Japanese Bags

If there's a link about hedgehogs, it often gets sent my way.  So when a friend found a Japanese bag maker who makes cute bags and fabric bins with hedgehogs on them....

Well, I might have had a bit of a falling down. Just a little one.



Here's the haul.  I got three CD case bins, one large bin that's for DVDs, and one pencil case. Four with hedgehogs, one with coffee.

I got them with the intent of using them for knititng projects.  The smaller ones are just the right size for a skein of sock yarn, the pencil case will get traveling DPNs and the larger bag...not sure yet.  I actually am using a couple of the smaller ones for music cds at the moment.



They are very well made--lined with pretty coordinating fabric.  And Gypsy, of course, had to be all nosy about them. 



If you're interested in other pretty such things (not ALL hedgehogs), check out Seabreeze Studio on Etsy.

Warm Monkeys....

So remember that late October I went to KidLitCon and spent the day knitting 2x2 watchcaps for the Navy ship?  That project has gone awfully well-- see here for the update from Shanti's mom.

But it wasn't my only knitting that weekend. As one of my best friend's parents were so gracious as to host a wandering and sneezing hedgehog (I was seriously ill that weekend), I brought them something warm in return.

Sock Monkey cup cozies!



Now, I'm not a huge fan of sock monkeys. I don't understand the appeal of them. But the Master Sergeant had mentioned that his dad was a huge fan and that they had some sock monkeys around that apparently, I'd missed. Okay, duly noted. 

The sock monkeys are out of Cascade 220--mostly superwash. I forgot that I needed to use superwash and grabbed some red non-superwash that was leftover from another project. Face-palmed when I realized what I'd done.

Pattern: George Sock Monkey Cup Cozy
Modifications: I didn't do the solid ears, instead I did I-cord ears big enough to put your thumbs through.  Also I just used black yarn instead of buttons.

It was very fiddly overall and I'm not sure I'd made them again.

Not Dead...Just Wrapped in Cardboard

I was leaving a note on another blog and realized I hadn't blogged over here for a bit.  I popped over to see just how long I'd left you all hanging.

And now I hang my head in shame.  Sorry all, it's not that I haven't been knitting, that I don't love you or anything like that.

Reasons I haven't been Blogging Faithfully
1) I'm moving tomorrow and that's required a lot of prep work
2) Part of that was leaving my old job and I knit something for all of the women in my department (and the one boy). This meant that every spare moment was for knitting, not for blogging.
3) I'm a little overwhelmed with how much stuff I've knit recently and bought.  You'd think that a woman getting ready to move could restrain herself. Apparently not.

I did have a stash sale with one of the local groups.  They were very nice and bought up a bunch of yarn that I wasn't feeling totally viscerally attached to.  Of course, then AudioGirl came up and we went yarn shopping...

And there was the yarn bus tour, and Kathryn's open house, and and and...

Aaack.  Okay.  Let me go finish wrapping up the glassware and while I watch the final episodes of Castle, Season 2, I'll see if perhaps I can get caught up a bit here. 

Where I Am a Bad Blogger and Did Not Take Pictures...

I'm a regular WendyKnit's reader--I'm a Lucy the Cat fangirl...

So when Wendy posted about Shanti's mom collecting hats for a navy ship, I thought that sounded like a brilliant idea. Because, you know, I don't have any holiday knitting or requests or anything like that and I'm not on any deadlines or timelines or such.....

I did, however, have a conference to attend last weekend. So I rummaged about the apartment and found some black superwash wool. Most of the sailors on the ship, I assume, will be of the male persuasion and the men I know like black and possibly gray. Really just black though. I grabbed the pattern Wendy suggested too and cast on...

And by the morning of the Saturday conference (KidLitcon 2010 in Minneapolis, covered over at Hedgehog Librarian), I had most of a 2x2 rib hat done. Finished it during the first full session after the keynote and spent most of the rest of that session winding the rest of the black wool into a center pull ball.  This had the result of one of the other attendees asking me about how to do that.  Knitting lesson on the fly!  And then I cast on the second hat...

I was paying close attention and taking notes throughout the day but I was also knitting. A few people commented but most seemed comfortable accepting that I needed something to do with my hands. By the last session I was casting off.  Not bad--hat and a half and a conference all in one day!

When I got home, I emailed Lynne and got her address and was just about ready to pack things up when I realized I had another hat that was nearly done! My second Sock Head Hat needed only the decrease rounds and it would be done and it really didn't have a home yet or someone who had claimed it. So I wrapped that up last night and it went into the bag this morning as well.

I wrote notes to include with the hats and things went into a priority envelope this morning and out with the library postage. And after I sealed things up I realized I didn't take pictures...

So...picture two black 2x2 rib watchcaps.  And a sockhead hat out of the last yarn I got from Miss Violet that is a longer version of this picture:



It turned out pretty well and hopefully will keep someone warm and snuggly.

Pack the Yarn Stash....I'm Moving to Chicago

That's right! I've decided I can no longer live this far from Loopy, Lorna's Laces, and Stitches Midwest.

I've taken a new job at the University of Illinois in Chicago. I'll be at the Health Sciences Library doing all of my librarian things. I can't wait! I'm so excited!

I have to PACK.

The good news is that the stash, by and large, lives in plastic bins. Packing it involves making sure all the lids are on.  That being said, I have a 1 bedroom apartment with den that needs to be gone through, weeded, pruned, and boxed. Did I mention I haven't got an apartment yet? Working on that.

Much to do, not much time to do it in (new job starts 12/1) and lots to figure out....

But there will continue to be wool!!

Lipstick Red...

The Clapotis is done! I just need to block it and weave in the ends.

Of course, this is what happens whenever I try to block anything at Chez Hedgehog. Well, anything that I'm hoping to block on the floor.

Okay...so This is Stash

One of the things I love about Webs is their discount program. Spend $60 and get a 20% discount. This meant when I was placing my recent Cascade order, that it was cheaper if I purchased more yarn than I needed.

So what does a girl in need of extra yarn to round things out and get that discount do? Head straight for the Malabrigo bin, that's what.



Malabrigo Sock yarn in Cote d'Azure never goes wrong does it? 450 yards is enough to make a lovely small shawl or lacy scarf or warm hat or or or....

And while I was down at Kathryn's (Ewetopia Fiber Shop) I had to have a rummage through her handdyed.  I know you've heard me rave about it before but she has good bases and I appreciate her eye for color combination.  Not everything she creates appeals to me, but neither does everything from the Wollmeise.

So anyway, this time I grabbed a skein of her 100% Merino Sportweight in the Water Lily colorway.



Some of the blues are a bit more teal/green than the camera captured. It's bright and cheerful, a little brighter than usual for me even. And squishy as always.

I also found some new interesting fingering weight which really is sock yarn but I doubt will ever be socks off of my needles.





Lang Yarns Tosca Light in a blueberry colorway. It's another progressive colorway, shifting through blues, purples, and teals. (Show of hands, who isn't surprised about this colorway following me home.)

And yes...obligatory cat in the shot.  She was really most excited about the brown paper bag that I brought home everything from EFS in.  Yarn we have every day but paper bags...those are a special treat.