Vancouver 2010

So is everyone getting really excited about the Olympics? Because I just can’t wait. I love the Olympics. Espeically the Winter Games. I’ve gotten so wrapped up in the Olympic fever that I’ve dyed two related colorways.

Vancover 2010 – Host City

I started with images from friends of Vancouver (I’ve never actually been there. This is the first place colorway for somewhere I’ve not visited myself) – like this one:

And then spent a good deal of time on their official website taking in all of the graphic design…And ended up with this:

Which, LOVE.


I’m so happy with it..

It just screams “Winter Sport” to me. Which was kindof the point. So fun when things work out like that.

It’s available here – but get it while you can. I’ve already sold out of the first batch and I won’t be able to dye this one again until after the trunk show next Sunday!

Vancouver 2010 – Five Rings

This one was kindof a leap of faith for me. I knew I wanted to dye yarn based on this:

The Five Olympic Rings. They represent the five continents of the world and were designed in 1912. Fun little factoid for you there. Anyways the concept was strong but the colors are a bit… primary…. for what I usually do. But I figured what the hell. Let’s dye it and see what comes out:

I’m so happy with the result. So happy. I was afraid it would look like clown vomit but the black really tones it all down:

Honestly I couldn’t wait to knit with it. I cast on the second it was dry:

Um, yeah.

I pretty much insanely love it.

And while I probably should have waited and knit with it for my Olympic project I’m going to consider this training.

I'm going to knit the other sock while watching the X-games and then enjoy wearing my Five Rings socks while watching the Olympics.

I forgot how hard it was to take pictures of your own feet…

And how awesome the X-games are.

Anyways Vancover 2010 – Five Rings is available here.  There's only one skein left but I will dye more as soon as I get back from Florida.

Happy Knitting!

And we’re off!

I think I finally have everything packed and ready to go. Thanks for all of the travel advice! I’m nervous but not super scared. She’ll be fine.

Mommy, I look ridiculous with this hairdo.


Oooh what’s that?

And I have to say - it’s pretty satisfying leaving for warmer climate when Cleveland currently looks like this:

Catch you when we get back!

Um... I might want to think about this.

So with all of the exciting things going on with Destination Yarn this week (Olympic Yarn! Trunk Shows! Blue Monday Sale!) I have completely forgotten about the fact that in less than 48 hours I’m flying across the country.

With a baby.



GAH!!!!

I’m taking my annual trip with my mom* to Florida to visit my grandparents (here’s 2006, 2007, & 2008. In 2009 I didn’t go b/c I was WAY pregnant and busy tearing apart my kitchen). So it’s only a 2.5 hour flight… but still… I have no clue as to how any of this is going to work.

I am the opposite of this right now:

The image of relaxation. Yes, he’s on top of a boppy on top of a pillow on the couch.

I don’t want to be the asshole who takes for-ev-er going through security … and I don’t want to be the one with a screaming baby on a plane…

And I have no clue as to how to avoid either of those scenarios.

Any thoughts?  Seriously I’m opening myself up to the assvice. Lay it on me. I’ve never done this before.

Don’t worry, mommy. I happy baby.


Until we take off.

GAH.

* Matt’s not going. Which at first I was all bummed because he’s going to miss her first flight. Her first big travel adventure. SADNESS. But then I realized that I’m flying with an infant and he’s going to be at a beer festival with his guy friends. Completely free of the responsibilities of a baby and a wife for a weekend. And I was all…wait… that sounds pretty nice… and then I remembered that I’m going somewhere that it’s 70 degrees and green while he’s stuck in the 20 degree gray that is Cleveland January. And it all evened out again. Funny how that works.

Blue Monday Sale!

So tomorrow is the most depressing day of the year. No, really. They quantified it:
Most Depressing Day of The Year

So I was thinking… you know what makes me cheery on a dreary, depressing, January, Monday?

Well Yarn, of course.

But even better than that?

Yarn on sale.

So I’m having a Blue Monday sale of 10% off all of Destination Yarn's Tropical Colorways:

1.) Tampa Bay  2.) Sea  3.) Shining Sea  4.) Antigua

Just enter the code BLUEMONDAY in the message to seller portion of your transition and I’ll give you 10% off of any of those 4 colors! It’s a crazy one-day only event!

I figure if you can’t go somewhere warm you may as well knit with tropical yarn.

I have to say I love my Florida Sunshine socks:

Every time I wear them I think of the sun. And on a cold gray day like today I need to be reminded of what that’s like.


Happy Blue Monday!

PS – Both Harvest Moon and Copenhagen were on Anne Hanson’s Blog again. I’m currently out of both but tomorrow is a dye day so I should have more up on Etsy by Tuesday!

The Paris Scarf

A trunk show is a special event within the fashion world in which an artist or designer puts on a special display of his or her work for review by a select group. They are referred to as "trunk shows" because a designer or sales rep will literally showup with a trunkof merchandise to showoff. Trunk shows are common in boutiques and boutique divisions of department stores.

Destination Yarn has two trunk shows coming up – one at Soft ‘n Sassy on Feb. 7 from 12-5, and one at Stash Style on Feb. 27.

I’m super excited.

Crazy excited, actually. My mind is reeling with the possibilities. Door Prizes! Free patterns with purchase! New colorways!

I’m just a little behind on that whole “trunk of merchandise” thing.

So not only have I been dying like a madwoman but I’ve also been knitting samples as fast as I possibly can.

Basic Sock knit out of the London.

It’s not just socks, though… I want to show that my yarn is awesome no matter what it becomes. And really what’s more luxurious and fashionable than a beautiful scarf? Except for Paris, of course. And a scarf knit out of Paris? Divine.


Although pre-blocking not so much.

But there’s potential there...


Throw it in some water and wool wash…


And voila!


The pattern is the Strangling Vines Lace Scarf.


It is knit out of Paris Night.

The sock yarn works wonderfully in a scarf. It blocks out well and is fine enough for lacework without being so fine that its difficult to work with.


You can tell these pictures were taken awhile ago – there’s actual color in the background as opposed to the awful gray world of January. But a project isn’t completely finished until I post some pictures and update my Ravelry page.

So now we can call this one done.

And with that I’m back to the knitting…. And dying…. And running around like a crazy lady.

These shows are going to be good!

Away We Go!

So there’s no question about it – she’s mobile!

Have you seen my doggie?
But it’s not crawling. No. She’s a creative problem solver just like her dad. So crawling would have been way to simple.

I figured it out all by myself.

Instead she… I don’t even know how to describe it. She puts one leg under and balances on it and then kicks one leg out like a rudder:


I go get that thing over there.




Away I go!


Hey are you looking at my bum?

It looks kindof silly but she is speedy quick. How about a full action sequence:

The object she was going for wasn’t me. Nope. It was my yarn:

That’s my girl

She has used her newfound ability to chase the dog tirelessly.

He's the best!

Either he doesn’t mind or he hasn’t figured out yet that once he jumps up on the couch the game is over.




Luckily for everyone involved she’s pretty easily defeated so far:

I go get my doggie.


Wait… I’m… I don’t…


MOOOOOMMMM!


Fine. I didn’t want the doggie anyways.


That kid is relentless.

But I think our time with that is limited. She’s already figured out how to push my laundry basket baby gates out of the way. I think we’re going to have to put up some real child barriers soon.

Oh and yes. The slippers on my feet in those photos are totally the French Press Slippers. I fell down a bit of a felted slipper wormhole there over the holidays. I escaped relatively unscathed all things considered. 5 pairs total. I’ve heard the addiction strikes others way worse than that.

In other news is anyone else getting as excited for the Olympics as I am?



Yay!  Olympics!  Does that mean more Doggies?