Katzundyarner Bits

I got tickets #21-22 to attend the Yarn Harlot's reading and book signing sponsored by Nana's Knitting Shop last Friday. I was at the Oak Lawn Hilton at 6pm, got invited to be part of Nana's Team and sit in the front row, had tea from Argo as a gift - alas. We know how the story ends.

I started, knit, and finished the Lacy Top by Cabin Fever so I had a handknit to wear. Cascade Pima Tencel, just about 545 yds of color #7013 (needles size 6&7). I wore it to work with brown pants but the weight of the yarn, I am convinced, stretched it - the top of my bra showed under my arms. I bought a t-shirt at Target to be presentable to her Harlotess. Trish suggests washing it to pull it back into shape. I even steam blocked it, to make the YO pop in the pattern.

//picture to come//

Of course I paid a visit to the yarn shop beforehand. I have activated my membership in the sock club with the black/white Fixation. The simplicity appeals to me. I think I will try the Fixation on Lace pattern in Knitting circles around socks. I'm curious if the black smudges will line up with the lace diamonds.



The bit on the needles above was to pass the time on Friday

On the theme of socks, I prepared a new project to work on at the event, using the Froebe yarn I bought last fall.



Home industry, Chicago area. Buy local! Toe-up, this was begging for feather and fan. I forgot to make notes to bring so I saunter up to Trish, to ask her what the sequence is. Feather and fan! I just need the multiple and where to begin (YO or K2tog?) Little did I know that she was struggling under the weight of knowing SPM was still on the tarmac in Toronto. After 6pm, Chicago time. And SPM had plans to land at O'Hare. Trish briefly told me her brain was too full at the moment; I looked around for the writing on the wall. Instead, I spied the yarn's creator, Rebecca Froebe, who was especially delighted to see her product in the wild. Her mother (and business partner?) was also at the door. There are new colors coming out around May 1. Less orange.

As the hysteria was subsiding from Trish's system (she did a great job walking around, talking to the group who had become her guests), we met a mom with her baby from Joliet. The mom was wearing the Seascape shawl. Trimmed in, as Trish pointed out - feather and fan. Turns out the multiple is of 6/6/6=18 and the count for the instep of my sock is more like 30. I found the horseshoe pattern. The yarn is striping precisely



and is working with the pattern in just the way I envisioned. I will work with this yarn again!

Finally, a little bit of yarn for babies. I have extra pima that I thought would make nice baby burp cloths. One of my students might be having 3 babies so I needed more. Voila - not such baby colors but also gender-neutral.



Maybe there will be a reschedule. Maybe I will go. But I have plenty to go on with, so I'm not devastated either way.