This year’s haul from Stitches Midwest

Another Stitches is in the rear view mirror. This time, I took a class on sleeve cap shaping with Patty Lyons, and I have to say, this is probably my favorite class I’ve ever taken at Stitches. She explained the math thoroughly, made sure we all grasped the theory, and both knitters and sewists know the importance of a good fit around the armscye. I have put the notes from that class in a safe place, and I’m sure they’ll be dog-eared soon from frequent consultations. I think next year I might try to take another one of her classes — she was really amazing.

I didn’t go into Stitches this year thinking I would buy much. I had my little shopping list, and my budget, and some ideas for some maybe splurges if the right yarn at the right price could be found. The thing is, in the Stitches marketplace, the right yarn at the right price can always be found.

Here’s the haul.

From top left corner, top row–

– A set of Sophie’s Toes coordinated mini skeins intended for a Crazy Stripes cardigan (ravlink), once I find a coordinating yarn. I’m thinking a heathery dark gray would make those pinks really pop.

–  A new yarn winder. My old one was so bad that it is the stuff of legend. This was a necessary purchase that I’d put off for far too long.

– A t-shirt saying, “My drinking club has a knitting problem.” This will be good for the gym!

– Three skeins of Charlemont semisolid sock yarn — mostly black, with little flecks of gray, for a Hitofude cardigan. This was on my must-buy list, and I was delighted to find just the exact type of yarn I had in mind for it. The yarn is kettle-dyed, so I nearly didn’t buy it — I have a bad history with kettle-dyed yarns. But then I decided this one was worth a risk because the skeins looked consistent even under different lights.

– Two cones of Ito Kinu yarn in two shades of gray for this amazing pullover, Wavelets. I’ve been in love with this pattern since first sight, and I thought I would make it in some purple and dark teal Habu tsumugi silk, but I never could bring myself to cast on with those colors. It needs to be gray, and these cones are perfect.

 

Middle row, from left–

– A mill pack of gray DK merino with a dash of cotton. My stash is light on DK yarns, but this will work well for any of several planned projects.

– A bundle of peach and pink cotton worsted I won in a daily drawing. I expect this will become a market bag at some point.

– A mill pack of black fingering yarn and two coordinating skeins of the same yarn in different shades of gray to make the Cocktail dress. I love this pattern’s sporty vibe, but I’m toying with the idea of using red yarn instead of one of the grays.

– A mill pack of black DK merino, same as the mill pack of gray, and for the same reasons.

– A mill pack of Misti Alpaca lace in a lovely rich black to make the Oriel Ballerina cardigan. This one takes a ton of yarn, a full 2000 yards even in my 36-ish bust size, because of the wrap and tie waist detailing. I have a ton of sweater quantities of laceweight in my stash, but none with quite enough yardage, so this was on my must-buy list.

– Two gorgeous skeins of Shaky K fingering — red yarns are surprisingly hard to find, and this one was bloody enough (rather than orange or brick) to satisfy me. There’s a mini-skein of gray Three Irish Girls for the trim, too, for the SpliTTop Tee. The second I saw this pattern, I thought, RED. I can’t wait to knit it and have already wound the yarn.

 

Bottom row, from left–

– A Besties set from Another Crafty Girl to make some little footies. I love wearing footies inside my Chucks and Keds — don’t like the sockless shoe thing.

– Two skeins of amazing Dragonfly Fibers Dance Rustic Silk in the District 12 colorway, probably my favorite purchase of the show. This stuff is incredible live and up close. I wanted to buy every color, but contented myself with enough to make a Gake tee. Flip a coin to see whether I cast on this or the red Shaky K stuff first. Both are wound and ready to go.

– Two mini-skein sets from Three Irish Girls of one of their fingering yarns. I love the way they’re doing these coordinated sets — one skein in a variegated colorway, then several skeins in the solids to match. This will be a t-shirt.

– Some really cool mesh bags from Namaste. I love their bags, and I couldn’t resist these. They’re sheer enough that you can see into them, but sturdy enough to survive knitting needles.

I also bought some accessories that are hard to see in that picture — four sets of silver buttons from my favorite button vendor, two sets of stitch markers, and two containers of crystal beads — I bought two sets of beads because I wasn’t sure which size I would need for a beaded silk stole I have in mind. And they were cheap, so no biggie. Might as well get both sets and make sure I have what I need.

That was it! Lots of black and gray, but I’m in a very basic mood these days, so that suits me.

Theresa