PippiKneeSocks.com

Gray, gray and more gray.

That’s pretty much all I got.

Pinwheel blanket remains a UFO. (I know myself all too well, it seems)

Dyeing up a storm of roving (10 lbs today!)

Headache… still not gone.

♥

Rhinebeck was such an experience. It gave me alot to think about. (So much so, I’ve had a migraine for a few days, good thing, today it is a dull ache in my neck and shoulders and I’m not sitting here in the dark puking.)
These wool fests are like that…
This year, when i returned home from NHSW, I was filled with joy and love.
VTSW, I came home inspired to spin like a madwoman.
Rhinebeck left me feeling inspired to knit.
Being in the presence of so many prolific knitters will do that, no?
Plus, I’ve been feeling knitterly since the weather changed. That’s the big downfall to spinning (especially when doing it for a living), not alot of time left for knitting. It almost makes me sad, that my knitting has not progressed over the years. I decided to do something about that. (No, I haven’t cast on some crazy ass fair isle project…) But, I did this on Tuseday.

It is a bit stretched out in the photo. Please note that an over turned fiesta wear bowl does not make a good head model.

• pattern: roughly the newsboy cap from SnBN with more modifications than not.
• cast on 12 noon
• cast off 9 pm
• odd ball merino DK/worsted wt. singles
• size 5 & 7 DPNS

It would have been the perfect hat for my last hair do. (or is that a hair don’t?)

I’ve also decided to unearth my Pinwheel blanket (That, I, erm started it WayBackHere! well over a year ago.) {an aside, my “search function” isn’t working right, it seems to be confused with my mailing list sign up thing. GURR! help?nevermind! Thanks Mere!}
Anyway, seeing Kelly’s pinwheel sweater reminded me, once again, that I had this thing laying about someplace; that someplace, being buried under about 75 lbs of dyed wool scraps.
Appropriate, since all the yarn I used was spun at random from that huge burlap sack.

ahhh. So close, yet so far away.
I plan to finish it up Today. That said, I most likely won’t. Because that is how my world works. I should just stop talking about things “I’m going to do and just do.
Speaking of “do-ers” Happy Birthday to the Bono of knitting! And how is this for an early birthday prezzie?. Big birthday woots and high fives from the Pippi house to yours! Rock on with your bad self!
♥

Step One:
Admit that you are powerless.

Done.
Why else would I spend 12+ hours in a car, for 8 hours of wooly mayhem?
Powerless indeed.

Here is how it went down:
Saturday:
5am hear alarm, promptly roll over and turn it off. Continue dreaming about food.
5:20 am, phone rings…. Lee calling to make sure I’m awake. (Thank goodness.)
6am-2am, everything is pretty much a blurr.
The smells of wool, and hugs from bloggers. (I don’t want to even try to list everyone, since I know I’d be leaving people out.) It was pretty much mayhem, as everyone had that same glazed over look in their eyes as I did.
I didn’t bring my camera, as it would have been useless, since the internal battery charger is toast. But Chris put up a nice fun gallery. Look, there is Jillian and me releasing our inner 12 year old. ~~ This search on flickr also tells the tales of fibery mayhem.
The woman I went with, blogless Lee, is a walking encyclopedia of knitting patterns, books, publishers, editors & fiber arts history. Not to mention, she is very put together & classy (unlike myself).
Shockingly enough, I didn’t buy much at all.
I was compelled to get Stitchy McYarnypants’ book MOKS Because, that’s right up my alley.
I had to fight my way into the Moving Mud booth. They had their hands FULL. (and they did it all with that sweet baby of theirs in tow!) Sarina does such beautiful work. Their buttons are so amazing, they give me chills!
This one demanded to come home with me.

Rhinebeck, I’ll be back next year. Any S&W that serves beer and wine at their concessions, is A-OK with me. (Next year, I get a room! Too much to see in one day.)

Today, it is back to reality.
Up at 4:30 (???)
Get gurl ready for skool.
Pack up orders.
Undo the damage that has been done on the home front in my absence.
and work. (yep, must do work. now where is my my writing hat?)

♥

WOW! so, I wasn’t planning a shop update this week, BUT, things happen .
I had given up hope on my plans to attend Rhinebeck.
I was prepared to throw myself a JUMBO pity party.
In some strange twist of fate, the universe made it work for me.
Now, I just need to fund this trip. (even tho Boogie ever so generously offered to lend me money! I’d rather not take food out of her cute lil babies mouths to buy fiber…) SOOOOOOOO…. I’ve updated and marked some stuff on sale! (I’m in too much of a hurry, so just took 10$ off each of the 2 ply blends, instead of trying to futz with percentages.. ha.)

I’ve added:
1 2ply yarn
and 2 new bulky thick and thin yarns

in addition! all in stock blends are $10 off!! (RHINEBECK SALE!)

you can view everything in the shop using this link or you can see everything that is new

OK!
Sorry to post and run, but I must throw some clothes in the wash so I don’t have to go naked!
If you are headed to Rhinebeck, look for this hat I may be in it.
My hair has been toned down for fall/winter, and is now a Merlot shade; not the atomic pink of sheep and wool fests of earlier in the year.
See some of you this weekend!
♥

Occasionally, I do have FO’s… (Yes, for real!)
This is one of those rare events. (Or rarer as of late.)
Some socks, since it is Socktoberfest

They look pretty wonky, lying there on the floor.

They look pretty wonky from this angle, too. Hard to get a good photo of one’s feet with children underfoot.
But, that’s the best I could muster. I have a terrible rash on my feet. (NO! Not from the socks, from the Lupus.) And putting anything on my feet irritates them. Too bad, because my tootsies are cold! (I wonder if sea silk socks would be good?)

Any hoo, the details. You may remember I started knitting them way back here.. (yikes, That was July!)
US size 2 & 3 DPNs
The yarn

Which, you may (or may not) recall me spinning way back here.

• 18 WPI
• hand washed/dyed Vermont rare breed wool
• hand dyed top
• hand dyed nylons
• hand dyed European hemp
• angora (raised by Chris)
• hand dyed silk noils
• recycled silk sari

Sheesh! That is A-lot of hands.. Last I checked, I still only had 2.
Here, is where you can insert a long winded monologue about the pleasure I (we) get from making things with my (our) hands. But today isn’t that day; as i fear it will take me to a place where I am unwilling to go at the moment.
So, use your imagination. Why bother spinning yarn, when you can go to your LYS? Why bother knitting socks, where there is wallfart? Well, you and I know better, now don’t we?

Rock on with your bad selves
♥

Time marches on.

Mid afternoon dark/blue/eerie/gray sky… Vermont winter is coming… The precipitation that is falling is particularly cold.
Darkness is coming on so early.

In case you can’t tell, that is the sun & the moon…..

I should try and welcome what awaits. At least my knitting urges have picked up.

Now back to knitting my Socktoberfest socks while listening to the new Pointy Sticks….

(~Funny, funny, I have no recollection of signing up for Socktoberfest, none.. I’m a notoriously bad KAL’er… and what is even stranger yet, I signed up under my site’s URL, and not my blog… I blame the fever I had a few weeks ago; either that or some Ny-Qil induced fog… yea, that musta been it… But, I’m happy I did, it gives me more of a push to get this pair of socks I’ve been working on, done….)
♥

**Also, I’m sorry to anyone who experienced any difficulties yesterday trying to buy yarn. My cart blew up, but I managed to fix it this morning. (*knocks wood*) A totally stressful thing, it was..**

Like a little nose powering….
the shop has been updated!
i’ve added:

2 2ply yarns
1 2ply blend
and 1 arty/novel type
2 new colorways (4 hanks) of hand painted superwash sock yarn

you can view everything in the shop using this link or you can see everything that is new

Enjoy!

That seemed to take longer than normal. Too many distractions!

While i was at it, the kids managed to test some nuclear weapons or something. The whole place is Trashed!! :/

♥

What I’m about to show you may hurt the eyes and sensibilities.
Nonetheless, I’m going to show it anyway.. Based on principle.
My Fiber Friday for this week.
(topic=Recycle)

spun plastic grocery bags, with one strand of wooly nylon & one of some mystery thread that i knoped up and down the length as i went along.

• 26 yards
• 11 WPI

An interesting spin. Odd memory issues.
I got about 2 yards per bag. One day, when I have some ‘free time’ I think I’ll spin up more to knit up a market bag out it.
A true testament that one can spin anything.
These bags will be in landfills for many generations; so we will never be out of things to spin… (granted, I wouldn’t want to wear a scarf or socks made out of plastic like this…..)
It really gave me a good pause; thinking about how much “disposable” stuff we have.

Anyway, I’m still in the land of procrastination.
I’m working on getting Pippi updated today; so stay tuned!
It just might take me all day to do, as the kids seem a bit bonkers this morning. Whoopeee! Good times, good times!

♥