Week 7 - No Scavenger Hunts for Me - I'm on a Yarn Diet

So this week's suggested homework is for a Picture Scavenger Hunt for the Horcruxes. I'm just not in the mood for doing this task this week.

I'm actually going to talk about the Yarn Diet that I'm going to go on. This has actually been inspired by a few events in my life (and financial situation) as well as a fellow Raveler, aKnitOnTheSide. I've never met this person, nor have I actually talked with them, but I found them as one does searching through stashes and/or patterns on Ravelry. The thing that inspired me about aKnitOnTheSide was two fold, her organization and her goal orientated-ness towards her knitting. She's also taken an oath to go on a Yarn Diet for a year which as any lover of fiber knows is a good thing once the stash gets out of hand.

So through her inspiration I will be going on a Yarn Diet for one year. I seriously have enough yarn, I don't even know how much, it's gotten to that point. I need to organize, take pictures, Frog projects that I've left in UFO status for too long, or just plain work on projects in that UFO pile. I want to know just how bad my stash is and I want to work on all those projects that I've been craving to get done or even start.

However, there will be one exception to the No Buying Yarn rule. That will be buying yarn for others, only gifts mind you, not projects I would like to make for someone else. This would include yarn for swaps, birthdays, etc. Basically it is yarn that would not go into my stash.
Also would include yarn received through swaps. This yarn could go into my stash and not count as yarn bought. Given that I'm allowing this loophole of sorts I'm only going to do 1 swap/kit type thing at a time, ie: the HSKS group. I enjoy the people and they have such great tastes in the fiber realm that why not?
Also this would not exclude the purchasing of Notions. No I don't mean stitch markers, I don't want to transition my obsession over to stitch markers. I could see that happening. I can use cut up straws for stitch markers. But if I need a notion and I don't have one already or it's impossible to find the notion I already own, I will allow myself to purchase what I need. But no collecting.

I've decided that I've made my last yarn purchase as of 10/19/2010 from www.discountbrandnameyarn.com. If you are a yarnie and you don't want to make any more purchases on yarn I would not recommend going to this site. The deals on yarn her are REDIKULOUS!!! I must say that my last yarn purchase has been a good one! I bought 4 skeins of Cherry Trill Hill Suri Alpaca Lace, 2 in Hot Cider and 2 in Rustic Runes. OMG!! I seriously wanted to cry seeing and touching this yarn when it arrived it is SOOOOO beautiful. Only another yarnie would understand.

As soon as I work out the numbers for my stash (hopefully by next week) I will be able to make projections of working down on my stash. Finding applicable projects for the yarn that I have. Work on possible Christmas gifts and finishing those UFOs out there. Need to update my blog with yardage wikis.

Also this Yarn Diet will preclude me from making trips to yarn shops. Kind of sad, but necessary and crucial for this Yarn Diet to work. I've been notorious for making special trips to new yarn shops or stopping by shops when I go out of town. And of course I feel bad if I don't buy something from these shops that I go to and I also want a souvenir to remind me of my trip. This needs to be cut down drastically. So to make a loophole that will prevent me from doing this locally but allow me to have souvenirs for trips I will make this concession. Yarn buys as souvenirs from trips outside the state of California will not count towards stash. As I do not have any foreseeable trips planned for out of California (I have two planned for IN California) this should work. But if there were ever the day I get out of Cali in the next year, I think I should be able to buy 1, and only 1 skein of yarn in 1 yarn store per trip where ever I may end up. Got to think of all possibilities. :D

So lets see how I do. I'm going to have the full dates of this year long Yarn Diet up when I get my numbers. So it will obviously be next year November.

Week 6 - Back to Knitting

So now that Rowena Bladvak's knitted project is almost done, just got to put the pieces together, and now that I'm no longer working full speed on my costuming projects, I'm back to knitting for myself.

• I need to finish the final front half of my gorgeous Orange Malabrigo #112 Dramatic Lace Top-Down Wrap Cardigan by SweaterBabe. It requires picking up stitches along the side, part of the sleeve and top front in a specific number of stitches so it's been put on hold. I've already done the mirror image of the other side, but it's a project that I need to focus on. It also has lace panels which for the life of me I can't memorize. Also I'm afraid of blocking it as it is such a strange shape. I know it can be done, but I really need to invest in some blocking wires. Maybe CraftyDiversions will let me borrow hers? Hmm. That's a thought.
• I also have a floating UFO of a Clapotis from gorgeous The Fibre Company Road to China that I need to work out how much more I knit until I make the decreases. Again it is a bit of math that is holding me up, but I really want to use the most of this yarn and I'd already modified the pattern to be thinner than the original. More of a scarf than a shawl.
• I also have a great grey sweater that I've started. It's a man's sweater but it's just tooooo cute. 
  #17 Man's Cable Cardigan It came from Vogue and has in-set sleeves, but I'm going to finish it, gosh darn it.
• Also I'd really, really like to re-organize my stash and project inventory in general. I need to take the time to really account for what I have, pictures and numberwise. I came across the Raveler aKnitOnTheSide and OMG this woman's organization skills are mesmerizing. Also I really enjoy her big Project of the Year. She's gone cold-sheep for a year! No new yarn purchases. But seriously with the gorgeous stash she has it must always feel like X-mas. Also she has pages for her goals in knitting. Again with the need for motivation. - Shoot if we're talking crazy-talk I might as well try to organize my fabric and the rest of my craft supplies/room. Seriously I neeeeeed to do this!!!

But are any of those projects, or the other little projects on my Rav project page what I've actually been working on? Nope. I just cast on for a pair of Super Simple Short Socks. And I think I might have found a great beginner-starter sock pattern. I have yet to finish those Nutkin socks, totally have no idea where in the pattern I am (Eeep!). But this pattern is so easy! However, I did not pick up the same number of sts on each side so I had to fudge. But now I know for next time. And these are my socks so I really don't care too much. But they are going really well so far. Although I think my gauge changed slightly as I keep going. Slightly tigher, but that's ok. I'm not going for the most beautiful sock here. I just want to get it done, see what I like about it, maybe make some changes, and make more. My goal (if I can keep it) is to have a quick, go-to pattern, that is mindless, productive, and keeps me interested enought to keep making them. Maybe I'll be able to progress into other sock patterns, but I really don't wear high socks. High socks may show the pattern off well, but I just don't wear them.

And while I'm back to knitting for myself I'm still working on getting my kit together for Rowena. I really want to talk about the details here, but I'll save it for the Family blog. Another week HSKSers! See you later!

Week 5 - Matching Activity

So sad to be back from camping. It was such a great trip with friends and food! But thankfully there should be another short weekend trip in my future!!! There were a bunch of my freinds from NorCal who could not make it down to our camping trip this year. Therefore it has been decided that we will go up next month to visit them! They are required to throw us a party to make up for not coming camping. :D It will be so much fun!

And now on to our Weekly Activity.

1. Vine wood and Dragon Heartstring     i. Hermione Granger
2. Walnut and Dragon Heartstring           k. Belatrix Lestrange
3. Hawthorn and Unicorn tail hair            m. Draco Malfoy
4. Hornbeam and Dragon Heartstring     d. Viktor Krum
5. Ash and Unicorn hair                          g. Cedric Diggory
6. Rosewood and Veela Hair                  l. Fleur Delacour
7. Elder and Thestral Hair                       b. Albus Dumbledore (wand #2)
8. Mahogany and an unknown core        j. James Potter
9. Elm and Dragon Heartstring                e. Lucius Malfoy
10. Cherry and Unicorn hair                     c. Mary Cattermole
11. Yew and Phoenix Feather                  f. Harry Potter (wand #1)
12. Holly and Phoenix Feather                 h. Tom Riddle
13. Willow and Unicorn Hair                   a. Ron Weasley (wand #2)

So Checking Out!

Well I'm off camping for a week. Seriously I wish I had a tent like the one used in the series. That would be so fricken awesome! A whole flat, including pluming. Sweet.
Well we don't rough it that much when we go camping. We have pop-up tents that we've covered in canvas to make them look like they could be historical-esque. We bring rugs and beds that fold up with air mattresses. Many lanterns and shepherds hooks too. One of our friends even camps in a Yurt that she made herself. Also the place where we camp has bathrooms and shower trucks. So not too shabby.

I will be bringing my project for my spoilee to work on. But I don't know how much I'll be bringing it out to work on. The weather has been looking rather bleak with rain and thunderstorms. Hopefully it will clear up for the weekend.

So I'll be back to the internet in a week!