New stuff! (Warning: very photo heavy!)

So, last weekend was a special "Hogsmeade weekend" in the Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup group. Basically, that just meant there were a lot of special events going on for the group. One of the special events was a big sale from some of the vendors in the group; they all offered 10-15% discounts to House Cuppers. I've been doing really well about not buying a lot of stuff, but I couldn't resist -- I found some awesome stuff in their shops, and it was all on sale!

First I ordered a set of snagless stitch markers from PrincessOnica, who just so happens to be the founder of the House Cup. It came with 20 markers, 5 for each of the four Hogwarts houses, and she threw in a special set of 5 markers in House Unity purple.

Gryffindor:

Hufflepuff (!):

Ravenclaw:

Slytherin:

Unity!

They look so pretty all lined up together!

The markers even came in this nifty little storage box:

I also ordered a couple of skeins of yarn. One of them is coming from overseas, so it hasn't arrived yet, but you can see it here: JelliebeanYarns.

I'm considering using it for Sarcelle, but I haven't decided for sure yet. I'm excited to see it in person though.

I received the second skein today. I was REALLY excited about this yarn. It's from Hermione Jean Creations, and I fell in love with some of her colorways when she posted a promo in the House Cup. Initially, I was interested in the Butterbeer color, which is a nice slightly variegated sparkly golden-yellow color. Very pretty, but I just don't do much with yellow, so I managed to talk myself out of that one. (Plus, someone bought the only skein of Butterbeer before I got there, so that helped.) I liked a lot of her colorways, but by the time I got there, she'd already sold out of several of my favorites, so I decided not to buy anything. Then I wandered into her past sales page, and that's where I saw it. Oh. My. God. Ogden's Old Fire Whiskey. It was beautiful: a nice deep semisolid scarlet with golden sparkles But it was sold out. But! I happened to mention my disappointment in missing out on the thread, and she offered to dye another skein just for me. How could I possibly resist? I have a fondness for rich scarlet colors, and sparkles, and by all accounts her base yarns are lovely and squishy, so ... yes. I ordered it. And let me tell me, I was not at all disappointed when I ripped open my package today. It's beautiful and squishy and soft but still feels sturdy enough to be long-lasting. This photo does not do it justice at all, but trust me, it's great. I highly recommend Hermione Jean.

And now, because I'm excited that I finally finished all the knitting for Cookie the Murloc, here's an in-progress photo from a few days ago. Neither of the arms was completed here, and I still had to knit the mouth and the second leg. And obviously, I was still working on the leg pictured here. I was working on the foot. But the photo kind of shows the basic look and layout of the little guy.

Yes, it's sideways, but I'm too lazy to rotate it. Just turn your head sideways. Oh, and the little tutu-looking piece at his butt (it's actually a tail fin) isn't oriented correctly either; it actually goes around his body just like a tutu would. But I couldn't lay it out that way.

Maybe it's just because I'm tired, but with those dpns in his foot and the way his legs are bent slightly, it kind of looks like he's skiing.

I'll post another picture once I get him all sewn up. I'm still waiting for the soundbox to arrive, but I left a small section on his back unsewn. I'll just leave that until the soundbox arrives, so I can shove the box in there and get it positioned and then sew up that little strip. Piece of cake. I hope. Anyway, I should be able to go ahead and get the rest of it done.

So Soft.... sock washing

I love when yarn gets softer when you wash it. For those curious Fearless Fibers gets TONS softer when you wash it. They are so dreamy feeling.

Austermann Step also gets slightly softer with a wash.

Smooshy doesn't change at all.

admitting it is the first step.

so i've come to what is to me a horrifying conclusion. i'm becoming a yarn snob.

now, don't get me wrong. i have nothing against acrylic. 300+ yards of worsted weight for $2?! what a fantastic deal! and it's machine washable, too! and it's...just not very soft.

well, certain kinds aren't. simply soft...that's one of my top 3 yarn choices. love the stuff. i'm wearing a hat made of it right now and it's so comfy i keep forgetting i've got it on.

but right now i'm also knitting a stocking with red heart. not so very long ago i wouldn't have thought anything about this, but now...wow. i can barely knit a row without taking a break. there's superwash merino in my bag, calling to me! but it's for a self-designed gift, and the stocking is a paid commission. i. must. finish.

i'm giving myself a deadline. this stocking has to be finished in a week. which shouldn't be that hard, the thing's half-done already and it's just a normal stocking...oh sure, it's got some colorwork, but just a christmas tree...all of 2 colors and a simple shape. and i'm more than halfway through the tree anyway. but man, i have to talk myself into working on it. it's not that i don't enjoy the knitting. i do. i just don't enjoy the yarn. not at all. i never realized just how uncomfortable it is until now. of course, i haven't really worked with any red heart since, oh, i don't know...i discovered simply soft.

if only i could knit these stockings in simply soft...sadly, the colors are limited. plus these are reproductions of a 20-year-old stocking which was knit with, you guessed it, the same old scratchy yarn that gives acrylic a bad name.

i'm not a yarn snob. i'm not. this is not denial. i have nothing against the yarn i find at walmart. i have a huge stash of it, and i refuse to get rid of any of it in case i need it some time. (came in handy for this project, let me tell you...for 3 stockings, using two shades of green, red, white, peach, dark peach, black and 5 random ornament colors, i spent maybe $10 on yarn. the rest is from my stash.

anyway. sorry. just had to complain. plus i finished a row and had to take a break.

this really isn't great yarn. i know, it has its uses, but wow. scratchy. i've even begun to notice that the one red heart hat i have irritates my forehead. i never really thought about it before. maybe THAT was the real denial...

and for this stocking, it probably doesn't help that the tree green is double-stranded...i could only find a suitable color in sport weight.

for what it's worth, the stocking is looking rather nice, despite crappy yarn. i'd post a picture if i could, but, ya know, i'm on the work computer. i'm kind of amazed i even get to write this post. granted, it's not posted yet, so maybe this is all in vain.

Lynette's Socks

Basic sock. k3p1 ribbing with a short row heel and toe. Knit over 60's stitches on size 2mm needles.



This is me wearing the sock. The sock is actually knit for a smaller foot so if you look closely you will see that the heel doesn't match up to mine properly. I put it on my own foot to prove that you should never underestimate the stretching power of ribbing. Although when not stretched out the sock looks small its actually a pretty decent sized sock.

The yarn is Knit Picks bare essentials (superwash wool/nylon fingering weight) that Lynette herself dyed when she came down and visited me this summer (Amie made a post about us dying our yarn that included pictures, I'd try to link to that post in this one but I dont know how). I've used all the knitpicks bare sock yarn and the superwash is by far the softest. And definately soaked up the color much nicer than the regular merino (non superwash) did.

~Jessica

I took a couple other pictures... one of the front and one of the side... but this is the back and its the most elaborate. I also updated my progress bar (well included one for clessidra with a link to the pattern). Like I said before they are coming along nicely. Nathan scared me today and grabbed it and tried to run off with it just after I took this picture. I'm pretty sure the way I yelled at him has scared him away from ever touching my knitting again (poor thing, I know but it seriously scared me that my knitting was about to die).

In other sock related knews the suprise socks started yet again. and let me tell you after frogging essentials 4 times and reknitting it, the yarn does rather well. It does start to get a little fuzzy and worn looking. But really its holding up.

~Rose