Tis the Season

For Christmas knitting. I'm trying to be proactive this year and start early enough to knit something for most people, we'll see how that goes... Anyway I ordered some yarn from my favorite Internet retailer Jimmy Beans Wool and it arrived a little over a week ago. The folks at Jimmy's are great. I ordered on a Wednesday at 8pm and my yarn was here by Friday, I'm across the country so that's pretty freaking good. I'm always contacted if there are any issues by the friendly staff and the candy that arrives with the yarn is a nice treat :) You must try them.









Now I normally wouldn't show an xmas gift in progress because I'm afraid someone will look at the blog and spoil the surprise. My sneaky little sister for sure. But since this will never get to the intended recipient (said sneaky sister), in fact it's days are likely numbered, I'll show you what I've been up to since Campanula.

It is my shedir from knitty about half done. On one ball of Rowan Calmer in tangerine. I normally don't knit loosely and I hadn't read any one else running short on yarn so I foolishly ordered only one ball. Had my LYS carried Rowan I may have gone back for more but the combination of not really liking the way this is coming out, hurting my hands, and not being the color she requested I'm giving this one up. Just very annoyed I spent so much time on it. grr. It is a nice pattern but that being said I doubt I'll attempt it again. So she goes from top of the list to a lower position. She's the only one who got a knitted item, a sweater to boot, last year. I will get her a hat as she has requested by the end of the winter, I have some yarn in my stash that will do nicely I think.

The only problem with ordering online is that the yarn doesn't come wound into a nice little cake and you have to spend hours, over two nights winding the skein, all 1460 yards... I give you before and after:

Yeah. It sucked. And that thing the yarn is wound around is an empty toilet paper tube and the whole thing is sitting in my pencil dish so it doesn't unwind and I have to do it all over again. I am not doing it all over again. You can't say I'm not creative right? I do need a ball winder, I have a B-day coming up and the hub-unit, seeing and hearing my pain will oblige I think. He's not fond of angry Kate. So the blue will sit for awhile but the white is being used as we speak for a gift to my mom. She may get sneaky too when she learns about the blog so you'll have to wait for pics. This is lace weight and will serve for several gifts this season. The blue is prettier than this picture, with less daylight photographing my stuff well is getting tough. It is Lane Borgosesia and is very reasonably priced while being so soft. I'm liking it so far. Work continue on the Print O'the Wave stole in between so I'll put up pictures of that next time. Now it's late and after 2 days of winding that stupid yarn I am off to knit it.