Fiber Week in Review: March 23-29

I learned a valuable lesson this week. Don't schedule a big editing project when I have a fiber festival in the middle of it. Even though I didn't count the days I'd be at DFW Fiber Fest in my time for my project, I realized that I needed an extra day or two after the festival to decompress. But I couldn't do that because I had to finish up a project. So the bags sat around unpacked, laundry undone, and  goodies from fiber fest unloved (I even forgot to bring them to my knitting group last week for our show and tell!). But I got the editing done on time and then was able to catch up on other things.

I spent Thursday doing inventory from fiber fest, taking pictures of the remaining yarn, editing said picture, writing listings, and preparing for the update I had announced would occur that evening. And that's when I learned another valuable lesson. Setting up a massive update like that takes way more time that I thought. It took me all day--literally. And when the update time rolled around, I had only finished listing 3.5 of the 6 bases. I finally finished adding everything about an hour and a half after that. Next time, I'll make sure that I don't save everything all for one day. It was pretty stressful. But the shop is updated with yarn and patterns!

Onto the rest of my fiber week.

Knitting: I've made progress on my Purplicious socks! I got through the heel and finished the gusset decreases so now it's straight on to the toe.

I planned the heel of the second sock a little bit better than the first so it doesn't have the skinny stripe that the first has across from the heel. Not that I don't like the first sock, but I do like the second one a bit better. But although the slip stitch heel with the flap and gusset fits my foot well, I'm really going to have to try out another heel to help keep the stripes going. If I remember right, the heel on the OMG Heel socks seemed to work better with self-striping. When I made them before, my gauge was a bit loose so the socks are a little big around but I think I'll give that one a try again. I'm not a super big fan of the fit of the afterthought heel. Perhaps it's time to try the Fork in the Road socks. Actually, I should probably go ahead and pick up a copy of Sock Architecture by the same designer, Lara Neel. Be right back.

Okay, I just picked up the PDF copy of Sock Architecture. I'll do the Fork in the Road socks next and also dig into the book and try out some other options. Because I did get a few skeins of self-striping sock yarn recently... First up will be the Fishknits -- and I'll be using my new Signature DPNs for the first time.

In other knitting, I've been working steadily on the baby blanket. I can do about 4 rows during one hour long TV show (fast forwarding through commercials, so roughly 40 minutes). I'm trying to do a little on it every day although some days have been better than others.

I've also been working on another Dorigen Cowl, this time out of my Round Table Yarns Galahad. I'm on the last repeat of this one.

And I started a new design. More details in the Design section. Sneak peek:

So I've gotten a fair amount of knitting time in this week despite being super busy with everything else.

Spinning: This is what had to give this week. No spinning. :( But I have lovely new fiber (as well as lovely old fiber) so I need to get back into spinning just a little each day.

Stash Enhancement: Nothing this week. At least not personal stash. I did place an order for more undyed yarn. But that'll be discussed below in Dyeing.

Designing: I've finally gotten to the point in the baby blanket where I have a good idea of how many repeats are going to be needed. So I sat down at my computer and got the pattern written out. My plan is to get to the halfway point to confirm the numbers and then start the test knit. Based on how long it's taking me to do this, I think I need to give a good 6 or even 8 weeks for the test knit, so I want to make sure I leave plenty of time for that. Maybe I'll divide the test knit and ask for the first half to be finished within 4 weeks and the final blanket within 8. Pondering...

I also am feeling the itch for getting a pattern ready for testing, so I went back through my notes and picked out an idea for a cowl design that I had sketched out a while back. I wrote up a rough draft for it, picked colors (it's a 2-color cowl), and cast on last night. I'm already making decent progress, so I'm hoping it I concentrate on it this week that it will be ready for testing next week. In case you're interested, it's going to take 2 skeins of worsted weight yarn in 2 colors (one skein each). I'm using madtosh vintage, which now that I'm knitting with it again feels very much like my Lancelot base--wonder if we are using the same supplier.

Dyeing: I had brought some kits for my Don't Blink Illusion Hat and Scarf (enough yarn to knit both) to the DFW Fiber Fest and sold out. The dyepot was quiet early in the week, but yesterday I got it all set up again and started dyeing for some more kits. I did enough grey yesterday for 3 kits and will be doing the blue today. I hope to have these ready for an update this Thursday (again 7 PM CST), but will know for sure after today if I'm able to get enough blue dyed (that way they will dry in time for me to reskein by Thursday so they can be ready to mail immediately). I'll post an announcement on my Ravelry group and through my mailing list for when this update will occur.

I've also been trying out a couple of potential new bases. I wanted to get a DK weight 50/50 merino/silk to go with the Brynhild Cowl and I found a winner. I also wanted a fingering weight MCN because, well, MCN! (Plus it will be good for the Blanchefleur shawl as the original was knit in MCN.) And I have one more base that I ordered. That is going to be an experimental base for a technique that I've been wanting to try. I want to make sure it all works out before I announce it, so I'll keep you in suspense for now.

And I think that's it for this week!