Archive for December, 2010
Buyer beware…where’s the cashmere?
Ran across this interesting news piece about Cascade Yarns filing a lawsuit against Knitting Fever Incorporated (KFI) for misrepresenting the cashmere content in their popular yarn - Debbie Bless Cashmerino. How scary and very sad? As a consumer, I would be flaming mad. I hope it all gets resolved pretty soon. And, if proven true, knitters and crocheters deserve a big apology from KFI and Debbie Bliss.
CAL: Country Car Coat – Ready, Set, Go!
This January, I am participating in a crochet-a-long (CAL) with the Crochet Divas on Ravelry. The pattern we chose is the Country Car Coat by Lions Brand. It is a cozy sweater made from bulky-weight yarn. Well, today the “yarn fairy” paid me a nice visit and delivered 16 skeins of Duchess by Classic Elite Yarns in a rich magenta color. Fortunately, I was able to have a bit of fun during WEBS‘ super sale and found this yummy merino/cashmere/angora blend.
So, I am all set and ready to go! Can you tell that I am just a wee bit excited?!? We are still looking for a few good hookers – stop on by and join the fun if you are so inclined.
Stopped by Looped Yarns Works for a quick visit…..
As some of you may recall, I wrote a review of Looped Yarn Works during their grand opening last fall. Today, I found myself in the city, a couple blocks from the shop, so I decided to stop on by for a quick visit. I am happy to report that it was super busy, very well stocked, and even had crochet samples on display. I was thrilled to see that – that is a huge DEAL for those of us who prefer the hook. Looped is clearly crochet-friendly and a wonderful addition to the LYS scene in the Washington, DC area. Here’s proof….
While I was there, I picked up some of Louet’s Soak – I have been coveting this stuff for quite a while and I can’t walk out of a LYS without a bag (believe me, I’ve tried; but, I can’t do it!). Well, Soak is not cheap but I am hoping that it is everything it is advertised to be. And, for those of us “yarn snobs,” good yarn wash is essential. 
Tunisian Honeycomb Sweater–Starting at the very beginning……
Let’s start at the very beginning.
It’s a very good place to start.
When you read, you begin with A, B, C.
When you sing, you begin with Do, Re, Mi.
Yes, I do love the Sound of Music. It is amazing how I can find a song from the musical to fit almost any occasion. And, the start of a new crochet project is the perfect opportunity to hum this little tune, of course.
As I mentioned, yesterday I started the body of the Tunisian Honeycomb Sweater. The back, center ribbing worked up nicely and very quickly – further solidifying my torrid love affair with Tunisian crochet.
Today, I moved on to the rest of the center body piece. The honeycomb effect is beautiful and loads of fun to make. I promise that there will be more pictures to come. Remember, this beautiful, free pattern can be found HERE.
Happy Stitching!
My “Crazy Heart” Is Happy Tonight…..
If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times….I love a good story about redemption and the power of love. I just finished watching the movie Crazy Heart and it was amazing. The music was so beautiful and watching Bad Blake’s (Jeff Bridges) slow progression downward and then rise back up again was priceless. At the root of it all, his transition was about love – the love for a little boy and his mom. Love made the character want to change his life. This message is so reaffirming for me. The power of love is unstoppable. A little drop can change someone’s life forever. If we really want to change this world, we have to embrace this notion……one-on-one, touching other’s lives, letting them know they are loved (and I am not talking about romantic love here!) is what the world truly needs. Two thumbs up for Crazy Heart!
And, best of all, I got some great hook time in while watching Jeff Bridge’s masterpiece. The ribbing is done on the back piece of the Tunisian Honeycomb Sweater and I have moved on to the honeycomb stitch pattern. It is amazing what one can accomplish with only two stitches – TSS (Tunisian simple stitch) and TPS (Tunisian purl stitch). Well, I promise to post pictures of my progress tomorrow. Good night!
Tunisian Honeycomb Sweater – Gauge Swatch DONE!
Yesterday I started playing around with the pattern for the Tunisian Honeycomb Sweater. Since I was using worsted weight yarn, instead of sport weight as the pattern specifies, I made several attempts to get the gauge swatch correct. I had originally thought that I would need a larger sized hook, but size I (5.5 mm) as written in the pattern worked like a charm. Here is the final result……
I am so thrilled with the honeycomb stitch pattern. It is easy to master and it creates such a beautiful, textured fabric. This sweater is going to be amazing…..I am thinking about making two now – that is if I have enough yarn. Isn’t destashing a wonderful feeling?!? I bought this yarn probably 10 years ago while on vacation in Orlando, Fla. (I always make a point to visit a LYS or two while on vacation.) I attempted to use it to make a baby sweater for my son 8 years ago (!!!), but I never finished. In reality, I never made it past 10 rows! So, I frogged it and have begun anew. I am so excited…..this seems like a fast pattern too. YIPEEE!
Just in the “St. Nick” of Time…..
Merry Christmas everyone! We had a wonderful, quiet, celebration…..every year, I try harder and harder to make Christmas about Christ and our family, and less about the gifts. Of course, the kids got almost everything they asked for and then some from the grandparents…..but, I did manage to tamper expectations quite a bit and I am pleased.
I wanted to share an update on my hubby’s Christmas gift….I did finish it…..today, Dec. 26th. I gave him the 95% completed version under the tree, and then took it right back to finish it up this afternoon. I ended up scrapping my design idea – I will come back to it one day – and going with the Tahoe Hat by Marcy Smith. As a surprise, I worked up a matching “Tahoe scarf” using the same dc flo/blo stitch pattern. I used up every single bit of his alpaca/merino yarn and I am very happy with the final product.
Saying Goodbye……Frogging Tonight
It hurts, but I have to frog hubby’s Christmas present – The Sterling. That’s the story with designing. The truth is there is alot of frogging involved, not to mention math ~ rip it, rip it.
Well, I am going to start over….maybe I will pull an “all nighter” and get it done in time. The good news is that I am on vacation beginning tomorrow and will have lots of extra hook time.
Happy (well, for me, not so happy 
) Stitching……
When did I become a yarn snob?
I have always loved yarn…..for as long as I can remember, I have always gotten immeasurable joy from the soft, cuddly feel of yarn fibers in my hands. I even remember as a very young child playing in both my mommy’s and granny’s stashes with envy. Once I hit about 8 or so, I would save up my money to buy the $0.99 skeins at Woolworth’s, Rose’s (do you remember this store?!?), and K-Mart. Soon, I graduated to JoAnn’s and Michaels, where I would easily buy 10 skeins at a time. And, then, about 5 years ago, I discovered luxury fibers and I have been hooked on them ever since. I remember my very first skein of super wash merino. I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out why it felt so much softer than Red Heart. I finally knew then that not all yarns are created alike.
My yarn budget has increased dramatically (now at about $500/year – that does breakdown to only $40/month, though, and I do save up for major events like the MD Sheep and Wool festival), but I am drawn to the “good stuff” – like fish to water. It’s become an obsession really. I rarely even look at those lonely remaining cheap acrylics in my stash. When did I turn into a yarn snob? I totally need this tote from Yarn Play Café for Christmas. St. Nick are you listening?!? Yarn (the “good stuff”)and this tote will do. 
What’cha Got Cook’n?
Boy, did I have a crappy day…..so, as soon as I got home I decided on some food therapy and to break out the BBQ skills. I am too stressed to eat it, of course; but it sure looks tasty. I’ve got one lucky family!
