sock porn for knitting voyeurs.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Dear Santa.

I can't remember the last time I asked Santa for anything. Could be that I have a terrible long term memory, but I think it was a dog's age since. I remember walking thru a mall with my mom forever ago... upon seeing a wall of lifelike puppets I *immediately* asked my mom for the monkey one. Normally I'd think I remembered this because I never asked for anything when I was little (the only other gift I remember asking for was The Animator, and I still have it!), but no... Mom said, well, maybe SANTA will bring it for you. I remember her doubling back (leaving me in the store alone? told you my memory's awful) and coming with a bag she didn't have before. She threw it in the trunk and we went on out merry way home-- she didn't unlock the trunk when we got there. I "stole" her keys later on that nite and opened the trunk... found the monkey. I must have been there a while cos mom came out and found me with the trunk popped and me talking to the monkey.

But hey, tis the season and I'm never too old (lies!)...

Dear Santa, I'd love to learn how to knit a hat. (Related: And take pictures of my own head.)

head
Center Square, Knitty Winter 2006
Patons Classic Merino wool, Black & Natural Mix (doubled)
US 10.5 circular, 16" Susan Bates
Started & Finished: December 10, 2006

Or maybe I should amend that request... Dear Santa, I'd love to not have such a ginormous head. See, the pattern unstretched is 15.5" and well... that hat would need about oh, 50% (!!) negative ease to fit my melon. I have this thing though, something about impulse control and a false image of how large my head is-- so I found my 16" 10.5 circular and eked out 3.5 sts/inch (stranded and stst, dude!), added a pattern repeat (72 st co) so unstretched the hat would be about 20.5", absorbed a few hours of Man vs Wild (goodness, rescue me!) and Iron Chef and had a hat at the end. A hat... yeah. I dunno, I think its the colors; the reason the pattern sample pops so much are the great colors (and regular sized head!) Anyhow, the kid likes it and I have scads of the yarn left over... on sale this week @ Michaels for 3.99, if you're wondering.

Speaking of sales, Santa... not that I've forgotten world peace or anything, but what I really want and no one will buy me is 3 bags of Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk from little knits for Amelia's stunning new coat. Of course in red! You know me, I try and make up for my lack of red in my life via yarn. Odd but true. I think I could rock an alpaca silk coat like Mrs Claus... or rock it naked like mis'tress claus. Whatever. Please?

Oh, um. Yeah. I *know* I just bought some grey Alpaca Silk DK for Celtic Icon from Inspired Cable Knits...

celticicon
(I swapped for this book just so I could have this pattern!)

and I know I haven't finished Starsky...

starback
(back done, left front in the works lately)

but c'mon. Please? :) (See why no one will buy me more yarn?)

Well, it could be this.

bin

My former sock yarn bin... in all its cracked and ducttaped glory. (Yes, this bin used to hold *all* of the stash. Heaven help me, but I'm already dreaming of the Stitches Market in February.) The yarn was feeling a little... unloved here, so its been moved to some new digs...

redboxes

brownboxes
(for insaknitty... lingo boxes from IKEA)

brownopen

Where it doesn't.all.quite.fit.

Please tell me this isn't the sign I need to go stash thinning :)

And on the topic of yarn giveaways, Santa... be sure to check out Rachel's pay it forward giveaway as well as Kristen's vintage knits contest... you know she made my legs famous with her Vintage Knits article in the recent Knitty, eh? :)

28 comments:

insaknitty said...

ooh! thanks for the tip on the patons! I'll have to be sure to take a trip to michael's this week... :) btw, where did you get those super cute boxes for your stash??

lexa said...

Love Celtic Icon. That's the sorta patterns I go for. I forgot you had a Starsky on the needles. The hat looks great, too. (That's a good deal on the Classic Wool. We had a lady put a large dent in our Classic Wool on Saturday.)

I really need something to organize my growing stash in. I do have a three drawer plastic thing that holds mostly sock yarn. I have a little hall closet cubby hole thing where I throw most of it.

Santa is bringing me some yarn, I think. He's ordered some already and probably a bit more the end of the week. It may not be here in time for Christmas, but I'm not adverse to an "IOU" under the tree. (Especially if it means Cherry Tree Hill, Rowan, and Debbie Bliss are on the way!)

Anonymous said...

I love that pattern from Inspired Cable Knits.

I did a little stash re-organization recently that required Ikea furniture and, while it horrified me to think that I had that much yarn, I'm using the stash more now that I can find stuff. Go figure!

Anonymous said...

Hope you get everything you want from Santa this year! And get that Starsky finished and photo-ed - inquiring eyes want to see!

HPNY KNITS said...

by jolly! you are a fast knitter. that hat has barely left the pattern press... self timer is the secret to taking pix of your heard. use a card board, or just cut out paper for where you want your head to be.
I LOVE LOVE your stash boxes. fab!

Rachel said...

I think the hat looks adorable! I like the neutral colors with the geometric shapes.
I love that new coat pattern too, but it really looks like something I would start and never finish...
I hope it's OK that I'm copying you for my contest!

Vera said...

I love the hat, and been think about making it.

sheep#100 said...

Celtic Icon - awesome.
Yarn on left of last picture - gorgeous. Yes, that is why no-one will buy you yarn.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I love the Starsky you have in progress. When did I miss that?

My head is ginormous too. I tell myself it's to hold my ginormous brain. :-)

And holy crap, I have been avoiding yarn sales for a long time chanting "not tempted not tempted not tempted" to myself, and now that Alpaca Silk is totally calling me. CURSES!!!

Dave said...

Great yarn storage. Just keeping buying more boxes, or yarn, or boxes, or yarn, until you reach equilibrium. :-)

Love the colour of your Starsky!!

Jennifer said...

Did you say Paton's CW is on sale this week at Michael's? Ooooo...

Brena said...

That hat is awesome and I love those boxes!

Shayla said...

Thanks for letting us know Patons was on sale. I went to Ben Franklin's and they raised the price $1 so now its $6!

I love your hat! I actually just finished mine today-but it's too big for me =( And the decreases are bunched but that may be my fault.

Oh and I'm jealous of your stash! Cute boxes too.

Anonymous said...

Oooohhhh ... I somehow missed past posts on your "Starsky." It looks fabulous! I never would have looked twice at that pattern on Knitty, but in the color you chose the pattern just sings. It's going to be gorgeous! Can't wait to see the finished product.

Erica said...

Oh, I remember the days when all my yarn fit into one lonely box as well...

Love the hat. I've been contemplating that one as well.

Jeanne said...

Very cute hat, and I love Celtic Icon - I'm going to have to get the book! Great stash organization!

Stacey said...

Do you think I could eek a hat out of 1/2 a skein of each color? I have about 6 half skeins laying around that would make great hats!! Love the neutral and black - great combo - very mod!

I almost got yarn in the last Shelridge co-op for that celtic icon....almost...i so love that pattern!

Anonymous said...

I hope you get everything you wish for! Sometimes things work out...you never know!

I can't really stop watching Man v. Wild. My husband is hooked and he's got me hooked, too.

Anonymous said...

I have a big head too. I always thought I was a pinhead until I started knitting hats from patterns. Heh. Let's just say I was a bit, er, off. ;)

*Gorgeous* stuff you've got going!

Allegra said...

Hell NO you don't need to thin out your stash!!! Knotty words! Just a bigger stashHOLDER, that's all!
All your projects look fab!

Acornbud said...

Wow you really whipped that hat out! I didn't even know the new knitty was out!

Anonymous said...

And what lovely legs they are, my dear. Thanks for all your help in getting that article to actually happen!

My stash lived in those very same boxes from Ikea... until I overstuffed them so much that they broke on the sides and the handles ripped off. (Let that be a warning to you!) Now the barkcloth lives in there, and ugly plastic tubs rule the yarny stash.

Sonya said...

Cute hat! And I love your yarn storage boxes. Inspired Cable Knits is such a great book. I like just about everything in there.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the link to dirt cheap alpaca silk. I've been dreaming of that yarn for so long. that gray is delicious, I'm sure your hoodie is going to be fantastic. I love the new bins, too. I think you can still get more yarn, I mean you have a lot of sock yarn, but not nearly enough alpaca / silk yarn!

Nik said...

Um, what were you saying to the monkey when your mom caught you?

That is hilarious.
Must. Get. Copy. of. Inspired. Cable. Knits.

Anonymous said...

Oooh, seeing your organizational skilz makes me want to organize my closet!
And I have a big head too, so I haven't knit a hat for myself before! I just don't think I really want confront how really big it is...

Angela said...

Wow! The Starsky is gorgeous! Love the color. I'll have to head to Michaels for Patons Classic Merino. I have a few felting projects to finish. Your blog is very nice:)

Ang

Anonymous said...

I believe that as long as you know where all your yarn is, there is no need for stash thinning. You just need more vacation time to knit up your stash :)

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