Embracing the Cast On

January 1 means a new spring semester for the Loopy Ewe and Loopy Graduate Academy! I spent at least two hours on the first day of the new year planning knitting projects based on the prompts.  Begin the year as you mean to go on, right?  And here's the haul. 

This is another  skein from Hedgehog Fibres that is nearly impossible to photograph. This is probably the closest I was able to achieve. Imagine searingly hot pink--like brain searing.  And then string that color out into yarn that is approximately the thickness of dental floss.  I have 1300 yards of that. Don't worry, Marnie Maclean has beautiful lace patterns and I have a plan. 

I am also rubbish at photographing the color purple. And no, I'm not interested in photoshopping everything, though I do need to break out my light box again. I just realized that one box of things cluttering up my dining room is actually a box full of things intended for donation, perhaps I can do that this week and clear out space for the light box. 

And please stand by for this yarn to come back with a poll -- I bought three different color of beads and I'm going to have to swatch and see what I like best. Trying to pick out beads online while I don't have the yarn in hand is now one of my not-favorite things to do. 

I wasn't expecting the yarn until Monday, so I was really surprised that it arrived on Saturday -- but what do you suppose the USPS did to the box?  The Philosopher says he thinks it might have been stepped on and I'm inclined to agree. Fortunately, because of how The Loopy Ewe ships their yarn--beautifully and securely wrapped-- everything was still in the box and arrived just fine. 

And with this many skeins and that much dental floss -- I broke out the swift and ball winder. I'm lazy in terms of setting up equipment even though I own it; see above about the light box and better photography. There's nothing quite like weirding out fellow passengers on the train as I hand wind yarn and listen to an audiobook. Usually they don't ask, but I hope it makes for a good story later in the day. 

And here's the final winding haul. Since the swift was up, I had a couple other skeins that also needed to be wound up as well. That right there is...over 4000 yards of yarn. Plus I have a sock on the needles, some gift knitting, and a few WIPs that never got finished.  

Bring on all the casting on!