Another Swap...Another Fabulous Swap Package!

I received a fantastic package from my Knitters' Coffee Swap partner, Leslie. Oh my gosh...she sent me garden-y goodness in the form of a packet of sage seeds and a sage scented soy candle (try to say that three times fast), 2 different types of coffee from a company called "Bad Ass", 3 different types of chocolate (the Lindt's had to immediately go in the fridge...damn postman left the box right in the sun), and 2 skeins of luscious hand-dyed, handspun yarn...that she spun herself!

How lucky am I? A girl who lives for hand-dyed, handspun luxury yarns gets paired up with a handspinner of luxury fibers who has a friend who is a hand-dyer...does life get any better?

Just take a look at this Navajo Three-ply 100% Silk Tussah. The picture doesn't even show how beautiful it is...gorgeous shades of blues and greens.

Thank you so much, Leslie, for such a thoughtful package!

Now, for my calculations...

I first used my handy-dandy WPI tool and counted 20 WPI. Based on this, the yarn would be fingering weight.

I then weighed the yarn cake which came to 1 1/4 oz. I translated this to approximately 35 grams which I calculated to be approximately 154 yards per skein.

This yardage calculation was confirmed by my yarn meter which counted the skein (as it wound from the swift to the ball winder) as 146 yards. (The yarn meter is relatively accurately +/- 10%.) Since I have 2 skeins, I probably have around 300 yards of fingering weight yarn.

Hmm...what to make? Any ideas?

Summer Knitting Goals

Have I mentioned before how much I love a contest? Well, I do. And so...I have entered yet another blog contest, and it's a good one because not only do I have the chance to win some Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton yarn and the Fitted Tank pattern; but, this contest will help motivate me to get some things done.

The contest is from Skeins her way... Read more about it here. If you follow this link, be sure to mention that you saw it on Knitsense since every referral earns me an additional entry...yay!

I'm usually not very much into setting goals. I'm more of an "in the moment" kind of gal, especially when it comes to knitting. But, I do have a lot of knitting to do this summer and I think that setting some knitting goals is just what I need to get myself organized. So, here it goes...

By the end of summer/August, I would like to have completed the following WIP's:

• Horcrux Socks (Six Socks KAL)
  
• RSC Inside-Out Socks
• RSC Grasshopper Socks
• Monkey Socks
• Beaded Brocade Socks
  

Yeah, I know...that's a lot of socks. And, those are just the ones that I want to finish by the end of summer...okay, continuing on with what I'd like to complete:

• Noro Silk Garden Danica (Entrelac) Scarf
• Prism Fiber Arts Bag Shawl
• Peapod Baby Sweater and Hat
• Noro Silk Mountain Sleeveless Jacket
• Lace Style Little Silk Shrug
• Streaker's Shrug
  

Holy moley! That's a lot of finishing. Well, we'll see...

By the end of summer, I would like to have started the following:

• RSC June Sock
• RSC August Sock
• Victorian Lace Sock (SixSocks KAL)
  
• Gedifra Pattern #1020-Highlights 72 Jacket
• IK Lotus Blossom Tank with LanaKnits Hemp yarn
• Mrs. Beeton's Gauntlets
• Lacewings Shawl in Handmaiden Sea Silk

And, more socks. Oh, the joys of casting on...

Finally, by the end of summer, I would like to have resurrected, and continue to work on, the following UFO's:

• French Girl Knits Shawl in Rowan Summer Tweed
• Sally Melville Big Bang Wrap
• Chevron Scarf
• Einstein Coat
• The Klee Scarf
• Lizard Ridge Afghan

Wow! I'm exhausted already. This is probably why I usually don't set goals for myself...but, I am up for the challenge.

So Cute!

My Secret Pal has struck again...

In my mailbox was a small padded envelope sent from Canada. Since I have a tendency to suffer from Yarnesia (and all fiber-related-esia), I was trying to remember what I had ordered from Canada. When I couldn't think of anything that would fit in a small envelope, I opened it up to find the cutest set of personalized stitch markers. Each one has a different letter on it to spell out my first name...so cute!

Thank you, Secret Pal...you're the best!!

Knitters' Coffee Swap Two

It's back...the Knitters' Coffee Swap. And, I ask you...what could be better than coffee and yarn?

I have already been paired up; so, here are the answers to the Coffee Swap questions.

QUESTIONS

1. Whole bean or ground? Whole bean...my coffee maker grinds the beans for me.
2. Fully-loaded or decaf? Fully-loaded, please
3. Regular or flavored? I’m a purist…never flavored
4. How do you drink your coffee? Hot and black
5. Favorite coffee ever? A dark roast coffee (don’t remember the bean) at Oby Lee Coffee Roastery in Rehoboth Beach, DE and Demon Roast from Prime Roast in Keene, NH. Oh, also coffee I drank at a spa in Mexico.
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? Very fussy…sorry, but I am.
7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? Biscotti, chocolate, ruggelah, shortbread…lots of things go well with good coffee.
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? Love the dark roasts…the darker and richer, the better...dark, but not bitter...there is a difference.
9. Yarn/fiber you love? Natural fibers, particularly handspun and/or hand-dyed yarns
10. Yarn/fiber you hate? Acrylic or acrylic blends…ick
11. What's on your needles? I have about 4 different pairs of socks that I’m working on now, a CTH ribbon capelet, a Prism (multi-colored, multi-fiber) shawl, and the Peapod baby sweater and hat set. These are just the first few projects that popped into my mind. I have a lot on the needles!
12. Favorite colors? That’s always a tough one for me because I really like a lot of different colors. I do tend to prefer more cool tones to warm tones.
13. Allergies? Cigarette smoke
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? I really love good, natural fiber and I really love good, dark coffee…’nuff said…