Xmas in July

I finished the Sugar Plum Mountain socks. They look rather xmas-y. This is the last of the xmas-themed self-striping yarn I purchased from Simply Sock Yarn Co.

Pattern: Short-row heel and toe basic sock, by Wendy D. Johnson
Yarn: SSYC Poste Yarn, Striping, in 'Sugar Plum Mountain' and SSYC Simply Sock Yarn in 'Silver Lining'
Needles: US1
Modifications: None really, other than to knit the toe and heel in contrasting yarn, as self-striping yarn does not work well with short rows; the cuff is in contrasting yarn as well

At least, I *think* this is the last of the xmas-themed yarn. I go a little overboard when I visit the store and see new batches of their self-striping Poste Yarn. A couple of weeks ago, I went in to buy another skein of 'Silver Lining', and somehow left with 'Seattle Coffee Blues' as well.

The next few days are going to be hot, hot, HOT, weatherwise. I expect to spend some quality time with my fiber projects. Stay tuned!

Tools of the trade

I went to Minneapolis last weekend. One of my favorite things to do when in another city is to visit a local yarn shop. So we stopped by Depth of Field Yarn.

I'm not in the market for more yarn right now, but what interested me about this shop is that they sell weaving supplies. Of course I found some tools I need: a boat shuttle (and a bunch of extra spools) and another threading hook (as the one that came with my loom is only okay).

The plastic boat shuttle was about half the price of this nice wood one, but I am tired of being cheap economical. Good tools are not only useful but a joy to use. And I'm worth it.

Summer status

I admit I am not much of a summer knitter, and when I do knit, I default to cotton. This summer, for some reason, I decided to knit dishcloths using the Ballband Dishcloth pattern. I'm on number six right now. When I either tire of the pattern or run out of leftover Lion Brand Cotton yarn, I will post more details, such as they are.

I started warping yarn for a blanket, using a warping board. I carefully calculated the yardage needed, but then neglected to actually measure the amount of yarn on hand. (I'm using the leftovers from the Fibonacci vest.) After a while, it became obvious I was going to run short. Stymied, I stopped warping, but recently figured out how I want to move forward. I will need to purchase more yarn, for the weft, though. Such is the life of a knitter/weaver!.

One problem I have is how to transfer the warps to the loom. Since randomness is a feature of the pattern I am using, it doesn't really matter if I goof up the order of the colors, but I would really like to know the "official" method of doing this, with lease sticks (which I don't have) on an Ashford rigid heddle loom. I've looked at YouTube videos and read instructions in books, but am not really getting it. Fortunately, I joined a weavers guild, so have some experts who can help.

What do you knit in summertime?