A coupla of Gonzales FSOT

Gone....
In realizing that I have winter coloring (cool colors, blues, purples, reds), I'm trying not to hold onto too many earth toned skeins of my beloved Wollmeise. Here is Gonzales WD, FSOT. Two for $58 or one for $30, including US shipping.

Mercato dei fiori shawl

Here we go, another shawl.  I don't even really wear shawls, but I love knitting them. Love the lacework, and with this shawl, the Mercato dei Fiori, it has colorwork, and lacework--the best of both worlds. I get so bored with knitting straight stockinette stitch, or garter stitch, that I need something more. When I'm in the midst of a project that is just stockinette or garter, I start feeling like I'm driving cross country and am in Kansas: Too far to turn back and too far yet to go. I'm almost to the lacework, using Wollmeise 100%, in Wilder Morn and Schwarz.

Guitarista: a Felted Guitar Strap

I made this for Brian a couple of years ago, and he's still using it: a felted guitar strap. If you want the pattern, I will send it to you. It's in parts. Here are photos.

Summer muse

Every knitter who writes, or writer who knits, needs a muse. In this case, it's the Fountain Pen Shawl. Do you see the fountain pen nibs in the shawl? Knit using Wollmeise (what else at this point?) in the Versuch Edelstein colorway.

Yarn as comfort food

A few posts ago I said that Sanguinella Wollmeise reminded me of tomato soup. Not just any tomato soup. Trader Joe's organic creamy tomato soup. Mmm. Soup is comforting, so is yarn. Tomato soup is the soup of my childhood. Always with Saltines. Can't have tomato soup without Saltines. Other soups are fine without crackers. Not tomato soup, though. Never tomato soup.

Receiving Wollmeise from Germany

First you see the bag on the red bricks beneath the mailbox....

You bring it inside....

Rosie worships it....

Nigel joins her and investigates...









And then you open the package and voila! there's the yarn......in this instance, beautiful Aquarius Twin.....delicious...

Speaking of delicious, accompanying every package is a mini bag of Gummy Bears. I didn't even like Gummy Bears until I discovered Wollmeise. At least they're not fattening. You'll see them next time, with my next package from Germany.

Waiting for yarn

When I was a kid, I waited anxiously for my box of Nancy Drew books to arrive.  Every other month or so, a new stash of new books showed up.  Nothing was better.

It's sort of like that now, only now I'm waiting for German yarn.  Even though the post person knows by now that he/she doesn't need a signature, that he/she (I have both, a male & female postperson) can drop the white bag(s) on the red bricks by our turquoise front door, I still don't want to be in the shower or out around the time mail's delivered.

When I hear the slippery plop of bags that came all the way from Germany, that rode in trucks and on planes, and then a minivan from the post office, I feel a slight thrill.  I may not rush to the door like I did in the old days, when the yarn was first arriving.  But I'm still thrilled. And then, inside, I slit open the bag, let the contents slip onto the table--an inner paper bag, invoice, pattern and mini-bag of Gummy Bears--and then open the paper bag. Usually I do this part slowly.  I want to savor.  I don't always know what I'm getting, especially if I ordered a grab bag. In some ways, grab bags are best because you only have a general idea of what you're going to get. The next time an order arrives--hopefully in the next day or two--I'll photograph all parts and show you.

In the meantime, isn't this just the most colorful yarn you've ever seen?