What a Yarn

There’s one love that we all share: yarn. Blog about a particular yarn you have used in the past or own in your stash, or perhaps one that you covet from afar. If it is a yarn you have used you could show the project that you used it for, perhaps writing a mini ‘review’. Perhaps, instead, you pine for the feel of the almost mythical qiviut? You could explore and research the raw material and manufacturing process if you were feeling investigative.

Whenever I go into a yarn shop, I'm immediately drawn to anything in alpaca. Anything. I have alpaca based yarn in a wide variety of weights and colors. It results in such gorgeous hats, shawls, and scarfs. I've heard that it stretches when in sweater form....but I've never tried it that way. Here are two of my favorite alpaca knits.....

They are both very soft and fuzzy.

Revist a Past FO

Bring the fortune and life of a past finished project up to the present. Document the current state and use of an object you have knitted or crocheted, whether it is the hat your sister wears to school almost every day, or a pair of socks you wore until they were full of hole. Or maybe that jumper that your did just didn’t like that much…


My most used shawl is my Ishbel knit in Foxfire Fibers Fox Sox Bamboo yarn, finished in Aug 2009. I wear it all the time -- it's simple enough to fit my jeans/casual life style -- but looks good for dressier times too. I've made another as a gift and an Ishbel beret for myself...and am seriously considering another shawl in a pink-based color.

Where?

Where do you like to indulge in your craft? Is your favorite arm chair your little knitting cubby area, or do you prefer to ‘knit in public’? Do you like to crochet in the great outdoors, perhaps, or knit in the bath, or at the pub?

Most of my knitting is done at home. I have two favorite spots -- one outdoors (in good weather), the other in. Yes -- I do have a chair outdoors -- it was just rainy and the chairs were inside. As for indoors -- the fleece is an almost permanent addition to protect from the sleeping beauty (snoozing on her pad).

A New Skill

Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colourwork.
This is an easy one. First a clue.


You guessed it. The skill I want to learn is spinning. In fact, I'm taking my first ever spinning class at Webs this weekend. I've got all my supplies packed and ready to go. It's probably not a good idea to take this class and then, just a couple weeks later, go to the MA Sheep and Wool Fair. I just know I'll be tempted by all the fiber.

One Great Knitter

Write about a knitter whose work (whether because of project choice, photography, styling, scale of projects, stash, etc) you enjoy. If they have an enjoyable blog, you might find it a good opportunity to send a smile their way.

This is another tough question. I read a couple dozen blogs, not all devoted to knitting alone, and enjoy them. In fact, many do knitting, quilting, sewing, and other crafts. And there are quite a few designers whose styles/projects speak to me. But for this question, I'm going with TECHknitter, author of the TECHknitting blog. I've found so many useful techniques there. And I'm a TECHnique-aholic.

An Inspirational Pattern

Blog about a pattern or project which you aspire to. Whether it happens to be because the skills needed are ones which you have not yet acquired, or just because it seems like a huge undertaking of time and dedication, most people feel they still have something to aspire to in their craft. If you don’t feel like you have any left of the mountain of learning yet to climb, say so!

This is a hard one -- because it's just not the way I think. Not having a skill needed isn't a reason not to do something -- it's a perfect excuse to try something new (we aren't talking life or death here). My whole life is a learning experience....and there's something to learn everyday. Different cast-ons, short-row techniques, backwards knitting -- gotta try them all. My Ravelry queue has 162 items -- most of which aren't items I'm planning to make, but rather inspiration. One of the criteria for choosing the next pattern to make is that it includes a new technique to learn (the more the better). And for me -- there's no such thing as taking too much time. If I really want it, how long doesn't matter.

Having said that -- my aspirational project is to design my own. A sweater -- not just a basic stockinette stitch top-down raglan. But something that fits and flatters me -- though I don't know what that is yet. And a shawl -- in a shape that stays on my shoulders, isn't too big or small, and wearable with jeans (without looking ridiculous). The more things I make, the more I know what specific features and techniques I can use in other projects.

Starting Out

It seems like my knitting/crocheting career started long ago and far away. It was definitely long ago -- so long ago that I'm not sure how much of what I remember is real.

I first started knitting when I was in elementary school, back in the late 1950s/early 1960s. My mother taught me, but I also went to a class/classes at the local fabric/yarn shop. Back then, even the small towns had a fabric/yarn shop (back then, even the big department stores and Sears sold yarn!). The LFS/LYS was in the center of town, alongside the small A&P and IGA grocery stores, variety store (penny candy), and drug store (soda fountain). I think the store owner's name was Julie. My mother didn't (still doesn't) crochet...so I sort of learned it on my own in high school. Remember granny square fashions?

I did quite a lot of knitting and crocheting till the early 1980s -- till work really cut into my free time. So I started doing a lot more quilting and sewing -- a creative outlet with more instant gratification. When I retired from full-time work in 2007 I picked up my needles again (yes, I even had a set with the Sears packaging still intact) -- there's a lot more time now, but never enough for all the "quilting, knitting, and other fun stuff."

The oldest FO I could find is this crocheted scrap afghan. Every scrap was used till it was gone -- it's a mix of wool and acrylic -- and it's about 40 years old.

I even have some old yarn from those days. The bag on the right is tagged $4.67 -- that was for the entire bag filled with various colors. The bag on the left is a variety of acrylics, from stores that no longer exist, with prices like $1/4 ounces. The skeins feel (and look) a lot like the leisure suits of the same decade.

Sounds Like Fun

I was reading Karen's blog and saw her post on the upcoming Knitting and Crochet Blog Week. I figured why not try? I'll blog each day for a week (26 Apr - 2 May) using the given set of topics. And the best part is that I won't have to worry about any finished objects for that week!