My Ashford Knitters Loom arrived yesterday! I've been thinking about learning to weave, and I figured I should treat myself after the crummy August I've had so far. Knowledge of yarn and knitting probably gave me an edge, because it didn't take very long to get the hang of it. I was very pleased to see that yardage goes MUCH further on a loom than it does on a pair of needles, because one 50 gram ball of chunky yarn made a whole scarf with some left over.

I didn't want to waste a ball of good yarn in case I messed up, so I chose some itchy old handspun and cheapo nylon thread for the first attempt. It came out okay except for the stiffness--I packed the rows down way too much. (It's funny to me that beginner weavers make the same mistakes as beginner knitters. "RRRR! It's not tight enough!!") The first one (the green one) took about 2 hours to complete, and I felt confident enough to immediately "cast on" (warp on?) for another one. I finally got to use the yarn I bought in New York 2 years ago! The main ecru yarn is 100% cashmere, the pink is 50/50 cashmere and silk, and then I added a little strand of tweed every few rows. I love it!

Adam was skeptical but interested to learn how the loom worked. After initially scoffing, he admitted he thinks it's neat. After all, weaving is a man's game.

^ Just a little something I've been working on... it took me HOURS and I'm still not finished. It's very difficult to photograph angelina fibers accurately, so I'm putting together a master-list of colors to make it easier for my customers to choose. I grouped all the similar colors together to make direct comparison possible, since the individual items in the store make it hard to tell what's what.

It's hard to believe, but all 62 colors really are different, and I have more on the way!! I know, I know. You're saying, "But Natasha, you only have eight shades of green and I need NINE! NOW!" Be patient, my darlings. Hopefully all my back orders will be filled soon.

This week is bleh. (Fortunately this yarn is not.)

So... I went crazy at Barnes & Noble the other day. I got as many knit & crochet mysteries as I could carry in one armload, and I'll buy the rest of my list when I get through these.

When I showed the pile to Adam, he said "These don't really exist." It was not a question, but a statement. I assured him they do, but he doesn't believe me.

How do I pick which one to read first? I'm most curious about By Hook or By Crook because of the awesome premise: clues to a crime are hidden in a piece of filet crochet. But I've already read the first two Maggie Sefton books, so maybe I should finish that series first.

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I've been taking a bit of a break on most of my knitting. My fingers really got sore from all the keyboard catting I did, so my only real active project is a slow-going blanket for my grandparents. I can only work on it when the cats aren't around (allergies), which isn't very often.

My trip to Stitches Midwest is coming up next month and I had my first "I am unprepared" dream last night. In the dream, the person who was supposed to take me to the airport decided we should walk, and he walked us around in circles. Then I decided to ditch him, but when I got there I realized I hadn't packed any clothes, so I was going to have to spend all my yarn money buying new clothes. I had also left my cell phone charger at home and was unable to contact anyone to help me.

Note to self: PACK CLOTHES.

In other news, while browsing the shelves at the bookstore last week, I came across several knitting-themed murder mysteries. I had read a couple of them a while back, but I had no idea this was such a huge phenomenon. There are TONS of these things. And not just for knitting either, there are crochet murder mysteries, dyeing, quilting, sewing, needlework...even crafts and book binding! Here are just a few I found in a quick Amazon search, and I didn't even write them all! There are more!

by Sally Goldenbaum:
Patterns in the Sand
Death by Cashmere

by Maggie Sefton:
Dyer Consequences
Dropped Dead Stitch
Fleece Navidad
Knit One, Kill Two
Needled to Death
A Deadly Yarn
A Killer Stitch

by Anne Canadeo:
While My Pretty One Knit
Knit, Purl, Die (due out  Dec. '09)

by Betty Hechtman:
By Hook or By Crook
Dead Men Don't Crochet
Hooked on Murder
A Stitch in Crime (due out Feb. '10)

by Mary Kruger:
Died in the Wool
Knit Fast, Die Young

by Bendy Carter:
Dying to Crochet

by Monica Ferris:
Knitting Bones
A Murderous Yarn
Unraveled Sleeve