Chickenlips Knitting

My monster Stash Bag, knit up so dang big it's folded--so you can't see all the stripes. I guess that'll be part of the surprise when I post the done pic. Even though I'm not new to felting, I tend to have mishaps with it--like, say, knitted bag handles getting tangled up with the agitator and stretched out of shape. I'll have to watch this project in the washer like the proverbial hawk, because I'm very picky about the results. I'd like to be able to offer it for sale in my Etsy shop (since my dog sweaters are languishing, and I'm paying every month to keep 'em listed). If it turns out badly, it will just be absorbed into my felted bag collective, and I'll start on that adorkable felted clutch pattern I recently found.

Last year at Black Sheep Gathering, J. bought me three hanks of gorgeous cashmere laceweight from Skaska Designs. Skaska is owned by Galina Khmeleva, from whom I took a lace workshop last Feb. at Stitches West, and her husband. These people know from cashmere. However, until I took the class, I didn't know diddly about making lace. I wondered why my attempts at even the simplest lace patterns never came out looking as they were supposed to, and it's because I never learned to do a proper yarnover. So, thank you Galina for showing me the way--and because of this, my confidence has been bolstered enough to try Eunny Jang's Print o' the Wave shawl. Her tutorial for getting started with the provisional cast-on was invaluable, and I am a happy knitter, because a) I am actually making real lace, and 2) that beautiful yarn is no longer sitting there on the shelf of my yarn hutch, laying a guilt trip on me. Booya!

Speaking of BSG, it's coming up next weekend. Eugene is a bit more than 100 miles south of here, which makes it a nice little day trip. This will be the third year for me. I must resist the urge to buy more laceweight, as I already have enough of the stuff to keep me busy until at least 2012, and it's likely I'll come back with not much at all. Mostly I'm looking for felting yarn, as the big bag has depleted that essential component of my stash--and I'm liking JoAnn.com for Patons Classic Wool, which happens to be on sale (online only). Also, there's always Knit Picks for inexpensive wool. As much as I like supporting LYS's and local fiber producers, I'd have to raise fifty bucks to be broke right now.