Some product rambling

I had breakfast with Grace (and Curt) this morning.  (Had the french toast instead of a spinach omelet - shocking!!! Really!  I threw them all off.... HA!)  Anyway - after show and tell - I sooo want to make a stuffed Lorax!!  Need orange yarn and yellow fun fur...  ANd a gorgeous shawl she made - I showed her my  ************   and explained all the modifications ( it is currently in the post to my swap partner - so no spoilers for a week or so)  and my progress on Saroyan.

We flipped through Simply Knitting - my hands down favorite knitting magazine - even if I have to convert measurements and needle sizes, and  substitute yarn not available here- they have the best articles and I want to make / do make more of their patterns than any other magazine.  One of their patterns was for a bulky hood/cowl.  I so want to make it.  I thought I had the perfect yarn for it. Malabrigo Chunky.  Amoroso - a gorgeous red (surprised ;P )  But it requires 262 yards.  I have 2 skeins or 208 yards.  le sigh. 

Speaking of Simply Knitting - I've been buying it at bookstores - but with Borders closing it has been getting harder to find.  It costs 10.99 an issue.  For 13 issues that's $142.  The subscription price came out to 125something depending on the exchange rate.  I kept meaning to subscribe - but never got around to it.  Well in the most recent issue there is an ad in the back that there is a subscription sale for US and Canada residents.  92.82 for a year - or quarterly on continuous credit it's 23.20.  So yes, I have gotten off of my rumpus and subscribed.  the sale is on until March 31. There is a 60 day cancel period.  If any of you want to consider it - the website is:

imsnews.com/simplyknitting-A009

Like I said - great patterns (and there are a lot more of the cute -non-matronly patterns available for plus sizes)  I learned to knit largely through the tutorials at the end - and whenever they use a less common stitch there is a how to box with the pattern.  Like most Brit mags that I have read ( and very unlike US mags ) the articles/patterns go straight through - no continued on page 98 crap.  There is an ALAN DART pattern in every issue ( the man is a stuffed toy genius!!) and there is always a cute little "toy"  that I have fun with (some of you may have gotten them in swaps) For example this month is a needle sizer in the shape of an owl.

Now that I'm done with my Creepy Cute Swap - I'm on to the next one (it always seems that the swaps I'm in either happen back to back to back or there is nothing I want to play in) Anywho, the next one is hosted by my friend Grace on her Blog (loving comfort Knits on my sidebar) Her's is another St Patrick's Day inspired swap - but its a mystery ball or something. basically - all the goodies you are giving your partner have to be wound into ( what I imagine will be a very lumpy ball)   I'm still waiting for my stuff to arrive so I can make her's up (yes - Grace is my downstream partner!!) I already have her yarn.  But in considering how to do this I came across another really cool item:

The Fibersphere:

 You put our ball of yarn inside - there is a hole it feeds out - and your yarn can roll around and not get dirty (or in my case - I shed more than most dogs - and am constantly pulling my hairs - kinda long ones - out from my knitting - or if i visit my mom - there is always akita and cat fur around)  But yes I can also cheat and put the odder shaped stuff for the swap inside the ball ( she already knows this part of my plan -so no spoiling here)


Now since I'm on a product plug - I recently picked one of these up while yarn shopping at my not favorite LYS - who happens to be the only one quick and easy enough to stop by in an emergency - although I wonder about that - they never have yarn I want.  I (and many of my knitting friends) use the Susan bates Knit-chek sizer with the gauge measure window built in.  It's metal and pretty durable.

The only problem - is it is often bigger than the piece I want to measure gauge on.  And don't tell me to knit a bigger swatch - why would I knit a swatch bigger than the item I'm making.  But I got the Addi turbo skacel  gauge - very handy.

Ok - that's all for now!  Later!