Mittens and more (The one with a lot of links)

Since I gave up knitting Watermelon Cardigan, I now have 4,287 yards in total (minus half a 4-yr sized sleeve, but it's usable, too, in need), 13 colors of Knit Picks Palette.

This amount of yarn can be a burden. Or a joy.

It's simply a joy for me. Naturally.

One of my favorite knit designers, spillyjane uses Knit Picks Palette a lot. I did a quick pattern research, and found 23 mittens and socks of her design with Palette. So far, only a couple of them (Swedish fish and Willistead) are on my queue. My Palette stash is very heavy on greens and purples because, before Watermelon, I tried Tulip socks as a practice piece (sad over-preparation.) I don't have a lot of vivid colors such as orange and red. But I have a good amount of accent/background colors such as two balls of black and more than one and a half balls of white.

I thought I am out of my stranded colorwork phase, but, apparently, I'm still in there. My favorite designers list on Ravelry (SpillyJane, Kathleen Taylor, Nanette Blanchard, Eunny Jang, Tuulia Salmela ...) tells me so.

Planning again.

I can't believe it's five years since I made this.

I don't quilt often.  It's like scrapbooking for me; I don't enjoy it as a crafty hobby, but do it as a very satisfying (when done) chore.  When there're ashamedly huge amount of pictures to be sorted, I just put them in albums.  No fancy stickers nor cutting into cloud-shape/heart-shape the pics.  When there're enough amount of worn-out clothes and old sheets, I just cut them roughly to reduce the amount.  And when there're enough amount of usable fabrics, I start thinking of cut them into squares or strips and put them together.  No new fabrics.

This, baby blanket, is made from old bed sheet.  I just couldn't throw it away when we moved from Kyoto to Texas, so I tucked it in my "craft" bin and brought it overseas.  Finally when we thought it's OK to feel happy and get prepared to welcome our baby (it happened rather slowly, cautiously, after several years of unsuccessful infertility treatment, and, with our scientific but superstitious Japanese mind, we'd been telling ourselves not to disappointed if, when, something goes terribly wrong) , it was there.  I folded it in half inside out to get smoother surfaces, sandwiched a thin batting and just machine-stitched along the edges.  To put all the layers together, I needed some more stitching.

This is what I did.  Sashiko.  

The pattern is Asa no ha (hemp leaves), which is traditionally used for baby clothes, because hemp grows very fast, and also because it (the pattern, rather than hemp itself, I guess) is considered to have a magical power to fight against evils.  

These days, I dream of sashiko project a lot.  Maybe the warm, a bit too warm for wool, weather makes me think about cotton.  Or because I saw Pomatomus a lot on Sock Knitters Anonymous group and can't get Seigaiha pattern out of my mind.

I believe sashiko technique can be used to make an afghan square.  How about a fingering-weight stash busting project?  A tube, set flat with Sashiko pattern stitches with contrasting color to make an 8-in square.  Hmmm.  

Sock sweater

This month's Sockdown! challenge is about "underappreciated" patterns. (And knee-highs.)  I can't help downloading patterns after patterns the members chose for their challenge. 

But at the same time, I know it's impossible to knit all of them and wear them.  I already have more than 150 sock patterns as pdf.  And the patterns in the books I have in my bookshelf.

I asked myself if I am OK with wearing mismatch socks.  That will half the work.  But still, it's far too much than I want to do.  Besides, I am not OK with wearing mismatch socks.

What if I knit just the legs?  Leg/arm warmers?  More than 150 pairs?  NO.

What if I knit just one leg?  Mismatched leg/arm warmers?  About 80 pairs-worth?  NO.

What if I connect them?  Sampler tube scarf?  Hm, not bad, except it takes forever.  Maybe as leftover sock yarn project #1.   

What if I knit a big tube, for a sweater?  Connecting panels of each sock?  I have tons of fingering yarns anyway. (If I have to, I'll stand corrected.  Not "tons".  "Pounds" just doesn't sound a lot.... or have I lost the sense already?)  Hm.  I can make a sock sampler sweater.  Sounds good.  Although I am not fond of lace socks on my feet,  I am completely OK with a panel or two on my sweater.  I am going to make a huge amount of planning, but, that's what I will need to do before starting a big project without buying any yarns, anyway.  

I can still knit socks, from the patterns which have to be socks.  Like Cat Bordhi's uniquely constructed ones. 

Well, first, I'll finish sweater WIPs.  Colette, Leavened Raglan, Watermelon Cardigan.  Big planner, I am.

No knitting

I took my daughter to a local amusement park. I decided not to take any knitting project today. When I told so to her, my little knitter disagreed with me, saying "Just in case,mom." And put her coloring book and crayons in her bag. I finally put my glove project in my all-in bag but didn't reach for it all day (I'm in the train on the way home right now.)
I don't mean I never thought of knitting. Like gelato cone in the pic. Great design for socks, isn't it?

Spend just to satisfy myself

I have been thinking a lot about my stash these days.

Its sheer volume is overwhelming and almost embarrassing.  I know there are a lot of mega-stasher out there in the knitting world, but, thinking about the size of my house and the fact I'm not making any money with knitting, my stash is just too much bigger than me.  I should not be ashamed of, though, because it's not a selfish stash.

Those yarns I salvaged from my mother's house was meant to be something for the families.  Inheriting her yarns means I am taking over her position as "family knitter."  Now I got a good excuse to knit more - it's something I can be happy about.

I think now I knit somewhat like knitters of years ago; Knit with what you have in your hand.  Years ago, before internet yarn shopping, before LYS, knitters depended on local yarn or what they get from agents.  They knit what they need to, adding a little bits and pieces of fun here and there.  Labor knitters had less fun.  

Now I'm a family knitter of modern age.  I can knit guernsey or Nordic colorwork, even lace.  I can knit in any design my daughter likes.  There's no limit by tradition, age, social position on designs.  I am FREE.  I'm only limited by the yarn I have.  Gauge issue have to be solved by double-, triple-, or even quadruple-stranding and choosing one or two size larger/smaller, but those are what I'm always doing anyway.

But still, from time to time, I feel "I gotta buy yarn".  I'm addicted to knitting, crocheting, and buying yarns.

My solution for it is, to buy yarns for my friends.  And for a single, small project as "vent" knitting.  Like buying just two skeins of Noro Silk Garden for a scarf.

I found out another solution just today.  I have never bought on-line patterns (download & pay-pal kinda stuff) before.  I think I can replace yarn-buying with pattern-buying.  Not started yet, but I have a vague feeling this can be dangerous.  Unlike yarns, pdf files doesn't require any storage space.  

eight ninety-four in seventy-three

I finished cataloging my mom's yarn, all but one. 

My stash has now 55627.9 yards / 31.60 miles / 50.86 kilometers of yarn, plus 1062 grams / 2.34 pounds of Aunt Lydia's #10 crochet thread PLUS 894 grams / 1.97 pounds of Gokuboso (2ply or Lace weight).  And one more (next post).

894 grams of Gokuboso in 73 colors.  Yes, seventy-three.  

Almost all of them have lost their ball bands. There are some which weigh exact 1 oz. and still have small piece of paper at the end tucked in the center. They probably are new balls (Why, oh why did you take bands away, mom?) You can safely guess that she didn't care sticking to one brand. There are six bright reds and ten grays, two navy(!)s. They are not the same, you can tell when you se them side by side. They are in different colorways, not just in different dye lots, or so I think.

There are a lot of "embroidery thread" of 100% wool, too. I had no idea that such a thing exists.

I think this picture explains all above.

Grrrrrrrranny squares.

I think I am going to add it as a new project on my Ravelry notebook.  

Or try plying Gokubosos with my spindle.  Theoretically, plying two 2plys make a 4ply, which is fingering equivalent, right? 

Sad news

We lost Gaspard.  Possibly my daughter left him at doughnut shop table or somewhere and somebody took him away.

Good thing I have leftover yarn and eye parts enough to make another doll.

Bad thing I'm fed up with making crochet amigurumi right now.

After all, I am sure I'm going to make another ASAP.  I have joint responsibility for his loss because I said OK to my daughter when she wanted to take him with her.  My daughter is still only four years old.  I sometimes forget that, though.

sigh.

Something for myself

I have finished four pairs of socks, two pairs of fingerless mitts (Mosaic mitts for Aunt Kei is done!), one pair of Selbu style mittens, one pair of Selbu style gloves, one shawl, one cover shorts, one crochet skirt, one neckwarmer and one hat over these three month.  I'm pretty satisfied with my productivity.  Everything but my casquette is for my family and friends I love.  I am such a happy knitter surrounded by these circle of people who likes my knitting.  And all the joy of knitting, finishing them is mine.  I am the one who had fun.

Am I OK to think it's about time to knit one or two lovely stuff just for myself?

Like...

Leavened Raglan from Knits 2007 Fall issue?

I did a swatch over a year ago and got yarns (Patons SWS -Soy Wool Stripes) enough for the project (or so I think).  It needs a little calculation because my yarn is thinner so this swatch is off gauge if I should follow the pattern, but I like the fabric of my swatch.  I'll simply go for a bigger size (=more stitches), but which size I should choose?  I need a sit-down time without any distraction.  I'm not bad at math at the level required to knitting, but I'm almost 40.  My brain needs to be treated nice to function OK.

Ah, but, a light but soothing knitting before that.  Because I got this little beauty from my friend.

My daughter, who is surely on the right track as a knitter, said "You can make a hat with this rainbow (her term for "multi-color") yarn!" at the moment she saw it.  She may be a genius.  (Of course I had checked your pattern, Janet, but I didn't notice first this is the exact yarn you used for it.  I'm sorry, but, forgive me.  I'm almost 40.  Oh, did I just mention it?  Oh, no.)  To show her my respect as a knitter, I have to make a hat for her.  Or should I put this skein in her stash?  Hmmm.  

Anyway.

I'm all set for a little selfishness.  ... After ongoing pair of socks (Sockdown! January project, Clover) for my cousin, though.

Resolution 2009

1.  To participate in Sockdown:Ravelry! as much as I can, starting January.

2.  To spin more.  Considering my drop spindle is tucked deep in the bottom of my "craft" container, even a very small amount would make it.  

3.  To lose weight.  Seriously.  My upper body look exactly like my mom in my age (she had, no, still has,  much more cuter legs than mine.  Sad reality.)  Her diabetes, blood pressure problem, and hospital stays (twice this year) make me think about my health.  I'm completely healthy (had a check-up on August) besides overweight.  So was my mom when she was my age.

Happy holidays - my next post might not come up before mid-January. 

Mittens mittens all the way

At mom's hospital, waiting for her surgery done, I was knitting a liner for this;

Yarn; tweed yarn from Avril Sanjo's bargain bin (840 JPY per skein - one skein made this)

Pattern; Casquette (キャスケット) by Clover Japan

Needle; US 7 circular needle

I love it.  My husband likes it.  My daughter says "mom, you're super cool and cute!".  I think I have to make one for each of them.

Yesterday, waiting between the visits to ICU, I finished the second mitten;

Pattern; Annemor #2 in Selbuvotter by Terri Shea, with butterfly pattern from Butterfly Sock by Coriander and a little bit of flowers and veins added to make the stranding easier

Yarn; Knitpicks Essential (colorway; Gulfstream - blue) 20g and Kanebo Cattleya (colorway; 280 -pink) 14g

Needle; US 0 DPN (Brittany 5 inch - love this stuff)

Now I officially declare that I love mitten knitting.  Not gloves.  Before finishing these two, I had finished this;

Pattern; Annemor #7 in Selbuvotter by Terry Shea

Yarn; Ski yarn chu-boso, 1002 (natural white) 40g and 1003 (black) 26g

Needle; US 1 1/2 (2.50mm) DPN (Knitpicks Harmony DPNs.  I never regret buying the set.)

- and don't want to knit those fingers for a while.  One thumb per one mitten is OK.  Maybe I can do one or two fingers, but not four, and only one or two fingered glove surely looks stupid.  Artiodactyl Mitten?  NO.

I am trying out chu-boso (compatible to fingering weight in US standard) yarns from Japanese yarn manufacturer, a couple of them, to find out "my favorite, go-to yarn" in Japan.  I am not just knitting a swatch or two.  I will make mittens from the book above, Selbuvotter.

And before that, I have to make one fingerless pair because I made a promise to make a pair of these for my sister.

Pattern; Mosaic Mitts by Sandy Cushman, in Interweave Knits 2006 Holiday issue

Yarn; Knitpicks Essential, Navy, Pumpkin and Tuscany Multi

Needle; US 1 1/2 (2.50mm) circs - magic loop, if I remember correctly

My mother is recovering very well, to start talking yesterday afternoon.  So happy that I went ABC craft at Tennoji to get yarns for my sis's mitts and brim liner for my casquette, after I left the hospital late afternoon.

I have four mittens on my "next" list, thinking of it.  Two from Selbuvotter, one for my sis, and SpilliJane's lovely Heather's Mittens Pattern.  Looks like I never get sick of fingering yarn knitting.

Done, done, done and done. And more.

I finished this year's Christmas knitting.

From left to right; plain 2x2 rib with Zwerger Garn Opal Regenwald / Rainforest (color 2033), Peace socks with Diana Collection Naif Mela (color 6655), Lighthouse Gansey Sock with Hamanaka Field (color 1), and Jaywalker with ONline Supersocke 100 Holiday Color (color 999).   I think it's just a coincidence, that all these four yarn has their colorways in number, not  something like "mystic forest green" or "fantasy cream" .

I had finished Jaywalker way back in July (or June?), as a tranquilizer-type knitting during the stress of moving.  The rest are done in November.  All of them was very satisfying to knit.  All different, all good, all not-so-free-of-worrying (do they fit??).

Am I sick of socks?  A little bit.  What I'm knitting right now is..

Another pair.  My daughter's 6-in foot socks with ShibuiKnits Socks (color 41301, number again!).  Plain, stockinette stitch socks with a little lacy ladder on sides.  This is not a holiday knitting.  She outgrew two pairs and kept patiently waiting for a new pair.  This is an everyday knitting.

After this, I'm going back to Swatch Selbu gloves

which miraculously fits my husband.  Again, this is not a holiday knitting.  I'm just trying out new yarns.  This is a study knitting.

For mindless knitting, my daughter's knit cover shorts.  After those, I must be sick of fingering yarns.  Or not?  ... Anyway, I need a new hat.  A casquette with gorgeous tweed yarn from Avril.

This is hobby knitting.  Fun, and Joy.

'Tis the knitting season.

Usahana

Pattern; Blue eyes - Usahana , in 「ハローキティとサンリオキャラクターの　はじめよう！かんたんあみぐるみ」

Yarn;  Hamanaka Wanpaku Denis in 8 different colors (15g most - what to do with leftovers?)

Hook; JP 5/0, bamboo

The biggest challenge about this project is, making up my mind to get all the colors of same yarn.  Since I am in Japan, and the pattern calls for Japanese yarn, finding the exact yarn is not a problem.  It's the cost.  One ball costs about 400 yen.  Although I had one color from different project, 7 balls × 400 = 2,800 yen, means this doll costs almost $30.

After all, I couldn't resist to see my daughter's smile.  I am so happy now, seeing how delighted she got her.

FYI, white with blue polka dot skirt she is wearing was sewn by her Grandma (my mom in law).  She sews, I knit and crochet.  Never crush into each other.

For the leftovers, I am thinking of making this Totoro doll with the blue (used for right ear and eyes), and white from the pink and white hat.  (Yes, the pink for the doll and the hat is the same color.  No, I had to buy a new ball, because I had used up the leftover making a small small Tawashi and needed more for the doll anyway.)  I am having THAT feeling, yes.  That feeling I, am going,  to need, to buy another ball of those two colors because I run out of yarn in the last row.

Subs, continued

I went to Yoshikawa, a craft store which has, in my opinion, the best variety of yarn within my reach (means, where I can take my daughter with me and shop and still can cook that day) this Thursday.  A little bit disappointed with yarn selection, but got 13 skeins anyway - this project needs 8 colors, and, although I have one of them, I still needed other 7, a little upset when my daughter started crying over lost (= thrown away) VHS tapes of Hamtaro (she found button collections of Hamtaro caracters and remembered how much she loved the show), bought one each of  whole 48 colors of 20cm x 20cm felt cloth for projects from this and this books.

My disappointment was not about the store, but the yarn itself, mostly.  Looked like all the yarns from Hamanaka are too soft and smooth.  I am into more wooly, sticky and (probably) itchy yarns these days.  Of course soft and smooth and merino-ish yarn has a lot of beauty itself, but, it is not what I am looking for.  Especially for fingering to sports weight yarns I would assign to stranded colorwork project.  Hmm.  

Then, last night, I noticed I looked over one thing.

Woolland 7 is pretty wooly, sticky yarn which felts beautifully.  How about finer selection from Nikke Victor Yarns?  Isn't it the same, or similar fiber and make as thicker ones?  My only buying option for them is online yarn store like here.  It's OK.  Oh, I can't wait.  I will try one skein each of white and black, making Selbu mittens and gloves. 

How about a double-knit scarf with the soft chu-boso (fingering-compatible) Hamanaka yarn I bought anyway (because it's so soft!  Did I say I don't like soft yarn?  I LOVE soft yarn!!)?

Everything wooly

Kyoto has four seasons.

I knew that.  Yet I forgot that until I got frozen on a playground bench at 3 PM last Saturday while crocheting Tawashis, keeping an eye on my daughter.  I wore a long-sleeve and figured it would be warm enough.  I really have to remember how to get dressed in layers.

Now, I am looking at my queue on Ravelry again, rearranging it, adding Nether Garments by EZ in case I can't find leggings from UNIQRO nor MUJI.  Suddenly, I am feeling I don't have any yarn for my project. 

I am pretty sure my husband will ask for more pairs of socks.

pink and white and off

Pattern; Hat for an Adult by Anne Kubelik (on KnitList)

Yarn; Hamanaka Wanpaku Denis  colorway 2 (cream) and 9 (pink)Needles; JP 5 (3.6mm) 7" DPN set of 5

Made for; my daughter

My daughter started taking a swimming class this October.  She loves playing in the pool (with a floating, so far), and the Beijing Olympics inspired her.  We take JR to the next station, walk 5 minutes to the fitness club every Friday.   While waiting for a train on the elevated Tambaguchi station on the first day (rainy), I noticed she needs more warm clothes this fall/winter.  She has spent all her life in warm (too warm) Houston area, and has a whole cabinet-full of summer outfits.  Yes, she has two knitted hats and pairs of socks in wool and cotton jackets, but they are far from enough for around-freezing-temperature winter of Kyoto.  Wooly thoughts are rushing on me now.  She got two hand-me-down pullovers from her cousin.  How about leggings? Tomten jackets by EZ? 

Actually, she didn't need one more hat.  She just got hit by "I have to have this!" idea when we went to buy additional yarn for this project

and found this yarn.

She refused to put the skein down, so I offered the easiest way to leave the store peacefully;  To make it into her hat.  Deal.

It's a 70% acrylic, 30% superwash wool casual yarn.  Not the softest yarn in the store, just was right in front of her (means; 80cm above the floor), and is PINK.

Although when asked, she says her favorite color is blue, she chooses pink a lot of times from wide variety of colors for her garments.  Girl.  I love you.

Back at home, we looked up patterns on Ravelry together and found one to fit both our tastes. The pattern was written as a text file in a fixed-width font (Courier? I love those typewriter-like look), chart and all.  I thought it was no problem.  Wrong.  I should have re-work the chart on a graph paper before CO.  Either I misread it or it is off.  The snowflakes look like they are pierced with a bamboo skewer.  Good thing my daughter doesn't care and color contrast is not strong.

I made a modification on the shape, leaving it as a rectangle and put a pompom on each corner, instead of sewing it up and make it cone-like shape.  I think I love Kitchener Stitch now.

The button on the left side is Melonpanna from her favorite TV show in Japan (next to Weather Forecast), Anpanman. 

Seeing I chugged it out just in two and a half days, and how gorgeous it looks on her, my husband suddenly realized that he walks 15 minutes from the station to his office everyday.  He also pointed out the fact that he walks either before the air warms up or after the sun went down.  OK.  I got an opportunity to make the chart right.  And he doesn't care it rectangle, would like it to be more conservative, toque style.  OK, OK. 

Scarf...

Second post of the day.

I felt somewhat wrong about NOT posting any knitting-related thing for a long time.  I am knitting (not for a few days but will break a fast right after posting this), but getting a little sick of knitting only socks, as I mentioned a while ago.  That is making me not so excited about picking up the needles after a hectic day for sure.

Today, I asked my daughter which of these two skeins she likes better for her next socks.  

     

As I (and my husband, too) expected, she chose the first one.  She says because it has blue (her favorite color) in it, and more than that, colorful.  "This one is just.... pink." was her word for the second one.

She said it's OK for her that I make a scarf, not her socks, with the pink one.

Hmm.  For this girl, "because it's just pink" is not a positive comment.

I will happily knit Omo scarf with the pink yarn, anyway.

Moving Update 7/3

What I & my husband did today;

*Decided how to do about our bedding.  Because the shipment takes weeks, we just can't peel the sheets off the bed and pack them (hint; weeks of humid and very warm condition combined with used sheets. Gonna be filthy.)  We are not going to take them with us all the way from L.A to Toronto to New York, where we travel before going back to Japan.  We really don't have any choice than to throw them away, except to wake up early on the moving day and wash & dry them before packing. Our decision is throwing them away.  I have a few new sets for each already packed and shipped.  But I know some part of my heart tells me "Hey, just a thin single layer cotton fabric or two.  It doesn't take long to dry up!"

*Learned that I can't make online application on Change of Address at USPS.com.,  because we need  our mails to be forwarded to my husband's office, which means family address changed to business address.  I am not so sure what they are worried about, but they just don't accept it.

*Learned that all I have to do to let mail forwarding done is (or so it looks like is) to go to the nearby post office and get a form (which comes with Lowe's coupon and everything), fill it and post it.  I don't think it makes sense.

*Went to post office anyway and got the form.

*Got a copy of medical record from the doctor's office (my husband).

*Made an appointment for my daughter's check-up.

*Packed and sealed one box.

*Packed several more boxes but not sealed.

*Bagged several garbage bags. But garbage truck doesn't come on regular schedule (Friday) this week because of the holiday.  Really hope they come on Saturday.  Really.

Although every day I feel I could scream/sob/giggle all day, sock knitting is keeping me from breakdown.  My project right now is Back to Basic from knitty.  It would be easier to knit on 2 circs, but I only have DPNs on hand.  Not really a big problem, but a little fiddly.  

Next is going to be Ambrosia Socks from Knitting Daily, if not a lacy scarf I am daydreaming frequently.  Like Leaf Lace Scarf by Janet.  

Happy 4th of July!

8 days to the final shipment
11 days in Texas
21 days in America

MacBook cozy

Ravelry on MacBook
Originally uploaded by O'Chica

(Oh, I am using the same photo again!)

Getting a lap-top means I can access to Ravelry almost anytime. It's a dangerous situation....

Anyway, it's natural to plan a MacBook cosy, right?
I have just the right yarn. Omega Sinfonia in rainbow colors, leftovers from this;

Mercerized cotton is ideal for this project, I believe.  And the color.  I want a shouting COLOR to hold all-black cubic thing (however flat it is).

Fair Isle color planning

Another "future list" a.k.a. daydreaming.

When we visited Canada(Ottawa,where my husband had a conference to attend and one day in steam engine trip to Wakefield, Quebec) last October, the autumn leaves were literally shining.  Most of the one week stay, the weather was cloudy to rainy, wind was chilling.  The leaves were still beautiful under the grey sky.  But, on the day we were planning a train-ride, it was clear, sunny and warm enough for us to have lunch outside, right by the river.  Blue sky, red, yellow and green (lots of shades of green) leaves, quiet river.  One day, I will make a sweater of those colors.

One more sweater planning.

We named our daughter after Bluebonnet flower, the State Flower of Texas.  Naturally, we go out for a photo shoot every year this time, to take pictures of my daughter and "her flower."  This year would be the last, because we are moving back to Japan as my husband's job demands.  I feel sentimental to whatever I see this spring.  Yes, spring time in Japan is also beautiful and I love to see those cherry blossoms and young leaves of willows over the little stream of Kyoto.  But, but....

So, I decided to make a sweater of Texas spring wildflowers.  Indigo blue, blue-purple, white, pale pink, bright orange-red, yellow, and bright side of greens. 

I am not an "intarsia person".  I would love to make these sweater with Fair Isle style small pattern works.  For Canada Autumn Sweater, background will be dark grey-charcoal grey-black and pattern color moves from green, yellow , orange, red to blue in bright tones.  For Texas Spring Sweater, background will be somewhat muted greens and pattern color will be the colors of all those flowers.  Small lice in red, big circle or cross with  fill-ins in Bluebonnet flower color. 

I will spend a lot of time choosing the yarns.  

Lace Scarf

My Friend Cynthia's beaded lace scarf. I have never, ever thought of knitting with beads (OK, maybe just a thought),  it was dreadful to think about fiddling thousands of beads. Here, pretty simple and beautiful project. She is thinking of second scarf with same pattern with beautiful silk/camel yarn. I have never, ever thought of knitting silk. Any exotic fiber is beyond my imagination. I have never tempted by musk ox, camel, yak, nor vicuña. Except alpaca, yes, and llama (I do have one hank of llama yarn bought in Colorado) . Her projects whisper me getting one little hank of gorgeous silk or oh-so-soft-and-beautiful something (I can't find anything from my poor knitting vocabulary). For my next birthday present, for example.

edited; I removed her photo from this post.  I don't have her permission to use the photo.  It is on flickr, public setting, but I don't think that means I can use her photo without asking her.  As a common sense.  It's not that she got mad at me to use her photo or anything.  I post it, and went to bed, and it seemed to me that I did a wrong thing. I am going to ask her about it via e-mail.

edited again; Cynthia kindly let me use the photos.  Thank you so much.