For the past couple of weeks, I've really gotten into scrap stripes for my tabi socks. While winding out yardage for my latest pair ('Firepit'), I realized how much of a dent it was making in my stash and how much old yarn has been made into finished objects.

I usually buy a minimum of two skeins of each color when I make an order. I always have enough to make an extra pair, if one pair sells quickly or another size is requested, without having to reorder. That logic has worked out well for me over the years, but it's also resulted in stagnant skeins of accent colors. Usually, these are neutrals: grays, creams, tans, blacks, etc. Colors that work really well as a 'base' for stripe combinations.

It's nice to see the 10-20 yd scrap balls in my scrap bag being incorporated into new socks, and it's equally nice to see the neutrals being given a punch of color. I know lots of people like neutrals and single tones, but they don't inspire me like contrasts and complementing colors do. This has turned out to be a great, useful project.

Of course, now it looks like I'm crazy stripe lady!

I've posted about a bazillion times about the alpaca yarn I've ordered, but today I'm very excited.  The Bolivian post service update shows that the yarn left the country three days ago.  It's not tracking in the US yet, but it's so nice to see it finally moving along on its journey.

It takes an average of two weeks to arrive, according to them, and it's only been one week.  I'm champing at the bit to get my hands on those lovely little skeins!  Until it arrives, I'll be compulsively running the number through track-trace and the USPS website to see if there's any news on its location.

Yup, this is what I feel like right now.  The mail came today and I took delivery of a delicious 20 lb box of yarn.  It's the largest yarn order that I've made in some time, and I'm completely overwhelmed by the new colors and textures.  I'm so distracted that the 'chai latte' pair of tabi that I'm working on now are being sadly neglected.  I could have them finished in a few hours, if I didn't keep running upstairs to confirm color combinations.

I've got a bunch of new blues, a new purple, some eye scorching reds, and more black so that I can make more sizes of the most viewed item in my shop: Chrome and Black Tabi.

Hopefully, I'll be able to sit down tonight and crank out this current pair of socks.  I'm close to halfway finished, but the colors upstairs are calling!  I almost wish that the delivery had been slower!

A new wave of custom orders came in, so I'll be knitting my fingers to the bone for the next couple of days.  I'm kicking myself for being so slack over the summer and not building up a decent inventory.  I wasn't sure how the online sales would be, so I wasn't particularly industrious.  Waiting a few months for sales probably encouraged that bad behavior, too. :)

I'll know for next year, I guess.  I placed an order, including several superwash yarns and alpaca.  I can't wait for new colors, and it'll be nice to have some washable socks listed, again.