This year luckily DH got three weeks off and we are heading France as usual. Nothing new, as always we stay just around with family members.
But now I need that relaxed calm moment and environment. Our new apartment is convenient like crazy but instead it is noisy like REAL crazy. We are located just aside of train line and over there, they are constructing currently 40 floors mega apartments, just imagine how noisy the life here is. We can be used to be, but when you are not energetic nor active, it is just exhausting.

Contrary, I have been actively attended Stitch and Bitch meetings regularly, done quite diligently dyeing session every week. Some people found me at Ravelry and decided to try my yarn, which is really lucky for me. Well, now it is the vacation moment.

So the most important thing for a knitter to leave for vacation, is of course to determine the projects to go with. This time I won't bring any WIPs (except one....unfinished gift Hemlock, which has been supposed to be completed today and failed due to SHORT OF YARN!!)

So other than this unexpected big WIP(yes I bring it anyway and try to get some more yarn and finish over there), I chosen five projects for three weeks:

1) Tulip tank by Shobhana, with Noro Taiyo #1

2) Lace scarf with my handdyed yarn (Seiji with slim sock yarn)

3) Birch shawl with Avril(Habu textiles)'s angora yarn

4) Self-striping sock with sKNITches Syncopetion " Mint Moca Latte"

5) Twisted Logic sock by Wendy, with my Laine Claude II, colorway "Mure"

The first project to cast on is naturally Mint Moca Latte sock, in the plane. After that I don't know the order and especially, Mint Moca Latte sock is to bring anywhere and for drive knitting, so I am wondering maybe I need another simple sock project....

Lookie here, yummy yarn! Neat, chic, gorgeous! I am so happy to be able to get this hard-to-get self striping yarn, besides the dyer Sam is nicest person ever !! I've got another yarn from sKNITches, Kettle Drum Bamboo-merino/nylon yarn, but this time I am going with this stripe sock first.

So I chosen carefully my projects, now need to select needles etc to be with, can I show you another tresure recently i've scored?

These are markers from BareSheep's Etsy shop, I LOVE LOVE LOVE these markers! She has also beautiful yarns at shop...(of course I have one....needless to say)

AND, I have not yet prepared a bit for other unimportant stuff like T-shirts, jeans, shoes, etc. Well, I will.

I am quite glad with this result. I made two more skeins with the same colorway, but with my own Laine Claude II yarn. That will appear soon on my shop.

Other than that, This year I will go off my vacation at the end of June and go to France. By the time, I decided to make Hemlock blanket for MIL. Yarn arrived, fat dpns arrived, along with Addi long circular. So finally I casted on some days ago.

I enjoy this knitting much more than imagined. It is so fun and easy, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this Cascade Ecowool. It is really soft, cushy, cozy yarn perfect for any blanket! I really want to knit something again with this yarn.

Also, I am very slowly knitting a summer cardi to bring this coming vacation. I hope I could finish by that.

The yarn is Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora, and the pattern is from her newest summer pattern book, Coastlines, which originally calls for Pure Cotton. But the gauge is exactly same and I had that Angora yarn at hand, so I went. Now I am on second sleeve, always knitting when I read Ravelry.

Now, I have to start seriously thinking about what yarn and project I would bring to vacation....

I LOVE this base yarn...it is shiny like pearl. I gave a name as succesor of Laine Claude. The yarn is different, but seems they posess same kind of quality....shiny, silky, elegant. Do you try?

So this morning after the last submission, I did some errands here and there, stayed happily at Ravelry, took yarn photo....enjoyed my liberty. I fondle it because I don't know how long it last, all the more precious so far.

Some landom pictures...these are unreleased colorway of Laine Claude yarn. Now this yarn is discontinued and this skein has some undesired spots, so I kept it for myself. I love this colors.

These are mini skeins of my yarns. During my working time, I made them now and then for a change. These are from my orphan yarns, make me grin.

Other than that since last week, I am kind of frastrated too. It is clearly due to lack of dye work. Since two weeks ago I have not yet dyed, because my boy stays at home with me for his spring vacation. Next week he will be back to school and my affair with yarn will be settled again. I will release ANOTHER new yarn soon.

Instead, I was quite sick three times. It is quite rare for me. Maybe I guess some part of me got finally relaxed from busy working mother life, I mean I released the tension I had always when I kept my working and mothering balanced life. Now I work somehow a very bit at home, to get some extra money (you know for what), but the situation is completely different. It is nice, except getting sick!

BTW, I've just released my new yarn, Margo at my shop(see right bar)and just yesterday I finished my Margo sock.

This is my sample socks, to assure the yardage is enough for making a pair of woman socks. I made rib and cable sock and it took only slightly more than 70g. My skein is 100g for 330 yards, so it should be OK!! Oh, and the pattern is my original, just knitted up.

And another photo...

This is swatching with my not-yet-released yarn. This would be an substitute of Laine-Claude. This fabulous red is really this red...very deep, rich red. I happened to dye this color by coincidence, but I LOVE this red so I will try to make it again one day....

The first one is this:






This is Rosette, from Ski yarn. One of the newest Japanese yarn for spring/summer 2008. Gorgeous, metalic atmosphere...it is though, cotton 100% ribbon yarn. When I found it I was drawn immediately. Wasn't supposed to buy yarns at that day, but it is something so novel, beautiful and irresistable. It is thin yarn and calling #3-#4 needles. I would knit something for summer with these yarn!

And the next: my new yarn!

Now I am preparing my new yarn to reveal at the beginning of spring, April's first update. It is also a sock yarn, but a bit fatty, the yarndage is less than Laine Claude so far. Still, you can knit up a pair of woman socks from one skein using #2 needles. Or, maybe it could be use as DK.

The name is Margo. This is not the substitute of Laine Claude, which is soon discontinued. It has its own caracter different from Laine Claude. LC is shiny, silky, gorgeous and lofty yarn. Margo is more cushy, springy, gentle and a bit cozy...this yarn makes me think Smoochy of Dream in Color. Got it? It is also heavenly soft washable wool 100% sock yarn. Please try....you would love it.

I will start selling it from April 4, 2008. Please visit to see what there is.

Some ideas popped up in making pattern:

1. So fast knitting...it is quite a good for last minute gift! Actually, if you concentrate you can knit up easily a pair for only one day. If not, a weekend is enough to complete a pair for average knitters, I believe.

2. It requires small yarndage only a bit more than a ball...exactly 140 yards, and 70g for cashmerino. It would be a nice project to use up odd balls.

3. If you make it with warm, soft, luxurious handspun yarn, which often doesn't have much yarndage for big garment...could be beautiful and cozy!

4. Easy to slip on and off! you can do it with only one hand. Cool.

5. Could be nice as bed socks...?

6. If changing the colors for garter, rib and stockinette? Funny!

Anyway, I would love to see if you knit it...please just let me know if you did!!

Specs:
Pattern: Chelsea from Yarnplay of Lisa Shobhana Mason
Yarn: Artyarns Supermerino, green(8.2skeins) and purple(1.4skeins)
Size: 34" (smallest)
Needles: US #9 and #8

Sorry for not daylight photos, but anyhow I think you can see. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this sweater, it is really confortable to wear, the sizing is perfect, and I knitted this all over with reading something. The knitting itself is mindless and fast, just I was so lazy for not to join the pieces so long. I am so bad, for I missed the weather to wear it! This indulged my stockinette-urge perfectly, but maybe knitters who 1)are basically process knitter and 2)like intricated pattern for not to be bored might not equally happy as I am. I am really happy with this so simple-yet-unbeliebably fashionable and cool pattern and the outcome.

Aaaand my stockinette journey is lasting, so my next project is this:

This is stockinette heaven, yey! Black Dog Knits and Knitopolis tried this pattern, and looks they had kind of difficulties to make peace with it. I don't know if I can make it, I just give a try. The photo of yarn corns of the other day was for this sweater, Zena.
And as this garment should be light, I think even if I start now at the beginning of spring, it would be useful...(I think about summer vacation in France. Always I need a cotton sweater there in the morning and evening even if in July and August) My assortment of fiber is so far fine cashmere, fine alpaca and fine linen & cotton.
I will cast on anytime now, but I have "Mountain Form" test knitting to be done, and another test knitting for new sock yarn...all are, however, simply pleasure and I feel lucky for it.

Some other news: I have been to daytime Stitch and Bitch yesterday, oh it is sooo good to knit and chat! It is especially good for heart and mind. I love knitters....

And today I went out for LYS excursion with Canadian Ravelry-friend Tara, and SnB friends. It was soooo fun, we visited Yuzawaya and Avril in Kichijoji, and it was the first visit to Avril for all of us! Hey I warn you, that place is so dangerous....there are too much gorgeous stuff, it is really hard to keep your purse closed. Me? of course, I am completely spoiled and yarn geek, I've scored some beautiful things....will show you when I take pictures.

For "Mountain Form" Slippers, I tell you I am now working on it to make an English pattern. Now I am knitting again with aran weight yarn, and when it is ready I will put here in PDF for free. Just be patient, please!

So just a quick update for today!

The other day when I looked around blogs, I happened to find a beautiful, cool, never-seen slipper pattern. It was in a blog which is not dedicated to knitting, but somehow my eyes were glued to this photo and tried to find out the pattern, or construction of the slippers. It looks like slipper form naturally, simple and chic, there is a heel and toe...quite clear form but I could not find out the pattern. I decided to contact this blog's owner and send a mail. He sent back to me the reply, explaining that the mentioned slippers are knitted by his mother, without any specific pattern. But as I asked, this lady was trying to write down a chart for it.
I was so glad and not so long after that, I've got the pattern. I could understand partly, but not fully. Asking again, I finally found out the construction.

It is really, unbelievably easy, straight-forward pattern, yet it's construction is nearly perfect...it stands as it is, slippers. It is beautiful. I am knocked down. I LOVE this pattern. I somehow managed to adjust some parts, and gave a name "Mountain form".

specs:

pattern: translated pattern "Mountain form" from an old Japanese lady

yarn: Alice Starmore Hebridean 2 ply, "Sea Ivory" coloway, slightly more than ONE skein (this is 25g skein)

And immediately I put this on Ravelry. If that could get some faves, I will translate this pattern and share.

And I've just completed another wee stuff:

Jess Hutchinson's robot.

yarn: oddments of Rowan allseason's cotton and Kid Classic(pink)

Since more than a year or so I found this robot photo on someone's blog, I really wanted to knit it. Normally I am practical product knitter, so I don't knit any toys, but this....I have been completely hooked by his lovely figure. And my one-way love has finally accomplished. I made it!! Oh I love so much this, at first I thought I would make it for my kids, but now it is mine! I even made this at the last minutes:

A small pink heart. I put it inside of him. He is so far a knitted robot with a pink knitted heart!

Now my new WIP status are held still, since I just literally didn't have time to pick up needles. My green Chelsea's body is almost done, have to start sleeves, and I have another small new WIP, which I would show you the FO next time. And other than that mentioned Felted Tweed stash in the another post, now this is waiting me.

These are respectful my next project cones. Navy is linen-cotton, beige is cashmere, and brown is alpaca. Can you guess what??
Awww, I am now so happy, I can knit knit knit, I can sleep, I can clean up house, naaaw! (please just don't ask me about it)

***
Store update - my apologies, for I announced that the next shop update should be within February, but after that I found until the end of the month my DS first stays at home for his winter vacation. I believe you understand that dye work should NEVER ever be processed during a 8-years-old-naughty-kid around you.
So it would be postponed until the first week of March. Sorry!

Annnnd, I will update my Etsy shop by the end of February! Stay tune.

Since last year, I have a wee place in Etsy and started selling my own yarn. Now hand-dyeing-oneself is quite handy for every knitter, looks not so difficult, so I wanted to do it, too. Once I tried, I recognized that I really love dyeing, so I set my objective to open my hand-dyed yarn shop online.

The most important and at the same time difficult part to work out is the availability of supply. There is some shop in Japan who possess undyed yarn for dyers, but there is absolutely no yarn which I need. But imagine if I get it from overseas, how much it cost with shipping, custom tax and all!
I somehow managed to find a Japanese yarn supplier and worked with him to make my own yarn, which is now on my shop. The yarn was imported from Italy, and has fabulous quality. So I dived into the shop and started.
But my happy start didn't last long. Almost immediately I found the yarn was out of stock and no possibility of back order. There was some sad misunderstanding between supplier and me and after since, I have been searching the appropriate yarn for my shop.

Recently I finally chose a yarn proposed from the supplier. At first I declined it, because the weight is not perfect for my needs. It is 5 ply instead of 4 ply, so the length for 100 g is not very good. And waiting in dreaming to find my prince-charming-perfect yarn, the time and season has just passed. I decided to try the yarn.

It is not perfect for required condition, however it is SO SOFT, and springy more than the current Italian yarn. This time it is made in Japan, and the yarn has a striking resemblance with extrafine merino wool. Yet it is washable like cashmerino. Cashmerino yarn contains more than half synthetic fiber, but this is 100% wool.

Some days ago I tried to dye the very yarn so far:

And it is not bad. I believe. I made a swatch to see the gage.

It is 31 sts for 10cm, with US 2 needles. Not bad.

So I made a decision. This time I know I can get a quantity.

Also, I look into some lace weight yarn. For that I don't think I need many, since I don't plan to make it as my regular. Now I have some of 100% Alpaca, some 100% cashmere, and this

This is 40% cashmere, 50% wool and 10% nylon. I did a try, and not bad. Maybe I will buy some more.

Therefore, please stay tune, friends, soon new line of my hand-dyed yarn will appear on my shop…
(BTW, I have still some more current Italian yarn, so it will appear too!)

I made first one at night for around only two hours , and the next morning I made him try the one. It was too small. Ugh.

So I knitted the second one a bit larger.

Fortunately this time it worked. This is no fancy FO, just useful for him and it is "in-need" knitting, yet it is my second FO of 2008!

BTW, speaking about in-need, recently I've got one of my "desperately in need" yarn. It was Rowan Felted Tweed shade #136, Corn. It has been discontinued since 2003 and at these days I bought 6 balls of it ambitioning to knit something someday with it. I just loved the subtle, delicate shade. And the other day recently during knitting blog-surfing, I was hit by an ideal project for the yarn. I knew the design and wanted to knit one day, but I didn't put it into my stash. Now I found the perfect pattern for the yarn, except the fact of lacking one ball.

The project calls 7 balls of it and I have 6. I absolutely love the yarn and want to use it definitely, but the shade has been discontinued years ago. Of course I tried eBay, googling all over the world, put message at "seeking yarn" place, in vain.
In the meantime, one day my DS first was invited to a friend, who lives by 20 minutes subway ride from our home. I took him to, and noticed at the moment of leaving the station, that it is where my LYS is actually located! I didn't think about it at all!(I don't go LYS frequently since I get most of yarns by online) It was long time I haven't been there, so happily I visited the shop. Hitching some beautiful wool, I asked the owner if they have some orphans felted tweed of old shade by chance. They didn't, of course. However, the owner kindly offered me to ask Rowan distributer and other shops, just in case. The next day, I've got a call from the shop to announce that they FOUND A BALL!!

Dear friend, it is not so bad at all, to live in a rustic site on the planet, in a point of knitting view. Please just disregard the batch of yarn behind the felted tweed in question, these are kind of, ew, you know, some stuff followed me.

I put a bit of green to the wrist and bottom and happy about it. The yarn's real color is rather grape, not faced brick. This is a snug short sweater and I cut down 6 sts each for sleeves, added some lows for the body, from the smallest size. And it is perfectly fit to me. I wanted to cast off with only one week, but it finished in two weeks instead. Nothing fancy, but I love the sweater.

And the yarn is fabulous, it is aran weight yarn and looks quite rough-textured, but it is very light and not at all itchy. (I am quite sensible normally. Alpaca, angora and even kidsilk haze are all itchy for me)The yarn contains wool, silk and cashmere.

What's next? Oh, it is Chelsea from Yarnplay of Shobhana, reverse stockinette and drop-shoulder cool sweater.

I've already knitted a ball....