinese Zodiac isn't due until the end of the month, but I need to order some things for it. I'll post pics of all my pressies tonight! And in case you were wondering... Yes, I'm making a quick checklist for myself!