Ugh...Not doing so swift with the knitting...
It's not like I haven't had anything on my needles..It's more like I'm utterly not satisfied with what results I was getting. For example, no matter how I try, or how careful I am to knit loosely, to an extent, when I attempt the Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth, the increasing part is a breeze! No biggie! That I can do, no problem! It's just when it goes to the decreasing part- I run into trouble- my knitting gets so tight by the second row of decreasing, that I can't even get my needle through the stitch properly when doing k2tog! Ugh...So, as you can well imagine, if I'm having problems doing that, I'm NOT having any luck at all with my attempts to do the Fan and Feather scarf I mentioned last time. OK. So, I'm not using the Noro stuff...I'm using what I've got on hand...Yes, acrylic worsted...I crochet, so, yeah, I'm going to have that stuff on hand. Logical conclusion,right?
It's also JUST as logical as to find ways TO eliminate the old stash to bring in the new, so to speak! So, here's the conclusion I've reached about Knitting and I, for now. I'm going to stick to the two dishcloth patterns I KNOW I can do, and not run into any problems...meaning the Seed stitch window pattern off of the Yarn Dreams blog, and Soxy's scrap knitted cloth. - Anyway, they're both easy, and really cool looking! Well, at least I think so...Oh yeah, I AM going to do a little experiment...once that yarn from Knit Picks I ordered comes in.
I ordered the following:
Knit Picks :Gossamer in Caribbean and Sweet Pea.
( It's a hand dyed merino lace weight wool..- Okay, I know I've said the stuff makes me itch- wool..but, I'm going to test this Merino stuff to see if it's as soft as they say it is...Not to mention the colors are fantastic... I think I'm going to save the Caribbean for some baby crocheting I have in mind...and the Sweet Pea MAY end up being a shawl for Aunt Mattie...)
Knit Picks: Shimmer in Maple Leaf and Stained Glass...
( It's a Baby Alpaca and Silk blend...again, in a lace weight.)
Knit Picks: Alpaca Cloud in Iris Heather and Stream Heather...It's 100 percent baby alpaca...again, in a lace weight.
OK...now, I know you're looking at me odd, seeing as for the most part, the finest yarn I've ever used has been that baby softee by Bernat....but, other than baby yarn, I tend to stick with Cotton Worsted or Acrylic Worsted..yes, I know the cheap stuff...the same stuff that fiber snobs turn their noses up and have fits of nausea over...LOL.. But, since I'm learning how to knit, this is going to be a multiple banger, as it were.
First- experiencing working with a yarn finer than what I'm used to.
second- experience the difference between using natural fibers in contrast to the synthetic fibers I'm accustomed to. - In a sense, I want to see just what the fuss is. Find out on my own what the big deal is, and what has those fiber/ yarn snobs going into conniption fits at the mere thought of acrylic worsted! LOL...
Thirdly- These are going to be gifts...I'm planning either the Iris Heather or the Maple Leaf for Aunt Ann...Aunt Mattie will have her choice between the Stream Heather and the Sweet Pea...(Well, actually, it's my cousin Cathy who's going to do the picking and choosing for Aunt Mattie, seeing as - with either yarn it's going to have to be hand washed and all that- I don't see them doing that at the Care Home in Eureka...)
Yeah, I know...I wasn't any too practical in a sense in terms of that,but, I have a few good reasons-
1. I couldn't find any pretty superwash wool yarn in a solid, or multicolored I liked well enough to spend more than I did...
2. You really can't beat a deal like that- getting a shawl out of ONE skein of yarn! (Yes, I know, it's lace weight.. but,still!) - It's such a good deal that it was far kinder to my pocket book- one skein of yarn for less than $5...it being the good stuff that fiber/yarn snobs fall all over themselves to get their paws on, as it were...
3. I was also going for light weight,but, still soft and warm. Let's face it, elderly people don't need heavy shawls made out of worsted weight- regardless of it's fiber content or whatever...I thought going light weight, and with the yarns I DID choose...would be more practical. And,soft. let's face it, elderly people's skin is especially delicate! Heck, they ARE delicate, if you think about it!
However, this other idea I've got brewing in the back of my mind is to take some of that Shimmer- more than one color and make a shawl using the stitch pattern for the Alicia Stitch..it's a vintage stitch adaptation pattern...the original came out in 1917, or so...maybe three colors in that- and make a shawl or stole out of that...Might be really pretty...and functional! ( I definitely LIKE functional!) Maybe next month?
I know I promised I'd have batteries for my digital camera...But, I guess that's going to have to wait until I can get to Wal Mart and pick some up. Then, hopefully I'll have plenty of photos to share and all that good stuff...
Happy stitching and oogling all the fiber goodness!!
Nita
It's also JUST as logical as to find ways TO eliminate the old stash to bring in the new, so to speak! So, here's the conclusion I've reached about Knitting and I, for now. I'm going to stick to the two dishcloth patterns I KNOW I can do, and not run into any problems...meaning the Seed stitch window pattern off of the Yarn Dreams blog, and Soxy's scrap knitted cloth. - Anyway, they're both easy, and really cool looking! Well, at least I think so...Oh yeah, I AM going to do a little experiment...once that yarn from Knit Picks I ordered comes in.
I ordered the following:
Knit Picks :Gossamer in Caribbean and Sweet Pea.
( It's a hand dyed merino lace weight wool..- Okay, I know I've said the stuff makes me itch- wool..but, I'm going to test this Merino stuff to see if it's as soft as they say it is...Not to mention the colors are fantastic... I think I'm going to save the Caribbean for some baby crocheting I have in mind...and the Sweet Pea MAY end up being a shawl for Aunt Mattie...)
Knit Picks: Shimmer in Maple Leaf and Stained Glass...
( It's a Baby Alpaca and Silk blend...again, in a lace weight.)
Knit Picks: Alpaca Cloud in Iris Heather and Stream Heather...It's 100 percent baby alpaca...again, in a lace weight.
OK...now, I know you're looking at me odd, seeing as for the most part, the finest yarn I've ever used has been that baby softee by Bernat....but, other than baby yarn, I tend to stick with Cotton Worsted or Acrylic Worsted..yes, I know the cheap stuff...the same stuff that fiber snobs turn their noses up and have fits of nausea over...LOL.. But, since I'm learning how to knit, this is going to be a multiple banger, as it were.
First- experiencing working with a yarn finer than what I'm used to.
second- experience the difference between using natural fibers in contrast to the synthetic fibers I'm accustomed to. - In a sense, I want to see just what the fuss is. Find out on my own what the big deal is, and what has those fiber/ yarn snobs going into conniption fits at the mere thought of acrylic worsted! LOL...
Thirdly- These are going to be gifts...I'm planning either the Iris Heather or the Maple Leaf for Aunt Ann...Aunt Mattie will have her choice between the Stream Heather and the Sweet Pea...(Well, actually, it's my cousin Cathy who's going to do the picking and choosing for Aunt Mattie, seeing as - with either yarn it's going to have to be hand washed and all that- I don't see them doing that at the Care Home in Eureka...)
Yeah, I know...I wasn't any too practical in a sense in terms of that,but, I have a few good reasons-
1. I couldn't find any pretty superwash wool yarn in a solid, or multicolored I liked well enough to spend more than I did...
2. You really can't beat a deal like that- getting a shawl out of ONE skein of yarn! (Yes, I know, it's lace weight.. but,still!) - It's such a good deal that it was far kinder to my pocket book- one skein of yarn for less than $5...it being the good stuff that fiber/yarn snobs fall all over themselves to get their paws on, as it were...
3. I was also going for light weight,but, still soft and warm. Let's face it, elderly people don't need heavy shawls made out of worsted weight- regardless of it's fiber content or whatever...I thought going light weight, and with the yarns I DID choose...would be more practical. And,soft. let's face it, elderly people's skin is especially delicate! Heck, they ARE delicate, if you think about it!
However, this other idea I've got brewing in the back of my mind is to take some of that Shimmer- more than one color and make a shawl using the stitch pattern for the Alicia Stitch..it's a vintage stitch adaptation pattern...the original came out in 1917, or so...maybe three colors in that- and make a shawl or stole out of that...Might be really pretty...and functional! ( I definitely LIKE functional!) Maybe next month?
I know I promised I'd have batteries for my digital camera...But, I guess that's going to have to wait until I can get to Wal Mart and pick some up. Then, hopefully I'll have plenty of photos to share and all that good stuff...
Happy stitching and oogling all the fiber goodness!!
Nita
posted by Genita at
8:40 PM
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