Remodeled South Broken Arrow Library is open again!

I missed my library while it was being remodeled! Today was the first day South B.A. was open since the remodeling began several weeks ago. Lest you be worried, I was not without a library during this time. We are blessed with an excellent library system in Tulsa County. Having 25 libraries at my disposal, I can drive to any one of them and pick up books, then return the books to any of the other libraries in our system {if I so desire}. Some of the libraries have even begun knitting sessions. The turnout was so big at Zarrow Regional Library, Nancy has multiple sessions going each month! Alex, one of our great South B.A. librarians, and I were able to be at Zarrow Regional on the inaugural night when West Side Knitters began!

When I found out on Saturday that today was the day for South B.A. to reopen, I carved some time out of my crazy schedule to head that way tonight. I caught them near closing, which gave me a fun photo op outside.

Join me in the children's section where you find a cozy place with stuffed animals and lots of books. I wonder what hidden treasures are behind the little door?

One of my favorite pastimes is browsing the catalog on line at my leisure ~ day or night. When the emails arrive in my inbox to alert me that one or more of my requests have arrived, I head over to the "Hold" section of my designated library {which I have conveniently picked as the location to which I want my books sent}:

Don't you just love those stuffed animals guarding our books on hold?!

Our wonderful librarians have chosen some outstanding knitting books. I love to preview knitting {and bead} books by checking them out from the library. Did I tell you books can be renewed online if no one is waiting on the book? Often library books are my litmus test. When I find myself renewing a book or checking it out again and again, I realize it is time to purchase my own copy.

Are you wondering what knitting books were on the hold shelf for me today?

Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks and Lynne Vogel's The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook. I am reading them in preparation for my first venture in sock knitting. Yes, you heard it here ~ I am going to take the plunge! Will I use double pointed needles, magic loop technique or knit two socks on two circular needles at the same time? Stay tuned for future installments of .... As the Wool Turns.

Lest I forget to tell you, I have turned on the RSS feed to my blog so you can now subscribe to it via Bloglines. Now you will not have to wonder, "When in tarnation is she going to update her blog?" Well, actually you may still wonder that since I have a hectic schedule; however, you can now be one of the first to know when a new installment has been posted. Bloglines puts a little icon in your system tray {down by the time on your computer} and alerts you when one or more of your subscribed blogs are updated.




Carpe knitting,
KZ

Happy Pi day!!!

It's 3.14 today!

Knit something Pi* today!

* Hint: Click on the Pi link above if you are not quite sure what I am talking about.

If you are further puzzled what this mathematical symbol has to do with knitting, google "Pi Knitting." You just might be surprised.

Carpe knitting,
KZ

Dishing up a Birthday Gift

I was all set ~ is that akin to "It was a dark and stormy night!" You know something is coming that changes your plans and you can almost hear the music playing.... My DIL (Daughter-in-Law) picked out a shawl for me to knit for her birthday. After much thought and deliberation, I chose Suri Dream Hand Dyed {74% Suri Alpaca, 22% Wool, 4% Nylon} from Knit Picks and cast on. I love the yarn but as I began to knit, I decided this was not the project for that yarn. I will find the right project for the Suri Dream, I promise. It will have a purpose in my yarn stash.

I had been eyeing Tapestry by Rowan and knew I had to make something with it. I decided this was the project. Tapestry is described as "a subtley self striping unique blend of 70% wool and 30% soybean. It is warm and soft and has a soft gentle drape." That sounded very cozy to me! I chose Colorway #171 Rainbow:

and planned to do the fringe in Venezia Color by Lang Yarns in Colorway #159 which blends so beautifully with the Tapestry yarn. {...notice the past tense.}


I was all set {there's that music again!}...


After playing with the pattern and becoming more comfortable with it, I decided perhaps the pattern was not quite what I should do at this time. Some friends from Naturally Needlepoint and Knitting (NN&K) had knitted patterns by




{Click on the Fiddlesticks logo above to go to the Fiddlesticks website.} It did not take long for me to decide to knit the Triple Mohair Triangle (two friends have knitted it). Here are some of Fiddlesticks' pictures of the shawl I am going to knit:







Raise your hand if you have ever changed your mind on a pattern and then you need ....drum roll please.... more yarn! ...insert trumpet sound!...



I was able to find more Tapestry in the chosen colorway, but previously had only needed one skein of the Venecia Color by Lang Yarns. Naturally there were no more skeins of that beautiful blue I loved so much. I do not even find that colorway listed on Yarndex {a clue to availability perhaps?!}


Never fear, Vickie is here! The wonderful owner of NN&K personally pulled some color schemes together for me for the fringe, then took a poll of her very talented and trusted sidekicks and they all approved the choice.



The fringe will be in a blue grey colorway of Lang SilkDream {a 50/50 Merino/Silk blend}




and GGH Soft-Kid Colorway #62.

Yarndex's description says this about Soft-Kid: "Ultra-feminine 'super' kid mohair helps you craft the lightest, most ethereal garments imaginable. Used alone or carried along with another yarn to soften and add a special glow to the finished piece. 70% mohair, 25% nylon & 5% wool. " The colors blend beautifully together. This pattern is more complex than the pervious pattern, but I really the shawls my friends have done. I know DIL will like it also.

I am eager to start on this shawl. Temporarily I have set it aside to work on a chemo hat for Leisure Arts and am running late on the hat. Changing departments at work and working overtime has eaten into my time. I was able to knit on the hat a little yesterday morning and hope to knit on it some tonight. I am using a pattern by a friend of mine. You can see the pattern if you go over to her website Pieceful Stitches, click on Free Stuff and feast your eyes on "Diagonal Rib Hat." I am using Magic Loop technique and having a lot of fun. From day one I have enjoyed using circular needles, so magic loop is "right up my alley."


Carpe Knitting,
KZ