Substitution Found!

I did my shopping and I decided on Cascade 220 Sport. It's 100 % Peruvian Highland Wool. Doesn't that sound warm?? 


Since it's a 50g skein with 164 yards . . . and I had figured out I needed 3075 yards . . . well needless to say I got out my calculator and divided 3075 by 164 and came up with 18.75 . . . and promptly ordered 19 skeins. 


In Walnut Heather.

Isn't it gorgeous? 

Off I go to sit by my mailbox and wait for it to arrive.





Maybe I can work up another pair of mittens while I wait.

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

When It's Time To Substitute

I have finished the sweater for my aunt . . . and I'm getting a little bored making fleece-lined mittens. I decided it was time to take on a project with  little 'meat' to it. Something with a pattern that would make me think a little . . . something that would make me want to knit it up so fast because I couldn't wait to wear it. You know the kind I'm talking about . . . don't you?

When I went to a knitting group led by a dear friend that use to own a local yarn shop . . . she would have been a dear friend even if she didn't own a yarn shop!! Well, I found my next project, Two of the knitters there were working on it and I fell in love with it.




It's called Counterpane Masterpiece by Nicky Epstein.

Look at it . . . isn't it gorgeous? I thought if I started now and knitted like a mad woman . . . I could have it done to wear this fall. I know it's ambitious . . . but dream big . . . right?





First step is to order my yarn. It calls for Rowan Scottish Tweed DK. I went  on-line to order it thinking about what color I want. Something light that will show off the stitch work . . . but not so light that it will show the dirt . . . because I admit it, I can be a slob. I quickly find out that the yarn has been discontinued. ERGH . . . I hate when that happens. Now I'm going to have to do a little thinking and yes . . . pick a substitute yarn. (It's always so much easier to use the yarn the designer calls for . . . lazy I know).

Okay. I can do this. The pattern calls for 25 skeins and each skein has about 123 yards. So I need 3,075 yards. It's also 100% pure wool. Since I'm going to be wearing it outside I'm going to stick with wool. I'll look at blends but I don't want anything that will pill too easily or be too soft and not allow it to keep it's shape since there will be some weight to it. I want it to have the same drape, but also be pretty sturdy since I think I may decide to wear it f o r e v e r.

Okay, I'm off to shop. I'll let you know what I pick out!

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

Sheep . . . My Heroes

It's true . . . right?!

I saw it last night on Pinterest. Obviously I had to share it with you.








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

Monday Night Knitting

Only a dedicated knitter would brave the summer heat and come out for knitting night. And we have them!!

Peggy showed us the chemo hats she has made . . . too bad you can't feel how soft they are!

















Janet is working on her blanket.













Marguerite is working on her reversible scarf.


(It doesn't seem possible that in a few months we will be draping wool around ourselves to stay warm!)












Linda made this cowl with a beautiful shading yarn.













I'm not sure if everyone braved the heat to come and meet up with friends . . . or to sit in the air-conditioning library for awhile! Either way it's always good to see friendly faces . . . and to meet new ones too.

Join us!

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

I Forgot I Hate Hot Weather

I love the beginning of vacations. Half of the fun is planning all the things I'll do . . . or not do and just keep an empty slate and act  on the spur of the moment. So I find myself with a week off . . . and a week with nothing planned. Although,  not entirely true . . . my bike is waiting in the shed to be pedaled  . . . I brought home lots of relaxing 'beach reads' . . . and I have lots of yarn just waiting to be touched.

Since it was too hot yesterday to work on the sweater I am making for my aunt . . . (I couldn't bear the thought of wool in my lap when it was 80 degrees and humid.) . . . I broke out a 'quick knit' from my stash. One skein of a silk and linen blend and size 17 needles. Cast on 35 stitches and then increase on each end. All in garter stitch. No thinking required. Perfect for a hot day. Relaxing.

WRONG! 




I guess I had forgotten how bulky and cumbersome it is to knit with size 17 needles. The stitches are so loose . . . it's so easy to pick up part of the stitch underneath and knit it together . . . even using bamboo needles the stitches want to go flying off the needles.












When I try and slide them up from the coil on the circular needle . . . well, first they have relaxed to a size that will fit about a size 8 needle so I have to tug them over the needle join . . . and then the yarn is thin so they are crossing over each other. . . so I have to stop and use my fingernail to separate them so that I can knit them in the correct order.




Have I mentioned that it's hot outside? Have I mentioned the humidity? This was suppose to be a relaxing summer project. Not. 


I decide to suck it up and persevere and give the yarn a pull to work on another row . . . and of course now the ball goes flying out of the bag and off the deck. 

At this point my daughter looks out the kitchen window and says "Hey mom, do you know your yarn is in the dirt?"

That's it. I retrieved the yarn from the ground . . . along with the pattern wilted from the humidity . . . and tossed it in the bag.



I figured it was time to break out a book . . . and wait for fall to come.

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