If I had yarn-budget, I’d have surely blown it this month. (Incidentally, I need to start budgeting my hobby-spending, I think.) But anyway, check out the yarn haulage from yesterday:

Isn’t that a lovely sight? In the front row is my order from Knit Picks which arrived in the mail yesterday. I got 10 skeins of their Felici sock yarn (4 clay, 2 Arugula, 2 pebble, and 2 Aurora) and I also got 4 skeins of Wool of the Andes in Claret Heather (to make the Irish Hiking Scarf with).

Then, in the back row of that picture, we have my haul from the Schaefer Yarn Co. trunk show at The Neighborhood Knit Shop last night. That is where I went wild:

Schaefer Heather
Colorway: Coretta Scott King

I’ve used Schaefer’s Lola sock yarn before and it’s great. Heather is a thinner sock yarn, and seems softer (to me). I got this particular one because I thought it was a nice, masculine colorway. I don’t have a lot of masculine-colored yarns and I thought with gift-season approaching, maybe I could think of a special someone to knit socks for with this.

Schaefer Helene
Colorway: Jane Addams

Helene is 50% cultivated silk, 50% merino wool. I have NO idea what I’m going to do with it — but it was so soft and silky, so pettably wonderous, that I HAD to have it.

When I was standing in line to make my purchases at the yarn shop, I was petting this yarn. When I was stuck at a red-light on the way home from the LYS, I was petting the yarn. When I got home, I made my poor husband pet the yarn. It’s just… YUM.

Maybe I should make a lovely lacy scarf with it, so I can pet it all day long? Ha ha. We’ll see I guess. This one is just going to live in the stash for a bit, I guess.

Schaefer Sandra
Colorway: Jeanette Rankin

This is the other yarn from last night that I fell madly in love with and HAD to have. I actually purchased three hanks of it (I only got one of the other yarns I bought). Unfortunately, I only got one and had to order the other two though. Hmph.

Anyway.

The photo doesn’t do this yarn justice at all. It’s baby-soft colors with a thread of iridescence woven through it. It’s heavy, and drapey, and wonderful. I’m thinking it would make a lovely shawl.

… and finally …

Schaefer Susan
Colorway: Minnie Pearl

This was actually the first yarn that I picked up at the trunk show. It’s 100% cotton and very shiny and lovely.

I debated on getting it, till I picked up a copy of this pattern. They had a sample of the scarf in the store, and it was absolutely beautiful. So I guess I know what I’m doing with this!!

On a slightly different note, I also received my order from Hello Yarn in the mail the other day. I got some roving and a drop spindle so (theoretically) I can learn to spin. Thankfully it also came with lots of detailed directions. Unfortunately I’ve just been too “duh” this week to be able to concentrate on reading the directions and trying it. Maybe over the weekend. I hope I can get the hang of it.

So…

Other than buying more yarn, I have been knitting too. But not very successfully.

I cast on my Cherie Amour sweater for the second time last night. The first time, I blamed my issues on the cheap circular needles I was attempting to use. The second time, I cast on with Addi Turbos (my new love, needle-wise). I knit five rows. On the sixth row, I counted the stitches — I’d apparently forgotten to do some yarn-overs, because I was 3 stitches short already. ARGH! Now, I could just scatter some increases in to try and “fix” it, but when I’m only a few rows into it, I hate to start fudging things. Instead, I’m thinking I’m going to frog it for the second time, and hope that the third time is the charm. But I think I may wait a few days to cast back on — because once again, I’m lacking focus this week (apparently).

So instead, I think I’m going to go back to the socks I’ve been working on. I’m about 75% done with the first sock of the pair. They’re a Christmas gift, so I want to get them done because I have some other Christmas gifts in the queue too.

And maybe I’ll start knitting up the Sandra yarn that I bought last night. I’m thinking of using this pattern. Just something simple.

I think I have enough yarn to keep me busy for a LONG while though!