Chickenlips Knitting

Didn't seem like it at the time, but all those socks represent a lot of knitting. Sweeet!

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Thank you for the kind words about my friend and my dad. Bev loved the Clementine Shawlette, and I did make her the chemo cap, although I haven't yet photographed it. Next time, for definite.

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Did you guys hear about Sock Summit '09? Holy poop on a stick! I signed up right away to be a vendor. I know there are lots of indie yarn dyers out there, many of whom make far more gorgeous yarn than I ever will. But I ask you, how many are bass players?...or would be bass players, if they actually practiced their instrument instead of trying to play two octaves of A like Gene Simmons while pretending to look badass? (Like this plump middle-aged matron has any hope of ever looking like anything except what she is! Ah well, being delusional isn't as bad as they make it out to be.) Anyhoo, Sock Summit should be a hell of a party. I already gave the Yarn Harlot fair warning that I was gonna be there.

My homegirls the PDX KnitBloggers and I were a lot for her to contend with last time she spoke in Portland, but since she was one of the ones who dreamed up Sock Summit, I don't think we scared her off.

It blocked out nicely.

While at All About Yarn the other day, I found some nice merino & silk yarn for a chemo cap. Then I found just the right pattern, the Cap Karma hat from Smariek Knits. I can't wait for a chance to knit it--but Stitchjones orders have 'sploded. Which is great, I know, life could be worse! But I still want to make a chemo cap for my friend.

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The other person battling cancer is my dad. Just a few months ago, he had malignant tumors in his bladder, and underwent 5 or 6 localized chemo treatments--not fun. Poor guy! But Dad was feeling better, at least good enough to get out and play golf. My brother and I both know that if Dad's out golfing, things are as good as it gets health-wise. Dad will be 77 in December, which is hard to believe. Anyway, we thought everything was in the clear, now tumors have showed up in the prostate and his PSA count is way up. So next Monday, he's got a biopsy scheduled--another one. He's had to endure several already. While I'm of course hoping it's something that's easily treatable, another part of me is worrying about him having to be in the hospital and thinking about knitting some socks.

"Knit on with confidence through all crises". Wise words. There isn't anything I'd rather do (except dye, and I'm doing plenty of that)!

Yesterday I had me a time at the Knit and Crochet Guild of America show! Of course I forgot my camera, so you'll just have to take my word for it that I chatted with knitting luminaries Joan McGowan-Michael and Annie Modesitt. I'll have to wait a few days to find out how much of my consignment yarns and fiber sold, but I had the opportunity to chat with several more yarn shop owners in the metro area, and it was nice to find out that a) three more shop owners are interested in my products, and b) YSO's talk to one another, because one I talked to had heard of Stitchjones, and she told me I was very highly recommended! Woo! It was a blast--I saw so many of my friends and customers all wandering around, looking at all the beautiful yarns and having a great time.

Now the burning question on everyone's lips (yah right) is of course "how much yarn did she buy"? I behaved myself and was a good girl. Seriously. I got two small bags of undyed fiber to try. Some superwash merino & silk, and some brown wool, which should be fun to dye up and see how it comes out. I bought Annie Modesitt's book "Romantic Hand Knits", which has some gorgeous patterns and Annie signed it for me. I did indulge in one luxury skein of yarn, and for what I paid for just this one skein I could probably have bought enough Patons Classic merino, Knitpicks or what have you, for a sweater. Yet I have a hard time passing up the good stuff when everything's all in one place. It's ArtYarns Silk Rhapsody in a deep, shimmering, almost-red pink. Should make a pretty lace scarf.

I also wanted to let everybody who reads the blog, (all 3 of youse) ;) know that I'm having a destash sale in my Etsy shop! Check it out, there's some beautifully dyed Lobster Pot yarn, Peruvian alpaca, and even some Noro. Did she say Noro?! Yep, that's right, Noro 4 less! Since I had a stashing frenzy last month, there will undoubtedly be more yarn added later this month.

This afternoon was a dye session, and tomorrow not only will I be finishing up another 3 dozen kids sock kit yarns, but also going to the convention center to help with booth tear-down! So it's off to bed for me. I'll have a pretty FO to show ya next post.

Ewww, she said "bowels". Hope I didn't lose any of you there. But I do have a warehouse. Once upon a time, it used to be a living room, however things change, as we all know. Without further ado, may I present three dozen Stitchjones Little Feet Kids' Sock Kits, assembled for delivery to the Gardiner Yarn Works booth at TKGA.

More kit yarn is being dyed up today, and I expect to be able to offer them in my Etsy shop as early as next week.

Here are a few more "warehouse" photos. I've been a dyeing fool in preparation for TKGA.

PowerTrios sock kits (more are in progress)

Assorted kettle dyed worsted, sport and chunky

Waiting for labeling

And when I'm not dyeing, I'm knitting. No FO's to blog, sorry. The Clementine Shawlette is closest to done. I have no business whatsoever buying more yarn, but as we all know, that has never stopped me. Look what found its way into my stash.

Yup, I scored Wollmeise! I really had to resist the temptation to write "neener neener neener". Many thanks to my friend Cindy, who bought an armload of Wollmeise in the last sneak-up at Loopy Ewe, and gave her knitting buddies first dibs on several skeins. What can I say, sometimes it's who ya know. Thank you Cindy, for making it possible for this not-so-quick-on-the-draw knitter to own some of this coveted, beautiful yarn!

OK, break's over--back to the dye studio-slash-kitchen! Hey, where else can you get hand dyed yarn and a BLT at the same time? And what are those purple spots on the bread? Um...never mind.

Yes, I've been stricken, and surrendered to the power of the Clapotis. What a great pattern. I just can't stop knitting it. I'm clap happy! I tried to knit it a couple of years ago, but couldn't figure out what "pf&b" meant. When I came back to the pattern, I didn't have a problem with it at all, and I'm just whizzing along. I love it when I find just the right design for stash yarn, in this case Noro Silk Garden.

Another problem solved: how to package my fiber for sale. (Spinners beware: scrolling down will reveal fiber pr0n.) Since I'm intensely lazy, I didn't feel like doing the fancy braid thing, so I was coiling up the fiber and putting it into Ziploc gallon bags with a sticky label on the front and my business card inside the bag. Well, those are cumbersome to tote around, and burping the air out of the bags made them look like nondescript lumps. Plus it made it more difficult for customers to see and feel the fiber, and it isn't earth-friendly packaging. So I came up with a solution: I made the fiber into a loose skein and wound it into an artful (for me) knot. Then with some pretty yarn, I can attach my business card, and I found some blank inkjet business cards in my desk on which I can hand-write the fiber type and colorway.

And here are a couple of Corriedale tops, recently dyed. "Land & Sea" above, and "Wild Planet" below. I was painting yarn with neon shades, and decided to try it on fiber.

Shoot, the kid'll be home soon. Party's over!