Listmaker, Listmaker, Make Me a List

Remember last weekend, when I ordered this pattern? Well, I ordered a couple of skeins of yarn to make them out of, too. (Of course.) I decided to go with the Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted because:
1) Fiber Trends recommends it for this pattern and
2) I have used it before for felting projects with much success.

I ordered one skein each of:
1) Onyx
2) Grey Heather (which is quite a bit darker in person) and
3) Oatmeal"

Now. In this picture, at least on my monitor, the Oatmeal looks sort of like a dirty cream/mottled off white. I thought this would work fine because:
1) Web's didn't have any of the White Frost and
2) I have used the Creme before and IMHO it is too yellow for a sheep.
3) Real sheep aren't always super duper white anyway.
4) I have heard that the "bleached" white wools don't felt and I was trying to stay clear of that.

Unfortunately, the Oatmeal is pretty brown. More brown and, well, overcooked oatmeal colored than I had expected/hoped. So I am unhappy with this choice. I do not want any sheep this color. So I am seeking your assistance/input.
1) Does anyone have any Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride in White Frost that they would be willing to sell/trade?
2) Any possiblity that I could bleach out the Oatmeal to make it work? (If I were to bleach it, would it still felt?)
3) Any recommendations of a different yarn that would knit to about the same size/gauge as the BSLPW and would be whiter than this Oatmeal and look sheepish?
4) Does anyone have an alternative yarn that would be "just perfect" for this that they would like to sell or trade? I am really really open to suggestions here.

Edited to add: Yes, the pattern for these sheep recommends the Baabajoes Wool for the project for the whites/lights. I haven't had any luck finding this yarn. Except in one place...in a kit...and that is not what I want. I need another option.

I am counting on the collective expertise of the online knitting community to help me out with this. I am devoting a lot of my spare minutes to the Grandmother Purl Blanket Project, which is ticking along right nicely, but leaves very little time to go looking for these answers. Any help ya'll can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah. Did I mention? I joined a scarf exchange a while back and I really should be knitting away on that. Since the great deconstruction, I have only knit one repeat of the pattern. I think I will take it with me to the HS football game Friday night when I go to watch my niece cheer. Yes, that should be sufficiently embarrassing for her.

Keeping My Options Open

Just Because it is the Right Decision Doesn't Mean it is an Easy Decision

I am a little ashamed to admit it but admit I shall: I am an emotional knitter. More accurately, I am an emotional unknitter. You know the type: happily toddling along on a nice little knitting project and then, one little bump in the road and all hell breaks loose. One minute I'm all warm and fuzzy about a project and the next: I'm mad at the knitting. Cursing it, trying to reason with it, shoving it unceremoniously into my bag - with little or no regard for whether or not the stitches even stay on the needles. I pull it out and stare at it some more. I fiddle with it, I look at it in several different lights, from several different angles. In disgust, I photograph it, I parade it around the internet as if to shame it into behaving.

And in the end, I drink wine and I put it out of its misery. Then, as if to say, "Move along folks. There's nothing to see here," the yarn that was a botched side two is now peacefully and contentedly back in three nice little center-pull balls.

Thank you all for your advice. I did go over and try the cable fix at the Yarn Harlot's place but it just didn't come back together in the way it should. It was obvious it had been monkeyed with. So I took the opportunity to embrace a clean slate for the second side. I really did want to go along with your well wishes and just find the zen in it. But I couldn't. I kept looking and looking at it and all I could see was the mistake.

As a show of good faith between me and the Pima Cotton Silk, I immediately cast on again.See? No hard feelings.

When The Going Gets Tough, the Knitters Buy Yarn

Aside from the wine, what is the best cure for the battered heart of a knitter? New yarn, of course! And what could be better than yarn on sale for 50% off at the LYS where you have a gift certificate!?! This was not, however, just compulsion yarn buying. This is called having a contingency plan. If I can't make myself happy with the Cables in Relief scarf (though hopefully, I can, because I still love the softness and the originality of it.) Worst case scenario, though, if I have to kick the Cables in Relief to the side of the road, I bought these two skeins of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, 100% luxury merino fingering weight in the Tropical Storm colorway. It is very pretty and very soft and perfect for the Cozy pattern from Knitty, which was my other top choice for this project. It was a debate between the two.

While I'm in the Neighborhood...

Since all of their yarn was on sale for 50% off, I decided to buy these, too.

Two skeins of Kraemer Yarns' Mauch Chunky, one skein in Kiwi and one in Plum. My SIL Lori said she liked these colors together and wanted something felted from them. So I got these and now I have to figure out what I am going to make for her. Each skein is only 120 yards so it isn't going to be a big something. I am thinking maybe I will modify this pattern. I like the pouch concept but she isn't really a fanny pack kind of girl. Or, more likely, I will just make something up when the time comes.

I Tink, Therefore I Am

With my apologies to Mr. Descartes.Do you see that? Oh no?

Try this closer shot. Do you see it now?

Yes, intend that is yet another glaring you-call-yourself-a-knitter-you-careless-incompetent type of mistake. I’m not sure if this is a case of zigging when I should have zagged or if it is a complete lack of zig or zag. I am thinking lack of. I am going to look at it more closely. When I saw that big wave where a small wave should be this morning, I just put it in my bag and tried not to think about it.

Unless I come up with a way to undo and fix just that section (any thoughts?) between now and my knitting time this evening, I am going to be doing some more unknitting. I have never had so much frogging in one project in all of my knitting days. I hope my pal loves this scarf when it is (eventually) complete.

On Saturday, I got the first half to 33” and so I set it aside and cast on for this second half. Do ya’ll like the single black strip? I wanted it to have some character…

I have a good excuse for the mistake riddled second scarf half: All of the knitting you see in that picture (as well as three different incidences of knitting and unknitting) was completed at the ER yesterday. I was there all day – nearly 12 hours – with my husband. I won’t go into the whole mess but, needless to say, my mind wasn’t very focused on my knitting. (He is doing ok now and is at home.)

I tell you that as explanation for my stunning display of knitting ineptitude and also to tell you a funny story. The room my husband was in was one of the small trauma areas. The room has four beds that can be curtained off from one another. Of course, we all know that, while curtains will shield your personal bits from prying eyes, they do nothing to prevent the patient and loved ones in the next bed over from hearing what’s going on behind the curtain. Mid-afternoon on a Sunday is apparently not the busiest time in this particular ER so at the time this incident occurred, it was only my husband on one end of the room and a “lady” who’d been brought in by ambulance on the other end of the room.

In the relative quiet, all we could hear was the (mercifully) soft beeping of his monitors and the conversations going on at the other end of the room. When they first brought little miss other end of the room in, she was screaming and being hateful and belligerent (this could have had something to do with the restraints they’d used to strap her to the gurney) and being escorted by police. Over the course of…maybe an hour or two or more, I guess. I sort of lost track of time…we heard her story.

Apparently she had overdosed on her daily Wellbutrin. She’d taken several times what she was supposed to take because, as she explained to the doctor, she couldn’t remember whether or not she had taken it so she took it again. Later on the doctor came back to give her some rest results at which time she became a little more forthcoming. He told her that the results of her toxicology reports showed that she had indeed overdosed on Wellbutrin, however, the high levels of cocaine in her system MAY have contributed to her condition.

At this point, she started crying and explained to the doctor that, once she realized she had taken too many of the Wellbutrin, she started feeling sluggish and tired so she did a little cocaine to “perk up” but about 30 minutes after doing the cocaine, she started to feel crazy, like her heart was beating too fast and she had too much energy. So, to counteract this manic feeling, she drank a bottle of bourbon to calm her nerves. Yes, yes indeed. An entire bottle of bourbon.

Hospitals and airports really are the best places for people watching.

A Brief Distraction

Full Disclosure

I couldn't find my camera cord the other night when I was posting (of course, I didn't try too hard to find it, either) and so I wasn't able to show ya'll the sad photo of the unknitting of my scarf exchange scarf. Here it is:

(I promise that one day I will again show you pictures not taken on my laptop. One day.)

After rewinding that mess you see above, me and the scarf forged ahead. And here we are this morning:
Not the most revealing picture but it shows the progress. There is more scarf hanging over the back of the monitor. The little bundle there on the right is what is left of the first skein. Current length: 28". I am aiming for 70" or so. I know that I can block the sides and calm that little roll under thing that is going on but I'm not sure this pattern/yarn combination is going to lend itself to aggressive blocking in regards to length. I'll keep you posted.

I Felt the Need

I was glad to hear that so many have had good experiences with the Fiber Trends patterns. I was really hoping that was the case. I did decide to go ahead and get the FT pattern for the felted lambs. Aren't they cute? I am planning to do at least one white sheep and one black sheep. After that, we'll see if I want to make anymore.

Did ya'll watch the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy this week?

I really should be knitting on my scarf...

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Ladies & Gentlemen, I am sad to report that my wandering mind has gotten the upper hand. Last night I had to rip out three and a half repeats of my scarf. Slightly less than half of what I had completed. I am sad about this. (LOSE category) I love this scarf pattern and I love this yarn and I am really enjoying watching it grow but it is, as always, disheartening to have to undo so much work. Ya'll, I can't tell you how much I really like my pal. She is a sweetheart and I can't wait to finish this scarf and get it in the mail to her. And of course, I am also anxious to know if she likes it as much as I do. (I am contemplating sending her some separate yarn in the final package in case she hates it and wants to knit herself something else!)

Things are moving right along over at the Grandmother Purl blog. We have had (at last tally) 160 people sign up to knit squares. Now I am just hanging out, working on my scarf, trying to keep up with all the wonderful comments/emails and waiting to start receiving squares! Stop by some time. This is definitely in the WIN Category.

My ankle is still on the mend. I'm only going to have a very small scar (I will spare ya'll a picture.) Theoretically, four more weeks of zero weight bearing but only two weeks from my next check up, with x-rays and decision making and all that business. So we will see. I am secretly daydreaming that he will decide then that I should be walking. Keep your fingers crossed.

Have any of you used any of the Fiber Trends patterns? I found the pattern for these felted sheep at Mielkes Farm. I have never used a Fiber Trends patterns. Are they worth ordering? I have had a wild hair to knit and felt something and I am really thinking maybe this is it.

Scarfin' Around

And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

My picture taking skills are somewhat lacking these days. Not that I haven't been taking pictures, just that I haven't been very successful at it. I'm not afraid to share my less-than perfect pictures, though, lucky for you. ha

I briefly mentioned in yesterday's post that part of my yarn has arrived. Want to see?




Here is the Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk in Mediterranean Blue. (Thank you, Lori, for lending me your new purse for a backdrop.)








Here it is on the ball winder. (This is one of those less than stellar picture taking moments I mentioned before.) And yes, that is my ball winder clamped to the closet door. Me and my still-on-the-mend ankle can't manuever to its usual locale.








This is the stitch pattern I finally decided on. It is a slightly modified version of the August 22 stitch pattern from this perpetual calendar.










I swatched and ripped. I debated and discussed. I looked at so many options and so many scarf patterns and nothing really stood out in my mind. Three times I was sure that I had made up my mind but then I saw this. August 22 jumped off the page at me and really stuck. The pima cotton/silk is pretty soft and somewhat lighter than the yarn in the sample so I wasn't sure if this yarn would take to it. What do ya'll think?

This is 9" worth of scarf (it is approximately 5.25" wide) for my dear, sweet exchange pal. She (the scarf) isn't the most photogenic but I am very happy with it. This is my first real foray into cables other than a slew of sample swatches and other various practicing. It is a pleasant, satisfying knit...an easy-to-memorize 12 row pattern repeat. I have heard at least one other ISE knitter bemoaning the amount of yarn that cables seem to consume.




This leads me to my next dilemna.

When I originally ordered yarn a week ago Friday, I had decided on the Farrow Rib Scarf. I was certain. The Farrow Rib would have required about 380 yards of yarn for a 70" scarf. Since I had it in mind to make a slightly longer scarf (72" to 75"), and a skein of PCS is 191 yards, I ordered 4 skeins. I wanted to make sure I didn't scrimp on yarn. So I ordered two skeins of black and two skeins of papaya. Then I got squimish. I was afraid the papaya might show up a little orange and I didn't want this scarf to turn out even a little Halloween-ish. By the time I had this moment of clarity, Web's had already shipped my order via UPS. So I ordered the two skeins of the Mediterranean Blue. The blue got here (via mail) first and I, of course, couldn't wait to start knitting (as pictured above). I don't have enough of the blue to make the scarf as long as I would like and I am not ordering more yarn.

I'm happy with the decision to do the black and blue together but I can't decide in what configuration. What do ya'll think of four 20" segments, blue-black-blue-black. Or maybe five 15" segments blue-black-blue-black-blue. Umm. I love this stitch pattern and I want to make it just right. What do ya'll think?