We first met at WEBS in the sale corner. She was on a lower shelf, easy to overlook, but something about her colorway got my attention. When I picked her up for the first time, I noticed a unique softness and drape that I had never felt in a yarn before. And the colors were unique, painterly, stunning.

I'm talking about Araucania Pomaire, 100% pima cotton hand dyed in Chile. It took me a little while to find something to knit with it, but when I did it was wonderful. This yarn is so soft and stretchy, unlike most cotton yarn I have worked with. And the colors--hand dyed in unusual combinations and interesting colors. So it came as no surprise to me that the next time I happened across this yarn, I simply had to buy some. This time I got 3 skeins, hoping that I could make another summer top.

And then a couple of weeks ago, while I was innocently shopping for some sock yarn for a gift, I was once again wooed by something out of the corner of my eye. Araucania sock yarn, on the top shelf, in the most delicious colors. After picking each one up, I eventually settled on this one.

It reminds me of a tie dye t-shirt, which I've never had yet always wanted. Again, it's hand painted and made of 75% wool and 25% polymide, so it's soft and machine washable! I cast on for a pair of Hedera socks and we have been knitting along very well together. Until last night, that is, when I started decreasing for the toe.

Can you see it? The top needle has 15 stitches, which means I had one more decrease round to go to get down to 13 stitches. But then count the bottom two needles: 26! In theory, there are supposed to be the same number of stitches on needle 1 as there are on needles 2 and 3 combined! I took a wrong turn somewhere, probably way back when picking up stitches for the heel gusset. I always approximate the number of stitches the pattern says to pick up and knit. I just go along the heel flap, picking up a stitch for each row of the flap, then a couple more up by the leg to close any holes. This means that I occasionally end up with weird numbers and have to improvise my decreases to get back to the right number.

So I decided to try just knitting the stitches on the top of the toe, and decreasing on needles 2 and 3 every round until the numbers matched. Finally, I got down to 13 stitches on top and bottom, and it doesn't look weird at all. Best of all: it fits!

Then there's the slight issue of the too-long heel flap. I had read that some other knitters thought it was too long, but knit it as described and it turned out fine. I decided to do the same (trust thy designer, especially when she is as fierce as Cookie A.), but ended up with a weird nipple at the end of the heel. It's just a little too long for my foot.

Otherwise, I'm quite happy with how these socks have turned out, and look forward to wearing them soon. You know, after I knit the second sock. Which could be sometime in October if I'm not able to resist casting on my other Arucania Ranco sock yarn:

What is your favorite brand of yarn? Do you stick to certain brands or types of yarn? Basically, how do you decide which yarn to buy?

Today, June 2, at 5p.m. thousands of people will gather at Times Square to join Taste of Times Square, one of New York City's most visited food festivals. Visitors can taste delicious dishes from more than 50 restaurants including Chilean Pomaire, Italian family style Carmine's and Cuban Havana Central.

"Nowhere else can you find such a diversity of chefs and cuisine from all around the world as you can in Times Square," says Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins, "and it is this that makes dining out in Times Square such an adventure."

Besides food tastings from Times Square's best restaurants, participators can watch the moves of skilled street performers and enjoy local entertainment on three stages.

Didn't have the chance to make it to this year's food festival? No problem. Just keep an eye out for Taste of Times Square 2009 at The Official Website of Times Square.

Coucher de voiles

Sur les lacs au Sud du Chili. 1987

Isla negra

Al fassia

Mon premier paysage. Chili 1985

Montagnes et Saule pleureur

Saule pleureur et montagne

Dans l’espace de mes rêves

Petit chemin au bord du ciel

Quebrada

Pointillé de pont suisse

Pointillé encore

Dans un coin du salon

Bouquet

Fleurs. Colombie 1988 *

Por tres para'isos. Honor à Hernando Socarras, 1988 *

Fruits *

Frutero

Pomaire

Inséparables

Bueno les cuento que ya cumplí con casi... casi... todos mis compromisos, creo haber salido airoso de varios de ellos, aunque con otros me gustaria afinar algunos detalles mas, para que quedaran mejor... pero por otro lado se me viene  a la mente lo que aprendí en el WorkShop,  eso de  “LA MEJOR SOLUCION, EN EL MENOR TIEMPO”, quería decir algo como: cualquier diseñador puede hacer un buen trabajo si tiene 3 semanas de plazo, pero solo algunos pueden  hacer un excelente trabajo en solo 3 días, y créanme que aprendí eso de forma practica... pero no quiero repetirlo nunca mas... a si que ni se les ocurra pedirme algo a ultima hora!!!  Jajaja

Pero... siempre el pero... como estaba entusiasmado con las entregas, se me fue al tintero el tema de “Pomaire”, si no recuerdan es el trabajo que hablo mas abajo en este blog, eso de “ al recate de las tradiciones Chilenas”, y ahora me salen con que la entrega formal del proyecto es un par de días mas, onda una ceremonia  con cóctel !!!. Destacare que tendré que tener para ese día: la marca y la papelería completa, unos tabloides explicativos, la pagina web, una presentación multimedia para ser puesta en una pantalla plana de 43 Pulgadas, la cual estará en un Stand, además de preparar un Power Point para presentar en la ceremonia para explicar que conceptos ocupe para desarrollar el trabajo...  pero también haré un reconocimiento a Alfredo, ya que el hará el Packaging, con todos sus planos, render, envases segundario y terciarios, créanme que no lo envidio.

Bueno esto es la marca que verán los gringos cuando se exporten las artesanías de los pomairinos:

Esto es  la tarjeta de visita por tiro y retiro (por un lado y otro) y la hoja carta

Después el sobre también por tiro y retiro

 
Bueno ahora a trabajar, créanme que daré lo mejor para estar a la altura del compromiso y quisas muestre el resultado final en este blog,por eso, esten atentos.

 saludos.