yarn sale

The yarn sale at out at 88 Stitches became a part of a plot to get my best friend engaged this weekend. She and I dropped my husband and her boyfriend off somewhere and went to the yarn sale, where we had to stay until I got texted and notified that they were ready. E. knits, but I'm trying to get her to knit more. She got some Noro yarn for a hat, and some sock yarn. I browsed a lot longer, since I'd gotten a text message telling me that they weren't ready yet. So, while we browsed, she spotted a copy of a book she knew that I wanted, and got it for me as a belated birthday present. She's getting a really nice pair of handknit socks for her birthday (I would knit her something from the book, but I won't have time between now and November to knit an entire shawl).

Well, we finally got the okay to leave, so off we went. I got to hide in the bushes a ways away while he made a long speech (he's a writer, he likes words), so I couldn't eavesdrop, but it was apparently very romantic. They are now, finally, officially engaged, with a shiny ring to prove it. I'm really happy for them, and even more grateful that I don't have to stuff those rose petals down Peter's throat (since I threatened to do so if he didn't propose to her this weekend, given that this was planned earlier this summer, and due to a number of unforeseen events, had to be postponed until October).

Anyway, back to the yarn sale. The book was Knitted Lace of Estonia, by Nancy Bush. It is a wonderful book. I plan to start small, though. The Raha Scarf is nice, and I can commit to it sometime in the next couple of months without worrying about how much time it'll take me. I already have one lace shawl on the needles at the moment, and I'd like to finish it first before starting on a new lace project.

I spent a while at the store petting the cashmere. I've recently learned to appreciate just how soft cashmere is. I can't afford to knit everything out of cashmere, nor would I wish to, since I love wool, but it is beautiful, especially when paired with silk.

I ended up with a few balls of yarn, none of them cashmere (my husband told me to buy as much yarn as I wanted, so I was actually quite restrained, given his advice). I have two balls of Sandnes Garn Sisu, one red, one black, to knit a pair of fingerless mitts with (I am rapidly becoming addicted to fingerless mitts and socks. Things that come in pairs. Wonder what that says about my personality), in order to learn stranding properly. There's a skein of Ultra Alpaca Fine, also in red, for E.'s socks. And two balls of Panda Cotton, also for socks, but in blue, gree, and purple (seeing a theme here? all I bought was sock yarn). I have only knit socks with wool or alpaca, so I wanted to try a cotton. And bamboo-cotton sounded like fun.

And that's about all. I have two pairs of socks on the needles, a pair of mitts, and a lace shawl. When I finish one of these things, I get to start on E.'s socks, and when I finish another, I get to start my cardigan.