Links and Stuff

It's late so I'm going to keep this short. I'm going to try to not get sucked into the Olympics tonight. I didn't sign up for the knitting olympics this time around...once every four years is enough, thank you very much. But I do tend to over dose a wee bit and it's especially gruelling when the Games are on the other side of the world and the events are live right now. Did you see the 4x100 men's swimming relay last night?? Wait wait wait...I'm not going to get sucked in. Seriously.

I promised some friends that I'd post a run down of some of my favorite online shops for yarn and spinning fiber.

High Prairie Fibers -- Unfortunately, at the time of posting, they are sold out of Ugly Batts. Check the site often, they only have so many on hand. These are a blast to spin, you never know what you're going to get. I ordered 3 pounds a couple weeks ago. There is a bit of VM to pick/shake out, but it's worth it.

Webs or Yarn.com -- It's almost too simple, isn't it? I order from them quite a bit. Great selection of yarn and most is discountable. I ordered most of yarn for Zack's afghan from Webs and probably saved 40-50%.

Another good yarn site is Elann. They carry a lot of close-out yarns so if you see something that you have to have, order it. Don't wait. It might not last. Also, check out their "Sneak Peak" link to see what's coming up. You can ask them to send you a reminder when a certain yarn is about to go online....like I've done for the yummy thick/thin wool that goes on sale tomorrow.

I also order quite a bit from KnitPicks. Their undyed yarns are what I use most often as a base for the yarns I sell on Etsy.

And finally, don't be shy about checking out the local Goodwill stores for good yarn that has been knit up into a bad sweater. I have rescued lots of good yarn this way...cashmere, angora, wool. I shy away from mohair because it's a bitch to frog. With a little patience and a seam ripper, you can come up with a good amount of very useable yarn. Ravelry has a group that has all sorts of info on how to frog a sweater, what to look for, etc.

I apologize for the lack of photos. No excuse, just lazy.

Phelps is getting ready to swim again...I really need to turn off the TV, but this guy is unbelievable. He won a gold medal less than an hour ago and he's competing again. Has anyone checked him for webbed feet and gills?