i might be wrong

I knew my shopping would get me into trouble one day. We're leaving Kyoto to go back to Tokyo. We got to the station early and had time to kill. Kyoto Station has a shopping center, like most of the train stations here. I'd read on someone's blog that there is a yarn store in the station and decided to find it. It was 11:30. Our train was scheduled to leave at 12:09. Clay told me to go ahead and kill the time finding the yarn store. I almost didn't go, but decided to give it a shot. I was wandering around looking for the yarn store and nearly gave up, when I turned a corner and there it was. I must have smelled the yarn or something because I randomly chose to turn that corner and double back. It was a small shop and I gave myself 5 minutes to pick something out and get the hell out of there. I stuck to my 5 minute limit picking a couple of unusual yarns and some old favorites (Noro). There was a woman ahead of me at the register, but she was taking a long time picking out some thread. Finally another sales person notices me and starts tallying up my purchases. She walked around the store looking at what I bought and writing it all down. Damn, this is gonna take forever. It's 10 minutes to 12. I gotta get outta here. Finally she was done. She rung me up and I ran all the way back to meet Clay. We made the train just in time. Talk about stress!

CIMG3363.jpg, originally uploaded by digitaltammi.

Of course I had to buy yarn while in Japan. I thought I'd visit Okadaya in Shinjuku, but we never made it there. I left the list I printed out from Pinku's site in the hotel the day we went to Shinjuku.

Fortunately, I found mention of another yarn shop in Kyoto called Avril. They are known as Habu Textiles in New York. I almost didn't go to Avril because I figured I could get the same stuff at the New York store, but since we were in Kyoto and I hadn't seen any yarn and the yarn store was within walking distance of the hotel (which meant I didn't have to drag Clay yarn shopping against his will), I decided to check it out.

I was glad I did. The shop is really beautiful. I forgot to take a picture since I was so overwhelmed by everything. The yarn is sold on cones and by the gram and I had read that Avril allows you to pick up to 3 yarns to be combined to create a unique yarn of your own design. I would have done this, but I have no sense of which yarns work with each other (not to mention, my color sense deficit) so I chose a few yarns I liked on their own. I came out with some bulky yarn (150 grams), a couple of novelty yarns (which I never buy because I never know what to do with them), a couple of yarn kits which have small samples of some of the yarn available in the shop, and a knitting pattern book. The patterns are all in Japanese but I bought it for the pictures. It is really a gorgeous book and not available in English at Habu Textiles. Avril does not sell any commercial yarn. They only sell yarn of their own creation.

The next shop I visited was in Kyoto Station. With about 30 minutes to find the shop in the massive station in time to catch our train back to Tokyo, I somehow found Masuzakiya. At first glance, I wasn't very impressed with the shop. It was small and they didn't have a wide selection. Upon further inspection, I found a few well known Japanese brand yarns as well as yarns from Italy and the UK. I bought some Puppy yarn, some Noro (which I love) and some other Japanese yarns I don't think I'll find in the States.

I am proud of myself for not getting too crazy with yarn as I did in Buenos Aires. I only added a little to the yarn stash this time and they are definitely yarns that I will use.

... For the next month.

Can I do this? I'm not sure but I'm gonna try. I've gone a little yarn crazy lately. I tried to get Clay to make a bet with me, but he won't. He knows I love to shop for yarn, doesn't think I can do it, but doesn't care to bet. So I will do this for my own amusement. I will not buy any new yarn from now until July 31st (except for the yarn I buy from Betsy for her fund raiser. It's for a good cause, plus I already promised her. She's trying to buy a spindle.) Really, the stash has gotten so large, it's embarrassing. And last night I walked into Downtown Yarns and bought 2 skeins of red yarn by ArtYarns just because it was pretty.

The no yarn shopping rule extends to knitting needles, stitch markers, stitch holders and other notions.

I have plenty of yarn and many projects to finish so this shouldn't be a problem for me. We'll see if I can do it. Most of my yarn buys are impulse buys. I could use the money I save for our trip to Barcelona and get to using up some of the stash. Either way, I win.

I already broke my no yarn shopping rule. I stopped in at String just before they closed Thursday and bought more yarn for the next baby blanket project. I'm going to treat this like my diet and not view this as a failure and give up. I'll just start again today.

The Yarn Company
This was the first yarn shop I ever visited after learning to knit over 2 years ago. I met and fell in love with Manos del Uruguay hand spun and hand dyed yarns. Bought a pretty rusty hued yarn and made my first scarf that was way too long, but I love it anyway. I also made my first overboard purchase of yarn at The Yarn Tree. I spent a fortune on 3 types of yarn needed to make a poncho, which I never wore because it reminded me too much of a blanket. I still have the poncho and plan to take it out and make something else with the yarn one of these days.

The Yarn Tree
Favorite yarn shop in Brooklyn. I often go there after brunch with Clay when we're planning to sit around Spike Hill for a few rounds when we're hanging out in Williamsburg. The shop is owned by a woman named Linda and it's more than just a yarn shop. Linda teaches spinning, weaving and felting, among other things. I like Linda. I second time I visited The Yarn Tree I asked her why she doesn't carry Skacel Addi Turbo needles and she told me, "It's my shop and I don't like those needles so I don't carry them." Now that could have rubbed some people the wrong way, but you know what, she's right. If I had my own shop I'd probably not carry things I don't like (like acrylic yarn or other unnatural fibers).

String
Recent discovery. Last I'd heard, this shop was uptown in the east 70's, but one day I was walking from running class along 82nd Street between Park and Lexington and there it was. I'd heard this shop carried beautiful luxury yarns that I probably shouldn't buy because they're so expensive. Yeah, it was all true. They carry cashmere, luxury merino and even qiviut ($85 a skein!). I recently bought a yarn called Kersti by Koigu that is a little less expensive than Koigu's Painter's Palette. It knits up beautifully and it is oh so soft and very luxurious. I'm making a baby blanket for a couple of friends who are due in December. I will certainly buy more of this yarn from String.

The women who work there are very nice and I found them helpful when trying to choose colors. I can be a retard when it comes to picking colors that work well together so I always appreciated when people are ready to help. I was disappointed that they don't sell the store patterns unless you buy the yarn. Yes, I know a lot of shops do this, but buying the yarn for the pretty sweater they have hanging in the cash register area would cost a small fortune (Looked like cashmere to me). I'd love to have the pattern but make it with a cheaper yarn. They do have a knitting pattern of the month club that costs $135 a year.

Knit New York
I love this place. It's near my office. They have Balthazar's pastries and good unsweetened iced tea. The yarn selection isn't very exciting, but it'll do. They carry Koigu, Manos, Noro, Debbie Bliss, Cascade. The old standards. Nothing to complain about that. There just isn't anything unusual there. Nothing I absolutely have to have (which could be a good thing), but they have what I need. They do have a pretty good 20% off bin that sometimes has some cool stuff. This is another place I have been known to over spend. I once bought some Lickety Split bulky from Alchemy yarns because I liked the sweater I saw hanging in the window. I made the sweater but didn't like how it turned out. I thought the fit was too tight. I only wore the sweater once. Who knows, maybe it fits better now that I've lost weight. It was fun making the sweater and the yarn lived up to its name.

The Point
Another knitting cafe. They're selection is similar to Knit New York. I don't know where they get their pastries because I haven't had them, but the cappacino is pretty good there. In addition to yarn, The Point sells Crystal Palace needles (which I like) and neat knitting bags for carrying projects.

purl
purl is pretty. It is the prettiest yarn shop in New York. They have a great selection. Habu Textiles. Classic Elite Yarns. Blue Sky Alpacas. Louet. Rowan. It's all here. They've got my addi turbo needles. They've got a good selection of knitting books, including Last Minute Hand Knit Gifts, by one of the shop's owners. The prices here are not cheap, but they do carry quality yarns. Their website does have a sale section. Right now, Classic Elite's Forbidden in 100% cashmere is on sale for $30 down from $50 (for a 65 yard skein). Man, that is some expensive yarn, but you know I'm eyeing it in Natural or Marled Seagrass.

Downtown Yarns
I discovered this shop on my way to meet Clay at Croxley Ales. It's a small shop that carries some of the usual suspects. Looking for Brown Sheep yarn? They've got every color at Downtown Yarns. They also carry Blue Sky Alpacas, Berocco, Classic Elite, Rowan, Koigu, Noro, and Schaeffer. As a matter of fact, I first encountered Shaeffer at Downtown Yarns. I added a giant skein of a blue and gold colored yarn to my stash. Of course I have yet to use it. And let's not forget the Filatura Di Crosa I bought in a nice chocolate brown with yellow and orange accents.

koigu kersti, originally uploaded by digitaltammi.

I think I may have mentioned that I have a few pregnant friends due in December. I just started this blanket for one couple. I'm using the Big Bad Baby Blanket pattern from the first Stitch and Bitch book. I've made this blanket before and loved how it turned out. Instead of using Koigu's Painter's Palette yarn, I went with Koigu Kersti, a new discovery. I love this yarn. It's so soft and the colors are very pretty. It's also got a very nice hand since it's 100% merino.

There it is. The big bad baby blanket from the first Stitch & Bitch book. It's done and it was quick since I used Koigu Kersti instead of Koigu Painter's Palette. Unfortunately, this blanket required 10 skeins of yarn instead of 6. There I was, trying to save money by buying thicker yarn thinking I'd have to use less, but no. I didn't read the packaging. I think Kersti has less yardage than Painter's Palette so that's why I had to use more. Also, the blanket is a rectangle instead of a square. Oh, and I ran out of yarn twice while making this blanket and of course String didn't have anymore in the color way I originally purchased. I was able to nicely blend in some other color ways, however. Despite all this, I think the blanket turned out quite nicely. I tell ya, the books don't lie when they suggest making a gauge swatch. It's really worth the time. Had I taken this advice, the blanket would have been square and in the same color way. Or I could have planned better for blending in different color ways. Hindsight, etc.

"Twinkle's Big City Knits" has so many great patterns, I want to make everything. Modern styling and chunky yarns... what's not to love? Yarn prices, that's what. Good chunky yarn can be pretty expensive, especially when you want to make sweaters. Rowan Big Wool can cost $15 a skein and if I need 8 or 9 to make a sweater, that's over $130. Yarn sold under the Twinkle brand is $17 or $18 a skein. I'd love to make sweaters out of these soft, sumptuous and luxurious yarns, but I really shouldn't splurge. I've got a wedding to save for. So I decided to try some less luxurious yarns, namely Lion Brand's Wool Ease Thick & Quick. It's 80% acrylic. Yes, I said acrylic. (Incidentally, Clay just looked over at me and noticed my pouting. When I told him I was knitting with acrylic, he deadpanned "Tragic.")

Back to my whining... I am knitting with acrylic yarn for the first time. It's kind of shiny in a cheap way that I don't really care for. What do ya want for $5.88 a skein off Amazon? I do really like the color. It's called Denim Twist -- a really pretty two-toned blue. I just don't like the hand. But I will make the Karate Sweater from "Twinkle's Big City Knits". I'm going to finish this sweater and it's going to come out nice and I'm going to wear it. And when it gets dirty I can throw it in the wash because it's acrylic and it was man made to make life easier for the busy woman who can't hand wash her sweaters.

And when I think about splurging for the expensive yarns to make my next sweater, I should just remind myself about the red sweater I made last winter. I made it out of Alchemy Yarns Lickety Split. I think that yarn cost me something like $200. The sweater? It's hanging in the closet. I never wore it. Didn't like the color.

In early July I started a "To Knit List" and totally forgot about it. Today, I found it and I'm amazed at how much I've done since July.

Here's what was on the list and an update of each project:

Weave in ends and block Johanna and Issa's baby blanket
This is finished and turned out quite nicely. Johanna and Issa just gave birth to a cute little baby boy named Oliver. Love that name.

Weave in ends of Sadio's Finland scarf
Sadio's Finland scarf turned out to be a neck warmer of the type I love making these days. The scarf I was making using Noro (can't remember which one, Silk Garden maybe?) I decided was too short for her or should I say, too short for Finland. Anyway, the neck warmer is based on one a co-worker wore to work one day. I figured out the pattern and made 2 or 3 in a weekend and gave them to friends. For those I used either Rowan Big Wool or Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky Naturals. This one was done in bright red Rowan bulky cotton and ribbon yarn. I think Sadio liked it and I hope it is keeping her warm in Finland. This weekend I organized the yarn stash and was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually have a little of this yarn left.

Begin Fumiko and Alex's baby blanket
Done. It turned out to be more of a rectangle than a square, but I did love how it turned out in the Koigu Kersti. I ended up running out of yarn twice and had to add in 3 differnt color ways. They were all quite beautiful on their own and nice together. I have about 3 skeins of a peachy/orange color way left. Not sure what I'm doing with it though.

Finish Damon's son's baby hat
I did finish the hat, but I never did get my cousin Damon's address. The hat was given to Jo and Issa. Ah well. His kid will be too big to wear it by the time it gets cold anyway. The hat came out smaller than I expected. It was still rather cute. I think I knit that with Classic Elite Yarns blend of tencel and cotton. Quite a soft yarn. I have lots of it left. It's a weird light blue color that I am so/so on.

Start booties for Damon son
Never did this one.

Begin Miss Dashwood hat from Knitty for Darrell's daughter
Never did this one.

Start booties for Darrell's daughter
Looks like my family loses again, because I never did this one either.

Start booties for Willy and Genevieve
This project turned into a pretty and soft green baby blanket. I'm blocking on the type of yarn used. I loved this blanket most of all the ones I made this summer. The color was sophisticated and the basket weave pattern was subtle. Their little one will be cozy this winter wrapped in this one.

Continue working on red baby blanket
I just found this one in an old Forever 21 bag. I really do need to finish this one. The yarn is Cascade 220. I think I'm using size 8 needles. Oy! This blanket is supposed to be for Dorla's niece. It's just taking so long to finish. I may end up using a bulky yarn to make her a blanket though. That Lion Brand Thick and Quick is great for baby stuff since it's washable. Could make a nice blanket. Maybe striped with a brighter color. Hmm...

Finish the black sweater (or at least get past the rib on the bottom of the front piece)
Well, this one I'd like to finish, but I can't find the damned Vogue Knitting magazine. I know it's the Summer 2007 issue. I thought it was in the basket with the unfinished sweater but organizing the yarn stash this weekend showed me that I was clearly mistaken. I have no friggin idea where that magazine has gone. I do hope I find it soon because I would like to tackle it again. I made a mistake on the back piece, got frustrated and started working on something else. I'm ready for it now. I'm using Debbie Bliss Cathay in black. I like the yarn. It's great for a summer sweater.

All this reminds me that I should update my "On The Needles" section in the side bar. So many things on the needles now. Christmas is coming and I plan to make a lot of handknit gifts. Hand sewn, too. I already have my new "To Knit List".

I haven't worked on the sweater in a few days. I picked it up again today and couldn't figure out where I left off. I swear I am retarded with knitting this particular sweater. I don't know what it is, but it's both aggravating and pleasing to see this coming along, slow though it may be. I actually have most of the front/back of the sweater done. Just need to get through the neck shaping and then knit up the sleeves. I almost want to blow off running tonight to work on it.

I needed to get away from my desk for awhile so I went over to Barnes & Nobel to check out the knitting books and look what I found... Bag Style! I don't knit very many bags, but the bags in this book are very cute and I'd totally wear any of the following bags:

I've just been reading the Knitting Daily blog and today was about Unfinished Objects. How many do you have and why are they left unfinished. If I include my two unfinished quilts, I've got 11 unfinished objects. Well, today... I, Tammi... will commit myself... to finishing at least 3 of these projects before starting a new one.

I don't know which of these objects I'll finish, but I will finish. Here is a list of the objects that will regain my attention:

1. Pat's Chevron Scarf - This is the one I've been working on most recently and has a very good chance of being finished in the near future. I do love knitting this one. Love the pattern and the yarn.

2. Twinkle's Karate Sweater - I love this one, too, but I can't get myself to finish the sleeves for some reason. I am completely done with one sleeve and a quarter done with the other. Then I get to sew them on. I am not very good at this which, I have a feeling, has contributed to my procrastination.

3. Twinkle's Best Friend Cardigan - I know why this one is unfinished. There are two reasons. 1) I'm sick of the color I chose. 2) All I have left is sewing on the sleeves and buttons. Did I mention I'm not good at this.

4. Curve of Pursuit Afghan - This one has been on hold for a year. I love how it's turning out. It's also the perfect thing to knit when I want to zone out since it's all garter stitch. I think I set it aside because it's a huge piece and I wanted to knit something more than garter stitch.

5. Kiera's Baby Blanket - Ok, Kiera is now a year old. This blanket is too small for her. It doesn't make much sense to keep making this blanket for Kiera, my friend Dorla's niece. I think this one will be finished by the time Dorla has a kid. Mind you, she's not married yet or pregnant (marriage is happening next September, yay!) I'm using the diamond pattern from Vogue's Stitchonary 1. I like how it's turning out, but I have to really pay attention when I'm working on it. Also, I found a mistake and I see it whenever I look at this blanket. I purled 6 stitches when I should have knit. Unfortunately, I'm about 40 rows past this mistake. Honestly, it isn't noticeable, but I know it's there and it bothers me. I just don't have the heart to rip it out right now.

6. Chevron Scarf for me - This one is for me, so I'm not rushing it. Besides, I have enough scarves. If I finish this one before Christmas, perhaps I will give it as a gift.

7. Fingerless Mittens - I'm done with one, just need to knit the other. These mittens will be a Christmas gift for someone. Not sure who yet. I also have a neck warmer that I made that is not made of the same yarn, but they work together. Landscapes Alpaca with a Twist for the mittens and Blue Sky Alpacas Hand Dyes for the neck warmer. Both are purple. These actually have a good chance of being finished soon.

8. Black Oversized Lace Top - This pattern is from the Spring/Summer 2007 Vogue Knitting magazine. I couldn't find the pattern for awhile, but stumbled upon it while cleaning last week. I'm halfway done with it. Got the back finished, just need to finish the front. Luckily, I don't have to sew on sleeves. I'm fine with sewing side seams, but sleeves make me nervous for some reason. It's the whole fitting them into the armhole issue, I guess.

9. Twinkle Feather Scarf - This one is unfinished because I can't crochet. I need to ask for a private lesson at Knit NY. Maybe I'll find time for this after the marathon, though I can't say I've been sticking with my training schedule. I'm in trouble come, November 18th. Sigh...

10. Dorla's Green Quilt - I started this one a year ago. It was supposed to be a housewarming gift for Dorla and Kevin. They'd just moved in together and when I went to visit they'd painted their bedroom a pretty, soft green. I was passing by Purl Patchwork and saw some pretty green fabric. They actually had fat quarters in a green and brown color scheme. I don't trust my instincts with color so the fat quarters were perfect. I'm nearly done with the top of this quilt. I still have a lot of work ahead of me, though. Bed size quilts are not fast projects and this one is queen sized.

11. Bonjour Paris Quilt - Yeah, this one was probably started about 3 years ago. Wait. No 4 years ago. I've moved twice since starting this quilt. The top is completely done. It's got a border and everything. The back piece is done, too. But even those those 2 pieces are done, there is still a lot of work to do.

Chevron Scarf in a Bow, originally uploaded by digitaltammi.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the Chevron Scarf for Pat is finished. This is how I presented it to her. I made the icord out of some leftover merino and tied it in a bow. She liked it! I hope it provides her with a little comfort in the months ahead. Get well, Pat.

My First KnitPicks, originally uploaded by digitaltammi.

Yeah, I'm late. imgtimeline me if you wish. I only just found out about KnitPicks through Ravelry. Then I saw an ad on the site publicizing their current yarn sale. I can't believe the bargain I got. I bought enough yarn for 2 projects, Muir and Tree Jacket, and it only cost $50! And it's good quality yarn, too. I can't wait to knit this stuff up. And since I already broke my vow there's no stopping me.

I do really love getting photos of babies in the blankets I made. Here is little Oliver S. C. in his Baby Love Diagonal Garter Stitch Blanket and little Dashiell T. M. in the Big Bad Baby Blanket. Aren't they the cutest things you ever did see.

I pre-ordered my copy of Twinkle's Weekend Knits before I even completed a project from her previous book, Twinkles' Big City Knits. After a couple of unsuccessful projects I turned out from that book, I thought about canceling my order for Weekend Knits. After looking through the book, I don't think this one will be any better than the last. The patterns still seem to be written for really small sized people and some are similar to patterns in the other book. For example, the Borealis Sweater is a shorter version of the Shopping Tunic from Big City Knits. There is a scarf that is the same stitch pattern as the Karate Sweater. I don't know. I don't think I'll be knitting any of the sweaters because they probably won't fit me, but maybe I'll knit some of the accessories (but definitely not the hanger cozies). Here's a sample of some of the patterns.

Kushu Kushu Scarf, originally uploaded by digitaltammi.

I am on a mission. I am determined to finish all my unfinished objects before starting any new projects. I have 13 unfinished objects, including quilts, wedding favors, a couple of sweaters and a couple of baby blankets, so I really have my work cut out.

This Kushu Kushu scarf took forever to knit. I first heard about it on the Purl Bee blog and went right over to Habu Textiles to buy the yarn. I'd never been to Habu and had been wanting to go ever since I got back from Japan and heard they were affiliated with Avril, a great yarn shop with locations in Tokyo and Kyoto. I finished knitting Kushu Kushu two nights ago and after trying to felt it in boiling water, I decided to throw it in the washing machine along with a nightgown and a couple other light-weight items. Well, when I took the scarf out I was shocked. Oh, it felted all right. It got so small and the part knitted with wool was so squished I thought I'd ruined it. It didn't look long enough to fit around a baby's neck.

Clay heard my cries and convinced me to pull it apart and stretch it out to see if it would help. It did. The result still isn't what I'd hoped but it's sort of wearable, I guess.