San Francisco

Just a quick post, sans pics, as I need to go finish packing, and get a shower... before we wing our way to San Francisco and environs.

As with most knitters, I struggle with what projects to take more than clothes and stuff. Here's is what is going with. Yes, my ufo numbers will be ballooning some, you can't expect me to knit old stuff on a new trip, can you? And just a warning, the stash may be ballooning some too. Does it count as stash if it's souvenir yarn?:

mountain colors barefoot socks
easy to knit round and round. My other mc barefoot (or is it bearfoot, I never can remember) socks have some knit/purl basket type ribby pattern and the mohair content in the wool has obscured the knitted texture, so I'm taking the easy way out on these. I will like to wear them just as much. The color is larkspur and I'm knitting these on kp options 32" circ size 1 which is sized like the Addi and really a 1.5us (2.5 mm)

brown cotton wool socks
This is one ball of yarn left from my Christmas knitting. I tried to dye it orange (with koolaid) but that didn't work out as there is perhaps too much cotton in the yarn. Since it my first time knitting socks with this yarn (It's packed but I'll post the label name later), I'm going with socks as big as 50 grams will get me. Probably just above the ankles. Unless I decide I really really like them and that they really really have to be taller. In that case, there may be some striping. Or a contrast ribbing sock top. Watch to see how this one goes.

"red" cotton sweater
Top down boat neck raglan (pattern from webs (www.yarn.com) current pod-cast-kal. Knit with 2nd time cotton from the stash. A heck of a deal last year on ebay but there are just 5 balls which is just exactly the yardage the pattern says I need for size small. Wish me luck. I already have in mind to do 3/4 sleeves if necessary. And I did a provisional cast-on so I can do the trick I did with the other 2nd time cotton (vest) where I used an extra ball, in a likely different dyelot, for the button bands and bottom ribbing and sleeve edgings.

pink/purple suri scarf
This yarn was a try-out purpose for a flip coat. And the color is not me. Confirmed by Angeluna at knit night last week. So this is a garter scarf for someone for Christmas. I have a niece and a great-niece who are gift-candidates for this one. Be warned, this yarn does not do so well with frogging. The first knitting (swatch?) was cast on with a larger number (like 45, I knew my likely gauge from an earlier swatch in another color of the same yarn) in case it worked for me. It didn't. So I frogged, and cast-on 22 for a scarf. About 8 inches in, some weighings and calculations projected a too-short scarf. Now reknitting with a 17 cast-on. There will not be another "start over". Knitting on short bamboo size 11(us). This is no-thinking, not-much-looking car/plane knitting until the yarn runs out.

clapotis
shown last week. I'm about 5 or 6 repeats into the "straight" section. Gotta go make sure the scale is packed so I'll know when to do the decreases.

Is this enough? I don't know. I feel like there should be more but I don't want to get carried away. And, umm, I think there are yarn shops in northern California? dh was "passing out" the trip money last night, so we'd both be carrying some of the cash we're taking. When he counted out my share, it was generous. And he said it was "yarn money". Let's just say I'm taking an extra suitcase and dividing some of my stuff up so the extra doesn't look empty.

Speaking of yarn, I NEED to know how much yarn to buy for Irish Moss from Starmore's Aran Knitting for a tall guy with a chest about 44". Can't find my notes anywhere...

more later, maybe much later, if I don't find some wireless internet, or if my laptop doesn't not cooperate. It may be a quite bulky ipod charger.

j