sharp points: October 2005 Archives

Goodnight Yarn!

A shot from the stairs up towards the front window (isn't it so nice and shiny?) with the new bookcases and some yarn.

This is what you'd see if you walked in the front door right now.

So today I was defeated by one Crate and Barrel Chair, a stack of cardboard, and a half oval leaf on the Gallant Desk. My furniture making mojo decided to take off for vacation, I guess. My legs certaintly got a good workout going up and down the stairs, though.

But what was my reward for doing all this? See this? This is what I got to put away.

Hellllloooo Lobster Pot and NoNo Kitty. Go ahead, enlarge the photo. You see the second cube from the right on the top row? Cashmere Lobster Pot yarn. Yes. Wasn't that a nice reward?

Why is all the yarn wrapped up you ask? Hidden from your lustful views? You want to see it already ? Well, darling, this is only our second date. I may not be a tease, but I'm certaintly not easy ;)

If you're ever around San Francisco, especially if you're down in the South Bay, please come by the store! (Monday and after, that is, unless you want to label yarn... which really, while slow, has its own rewards )

Full Thread Ahead Store Location
169 Main Street,
Los Altos, CA
(650) 948-9036 Hours:
Monday - Friday 11am-7pm (Look, open late!)
Saturday - Sunday from 11am - 5pm

Why? Why?!! Because today is the day we stuff the store!

Yesterday, Full Thread Ahead was a busy beehive of furniture assembly and heavy move-in. I wouldn't want to tease knitters who own sock needles, so I'll just paint you the mental picture to spare you the anguish of seeing of a yarn store with ... no yarn in it.

It was sunny, the new wood floors had construction dust on it, the swiffer-ish spray and swipe broom was doing more than it was ever built to do as we tackled the post construction mess. The store had light fixtures but was devoid of any put together furniture. Insert lots of people doing furniture assembly and move-in¹ and repeat for many hours. At the end of the day there were Eight (8! 8! 8!) bookcases up, many chairs, tables, and a sofa (which yours truly mostly put together, so if you sit and it breaks, come yell at me).

And yet, today, as the sun is slowly slowly coming up, I laid in bed where it seemed that my normal sleep addiction suddenly turned into ... wait for it... more bouncy than a kid on Christmas hyped up with a venti mocha frappucino. Yeah. I wasn't actually bouncing, but my head was practically playing the super bounce out music.

So evidently add stuffing an empty yarn store fuuuuuuuullllll of yarn to the things I will get up early and happily for.²

Today, I will bring my camera so you mini yarn-harlots out there can breathe with relief, knowing that the yarn store contains much much yarn goodness. Honestly, showing a yarn store bereft of yarn (other than for potential) could possibly be considered knitterly cruel and unusual punishment. Or I'd be a yarn tease.

And oh, if you should ever open a store, remember scissors, a socket wrench or three with hex bits, and your patience. If you know a good way to clean a laminate wood floor, please leave a comment!

Lastly, it looks great (what, you expected otherwise?) Just how great you'll just have to wait! The woman has wifi in her store. Wireless internet access in a yarn store. ::bounce::

¹ Sweet volunteers, should all you want is a peek at the store or to stuff yarn, please say so. Those who volunteer on a first day should expect to be put to the unglamorous jobs. This is mostly true for any volunteer opportunity that involves put-up or tear-down. Maybe some people never thought about this but I just figured I've give you this nugget of wisdom to chew on. It keeps the people who don't mind putting together jigsaw puzzles of furniture happy and people who want to fondle the yarn happy :)

² The others are travel... spectacular shopping... Though I don't bounce to get up for 7am classes, get up indeed I do.

The socks are finished! They're with my momma on a trip right now and I hope they're keeping her feet warm in their wooly goodness.

Thanks to Savannahchik who was kind enough to put up practically the entire book of Handknit Holidays

I felt the need to point out a few of my (somewhat odd) favorites: [pics copied from Savannahchik]

Somewhat odd = somewhat girly but gosh they're cute (the stockings and slippers)

Charlene also picked up the volume 4 amigurumi¹ book which features cute crochet animals which look to be excellent x-mas gifts! (And may be a good inexpensive option, too) I do have a few Japanese pattern/stitch legend books that I'll be sending her way in return for usage of the book :)

Just how cute are these little toys? Here go take a look after you loosen up your jaw to say awwww lots.

¹ Crochet, knitted, or sewn soft toys according to amigurumi along

Wow. That's a yarn winder made out of LEGOs. Makes me drool. Check out the pictures and if you, too happen to have some spare motors (not as odd as this sounds) and access to the specialized parts, go get your geek on.

Now where'd I put those k'nex Robin gave me? I need a swift.

Jess Hutchinson makes these really cute knitted robots. This would be a fun way to use your single balls of orphan yarns or odd balls.

Lots of other knitted stuffed toy ideas at her site Jess Hutch Arts and Crafts. Swoon with cuteness.

The blog has been silent on the knitting front but my needles have seen lots of action these last few days. Kae was right when she said I might plan to knit another pair of socks in the near future...

I've been a diligent little knitter, especially considering that I started this over the weekend and am knitting this on US#2's. The yarn is lovely Koigu I picked up at Knit Happens during my vacation in DC and the colorway also happens to be my mom's "LOOK!!!! PURPLE!!!!" must buy now colors. These will be her socks even though they might wind up being closer to my foot size than hers. Our feet aren't all too different in size but it is hard to get her foot into the wip while they're only on 3 dpns. Still, I run to her now and then to demand her foot. She likes to stick it out with all her toes spread and I make her unspread them before she loses a toe to a dpn. I also occasionally hold the sock up so she can see the purple blob 15 feet away. Like a good mother she makes positive noises while keeping her eyes glued to the tv except for the quick 2 second look.

The pattern is Falling Leaves and yes, the sock does look rather wide, because I figured since I knit extremely tight, I'd best use #2's instead of 2.5mm needles to ensure the socks would fit our chubby feet. Purple Explosion is a bit wide but that is totally fixable with a nice hot water soak (being careful not to swish) and a quick tumble through the dryer, I'm hoping. And too big still is better than too small...

Mods¹ - Instead of using the short row- yo method- toe and heel, I started out with a figure eight cast on except I cast on 12 stitches instead of eight. This is probably what is giving the sock the "sixth toe wiggle room" you see with the corners puckering out. The heel was a 3rd hour desperation version of Japanese Short Rowing. I have some execution issues but I still have another sock to practice them on. Lastly, I stopped short rowing about five stitches in from both edges of the heel because I was concerned that a wonky angle was being formed at the heel- it might have pulled the heel flap behind your tendon in too far causing the sock to rub. Nothing says love like handknit socks you can't wear because they give you blisters.

And that is why my left thumb hurts.
fn1. Mods = Modifications.