<

Saturday, November 08, 2008

 

"Throwaway" knitting

I have to admit that I got caught up in national politics and was pretty tense in the days just before last week's election! I started a pair of plain-vanilla socks on election night, and everything else OTN will take a while, such as Michelle's Bombshell sweater and a couple of cabled scarves. So I needed the rush from a small project FO. I had several skeins of cool handspun and thick/thin single ply wool in my stash, knit them up on size 11 needles until I ran out of yarn, and -- zah! Neckwarmers.



The lowdown: 66 yards of handpainted, handspun Shetland (it's pretty soft though) from The Fox Hop. Not only do I love this shade of yellow-green, but it was named "Squashed"--perfect. I found the directions on a blog somewhere (sorry, I forget where). Basically you CO 20 sts and do K2 P2 rib until it's as long as you want. For the rest of the knitting population who doesn't automatically have to go down a couple of needle sizes, use chunky or bulky weight yarn and size 13 or 15 needles. I threw on toggle buttons, and because of the loose gauge didn't bother with buttonholes, which is cool because that makes it adjustable! I put these up in my Etsy shop for fun.






This one is a 100% merino from Aslan Trends. I think there was something like 80 yards in the skein. I put cloisonne fan buttons on this one--I was feeling edgy--but if it doesn't sell, I may keep it because the yarn is unbelievably soft and cuddly! If I didn't overheat so easily and could wear bulky knit sweaters, instead of the fine-to-medium gauge ones that take forever, this is the yarn I would use.



This is a handpainted wool I've had in my stash for about a year and a half. It was gorgeously handpainted by Shelly of Butternut Woolens. Generous yardage, this--I've still got some left, but to make another neckwarmer I'll no doubt need to combine it with another yarn. The buttons are oblong shaped goldtone.



Note our newly painted porch rail--our house is now light beige with purple trim. Thank you Mr. Stitchjones, for doing such a bang-up job all by yourself on weekends from late summer through early October, while I remained indoors turning out my yarn and fiber creations. Yes folks, it's the Stitchjones family's "stay-cation '08".


So now I have it bad for this kind of handspun (it ain't gonna happen, my spinning friends--I have to draw the line, because my yarn shopping addiction goes bone deep). Yesterday I ordered this.



Isn't it beautiful? This is thick/thin spun wool & mohair with a bit of sparkly Angelina. The colorway is "Green Thumb" and it's from another fellow Etsian, Wildethyme. I guess you could say I was paying the Etsy karma fairy--there's even a Ravelry thread in the "Etsy Shops" group called that!--and it worked, because I sold two Little Feet kits today! My Etsy shop had been deader than the McCain campaign the proverbial doornail for over two weeks, so it feels particularly good to have made a sale at last.


Comments:
Beautiful stuff! Love that green.

I hear you about the election tension. My neck got so stiff, I couldn't turn my head. And I had a HUGE fight with my mother (whom I love, but whose uninformed political opinions make me crazy) the night before the election. (She totally started it. I apologized. She is my mother.)
 
I love those cloisonne fan buttons; they are gorgeous! Now I want some...
 
Love the neck warmers! Your fan buttons are to die for, too!
 
Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]





<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Subscribe to Posts [Atom]