San Diego Yarn Crawl 2014

Talk about yarn intertwined with life! here is one of those 'perfect examples'!

Saturday 10:00AM, right after breakfast, we took a ride to Chula Vista. The store was my chosen starting point for the yarn crawl that day. I had never been there before.

They have plenty of parking in the back of the store

The sign in front is big enough, you can't miss it

I was really surprised and impressed with the enormous selection of well-known yarns. Now I know to go to Border Leather and Yarns when I need something unusual and don't want to wait until an on-line purchased package arrives.

We stayed for one raffle drawing, purchased a nice light green ball of wool and went on to the next store on the crawl schedule. The grove at Juniper $ 30th.
I had visited that store many times before. It is located close to my home and 'shop local' is one of my mottos. We found a decorated 'YARNBOMBED' bike stand in front of the store and many people inside. The yarn selection is much smaller there, but I have learned that a local yarn company, Ewe ewe yarn, is carried there.

So if you ever want to get wool for a child project, try http://www.eweewe.com/welcome/

It was still before Lunch - so we went on the next store on my list, Yarn and Thread expressions in
La Mesa.

This is the store I find what I am looking for the most. They have the regular, and the rare yarn. I also like the little poodle that is guarding the cash register. Very sweet little girl.

 

My life is about yarn, intertwined with life. So a visit to my very young friend in Escondido fit right in at lunch time. My little friend Allison is always happy to see me.

 

Parents and Grandparents are all taking a break from packing. Allison's dad is called up to the reserves and I will miss them. At least for a year.

 

Luckily I had the good fortune to spend a little time with the new baby, Adelle.

 

Ruben is a natural

 

La Dolce Vita Alpaca, enjoy the Alpacas. I did!

I even got to touch one, sooooooo soft.

Other's liked it here too.

 

All together that farm has 45 animals. A lot of yarn, I'd say.

 

The guard was on a break, apparently.

This was the day one result. Future socks and hats.

Sunday morning we went to have breakfast on the beach. There is an IHOP very close to the Needlepoint Cottage.

 

Here you will find a large selection of really inexpensive and really expensive yarn. She carries both. She also has a large selection of needle point kits and accessories. This one is always worth a visit when you are just looking for the next project.

 

You never know what you are going to find. I found a book about beading, knitted or crochet beading. Hmm, I wonder if my next project is going to have beads!

 

My new stash.

 

Red Hats, can you see it.

Green hats, just yummy.

Fuer Brigitte

Deine Frage nach dem kleinen Hut kann ich schon beantworten. Es hat nur ein bischen gedauert bis ich meine handgeschrieben Notizen wieder gefunden habe. Ich schreib mir immer alles auf was ich mit der Stricknadel oder Haekelnadel herzaubere.

Also hier ist das Bild erstmal:

Maschenprobe mit Haekelnadel Nummer 4.25mm.
19 stb x 9 Reihen ergibt 10cm x 10cm

Der Hut wird in Runden gehaekelt, mit der Rechten Seite immer aussen, bis zur letzten Reihe.

Eine Kette mit 4 Lm haekeln.
Reihe 1: 11 stb in die 4. Lm haekeln und dann , die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Du hast jetzt 12 stb. und die Runde geschlossen.
Reihe 2: 3 Lm, 1 stb in die km der Vorrunde, *2 stb in das naechste stb*, von * bis * noch 11 mal  wiederholden, die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Das ergibt 24 stb (die 3 lm zaehlen as 1stb) und die Runde ist geschlossen.
Reihe 3: 3 Lm, *2 stb in das stb der Vorrunde 1 stb ins naechste stb*, von * bis * 11 mal wederholden, die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Das ergibt 36 stb und die Runde ist geschlossen.
Reihe 4: 3 Lm, 1 stb in das stb der Vorrunde, *2 stb in das naechste stb, 1 stb in die naechsten 2 stb*, von * bis * 11 mal wiederholen, die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Das ergibt 48 stb und die Runde ist geschlossen.
Reihe 5: 3 Lm, 1 stb in jedes der naechsten 2 stb haekeln, *2 stb in das naechste stb und 1 stb in jedes der naechsten 3 stb*, von * bis * noch 11 mal  wiederholden, die Runde mit 2 stb ins letzte stb der Vorreihen und einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Das ergibt 60 stb und die Runde ist geschlossen.

Reihe 6: 3 Lm, 1 stb in jedes stb der Vorreihe, die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen.

Diese Runde nun 5 bis 7 mal wiederholen. Das kommt auf die Groesse des Kindes an. Man kann auch die Runde 6 bis zu 10 mal wiederholen und dann den Rand umgeschlagen tragen.

Letzte Reihe: Den Hut nach der letzten Reihe umdrehen, sodass die Innenseite nun aussen ist. Den hut mit einer Reihe Krebsmaschen beenden. Das heist nun entgegengesetzt von links nach rechts haekeln, 1 lm, 1 fm in jedes stb der Vorreihe, die Reihe mit einer km schliessen. 

Die Blume: 3 lm, 11 fm in die 1. lm haekeln und die Runde mit ein km in 3. lm schliessen.
Reihe 2: 2 lm, 2 hstb in jede fm der Vorreihe haekeln, 1 hstb in dieselbe Masche wo die 3 lm herausgehaekelt wurden, Runde mit 1 km schliessen. Das ergibt 26 hstb., die 2 lm vom Reihen begin zaehlen als 1 hstb.
Reihe 3: 1 lm, 1 hstb in das neachste stb der Vorreihe, "jedoch von hinten einstechen: mit der Nadel ueber das stb wieder nach hinten durchstechen um den Faden von hinten zu holen und durchziehen". Dann 3 stb in das naechste stb haekeln, aber auch hier von hinten nach vorne ueber das stb wieder nach hinten durchstechen um den Faden zu holen. Das Blumenlatt dann noch mit einem hstb in das naechste stb und einer fm um das naechste stb der vorreihe beenden. Alle Maschen werden von hinten ueber das stb der Vorreihe gehaekelt. Jedes Blumenblatt hat 1 hstb, 3 stb, 1 hstb, mit einer fm dazwischen. Es ergibt 7 Bluetenblaetter. Mann kann auch die Bluetenblaetter enger zusammenheakeln, wenn man die fm zwischen den Blaettern nicht haekelt, damit 9, oder 10 Bluetenblaetter entstehen koennen.

Abkuerzungen:
stb = Staebchen
km = Kettenmasche
Lm = Lunftmasche
fm = Feste Masche
hstb = Halbes Staebchen

 Fertig, und viel Spass!

What is a scarf - part 2

Back in April last year I tried to sum-up in my blog 'What is a scarf'' and all throughout the year I have learned even more about that type of accessory.

Discovery of the terms came after I had purchased a skein of yarn in Muenchen, Germany on my trip home in June. It's Filigran lace No.1 from Zitrone. I have searched all over for a pattern for this beautiful multicolored lace weight 100% merino yarn.

I looked at cowls:

It seems like cowls are everywhere today, in stores and on the needles. I can see why they're popular - they're useful, quick to knit, and they're often one-skein winders. As Kathleen Cubley, the editor of Knitting Daily said: "A knitting trifecta if I've ever seen one". Cowls are stash busters too.

· These cowl type neck warmers are usually knit with thick yarn and would look too thin if knitted with lace weight.

· There also is the wimple. A cowl worn over the head and wrapped around the neck. There are some beauties out there. Lacy and stunning examples of knitting talent. This kind of cowl also stayed within contention for a while.

· The infinity scarf style cowl is perfect to wear as a long loop or wrapped around your neck for extra warmth. Now that would be a possibility and was considered for a while.

But once I snooped around some lace knitting patterns I couldn’t contain myself. I found my next pattern. It's the Fichu-shawl. It is published in a German magazine: Sabrina Special, S 1656: Ponchos, Tücher, Taschen

shop.oz-verlag.de published in August 2010. I immediately went on-line and purchased the magazine. Shipping it from Germany took  f o r e v e r. I thought it was lost at one point. When it arrived I was really glad I did not waste my money.

Later on I found out, I did waste my money because the pattern is free. For the pdf-download go to “Anleitung” on the Junghans-Wolle website

 http://ssl.static-cache.de/media/pdf/anleitung/juwo/anleitung_235_1.pdf

Long story, yes it was even a bit longer. I also discovered Tiziana Sammuri on ravelry and one day I will tackle one of her incredibly gorgeous lace creations.  http://www.ravelry.com/projects/tiziana   

For now though I have started the Fichu-shawl as my January 'just for me' project. Every now and then the fun has to be that the creation is for me.

You might wonder, since the last entry about the little red riding hoody was also a garment for me. This one was created for producing a pattern for sale though.

The fichu-shawl is just for fun. J J The Fichu first section is complete and I don't mind taking a break before the leave pattern is knitted.

I do have a pair of socks to knit right now. 

The pair of socks is as a payback for a great thing one of my co-workers did for me. She bought all the stash of German Dallmeyer coffee the store had for me. She did not let me pay her for it. She trades and wanted a pair of handmade socks. So I am knitting 'brainless' but I have decided to knit them upside down, from cuff down to the toes. 

Traveling as a knitter

As most avid 'knitters' would agree, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH OF A STASH!

That is why I pursue 'finding' the most intriguing yarns on my trips.

Usually on my trips to Germany I buy Regina sock yarns at my German local Phildar store. It's just a few doors away from my mother's apartment. It includes a little coffee shop where we always sit and chat. I just love their buttons. I can never resist some sock yarn, knitting needles and buttons.

This time around I gathered a few more specialty yarns visiting other stores in Europe

In Muenchen I stopped at Lanaiolo  http://lanaiolo.de/ and purchased 2 strands of extreme bright multi-colored lace-weight yarn. I can already see the future scarfs, or cowls, or shawls.

- In Paris I stopped at a sore named La Droguerie http://www.ladroguerie.com/ and purchase 400g (they sell their yarn in weight) Kaleido.

It's 95% bamboo and 5% linen. So soft and smooth, I know the item that will be made out of this will be truly luxurious. I also bought some beads in that store. They will be used on one of the shawls made from the yarn I bought in Muenchen.

All in all the stash for this winter looks promising. Not only because of the trip, but also because before I left on vacation I visited a local Japanese church that had a yarn sale and 'found' irresistible cotton for several baby projects I am planning on completing for little miss Allison Clair Even.