Almost There

I have completed the Sipalu bag in the cool color palette (alternate charts). I have to knit the I cord strap then block it. I am going to do the linings when I finish all 4 bags in the set. I cast on and knit the side panel, welting and first round of the first bag in the warm color palette. There are some really interesting colors in this sampler. The side panel pattern is more distinctive, it has more contrast. The welting is starting to really bother my wrist. Holding the two needles together to knit a stitch from each, without any other stitches falling off is - well frankly, a pain. The end result is worth it though.

I am almost ready to start my Glenesk Sweater swatch; Chart B 6x6". I did all of the preparation for starting the sweater. I reproduced the charts in excel so I could color code them and made up a color sample chart, with bits of each yarn. Once I started winding the yarn into balls I realized that there are some colors that are very close so I will need to be extra careful when starting a new ball. There has been a lot of talk on Ravelry about the non-tagged hanks of yarn. I used my electric ball winder and wound up a ball of each color. I weighed each ball on a digital scale. I am keeping track of how many grams I have of each colorway. Several people ran out of yarn from their kits. I tackled this problem in a couple of different ways. I created the chart to track colors by weight. I ordered more kits with similar colors in them. There will be some overlapping, hopefully it will all even out and I won't run short on any of my projects.

Starmore acquisitions:
I bit the bullet and bought a copy of Tudor Roses and Scandinavian Knitwear by Alice Starmore.
I bought the yarn kit from Virtual Yarns to make the Lismore sweater in the Celtic Collection.
I ordered the Leo Scarf kit, and Jade Starmore's book A Collector's Item.
I ordered the Seaweed Wrap in Crotal mostly to be entered into the contest on the web site.

I ordered the Henry VIII kit in small and x-large because there is very little ease in the finished sweater and it is a pullover. For some reason their designs taper down to a narrow waist. My mid section goes out not in - so I know I will need to adjust the pattern. This is the kit I was most worried about not have enough yarn for so I just ordered two. The pattern is in Tudor Roses and errata and an update is included with the kit. This pattern exemplifies why I am endeavoring to be a skilled Fair Isle Knitter. It looks like fine Tapestry. It does not look like something a mere mortal can knit. I must have one and so far I have not found any volunteers to knit it for me. :D

What prompted this flurry of buying, RUMORS!!! There is a buzz going around that many Starmore kits and colorways are going to be discontinued very soon on the Virtual Yarns site. Also, the exchange rate is pretty good right now.

I ordered two books by Toshiyuki Shimada from the YesAsia.com site; Knit Concerto and New Style of Heirloom Knitting. His patterns are amazing, although they are only available in Japanese. There are many screen shots of the photos inside the books and the charts on various websites, I feel confident I can get through the patterns. I have a Cousin who has spoken fluent Japanese since Junior High - I can enlist her aid if needed. There are photos of finished items on Ravelry that made my mouth water. Marsha White, The Needle Arts Book Shop has a superb article available online titled For the Adventurous Knitter Interpreting Japanese Knitting Patterns. It is excellent. I have learned a little German during Knit Alongs, maybe now I can pick up some Gaelic and Japanese.

What else did I buy? A car for my Mom a Honda Accord EX 2006 and a Dell Slim Tower Desktop Computer for my Sister. Why - because I love them and they needed them. I paid the balance on our June Birthday Cruise. If you know of any cozy used bookstores or yarn shops in any of these ports please send me an e-mail. Ooo, and I also love crab and lobster, so any restaurants for lunch would be great too.

Baltimore, Maryland (06/19 & 06/27)
Rockland, Maine (06/21)
Saint John, New Brunswick (06/22)
Halifax, Nova Scotia (06/23)
Bar Harbor, Maine (06/24)
Boston, Massachusetts (06/25)

It is too late and dark to take pictures. . . . coming soon.