Stitches West 2010

Here are all the pictures I took at Stitches that can fit into this blog post.

I think that it's pretty impressive I didn't spend all my money.

Enjoy!

Sami

P.S. Sorry for the blurry pictures, I didn't want to hold up traffic by waiting for the camera to focus!

Updates

Oh gosh, where to begin?

Stitches West 2010 in Santa Clara, CA (I attended Feb. 26-28) was absolutely amazing! My aunt and I went and all the fiber was sooo drool worthy. And the place was huge!! It's no wonder that I spent over $200 there. (I think what I'll do is a text post, for the most part, here, and then do posts with all the photos at another time.)

After Stitches, I signed up for the Evenstar Mystery KAL, designed by Susan Pandorf. Goodness, that woman is a genius. I absolutely love it so far, even though I'm a bit behind. Clue 5 came out today, and I'm almost half way through Clue 4. Hopefully I can finish both of those before Clue 6 comes out in two weeks. If I finish everything "on time," it will be the fastest shawl I've ever knit! I don't think I'll put any pictures up of it because of spoilers, but I will put them on my Ravelry page, after I update the project pictures.

Speaking of project pictures, I've finished the Muir shawl! At last! I actually finished knitting it way back in February, but it was only two weeks ago that I blocked it out. Oh, how I love it. (And a cool side note, I met Rosemary Hill, the designer of the Muir Shawl, at Stitches. I gave her my Rav name and she said she'd check out my finished Muir... how embarrassing, since I still don't have any FO pictures of it up yet.) I'm really wanting to do a photo shoot with this shawl for it's FO pictures, and I have rough concepts, but no definite plan. Plus, it would be nice if I was the one wearing it, but at the same time, I really don't like being in pictures. Not too sure what to do 'bout that one.

In personal news, I got my driver's license on Monday. The only problem is, I can't drive my car, which is a stick shift. I learned on my mum's, and it's an automatic. My dad says that I'll get used to it and get better at it, but I really don't like driving it. So I'm not sure if I'll be driving to school next week (this week was spring break) since I'm not too comfortable with it yet.

And in school, I have a crapload of work, which I really should have started on, but relaxing and essentially doing nothing sounded much better. It is spring break, right? Anyways, since school resumes on Monday, tomorrow and Sunday will be full of work *bleh*.

And in less that a month, AP and IB tests will begin. It's going to be horrid. In the first week of May, I will have a test every day, and two on Wednesday. After that, I'll have three more days of testing - one on the following Monday, and then one each on the Monday and Tuesday after that. But, I will still go to knit night (which I can drive to all by myself)! I'll definitely need some stress relief, and I'm thinking that that will be it.

Well, I think that's the gist - I'll be going photo dumps of posts later to show my FOs, WIPs, and Stitches, of course!

(Hopefully,) talk to you later!

Sami

The Saga of Ravelympics

Well, I guess super regular blogging isn't really an option for me, is it?

I'm not quite sure all that has happened since last time I wrote, but I'll try to get everything and be concise (what a concept!).

I frogged my dad's sweater. It was originally my Ravelympics project (go Team TOSSers!) and I worked on it some before deciding that I couldn't stand to do a sweater in pieces and at knit night, I frogged it, found a copy of EZ's Knitting without Tears (love having knit night at a book store =] ), and decided to make one of her seamless sweaters. When I got home (and I drove home, on the freeway, at night, with Si in the car), I told my dad to pick a sweater. And you know what? He said that he was over sweaters! He asked instead for a fluorescent orange hat (to wear when he goes hunting). So I'm off the hook (or maybe needle)! (But I will still probably make him a sweater with that yarn... eventually.)

Instead, I decided to make the Cinquefoil hat (from Twist Collective, not sure what issue though) as my Ravelympics project. It's my first true colorwork project, and it's way fun and totally flying. I figured out how to do the floats and even though I cast on on Tuesday (at 10:30 at night), I'm already on the border chart. Maybe I'll even finish before next Tuesday (*crosses fingers*)!

I also just frogged my Outside In socks (from an issue of Knitty). The yarn, Premier Yarns Serenity Sock Weight was just bugging the crap outta me. This pair was the second pair of socks I tried to make in this yarn, and you know, I'm just really not feeling it. I'm going to try to destash it.... =D. I had only knit the leg of the first sock (which took me forever - I started it in September!) so frogging was super quick. And I got to count it as another Ravelympics project!

I finished all the knitting on the Muir shawl, now I just have to block it. I don't have blocking wires (though I do have T-pins), so I've been putting it off. Hopefully this weekend I can get both the Muir shawl and the Hemlock Ring Blanket blocked.

Hmmm, that's about it knitting-wise. I haven't worked on my Burnished Tunic since I last posted (totally my own fault and wanting to correct it). And OH! Stitches West is this weekend, I can't wait. I'm so psyched, and I know I'll want to buy everything. I'm going to be stopping at Blue Moon Fiber Arts for sure, and I'll also be on the hunt for a drop spindle and some Romney fiber - Stacy (from knit night) is going to teach my how to spin! I can't wait. I told my mom, and she's like "Great, another space consuming hobby." She was just teasing though, as her hobby - scrapbooking - fills the entire computer room, so she doesn't really have room to talk.

My driving test for my license is scheduled for April 5th (my mom's birthday) at 10:00 A.M. I'm kinda nervous, but excited too. I really hope I pass the first time, I really do want my license.

Well, that's all folks! No pictures this time, but definitely next time!

-Sami