Time Change

I've sent out emails to the people on my mailing list, and posted on the Ravelry group, but want to say it here as well: Club memberships will open at 8:00 p.m. PST Dec 1st in my Etsy shop, NOT 7:00 p.m. I've had to change it because I've found a laser printer through Craigslist and I need to go pick it up. Sorry!

Fibre and sock yarn club!

So…also on Dec 1st, after the Luminosity club slots go up, I will also open up signups for the Fibre club and Sock yarn club.

The Fibre club also runs for 3 months, and the first shipment will go out the end of January. There will be 20 slots available; you can purchase more than one. The fibre content will be a surprise, but rest assured, they will be luxurious and beautiful! The price will be:

$55 domestic
$65 international.
These prices include shipping.

Colourways will be unique to club members and will not be released to the public until six months after the final month.

The sock yarn club works much the same way; there will also be 20 slots available.

January: 1 skein superwash merino ORIGINAL SOCK
February: 1 skein 75/25 superwash merino CIRCE sock
March: 1 skein 80/10/10 superwash merino/cashmere/nylon SIREN TWO sock.

prices for the sock yarn club is:
$65 domestic
$75 international.

The Luminosity Project Club!

TLS GOLDEN CHESTNUT pure silk lace

I'm excited to announce that I will be opening up signups for The Luminosity Project club on December 1st, at 7:00 p.m. PST. There will only be 10 slots, and I’ll list them in my Etsy shop. I know it’s a small number, but I’d like to keep it manageable and see how it goes; when I re-open it again, there hopefully will be more.

The club will run for 3 months, take a month break, then re-open again. The first shipment will ship the the last week of January. You will receive an email notice when your yarn ships. I ship first class international and domestic.

What will you receive?
January: two skeins of 50/50 silky merino worsted
February: two skeins Siren Two worsted
March: one skein pure silk lace.

All yarns will be dyed in the Luminosity Project way and will be non-repeatable colourways! I have chosen these yarns because I know I can get enough of them, as opposed to some of the other yarns I occasionally have.

U.S. and Canada: $165.00
International: $180.00

These prices include shipping.

When you purchase a club membership, you may choose either the “Surprise me!” option, or you may choose a colour range, such as reds, blues, greens, purples/plums, reds, golds, browns, or pinks/roses/mauves. All the yarns you receive will be in the colour range you choose, but you can only choose one colour range. The “Surprise me!” option will have different colours for each month.

When you checkout, please note your choice.

You will have ten days after the signup to change your mind and be refunded your money.

I’m really excited about this, and I hope you are too! I’m planning a couple other clubs, which will be announced soon.

I will continue to dye Luminosity yarns for Etsy updates, never fear!

Also, the yardages for the yarns are as follows:

Silky merino worsted: 50/50 silk/merino singles yarn, approximately 215 yards per skein.
Siren Two worsted: 80/10/10 superwash merino/cashmere/nylon worsted weight, approx. 185 yards per skein.
Pure silk lace: two ply silk laceweight, approximately 1000 yards per skein.

CIRCE sock pattern, er, recipie

Ok, finally here's the CIRCE sock pattern...well, it's sort of a recipe. Sorry it's been so long-- I'm the world's worst procrastinator!

Yarn: 75/25 superwash merino/nylon Pigeonroof Studios CIRCE sock yarn: one skein. (400 yards.)
Needles used: size 1 (u.s) Addi Lace Turbos.

Directions given are for a 60 stitches round toe-up sock, knit on magic loop. I knit two at once, but I'm just giving directions for knitting one at a time. :-)

Cast on 24 stitches using figure eight cast on (I think this is also known as Judy's magic cast on, or Turkish cast on); you will have twelve stitches on each needle. Increase two stitches on each needle every round as such: knit one, make one, knit to last stitch on needle, make one, knit last stitch. When you have twenty-four stitches on each needle (48 stitches total), increase every other row until you have 30 stitches on each needle. Work one row even. From now on, one of those needles will contain the instep stitches; the other needle will contain the sole stitches.

Stitch Pattern: This stitch pattern is taken from the book "Super Stitches Knitting" by Karen Hemingway. Sadly, no charts are given, so anyone who wants to make a chart-- feel free!

Crossed Rib
multiples of 4
Cr3B--slip 2 sts onto cable needle and hold at back of work, K1, slip P stitches onto left hand needle and P it, K1 from cable needle.

-note-- I cable without a cable needle. It's really not hard, and makes this pattern way easier and faster.--

Row 1: *P1, K1, rep from * to last stitch, P1
Row 2, 4, and 6-- K1, *P1, K1, rep from * to end.
Row 3: As row 1.
Row 5: *P1, Cr3B, rep from *to last stitch, P1.

repeat these six rows on all instep stitches.

On all sole stitches: P1, knit to last stitch, P1.

Continue until you reach about a quarter inch from heel; then work short row heel. After heel is worked, continue knitting in pattern on all stitches until you've reached desired height; then work cuff.

I like a twisted rib for my sock cuffs: * knit one through back of loop, purl one, repeat from *. Work desired length, then cast off using a sewn or tubular cast off.

Enjoy, and admire profusely! Email me if you have any questions at pigeonroofstudiosATmacDOTcom, and I'll try to help.

Finished: Kusha-Kusha inspired wrap

Although this has been done for a while-- and even worn!-- I've finally gotten around to photographing it. The photograph isn't the best-- I'm still trying to figure out the non-macro settings on my camera, but I'm really happy with the wrap. It can be worn as a scarf or stole, and in this picture I used a shawl pin I bought from South4thetsy shop. (this shop also has really beautiful buttons, by the way.)

The details: Habu wool/stainless steel, Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud, and handdyed merino/silk Zephyr laceweight, all held together and knit on size 13 addi naturas. Basically I knit until I ran out of yarn, and then hand-felted it in my sink.

In the toaster oven...

....Toasty mitts, that is. (Look up Toast and Toasty on Ravelry patterns.) I'm actually close to being done on the first one. I'm knitting these up in my new Siren Two worsted, which is a superwash merino/cashmere/nylon blend, and is just fantastic. I'm loving knitting with this yarn-- squishy and soft, and so nice against the skin. don't ask me what colourway this is, because I can't remember for the life of me how I got it-- I wish I'd written it down. I'm going to try to replicate it, eventually. I'm so happy to be able to offer this yarn, because it's so fantastic. Hats, mittens, cowls, sweaters...even socks...the possibilities are endless for this yarn. Even if you can't afford a sweater's worth (it comes in skeins of 185 yards, for $25), you can treat yourself to a skein and make a fabulous accessory. I should be able to get a pair of Toasties out of one skein. I'm knitting them on size 6 Addi Lace turbos, but I could have knitted them in size 7s.

Siren Two worsted in PAPAYA

The elections are over, and I'm so happy that Obama won! I know he won't solve all the problems, but I really think he's going to be a fantastic president, and has the diplomatic skills to heal the United States' relations with the rest of the world. I mean, if he hadn't won, I was going to get my Mexican passport so I could travel as a Mexican, and not an American. (I have dual citizenship.) I was, however very impressed by McCain's concession speech-- that, I felt, was the realMcCain, and it was very dignified and marvellous. That speech reflected some of the reasons I almost voted for him in the last election, although I did end up voting for Kerry.

However, the elections were bittersweet for me, as they were for so many people, because Prop 8 passed. I really hope it gets overturned. My boyfriend's daughter went with her friend and held up No on 8 signs in a very conservative part of Contra Costa, and while they got lots of honks in agreement, they also got flipped off, yelled at, and spit on.They are fifteen. I'm sorry, but how can people who claim to be trying to protect "family values" and "morality" justify such rude and inappropriate behaviour against fifteen year old kids?

All right, off my soap box. It's cloudy outside...weather perfect for staying inside and knitting.

Random, Much?

So, when my boyfriend sends me an email with the title, "Scary looking bag of....", I'm naturally a little apprehensive. Especially when said boyfriend is the world's best scavenger-- not only does he practically live at Urban Ore, and finds all the best things there, he also manages to find some...interesting things on the street. Things like a chair that he drags to the upholsterer only to find out that to re-upholster the chair would cost 1500 dollars. (that chair went right back on the street.) Or paintings by a very enthusiastic but completely talent-less anonymous artist that he tries to put up into his daughter's room. (she, and I, both stared at him, and the paintings, in horror.)

However, I kind of knew the bag he was referring to. It had lain, halfway open, on the side walk by his house for about 3 days, through the rain. Now, he doesn't live in the worst area, but it's not the greatest, either. Neither of us are snobs, but, you know, when you find puke outside your front door, you're not exactly thrilled.

Well, imagine my surprise when the bag turned out to contain a fleece! A gorgeous, soft, long-stapled dark brown chocolatey fleece. I'm washing it as we speak. I *think* it's merino, but I'm not exactly sure. I just don't have enough experience in that matter.

ETA: Aija, of Sock Pr0n, suggests that it's an alpaca, and I have to say I'm leaning in that direction too. There's no crimp in the locks. I've got some drying right now, and I can't wait to comb some up and spin it and see what I come up with!

What are the odds? Only in Berkeley. I'm thrilled.

p.s. if anyone has any ideas as to the type of wool it is, please let me know!