Rehoboth Beach Yarn Haul + Knitting Project

Single tear: I'm back from vacation and have once again returned to the real world, which unfortunately substitutes sunny days on the beach with rainy days in the city. Seriously, it's gross and incredibly depressing.

But at least I can say I returned with a clear head, having read three books in the warm Rehoboth sand, catching up on much-needed sleep, and stopping by Kitschy Stitch to - naturally - enhance my stash.

Hey, at least this year, I went into it with a pattern in mind. That pattern, if you'd like to know, is Exploration Station by the fabulous Stephen West. It's taken me awhile to venture into his patterns, mostly because I was terrified of the brioche stitch that he favors above all else. But after drooling over KnitFitch's finished version made with the ever-gorgeous madelinetosh, I knew I had to at least try.

So, off I ventured to find the perfect colors. I spread out about 12 colors and yarns on the LYS floor and eventually settled on some Queensland Rustic Tweed in a variety of colorways, which I think is going to look gorgeous come fall. The tweed just adds something a little - dare I say rustic? - to the pattern, allowing the bright fuschia I chose to pop against the more muted purple, blue, and grey.

I've completed the short row section and am now fussing my way through the brioche. I luckily find the pattern itself easy once I get past the first couple stitches (provided I did my YOs correctly in the row before), but holy God, does it take forever to work each row twice! After completing each short row wedge in one sitting or less, it's been a blow to my ego to spend so much time working on the same brioche row.

I assure you, though, that the end result is worth it. If I can ever get there.

Overall, a successful vacation that resulted in a fun project sitting on my needles. I'd like to go back to our condo now so I can knit in the sun... or at Dogfish Head (conveniently located across the street from Kitschy Stitch!)

You can keep up with my Exploration Station progress by visiting my Ravelry project page.

Here's the yarn I'm prepping for my beach vacation!

In packing the projects I'm taking on vacation with me, I may have gone a little crazy. I'm bringing at least three recent WIPs, as well as two new projects whose supplies I own, but haven't yet started.

Cue a mad dash to my yarn ball winder and swift, resulting in the above photo I posted on my Instagram. Pictured are two yarns I can't wait to work with:

• The turquoise is Madeline Tosh DK in the Oceana colorway, which will be used to knit up Messalina by Kay Jones of Bakery Bears fame
• The multi is Mrs. Crosby Carpet Bag in the Scarlet Ibis colorway. A delectable mix of Merino and silk, this single ply yarn will be used to knit the Zig Zag Scarf pattern that came in my April KnitCrate.

Speaking of KnitCrate, I have to say I'm a bit disappointed that as of this posting, my May KnitCrate hasn't yet shipped; I was hoping to take whatever it is with me to celebrate my vacation and hopefully stave off some LYS purchases. It's not that I don't have anything else to work on (obviously) and I more than definitely have enough yarn to tide me over until the end of time itself. But I look forward to getting it every month, and with the stress of wrapping up way too many work projects before jaunting off for a week, I could have used the distraction!

Also, I know there are going to be people reading this who are all like, "What? Knitting in the sand? Why?" No - beaches are for reading and sleeping on. There will be no knitting on the beach, mostly because I'm lazy, but also because I don't feel like picking sand out of my delicious Mrs. Crosby yarn.

PS: I hope all my fellow beer lovers are at least a LITTLE bit jealous that I'll be camping out - with yarn in tow - at Dogfish Head's brewpub on Rehoboth's main drag.

That awkward moment when you lose your mojo...

Okay, so it's been awhile since last I updated. A good long while.

I wish I could say I had a good excuse, but I don't. It's just that usual time of year where I go through a slump and want to do basically anything but touch my luscious yarn and needles.

I can feel it coming back, though, and I've been knitting on my Handbrake Cowl little by little each night. I'm hoping to finish it before hitting the beach this weekend, but if not, then I'll probably finish it on the car ride down (since I'd love to read, but reading while moving makes me puke).

Anyway, if you haven't checked out the Handbrake Cowl by Kay and Dan from the Bakery Bears Podcast, you absolutely must. It's easy (knitting and purling only), it's versatile (the pattern lends itself well to yarns you just want to show off), and it's only $1. NOT TO MENTION that all proceeds go toward cancer research.

If cancer has affected you or someone you know in any way (I know it's affected me), then parting with $1 isn't much to ask for a pattern you'll use over and over again. For you beginners out there, in-depth video instructions are also included AS WELL AS a special hidden episode of the Bakery Bears Podcast.

And if you're headed toward the beach like me, it's also perfect relaxation knitting :)

I'll be back after our trip with friends, probably with one or two yarn acquisition from the Rehoboth LYS I love to death. In the meantime, make sure to download a copy of the Handbrake Cowl and put the handbrake on cancer!

Finished: Crochet Baby Turbans

And just like that, another weekend has come to an end and I've attended another baby shower for a close friend of mine - a friend who's having TWINS! Hence the two hats in the photo :)

Knowing that I may or may not have an obsession with the fiber arts, my friend sent me some baby ideas as soon as we got word that (another set of) twins would be joining our crazy group. One of those ideas was a pattern for an adorable crochet baby turban. How could I turn that down?

I set to work once I had a date for the baby shower, whipping these bad boys (girls?) into shape after a couple days of crocheting on and off. They're fantastic, although I'm having a hard time adjusting to the "wrong side" being the "right side" for the entire crown. I know that only I - and maybe some other crocheters - will notice that, but I really hate the wrong side of crochet fabrics. In any case, they're still cute. I can't wait to see the wee ones wearing them, although they may swim in them for a couple months.

I've been knitting on a couple other projects, some of which I've already photographed and started writing about, and others that I just haven't had the energy to care for (ie: more headbands for Etsy orders). I think I need to take a break from the Etsy shop for a couple months, maybe pausing to pre-knit some things for the fall. I love everything I sell, but I'm bored to death of making the same headband over and over again when all I want to do is drool over the KnitCrates I've been getting every month. Such is the life of entrepreneurship, I suppose, but I'm going to lose my mind if I don't make something challenging soon!