I want to thank everyone for their input about which yarn to choose for that sweater!! I think the main consensus was the darker brown. I agree that the darker color would be better and more slimming on the sides, reminds me of an old stage makeup trick actually. Chris brought up a great point about the weight and ply! What I spun is a single ply midrange worsted so I think the Lamb’s Pride is probably the way to go. Thanks everyone!!

On with the funk.

As I’ve said (several times) before, I don’t usually join swaps. I enjoy volunteering to be an angel for swaps (and in the end I really did enjoy running the back end of Dyeorama) but I don’t usually do the main swap part. Scout caught me in a weak moment last week and talked me into joining the Funky Scarf Swap she and Beverly are running.

Ok that’s not entirely true I was just in a joiney mood last week because I also joined the Knitflix swap. Movies and knitting? I’m so there.

To be honest the funky scarf swap is perfect for me. I’m all about the funky scarves. And shawls, and music, and clothes, and kitty cats. Yes! I even have a cat named “Funk” although I spell it a little phunqy.

But the term “funky” seems to be pretty subjective and for some funky could mean knitting in *gasp* the color red while others would go so far as to knit with yarn that has little plastic African animal toys tied to it.

I have a vague plan for what I’m going to do for my swap partner. Hopefully she’s willing to go pretty funky as I’m already collecting bottle caps to do some shibori resistance felting with some yarn I’ll spin up for her. Ooooh won’t that be fun? I’ve been wanting to play with Shibori since that article in Interweave last fall!

So I’m supposed to answer these questions for my secret swap person that’s sending me stuff. Hello secret swap person! Everyone else can choose to ignore the answers but scroll down a bit to see photos of my latest FOs as they’re part of my answers
Lets get the allergy part out of the way. Are you allergic to any fibers?

Angora makes me sneeze a bit.

Do you prefer any fibers over others?

I like very soft fibers. I’m not big into the fiber snobbery but I’ve found that some novelty fun fur stuff can be very scratchy. I think that Icelandic wool can be very scratchy too. I’m good with felted stuff as long as it won’t leave red marks. Whatever it is, please just make sure it’s something that could be rubbed on your face without leaving welts.

Speaking of soft, this is a scarf I knit last night using Finn pencil roving that I kettle dyed and felted a bit. It’s vera vera soft

It’s also very short so I’m holding it closed here with a Brittany DPN

back to the questions…

Thinking back to Scouts post about what funky means to you, post an image of something that you think is funky!

Well, um, I guess I have to brag here because that was my Drag Queen Grover yarn that she posted about Here are a few photos of the finished product.

I love crazy insane insane crazy funky, funky stuff.

On the other hand, I’d be happy with simple yarn and a unique construction as well. For example, I love that new Swiss Cheese scarf from Morehouse Merino! I think that’s pretty funky too!

To me the key part of funky is fun. Just something that’s enjoyable to make and wear. Something that’s different than what you see all the time. Really, it’s just that simple.

Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern?

Either really. I think it should be one or the other though, not both at the same time. Big funky yarn tends to speak for itself and looks great with a simple pattern while a funky pattern would get lost in a funky yarn and usually needs a simple yarn to show the funk in the pattern.

What are your favorite colors?

I love good color combinations. As long as there are no fluorescents. I like bright colors but not like day-glo. You’d probably get a good idea of what kind of colors I like from looking at my stash photos!

My color tastes are usually very seasonal so since this will be in October I’ll probably be in a real Harvesty Autumny color mood.

What is your favorite piece of art?

Van Gogh’s 1889 Irises

What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face?

Day glo fluorescents. Really. Hate them. No matter what season it is.

Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl?

A scarf

When you wear a scarf do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf?

Either but I am a plus size so please consider the “Big Girl Knits” rules that I would need a larger proportion for it to look right and not like a tiny handkerchief.

Speaking of plus size proportions, Cody helped me take some photos of my big Artyarns souvenir shawl today to show how big it is

What is the climate like where you live?

It can change from super hot to super cold here in the high desert. I believe in wearing layers that can be easily removed.

Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe?

Probably one that’s more funky than functional but it can still be warm it does snow here!

What else would you like your partner to know about you?

Please just have fun with whatever you choose to make. I think that if you enjoy making it, that will show in the work, no matter what yours or my definition of funky is. Just try something new for you and have fun!!

Remember all that melty ice cream yarn I spun up from roving Cody and his Mom bought for me for xmas?

It’s taken me the longest time to decide what to make with it! With 858 yards of worsted that’s way too much for just a scarf but not exactly enough for a sweater that would fit my um, ampleness, not to mention that I feel like I’ve already got more shawls than I’ll ever actually use (not that there’s a problem with that).

I debated making another clapotis, or maybe a short sleeved ballet t. I’ve been toying with this idea for months.

When I got Big Girl Knits a few months ago I struck upon the perfect pattern:

I’m planning on using the melty ice cream yarn as a substitute for the stripey Kuryeon colors in the center panels and I just happen to have a lovely gift card for Kaleidescope Yarns some good friends in The Netherlands sent for my birthday. It’s even the exact amount for six skeins of the Lamb’s Pride Worsted that the pattern needs for the sides. So I was thinking about making it an extra special sweater using lovely gifted fiber. Yay!

Now on to another major decision…color.

I could go with a somewhat matching brown

maybe brown bear?

or wild oak?

(Here’s some of the yarn for reference)

Or I keep thinking maybe to avoid the exact color matching issue altogether and go for a contrasting green?

I keep going back to this Sage..I love this one a whole lot

Or maybe the darker would look better..like Oregano?

Any color suggestions? Should I go with a different yarn altogether that doesn’t have mohair in it? Like Cascade 220 maybe? Help!

These are actually much further along, I’m past the heel now and in the home stretch. Stretch being the operative word here, this is a cotton lycra blend from Greenwood Fiberworks I bought last February (before it got so popular ahem yeah I suck for pointing that out sorry about that). The yarn is so stretchy I’ve been having a hell of a time with the tension.

The ribbed cuff was where I held it way tight. Below that I held it way loose. In these photos I’d just started to get it going at a nice midrange and the yarn was starting to at least somewhat resemble the striping it was supposed to have. I’m not going to stress about it. Handknit socks are handknit socks and I bought two skeins of yarn so I have enough for another pair. I tend to overbuy on the sock yarn. I hate hate the idea of running out of yarn.

I’m following the pattern that came with the yarn. Fun short row heel. A few inches on the foot to go then I start a short row toe. Kind of intimidated by using the same heel rows for a toe. But I just follow row by row and trust in the pattern designer with this kind of thing.

In other news, I’m knitting up the Drag Queen Grover yarn for a non-knitting client that liked the yarn and wanted to buy it. All the while I’m doing a mental nose-thumbing at the art yarn snobbery contingent.

I hate the elitism that can come into play in the knitting world. The anti-novelty, anti-acrylic, anti-this, anti-that. I just don’t think there’s room for it in this craft. To me every yarn (and every kind of needle) has a purpose, a use, someone to appreciate it. If you don’t like it, just don’t buy it or knit with it. But this whole thing about not thinking it should exist…that’s craft totalitarianism and I will fight it. And fight it hard baby. Vive le craft!!

I finished my green tea frappuccino handspun socks last night while watching spooky movies and listening to the crazy insane rain and lightning outside. I threaded the ends in this morning

The movies were the remake of The Fog, which I didn’t like nearly as much as the original - I tend to like my horror movies cheesy and low budgeted, and Dark Water, which was actually pretty good but not heart in my throat scary, which is a feeling I should probably avoid - it comes awfully close to panic attack feelings. I also watched Closer which I thought was creepy but in a whole other way. What a cynical little bedroom drama that turned out to be.

I swear someone was shooting off fireworks at one in the morning on my street in the middle of a heavy rain. Or someone’s fireworks got wet in the rain and they went off. They do that right? It wasn’t a gun, I know this. Guns don’t make high-pitched squeals before they pop.

Have we replenished the water table yet?

Today my socks and I are watching a PBS documentary about Bob Dylan directed by Martin Scorcese (you probably know Scorcese’s very good friends with Robbie Robertson who used to play in The Band behind Mr Bob but I can’t miss an opportunity to be a smarty pants - or smarty socks.)

This week has been a whirlwind of chores, errands, and mailing stuff. Two of my good karma packages were received with high praise and I’m really happy about that. A yarny quitting smoking package to a friend of Jocelyn’s (with whom I totally sympathize) and a giant package of goodies to Gabby, who had a bum Secret Pal 8 (I think?) and Erin asked me to send her some goodies to make up for it. That’s who got the purple sagey 2 ply handspun. Oddly I don’t like joining swaps but I like volunteering to fill in if someone flakes out. All the Dyeorama Angel packages have been mailed and I’m fairly sure I won’t have to think any Dyeorama-related thoughts for at least five months now. Hurrah!

Also, I mailed out the cloths I knit for the Katrina charity exhibit at the Louisiana State museum.

Of course, I sewed the ends in and steam blocked the cloths before I mailed them out with another one knit in an unbleached cotton color. That Debbie Bliss cotton DK is a dream to knit with. I’m still toying around with the illusion version but decided it wasn’t neccessary and was too stressful for me to deal with at the moment.

I’m on the cuffs of my green tea frappuccino socks. I keep thinking “I’ll finish them tonight!” and not getting a chance to sit and knit them. It’s just sticky and gross here, not fun to knit even with natural fibers. I also have a sore neck and monster mentrual cramps. *whine*

In good news, I’m drinking a wonderful organic Nicaraguan fair trade coffee we bought from Trader Joe’s and just got some gorgeous roving delivered that I bought from Amy Boogie’s sale at Spunky Eclectic. (if you’re curious I bought some Banff, Beefcake, and Sarabella. Not to mention the loverly silk I got from the “fiber of the month” club. So it’s not all bad.