Samples 'n Stuff

 
















A couple weeks ago, I had the idea of knitting a vest for my dad, who's 77. He gets cold easily, so I thought a wool vest would be nice when the weather gets cooler. I really like the Professor Vest, so I downloaded pattern. Suggested yarns were from two companies I had never heard of, but both sent me color samples in the mail for free!

The top pic is from Black Water Abbey yarns, and the bottom pic is from Bartlett yarns.

 
Thing is, I came to the conclusion that my dad would probably never wear the vest. Why? Because he's one of those people that refuses to wear new clothes, preferring instead to don the same shirt and pants he wore when I was in grade school (20+ years ago).

Eh, at least I got some great samples for future projects, right? Well, as far as actual knitting goes, I've been slackin'. I don't know if it's the heat, but I just haven't been very motivated. I did end up frogging the Cherry sweater and started working on the Bonita Shirt from Interweave Knits.

 
Although I like how knitting in the round minimizes the amount of finishing you have to do, I really don't like how it feels slow going, mentally. Each round is 200+ stitches, which to me is painful! I know I'm doing the front and back simultaneously, but I like doing things in small bits. This project has become my side project.

In other boring knitting news, I finally finished the final sleeve for the Wicker sweater. Remember that guy? Yeah, when I got to the sleeve that's all ribbing, I sort of burned out. It was really boring, but for some reason I picked it up after a hiatus and completed it. I think it just felt good to work on bigger needles for a change.

  I also got some yarn to make the Pea Pod Baby Set. I wanted to make it in a wool instead of cotton, so I ordered this Debbie Bliss Merino DK from Webs on sale. It seemed like it would be a nice green, but I dunno - I'm thinking it's just not the right shade for a baby. 

Happy Monday!

 
Normally, I'm a grump on Mondays. But not today, because I just had a glorious weekend! To start, on Friday I received yet another package from my SP. This one was chock full of good stuff - everything a girl would need for a day (or two) of pampering. Can you believe all this?!

And did you notice the spindle and fiber? I can't wait to try spinning my own yarn! Several months ago, I bought a booklet called Spin It by Lee Raven, but I never bothered to buy a spindle. Secret Pal, you're the best. Thanks so very much!

 
So, the reason I was delayed in this public display of gratitude is because my sister, her husband, and my nephew drove up from California to visit. This was their first trip to Oregon, so we went to some of the touristy sites. We also drove out to Hood River for a lavender festival.

 I picked my own bunch of lavender (now currently upside down, drying). There was an alpaca vendor there as well. They were so sweet and pillowy, I was tempted to take one home. Then I remembered that our backyard is barely big enough for 1 dog.

 
Instead, I bought some yarn. These are all un-dyed alpaca fibers, and they are so incredibly soft. It's so neat to buy yarn made from local animals! They were in my bag with a calendula soap, so they smell good too.