With apologies to Peter Venkman.

There's too much yarn
Not enough suitcase
What you gonna do?
STASHBUSTIN'!

So I'm just trying to get rid of as much yarn as is humanly possible over the next few weeks, since I'm going back to the States March 1 and would like to have more suitcase space. Hence...

Out of my Filatura di Crosa Kid Mohair, Branching Out for my mom.



Out of my La Droguerie Surnaturelle, Endpaper Mitts for me.



Out of some leftover Sisu and scrap Lorna's Laces, SOCKS OF PURE WIN! (aka Hipknitism's Stashbuster Spirals)




I love these socks so much, and they're perfect for using up that leftover LL from my Jays and Stephisox. Who would've thought the colors would be so perfect together?!



Also I'm attempting to crochet... something... out of this Noro Kujaku I got in a destash from the lovely Holly, aka knitwithsnot. I don't really know what. Maybe a belt?

It also seems that I may be heading to California over spring break. I mention this here because it's inspiring a pair of socks I'm working on... I may take them to Bratislava tomorrow or I may wait for my trip with my family. The Stashbusters might be a little too much for a bus!

A Traveling Sock Retrospective

I made it home on Saturday, absolutely exhausted after getting on the most uncomfortable night train in all Europe behind an Italian nun who hadn't brought her passport because she thought Croatia and Slovenia were part of the EU open travel zone. WRONG.

I also made it home with these.

I hear you- "Jaxypants, those are very lovely socks. However, that is a total of SEVEN socks. Four pairs of socks requires EIGHT socks."

Well, here's my excuse:

The skein for the second Baudelaire... doused in honey. There was no way that was coming out, so I trashed it and spent the last two days of my trip swatching for what may be this blog's first pattern... all of the swatching was ripped out, but I'll figure out how it needs to be done soon enough.

Sunday I spent the evening with D.A.V. (his last night before returning to the States) and the three boys taking over his flat (Wes, Garet, and Johannes). There was a distinct air of melancholy in the room, however, D.A.V. and I made tenative plans for spring break upon my return to the States, and parted with "See ya", rather than "goodbye". Maybe this end is little more than an unconventional beginning.

My new and temporary flatmate is named Alyssa, and she's a knitter too! Maybe when I get home I can get a picture of her and the FANTASTIC Muppet-ful scarf she's knitting. Also, Selene, one of the other new arrivals, was wearing some gorgeous handknit socks when I met her. And Natalie and I talked about knitting as well- apparently she made a dress! Also, the girl down the hall from me, Erin, is crocheting a fantastically eye-searing hot pink scarf. I'm excited about all the fiber artists here now :)

Shortly, I shall post a five-part series explaining the story of each of the traveling socks. Keep an eye out for them :)

More Sock Tales.

I survived New Year's in Copenhagen and cast on for Baudelaire while waiting for my train. LOVE the figure-eight cast-on. It's all seamless and pretty-looking. Anyway... apparently only the FOOT made it onto my iPod. LAME. So, I stashed the foot of the first Baudelaire into my bag and started Monkey.

Monkey 1 was finished in Cait's boyfriend's living room. Cait's boyfriend's name is Manuel, and I highly approve of him. He's kind of like what would happen if you took D.A.V. and threw him through an inverter- shy, quiet, laid-back - except retaining the talented-but-still-self-conscious part. Except Manuel is so laid-back that he doesn't get stressed/uptight about the self-conscious part. I really hope he doesn't get too much culture shock coming to Michigan (BECAUSE HE IS :O), but I think that's a bit of a vain hope- K is so crazy uptight. Anyhow, I've been thinking I should brush up on that Spanish I learned in sixth grade (which means learn Spanish). I know what it's like to be thrown into a country where you don't speak the language or understand the culture (*koff* HUNGARY *koff*), and he won't even have a group of like-minded and languaged people like I did. Even if I can only say "the cat sat on the mat"...

Monkey 2 is at the gusset decreases. Hopefully I'll be able to get a good copy of the Baudelaire pattern soon- knock on wood, if I do I will have risen to the Great Sock Challenge!!

2007: A Year in Knitting

Early March: Cait tackles me in the library coffee shop and tells me that if I buy her a skein of Malabrigo she will make me socks. We go to Stitching Memories and buy the yarn... and needles for me!

March: Mouse and Cait teach me to knit.

April 5 (my birthday!): I cast off on my first pair of socks, which are promptly given to Eol.

The next day I get three piercings. This is not relevant.

Then...

Spiked Socks of Battle: knit at D+D.

Plane Socks: given to Aunt Dorry.

Dashing: I think I left these in the LIGO van.

Fetching 1: Given to Babcia.

Green Lantern Scarf: Still not finished.

Punk Rock Duffer Cuff: Given to Megan.

Robert Frost Knucks: Mine :) at 8 Rav favorites and rising.

Stephisox: still not given to Stephi.

D.A.V.sox: Probably the most beautiful thing I made this year.

Jaywalkers: I love these :)

24h Hat: Eva's ridiculous hat.

Heading North: My less ridiculous hat.

Raglan: Still sitting at home... needs a few more inches at the base and some sleeves, but it's on its way to being done.

The Sock Challenge: I finished two of the four Sock Challenge socks in 2007. Looks like I'm right on track!

Goals for 2008:

Learn to knit continental.
Start writing patterns for the blog.


I thought about designing stuff in Oslo and came up with the idea of knitting some traditional Norwegian stuff substituting the Metallica star for that dorky flowerything. Fender isn't my bf, I could make him a sweater? :)