I leave for London tomorrow!!! Wooohoo!!! I am so excited, I have been looking forward to this all year, ever since Ingrid mentioned it to me the last time I was there. I guess I’m making it a tradition to go to London at least once a year. Lots of yarn and knitters and crafters, what more could I want? I will have to control myself though. …yeah, right…

I love London, I love being in a country where I can understand everything (well, mostly everything) and speak my native language. It’s nice to do that every once in awhile. The first two nights I am staying in a hostel in South Kennsington, then the next two nights I am going to go to Ingrid’s and have a knit-fest with her and Sabine, who is also visiting from Germany.

I am only going to bring my non-finished stuff, nothing new, so I have a chance of finishing them. …yeah, right… Although I’ve been dying to cast on the Bellatrix socks but have to somehow modify it. I remember Elem telling me something about someone posting a revised pattern, or how to modify it or whatever. The problem is that there is no chart so I don’t know how many stitches are in one repeat.

I just saw a post in the Daily Chum and had to laugh. These poor runway models starved themselves to wear THIS?!?! I know fashion is supposed to be a bit kooky, but really? this? Maybe it’s to entertain us, cuz I laughed a looooong time.

(l-r) cashyie, ms. b, deknit, fbz, elem, tini – click for more pics!

Do ya think I have enough yarn?

So this past weekend, we had our Knitters Uncensored sleepover at Benediktbeuern. On Friday night, at around 10pm, I decided that I wanted to make everyone some project bags. Yeah, great idea. It was the most badly sewn things I have ever made. And when it was 5 am, I decided that I had to cut corners if I was going to finish. So instead of covering up the seams like I normally do, I just did an overlock stitch, which isn’t as pretty, but it gets the job done. I got 8 done and 4 not quite done, but 8 was enough. I was tired, it was 6am. I told my husband to wake me up at 9am so at least I got a couple of hours of sleep.

We all met up at the main train station – we had some out of town guests – Tini, Fbz and deknit. I met fbz before at the spring market (notice how she only comes when the Wollmeise is at a market?), but it was a first to meet Tini and deknit. Tini, if you remember, was my SP10 downstream and deknit was fbz’s upstream. How cool it is for Secret Pals to meet! EVERYONE was awesome, and it was really, really cool to hang out with knitterly folk.

We had to transfer trains in Tutzing, and because the first train was late, we had to wait an hour for the 2nd train. No problem, everyone just whipped out their knitting! It was sooooo cool to knit en masse. We got lots of stares as well as compliments.

We finally arrived and had problems contacting the person so that we can check into the ZUK (hostel). But finally, the guy came and we got our rooms. Man, they were HUGE rooms and only 30eur per person. I shared a room with Victor because we both snore. We all dumped our bags and then ran over to see the Wollmeise and Yarnissima. Since I helped them set up the booth the day before, I had my first choice of yarn and man, that was bad. I bought 6 6-ply, 7 sock, 5 worsted weights and one laceweight. Ohhhh… Some of them are for swaps and gifts, so not all mine. Sniff… But still, serious damage!

But everyone else combed through her stuff. She had 3 large baskets full of “versuchskanninchen”, which are ones that she played around with the colors – so you can get things that are unique and no one else will have it. Then we all split up and roamed around the other booths. We were also joined by Andrea (Das Schneeschaf) and her boyfriend. During dinner, she whipped out her stock of Marisilk and everyone gasped and ran over. Her boyfriend was laughing and was so embarrassed about how everyone was oooohing and ahhhhing. Like we care what he thinks!!! :) I came away with 2 gorgeous skeins!!!

The market itself wasn’t very big (or as big as I had envisioned it in my mind), but it was full of interesting (and very expensive) things. Felting is huge here. Not knit felting, but needle felting and what not. They even had some kids workshops where they made some felted flowers. There was a woman who was dyeing her yarn there in a huge kettle – she was using plant dyes. There were also spinning demonstrations, which one woman told fbz that she should just stop trying and take a class (the nerve!).

That night we all came into our room and had a really loud get together. We were supposed to have a sock design workshop with Yarnissima, but well, she was tired from having worked the whole day and we were all distracted by yarns and just chit chatting. So she just said a little bit of history of how it all started. Oh, and she unveiled her “Fratello” pattern, which was my super secret knit project. I test knitted it for her and it is a great sock. Very masculine and perfect for my husband. Sadly, I knitted up one side and have to still do the other. The yarn is an exclusive color from the Wollmeise, so contact Yarnissima for more info. The kit (pattern + yarn) is only 25 eur. Or if you want just the pattern, it is 6 eur.

The alcohol flowed freely. We had Whiskey, Williams grappa, Raspberry vodka, Proseco (sp?), cosmopolitains, etc. We were all drunk and knitting or spinning. Everyone went to bed at around 12:30 or so and me and Cashyie stayed up later drinking even more. We laughed and laughed and laughed, and then we went out to the train station to buy her train ticket. We had a nice drunken adventure. I can’t even remember what we were laughing about. Geez. I remember that we thought it was funny that the Germans in the group were talking in English to each other, even if no one was around. But I think that was pre-alcohol.

The next day, we all rolled out of bed and got breakfast. It was in a completely different building far away and I was so confused about finding it. I eventually did though. Then we just hung out knitting and had one last look around. I got some rosewood and ebony Holz und Stein needles. I’ve heard good things about them and wanted to try them out. But you know what? As I was knitting with them, I really missed my Knit Picks pointy points and the join on them wasn’t good for doing magic loop. It’s ok though, I’m getting through it. They would be really nice for anything other than socks, which defeats the whole purpose. The woman I bought it from said that the company is forcing her to up her price from 9,90 to 15,00!!! So she is selling out her “old” stock at the “old” price. So of course I had to buy it right? Also, you can’t buy these over the internet, or at least that’s what she said. And I think she’s right because I haven’t found any online vendor yet.

I was also supposed to meet my friend Linnea on Sunday, but I couldn’t find her. I didn’t write down her cell number and I wasn’t sure if she had mine. We should’ve confirmed up the details BEFORE I left. DOH! Linnea, I am so sorry if I missed you and hope you had a great time watching Sting! :)

We all said our goodbyes at the train station and everyone went their separate ways. Except for deknit who is staying with me for a few more days. It is Oktoberfest, after all! Thanks to everyone who came out to join us! I had a blast and want to do it again next year!!!

OK, this is something that I’ve been wondering for awhile now. I am going to give the swallowtail to my friend, but what should I say for the care instructions? I mean, if she washes it, she would have to block it again in order to get those points, right? Can I say “just don’t get it dirty” or “dry clean only”? Does that work? I would feel awful to give someone something that wouldn’t be the same if she washed it.

Help me please!!! Thanks!

My very first sock

Before there was a knitting blog, I had/have a personal blog about the family with a few knitting posts. When I started my knitting blog, I migrated some posts over so I don’t really have a blog start date. So I decided to have a “sockiversary” instead of a blogiversary!

On September 5, 2006, I completed my first sock. It was horrible, the gauge was super loose (I had no idea what I was doing), but still wearable. I have never knit with yarn that thin and needles that small, never knitted with dpns before, I didn’t know anything about socks, I didn’t really know the whole world of knit-blogging and podcasting. I was participating in Secret Pal 8, and my upstream pal, Ingrid, sent me some sock yarn since my downstream pal, Michelle, was so into it and I had to know what the deal was. She got me a skien of Cherry Tree Hill super sock and I did the “potluck sock” pattern from their website. It was a simple ribbed sock.

That’s where it all began…And I can’t even begin to tell you what happened in the year since. Serious lifestyle changes, lots of yarn purchased, lots of knitting, lots of blogging, befriended lots of knit-bloggers, lots of picture taking (I am ashamed to admit there are more pictures of yarn than my kids!) and learned how to take better photos of yarn and socks. I joined the local SNB group and then it started to really go crazy! I met my partners in crime, Elem and Cashyie. Elem introduced me to Wollmeise yarn, although he himself hasn’t had any sock yarn, so we went down the crazy Wollmeise path together, and brought lots of people with us! We even started a crazy podcast and I’ve started dealing out the crack yarn to habitual users (Taste of Germany).

I have 26 finished objects – 17 pairs of socks (and several single socks), 7 scarves and 2 bags. Wow, I haven’t counted it all until now and I’m quite pleased with myself!!! :)

It’s fun to look back and see all that I’ve accomplished. Looking forward to the next year to see what knitting brings!

OK, I haven’t been knitting hardly at all. I’ve been so busy though. I was soooo hoping to go to the gym every day this week but Michael and co. came back from the mountains due to bad weather. So I’ve just been lazy and pretty much staying up late Skype chatting with Shannon from the SSK podcast. I love her, she is so awesome and funny and has me laughing so much! We gossip about everything and talk bad about everyone. Oh, I’m kidding. I even found myself going to Expedia and checking out the prices of how much it would cost to go to the east cost (she is in NJ). $600, not too bad. AND I can pick up Prego too! :) Ha, like I can afford it. So I told her that she needs to come and visit. See how I work? I think it’s so amazing that you can form such close bonds with someone you never met but have something in common. Do I sound like a stalker now?

I am *this* close to finishing the Billy Reid socks. But I’ve had to put it down because I am trying to write it up but can’t because the computer that the pattern is on is acting up. Hopefully I will work some magic and get it transferred to my machine. AND I found out that I only have ONE set of US1 circs. What the hell? I thought I had like 4. But I searched everywhere and I only have one and it is on the Billy Reid socks. Sucks. I REALLY need to start my Sock-It-To-Me pal’s socks. Or I need to get off my ass and buy one.

I did the fringe for my Montego Bay scarf and I like it, the fringe seems a little short though. I think for the other one I’m going to make the strips 14″ rather than 12″. It is a great scarf. Soooo boring, but it’s so nice and light.

I wore it to this photo shoot that we had for some weird German management magazine. It was for a “people in front of a white backdrop” project? Elem says that it makes sense in German. They are also going to interview us about our podcast/knitting group. I actually dressed up for the occasion, wearing jeans (hey, that’s dressed up to me), a turtleneck, my lovely scarf, and a leather jacket. And I did my hair AND I wore boots with heels. Anyways, I thought it was going to be a “fun” picture with our knitting. But no, this is Germany! We were just on the street, right in front of an apartment complex. With a huge backdrop behind us. So weird. I was so confused as what this was for. My first disappointment was when she said she was only going to do full body shots. DAMN! We kept pushing to do untraditional poses. She kept saying “smile. but not too much.” and “don’t put your hands in your pockets” and “look natural but not too casual”. geez. We were standing in the rain (ok, it was a drizzle) and it is so hard for me to be in front of the camera. I always feel I look so huge. Having the scarf to help block my huge belly helped. And she made me take off my belly hiding jacket because “the picture will make it look like it’s sunny and it will be weird for you to be wearing a jacket”. OK. I am wearing a FREAKING TURTLENECK AND SCARF! Hello! And Elem was wearing a jacket and Cashyie was wearing a cardi. WTF? So I was standing there, belly exposed and all. ugh. I have serious body issues! Then we said we wanted some fun ones and she was like “ok, at the end, only for you”. But I think those are the best. We were being silly and natural. What is the deal with these photographers? And then at the very end we all whipped out our knitting and we were soooooo happy and the photographer could tell. HA! I bet they’ll choose those because that’s really who we are. She just doesn’t understand. I felt like I had a fake smile the whole time…we’ll see how it goes. Elem said that it was for a manager magazine that you can’t buy (thank god) and it’s just handed out to managers. But they will send us copies, so that’s cool. They will probably pick the one that I look the fattest in and have the stooopidest face, always happens. My feet were so sore at the end! It was good to get those boots off.

OK, off to get more needles!

In the Saturday Night Live episode with Drew Barrymore (Feb 3, 2007), she did this “commercial” about Firestarter brand smoked sausages. Based on her character in the movie Firestarter, she is now grown up and sells sausages that is cooked over a fire that is started with her mind. Anyways, she is married to this singer (or “song stylist”) and these are part of the lyrics:

Slide the casing through your moist lips, a jointless finger made out of PORK”

OMG, I can’t stop laughing. I mean, who thought up “jointless finger”? Everytime I say it I totally crack up. Another line that is the 2nd funniest:

Plump big sausages in the smokehouse, crammed full of savory MEATS

And just the way he sings it makes it soooo funny. I wish there was a clip of it online, but sadly, I can’t find any. Anyways, if you have a chance to see it (I got mine off iTunes), it’s hilarious!

Have an SO who thinks your stash is big? HAH! I saw this awhile ago (don’t know why I didn’t post about it then) and nearly fell out of my chair. This woman’s stash is bigger than several stores combined. Seriously. Go check it out!!!

Mochimochi Land

I’m back from vacation. Some parts were good, some parts were bad. I’ll tell ya all about it later. We’re happy to be home where it’s not so damn hot. Basic story: Cinque Terre is a very unique place with lots of magnificent views but it is riddled with TONS of tourists, mostly loud, snotty Americans (me included). Well, I don’t think I was snotty, but it might’ve seemed that way since I didn’t even try to speak Italian. I felt really bad. We stuck out like a sore thumb and was so out of our element there. We’re “mountain people”. You could tell the locals can’t stand the tourists because they were mostly unfriendly and just rude. It really sucks that we don’t know any Italian at all. We eventually learned “parla inglese” and that helped. I was trying to search my mind for ANY phrase from our trips in 2001 and 2002, but all I was grasping was German. My German seemed fluent compared to my Italian!

I’ll write more later and post pics of my Zokni socks and their adventure through the Cinque Terre.