Malabrigo from Heaven

Every once in a while (alright maybe more than once in a while) I come across a yarn that so completely entrances me that I must knit something with it. The latest batch of Malabrigo Sock (100% superwash merino) that arrived at Llama Llama Knit this week has done such a thing to me, I must admit, but none more so than Archangel.

Such beauty, such grace! All the luminous dimension of a stained glass window, all the vibrance and texture of a renaisannce gown, and the delicate blending of a watercolor painting all wrapped up in a gorgeous skein of "wow". Can anyone say "love at first sight"? I love jewel tones, and this yarn has them in spades, but there's also a demure understated nature to it, a special "something" that makes this color call me from across a crowded room.

Ahhh, but what to make? I would be simply content to curl my skien up in a glass bowl and place it upon the window sill, or the mantel, or other place of prominence, but this would be much like a beautiful exotic bird in a cage, unable to show its true potential for beauty.

Hunting around on Ravelry was usefull, though this particular colorway seems like a special case, and as of yet I have not found that perfect project worthy of Archangel. It's a lovely weight that seems very versitile, so perhaps a scarf, or similar small item? Not a shawl, which would spread the colorway too far around the piece. A yarn such as this requires something more... concentrated perhaps. The search will go on and I vow I shall not snatch it up until I have 1. Completed one of the 3 project I am already working on and 2. Decided on a pattern to use!

Any bets on how long before I break both my rules? ;)

-Disco C (catch my knitting adventures on my Ravelry page!)

April Socks - and high expectations

You know how it is... you have that one beautiful skein. Mine was lovingly handled by someone I've met in person. It's tightly twisted plies were carefully mordanted, dyed and washed. It even smelled good.

I cast on with it eagerly. The pattern for April confused me. The yarn was there to soothe me with its beauty. I pressed forward with the pattern, though the 90 billion twisted knits hurt my hands. I watched the colors twirl 'round. When the socks were finally completed, I breathed a sigh of relief for my hands. Honestly, I love the look of twisted stitches popping out of a sock pattern, but ouch!

Then, when I put the socks on... well. They slouched. It probably would have worked out if I had done the short row heel in the pattern, but I didn't. The reverse-flap heel I did makes the top of the sock noticeably longer than the bottom, creating a slouch where instep meets leg. And, well, I just can't settle for anything but perfection with this yarn.

You know what I mean. This yarn *deserves* to be a better sock. Which I'll get on whenever I get around to it.


even maeby's sad.

Yarn: Tactile's dreamy Superwash Merino Sock in Dogwood

Pattern: Punctuated Rib from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn

March Socks

Slipstream Socks (rav) by Marlowe Crawford

Malabrigo Sock in Tiziano

I finished them on time!

sole detail of shaping

The original plan was this:


but when I found the Slipstream pattern at the Verb booth, I couldn't resist. The Malabrigo Sock was a dream, squishy, soft, and stretchy, and the shaping kept my attention through the foot. (I do think I knit the mock cables a little weird, at least until I started on the chart, but I don't mind.)

Pattern substitutions are allowed, as long as I have 12 (or more) pairs of socks at the end of the year!

For April, I have a gorgeous skein of Tactile's Superwash Merino Fingering yarn in Dogwood. It's been absolutley addictive to knit with so far. We have a bunch of colors at LLK, so perhaps I can get two pairs for me from this!

Shipments Galore

Well, we're reaping what we've sown, folks - Llama Llama Knit is awash with boxes and bags and skeins without homes!

We've received Malabrigo Worsted and Sock, Classic Elite's spring yarn lines, Kira K patterns, Pigeonroof roving (!), and new Mama Llama Sock!

I can hardly look around without drooling. I think the overwhelming fact that I have to find a place to put all these things isn't helping. EEEEEK!


Have I mentioned our dog yet? Miss Maeby is the newest llama partner.

Socks 2009

So, this year, I've resolved to make a pair of socks each month. I cannot tell you how exciting that is! (This idea popped up because I heard someone talking about making a personal sock club - right out of your stash!)

I chose 12 patterns, but left the yarn choice to spontaneity.

Here's January:

Merino Lace Socks (Rav link) in Dream in Color Smooshy (Rav link), colorway November Muse

Here's February:

Spot Check Socks (Rav link) in Claudia Fingering Merino (Rav link), colorways Turquoise and Sea Dreams

and today, the UPS tracker says, Malabrigo Sock is supposed to arrive.

Stay tuned!

Conspiracy Theory

Disco C here again with another riveting tale of knitting trials and triumphs. Remember that last post? The one about all that adventuresome learning and excitement of new and challenging goals? F*#@ that post.

Somewhere, in a smoke-filled, dimly-lit conference room, the Lace Czars converge around a slick, rectangular tangle covered with a fantastic lace table-cover. The are examining a pattern, squinting through the smoke and spectacles. "Surely no one will try this pattern without experience." One says, frowning. "No, surely not. No one would dare be so brazen as to attempt an Estonian lace shawl for their first shawl!" Laughter erupts at the very idea. Chortling hur hur hur's fill the room and a stamp comes down upon the pattern: APPROVED FOR CIRCULATION.

Alas, these mysterious shadowy figures had no idea what they were unleashing upon the world or that a simple lace-novice such as myself might innocently stumble upon this pattern and, in my naivete, attempt to posses and conquer it. What no one realized was that this pattern would instead attempt to conquer me. And, in the transition chart, row 9, I had thought it had done just that. But, thanks to the tireless efforts of my compatriot Marie, it would not be that day. Oh, no indeed. Hours of labor later (and with a new lifeline installed) I would go on, I would persevere, I would triumph. The thing about knitting is that you have to accept that there will be mistakes, and even the most seasoned veterans will tell you that it is nearly impossible to complete a project without having to fix at least a couple errors along the way. What separates the truly skilled from the amateurs is not perfect technique or flawless execution, but instead it is the acceptance of making mistakes and the will to overcome them. In many ways being able to fix mistakes is the true mark of an expert, rather than the lack of mistakes in general.

So, while I still strongly advocate knitting from the heart and taking on the world, the moral of my tale and the Quorum of Knitting Czars is to use lifelines whenever you are facing overwhelming odds. They don't call them "lifelines" for nothing.

Until next time, my fellow adventurers!

-Disco C (catch my knitting adventures on my Ravelry page!)

Kiss a llama on the llama?

FOs on parade!

Well... a long blog silence will be filled up with photos! I finished a lot of knitting recently, so I think I'll have to post more than once.



Remember my Veronique cowl? That thing was finished with haste.

Pattern: Veronique Cowl (ravelry link) on Etsy
Needles: 16" Addi Turbos, size 4
Yarn: 2 oz of my handspun, 2-ply merino-tencel from Tactile, light fingering weight

Then there's another handspun project.

Pattern: Butterfly Moebius (rav) from The Knitter's Book of Yarn
Needles: 32" Addi Turbos, size 8
Yarn: 4 oz of my handspun, 2-ply BFL from A Verb for Keeping Warm, about DK weight

Both companies are represented in fiber at LLK!

A bunch of Christmas hats...


And a bunch more to come!

Fearless Knits

Welcome to my friend and guest blogger Cailin!


Knitting, like any craft, takes hard work and perseverance to truly master. I began my exploration of the knitting world last Thanksgiving when I asked my mother to teach me the basics on a lark. Now a little more than one year later I'm taking on Estonian lace for the first time with gleeful enthusiasm. I completely deny all accusations of witchcraft and/or wizardry in achieving this rather modest development and give all the credit to the philosophy of fearlessness.

When applied to my knitting craft, fearlessness is the act of plunging head first into projects of seemingly daunting complexity and difficulty, with tons of new elements to learn such as seam-sewing, cabling, lace, circular knitting and button holes. Each new project is an adventure with new obstacles to overcome, as opposed to exploring the more comfortable regions of garter and stockinette stitch (not that there's anything wrong with that). In each project, there is something to discover and challenge and in that way I've developed a wide range of skills instead of specializing with only a few. Lace items are particularly good for this as they provide a wide variety of challenges and end results so one is unlikely to get bored with it.

Fearless knitting is not without its price, however. My first lace project was about as pleasant as pulling a mule uphill in the mud. I frogged it no less than 8 times. Hours of work ended in bitter frustration and sailor-like vocabulary. I had picked a particularly difficult 16 row lace pattern with different stitches for each row for both the right and wrong sides. For the first few days, this project was a nightmare of frustration. I learned many things though with this first pattern, specifically how lace is supposed to behave and appear during the knitting process and just what yarn overs are. Oh, and of course I also learned the value of life-lines.

Basically, there is a certain excitement in choosing a project that seems intimidating, even impossible at your skill level. Even more appealing still is the sense of accomplishment and triumph in completing something you would not have imagined you could do, and then counting up all the things you learned over the course of the experience. This, my friends, is the true value of fearless knitting. Well that, and being able to show it off of course. So, next time you're thinking of what to knit, try poking around and find something you've never done before, something that uses a different technique, style, material or pattern than you're used to. Something that you'd love to do "if only you knew how". Then dive in, and recruit your local knitting shop or knitter friends to help you along the way, you'll find they're more than likely to be thrilled to help you in your adventure from "if only I knew" to Fearless Knitter Extraordinaire.

-Disco C (catch my knitting adventures on my Ravelry page!)