From the Library Shelves

When I started to knit socks, I quickly fell in love with Vogue Knitting the Ultimate Sock Book. (If you don't believe me, check out my post from October 18, 2013!)

Since my mother is a sock-knitting-machine, I seem to have a never ending supply of socks . . . so of course I stopped knitting them. I moved on to mittens and finger-less gloves. It seems when I finish a pair . . . some fit great, some fit so-so, and some just did not fit. I would check my gauge and check the yarn weight and in the end I would just give away the ones that didn't fit.



My problem is solved with Knit Mitts by Kate Atherley! This book does for mittens what the Vogue Knitting Ultimate Sock Book does for socks. Directions on how . . . and where . . . to measure your hand for the perfect fit. Knitting for a gift . . . or for a hand you can't measure? No problem . . . the author did a hand-size survey and gives some averages.

Kate Atherley provides directions for stretchy cast-ons, different thumb types, felting, linings . . . and strategies for warmth! There are patterns for just a plain basic mitten, two-color mittens, thrummed mittens, cabled mittens - you name it and she has a pattern in there for you!

It's a great book to check out of your library . . . but if you are going to knit a few pairs of mittens . . . buy it. It's a must-have for your personal library.


                                                              click here to place a hold

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

                                                                                     

What's in Your Stash . . . any "Pastrami"?

Frequently the biggest question of the day in my house is the popular 'What's for dinner?' The other night . . . since it was just my son and I . . . it was easy. The left-over pastrami. After we finished, there it was . . . more left-over pastrami. Then came the dilemma. It was too much to throw away . . . but not really enough for another sandwich. What to do . . . what to do. I of course put it in the refrigerator and I hope my husband will eat it someday for part of his lunch.

This to me is Pastrami!
I will probably never use it.
It will sit in my stash until
 I go on a huge cleaning binge.

Why am I talking about pastrami on a knitting blog? Well . . . at the last knitting night somehow the conversation turned to throwing yarn away. Some were aghast . . . (yes, aghast . . . indrawn breath, raised eyebrows, and a dropped chin) . . . that anyone would even think about throwing yarn away. "It could be a stripe", "You could seam with it", "Patch with it". There were suggestions and reasons to keep the smallest ball of yarn.

Keep in mind I'm talking 'throwing out'. I'm not talking about 'giving yarn away'.

Hmm . . . I don't know. I like to think I'm frugal. I 
have a friend that never eats left-overs. Dinner is over . . . whatever wasn't eaten is thrown out. I just couldn't do that. Too often I've had another whole 
meal from left-overs. But left-over left-overs? That 
pastrami in my fridge . . . I'm not going to eat it. 
I'll leave it for a couple days and then if it's not 
gone . . . I'll make it be gone.

This I could never throw
out. It's a pair of mittens
 just waiting to be created.

I treat yarn the same way. If I finish a project and have a skein or two left over . . . well that could be a pair of fingerless gloves . . . a hat . . . a cowl . . . or yes, a stripe in a sweater. But once the second project is done . . . and I am left with a small amount . . . I confess, I toss it. No pastrami in my stash.


How about you? Do you ever throw out yarn? 




Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.