Stitches South. It's a dangerous place

Yes, I am fail blogger. I know.  But I just got back from Stitches South (note, post was postponed till proper yarn pictures could be taken, thus explaining why this is being posted 2 days after Stitches South ended, and 4 days after I actually went) and felt I should warn anyone ever considering going to a stitches event... it is a dangerous, dangerous place.

Imagine, tons and tons of yarn in an enclosed space.  There are yarn fumes, lots of them.  There are gorgeous handdyed skeins, heavily discounted skeins (and bags!), spinning wheels, nifty knitting notions, books, handknit scarves, shawls, and just about anything you can think of that involves fiber.

I went in with a budget of only the cash I had in my pocket.  I came out with...
One skein Miss Babs "Yummy" handpainted sock yarn in color Mallard Var.

One skein Acero from Brooks Farm Yarns, color ?  variegated green/blue/purple  (again sock yarn)

One addi lace turbo size 2 circular
and that was all my cash

But I did have my credit card and well, 2000 yards (10 skeins) of Araucania Pomaire cotton yarn color 19 was just too pretty and 2000 yards for 54 bucks!  That's a shawl and a summer top right there.

So yes, budget FAIL.  But I did the math and a top and a shawl for that cash, I'd pay about that or more in a shop and this way I get the pleasure of knitting it.

In other news, the skin issues continue.  I can't knit laceweight yarn right now, so instead I've been working on the Ice Christmas socks and cast on a new shawl.  I have decided on a new crafting goal though... one thing done a month.  Hopefully that will help me keep my WIPs from exploding.

Pictures of WIPs

Sadly, I appear to have developed a rash/blister thing on the thumb and first two fingers of my right hand which pretty much prevents me from knitting.  But I did get pretty pictures of WIPs, so I will share those...

Here we see the Nubby Trinity shawl in closeup.  Look at those colors.  So pretty.  It's sitting on a brown pillow to really show them off.

The Trinity shawl in a tree, which really shows a) how big it is and b) how airy it is.  Laceweight on size 10 needles makes for a great texture in this pattern.

And the Ice Christmas sock.  This one's now done, and I have started on its mate.  And yes, it's in the same tree.  A creative photographer I am not.