The Yarnarian Has a New Sock Finished.

Here's the latest. I'm not sure if I'm going to sell the pattern. It seems to be very much like Leafy Green, which I didn't realize until I took a good look at it. But I like it, so I think I'll give it to my niece.





No good idea on a name. Any thoughts?

Ruth's Socks: Just in case you were looking for a picture of all my available socks, look over on the right. There they are. You can find them all on Ravelry, most on Etsy, or ask me here.

Hey, it's my blog and I wanna be shamelessly commercial! Tee hee!

ambermoggie - I like those names. How's Mr. Mog doing?

MaryAnn - It does indeed look like a tulip. I never saw it until now.

Sharon - I like it: Tiptoe through the Tulips! The tiptoe part is that cute little twist stitch in the middle.

Sharon - or galumphing through the tulips!

The Yarnarian and the Hubbo Wear Out the 6 Year-Old!

Hah! Of course we also wore out ourselves, but hey, we're not 6 anymore. We were also not in Kansas any more. Not that we've ever been to Kansas, but it works better than "we're not in New Jersey any more", if you know what I mean.

We flew out to MN on Fri and came home yesterday. Miss P turned 6 on the 24th, so we were out for her annual family birthday party (Sunday) and our annual Mall of America birthday treat. She picked out some toys (all inexpensive, bless her), had lunch, went on a number of rides all by herself, had cotton candy. Then we went back to our motel, and she got to swim in the indoor pool. And then to IHOP for a pancake supper. By the time we got her home, she had run out of energy. This kid has enough energy to power a city. She hops, skips, jumps, runs, never, ever stops! And giggles and is delicious and a true pain in the butt, which makes her a perfect 6 year old. I miss her like crazy already.

Sunday we gathered at the family home for some serious moving packing and humping. The entire clan of my SIL were there, and we love these folks, so we had a great time working our little tushies off. But we accomplished a ton of moving, so that when they have to be out of their house, it will all be accomplished. Then they have a week in between houses, and then they move to their new one. The new house is in an incredible area, within walking distance to a super duper elegant shopping street replete with post office, drugstore, a Lund's (great supermarket), wonderful restaurants, and stores that reek "posh"! And a movie theater and a wonderful playground and the best high school in the city. The downside? I can no longer take light rail to get to her house. Taxi is the way to go. Hey, you can't have everything!

So we were really exhausted Sunday night. And yesterday we traveled and you know how I hate travel, but this morning, after writing this, I'm going to the gym! Did you read that? GYM! Maybe I can establish the habit again.

Knitting News: Here's all the knitting I did, 99% on the plane. No time or energy to do any more on the sock. The really crummy pic shows the little twist st cable; it looks so much better in real life.




Carolynh - yep, those leafy green socks yet again. The thing is that I didn't realize that these socks were going to look so much like the leafy ones. The little twist stitch cable makes a great difference. I like this little cable so much that you know you're going to see it a lot!

What is This?

The Yarnarian has delights for you today: 4 works in progress.

1. Mystery Shawl 9

2. Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn in a scarf
pattern by Irish Schreier.

3. Mindless sock pattern used Trekking number something or other.

4. Sock pattern using yarn that I liked so swiped from my for sale stuff.

So now you have a tiny idea of what I'm working on. The shawl looks like a crappy bag, which is how lace looks until blocked; the scarf looks just plain weird, but will look nice when washed and blocked; the Trekking sock is beyond mindless, but I like it; and the brand-new purple-ish one - who can tell yet what it's going to look like?

And so it goes.

How do you like Optical Arrows? I'm rather pleased with it. Most pleasant to knit. And if you can't find it, it's the post right below this one. Like you need me to tell you that.

The Yarnarian designs another sock!

And it's for sale on Ravelry!

Optical Arrows






Jen - Thanks!

The Yarnarian buys yet another bag!

This is my entire exciting news! But you'll have to admit that it is one seriously cute bag. Bought here. By the way, if you scroll down and look at some of Catherine's bags, you'll see some pretty blue yarn. That's my yarn. Boy, all this fame is going to my head!



And that's all the news that's fit or unfit to print!

Extremely Important Knitting Content: Here's my brand-new solution for second sock syndrome: Put each sock with the pattern into a cute project bag. Start another sock project in yet another adorable bag. Continue this until you have either run out of bags, yarns, or needles. Then go back and pick up one of the old projects. You've waited so long to do the second sock that it now feels like a first sock!

kv - That's my solution. Get yourself a bunch of project bags, and put each glove into one, etc, etc.

mapleweave - Um, yeah, I understand that. At this point, I don't understand which comes first: the project or the bag!

Emily - You "store" them all over the place. Now, instead of projects in every nook and cranny, I have bags in every nook and cranny. Looks a tiny bit neater because you don't see yarns and needles and patterns.

Sounds good, anyway!

The Yarnarian

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

I couldn't resist this! Thank you, Annie Modesitt!

Erin - You're my kind of gal! I love to get on my soapbox and rant. My kids have been accusing me of this forever. I'm going to have to investigate more of these Jib Jab thingies.

The Yarnarian Needs a Day Off!

And tomorrow is it! I've been dyeing like a crazy person because I need to stockpile some yarn, and now I'm pooped.

So, ta da, tomorrow I'm taking off. Isn't that nice? The joys of having your own business in your home. I can play at being retired. I think I'll go to the library, the Stitching Bee (my very favorite LYS!!!), Whole Foods. Whatever. OK, this is pathetic sounding, but futzing around is just what I want to do.

A group of independent dyers, including me, got together and put in an ad in the Stitches Midwest brochure, the one that's given out at the door. Such excitement. Some real hotshots here, ladies and gentlemen, and little shot Moi! So, since I am a low volume dyer, and it takes me quite a while to dye up each skein, I'm stock piling yarn for the Stitches moment.

Saturday, the Hubbo and I took a field trip to Harney's Teas in Millerton, New York. I refilled some of my used-up tins, and bought a very expensive oolong. Boy is this tea delicious! Lovely pale pinkish color, and what a taste. I'm really a black tea person. Give me fermentation. But this oolong is wonderful. And I can brew it twice, so the price is not all that horrid.

Another wonderful oolong from them is Da Hong Pao! Not cheap either, but again, 2 cups from the same tea, so pretty good. Hey, I can justify almost anything! Hee Hee!

Project Bags! Look at what I found in Millbrook, NY on the way to Harney's. It's reversible and cute as can be.