Stitches West 2009

So the boyfriend and I went to Stitches West in Santa Clara yesterday. It's a pretty big knitting expo with tons of booths with tons of yarn, patterns, looms, needles, and other knitting related items.

It was neat to see and feel all the different types of yarn and all the different colors. This was my first fiber convention so I wasn' quite sure what to expect. There was 100% and combinations of: mohair, alpaca, merino, pure silk.

It wasn't so neat to see the price tags though. On a lot of stuff I was afraid to ask the prices of, "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it." That was the case through out the expo floor. I saw bundles of fiber from $40 - $150.

A bit disappointed with the prices but it was interesting to see everything. I came home with a neat drop spindle though, it's made from a CD, dowel, and screw in hook; advertisements/business cards; and a desire to raise my own goats, sheep, and alpacas.

School

So school has been eating up alot of my time and I haven't been able to post, but I do have a few FO.

First, a hat that I knitted for my BF. I knitted it up using Kis*Knit's Hat pattern adding 8 stitches, leaving out the stripe, and changing how I did the decreases. I got it all done and when the BF tried it on, it was to small. So I frogged it, added another 8 stitches and started knitting. About 2 inches into it, the BF says he likes the look of the really small stitches on beanies, so I frogged what I had. With some math and swatches, I ended up using size 4 needles and casting on 136 stitches, I think I also added an inch or two in length.

He says it could still use another half to inch more in length, which I will add when I'm done knitting his matching scarf. He seems happy with it though, since he rarely takes it off now. ^ ^

I used Simply Soft in a dark blue.

Second, I made a black bag using Amy Singer's Everlasting Bagstopper pattern. I changed the handle, which I'm going to change back to a ribbon. The way I did the handle was to stretchy, and if I but anything to heavy, like my school books, it would stretch from my hip down to below my knee.

I used Caron's One Pounder in black.

Third, I made a mouse pincushion. I altered the "catwarming" pattern I've been using for cat toys, by making it a bit bigger and leaving out the catnip and bell. The knit isn't quite tight enough and I'm afraid I'll loose some pins into the belly and find them the hard way.

Fourth, I made a prezzy for one of our friends who is having a baby. Thats all I'm saying so it will stay a surprise, and I will post pics after the parents get the present.