Wednesday, October 21, 2009

To-Do Lists, Tiny Huffs of Luxury Fibres, and Me

So yesterday I went to the old LYS with my friend Anna - we were there to pick out yarn for her convertible mitts/fingerless gloves that were supposed to be her Christmas present last year... ahem. We looked around and oohed and aahed over various fibres (if you've never touched Kashmir Baby, I highly suggest that you do) and finally asked one of the knowledgeable proprietors what she would suggest for our project. I'm looking at a combination of Broadstreet and Knucks (I like the top-down construction of Knucks - I found it pretty easy to figure out the instructions when I tried it out about a year or so ago). So we looked up the Broadstreet pattern and found out how much yarn in what kind of weight, and landed on Jitterbug by Colinette, a lovely sock yarn in a variety of colourways. Anna chose "Salty Dog" - it's a rich, jewel-toned teal-sapphire-navy blend, and looks absolutely amazing in the sunlight. I've started swatching, but I think I need to go up a needle size just to make sure I get the right texture.

I also got a hank of Lush - my first Classic Elite Yarns purchase ever, which is remarkable considering how much advertising I see for them every time I purchase a new knitting magazine! It is so soft and pretty. I want to use it to make Foliage. One might think that using a halo-prone yarn with a lace/leaf pattern would be counterproductive (stitch definition is greatly reduced), but I made my first Foliage with Elsebeth Lavold Angora, and it was the warmet, softest hat I have ever worn. Unfortunately, it went missing last winter. Chances are good I might have dropped it by my car or in the store where I work... or that someone nicked it. Le sigh. Anyhow, I bought a nice sort of cherry red colour and it is so, so lovely. Can't wait to make the hat - should be a nice weekend project before it gets quite cold and I really need it!

In other news, Anna and I are going to put our heads together and try to design the ultimate knitting bag. Sure, we have lots of competition - Lexi Barnes, Namaste, Lantern Moon - but who knows? Perhaps with my knitting needs and her sewing know-how, we might create the next big thing. Stay tuned!

Day-off/Weekend To-Do List:

- front pieces for the kimono cardigan
- dog sweater for Bailey
- finish test hat
- swatch for/modify patterns for Anna's glove-mittens
- drink hot chocolate and eat a couple of bon-bons

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