YarnCon 2011 or Bust!

I couldn't be more excited for YarnCon this year! Having lived in Chicago for going on 6 years now, you'd think I'd be more blase about this celebration of local-ish fibery goodness. This is only my second year attending YarnCon, however - now that I am free from the service industry shackles AND live much closer to where YarnCon is being held, I've been counting down the weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds....nanoseconds....you get the idea. I'm excited.

It sounds like this year's lineup will be stellar - Fleur de Fiber, Grinning Gargoyle & The Sweatshop of Love are all on my hit list. I'm intrigued by some of the other exhibitors, such as Arrow in Her Quiver and Liz Abinante of Feministy.com, too

Nearest and dearest to my heart, however, is the official launch of The Wool Dispensary at YarnCon. Bree & Sam, the brain trust behind The Wool Dispensary, are addicted knitters-turned-purveyors of beautiful hand-dyed yarn. You'll definitely want to check out their website for more information about their yarns, especially if you can't make it on Saturday.

I'm releasing three - yes, three! - patterns in Wool Dispensary Yarns this week to help kick things off, two of which are part of their inaugural pattern collection, which is circus-themed! Curious? Get the full story on The Wool Dispensary Blog!

If socks are your thing, these simple smocked socks (say that five times fast) will be at the top of your queue. The Tightrope Socks are kinda like their namesake - while it's best to clear your mind and don't look down!, you still need to pay attention! Which is to say, when I found myself being lulled by the peacefulness of 2x2 ribbing, I'd occasionally wake up to find I'd forgotten a round of smocking and have to rip back. Beginner and experienced sock knitters alike will be walking the fine line between easy-peasy and pay-attention with this project!

Pattern: Tightrope Socks by Stefanie Goodwin-Ritter
Yarn: 1 skein Useful Stimulant in Circus Popcorn (100% superwash BFL fingering-weight yarn; 438 yards / 400 meters per skein)
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Perhaps you prefer something to keep your hands warm? The House of Mirrors Fingerless Gloves have a twisted-stitch panel amidst a sea of stockinette. Like many things you'll see at the circus, these mitts are not what they seem! Sure, the cables look intricate, but I actually found this project to be faster and easier to knit than the socks (figure that!). You'll have to pay attention as you work from a non-repeating chart, but once you leave the house of mirrors, the results will be worth it.

Pattern: House of Mirrors Fingerless Gloves by Stefanie Goodwin-Ritter
Yarn: 1 skein Useful Restorative in Sword Swallower (100% superwash merino sport weight yarn; 274 yards / 250 meters per skein)
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What's better than winning a giant teddy bear at the ring toss? This trio of chubby bunnies, obviously! These mischief-makers knit up fast, making them perfect for gift-giving and general cuteness! You can knit all three sizes of these Button Bunnies using 1 skein of yarn, and you just need a small amount of a contrasting color for the pockets! Best of all, if you have some fun buttons lying around that don't have a mate, this is the perfect project (see also: what can you do with just one button?). They will disarm you with their cuteness and steal your cotton candy....don't say I didn't warn you.

Pattern: Button Bunnies by Stefanie Goodwin-Ritter
Yarn: MC - 1 skein Greater Poison in Mabel Stark (100% superwash merino worsted weight yarn; 180 yards / 165 meters per skein); CC - small amount of Greater Poison in Cirque Plum.
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Editor's note: The Tightrope Socks and House of Mirrors will be available as Ravelry downloads as soon as possible - The Wool Dispensary Ravelry Shop is very nearly up and running! I don't typically like to post new patterns unless they are available for immediate purchase, but I'm just too excited for these three new designs that will be debuting tomorrow at YarnCon!

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

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