And now, my projects...but first....

So I just got back from vacation in Massachusetts yesterday where my aunt, who also knits went on a yarn crawl last weekend, so she found some good yarn stores in the area and took me to the one in Salem called Seed Stitch. That place is dangerous, in a good way of course. I recently found a pattern for a book mark on Raverly so I needed to get some sock weight yarn for it. And then there was a Celtic Cable purse that I wanted to make but the yarn I bought for it was chunky when it was supposed to be worsted. So I found some for that. I think we spent an hour or so in the store, which would have been longer if I hadn't gotten stuff at my own local store and therefore had a depletion in my yarn fund. Like the gorgeous Rown Silk Twist in Ebony that I almost bought even though I have no idea what to use it for....yet.

The people that worked there were great to talk to and also, when I mentioned how great I thought the necklaces were, showed me how to make an i-cord.So yeah, I really do like the people there and wish I lived closer. Honestly they were a little pricey, but I'll deal with that for the friendly service. By the way, the i-cord hates me and I have to retry it again because I really really like knitted jewelery.

Now that my commercial is over, here's what I bought there.

This is the sock yarn for the bookmark. I love the different colors that will hopefully knit up beautifully. If not, I have a ton of sock yarn for when I make socks.

This is for the cabled bag.

And remember my fail in felting? It took me about 3 hours to knit up take 2.

Ok so it didn't knit up as neatly as I would have liked, but I'm gonna felt this and see what happens this time around. I just want to see how it works. a picture will be posted as soon as the felting is done. 

My problem is I keep seeing yarns I want to knit with but I don't want to get it yet because I don't have a project in mind which means that I don't know how much I'll need and I don't want to over spend because yes, my funds are limited.

I also started reading the Hunger Games series which is why I didn't get more done in MA. Damn reading addiction.


Any comments, questions, anything at all, just leave me a comment! :) I like to know when people are reading.

Emily

A Few Years Ago.....

A few years ago I decided to take up knitting. My grandpa was sick and my mom suggested it as it was something to occupy my hands and calm my mind because all you can really concentrate on is the pattern. I started and thought it was a lot of fun. But then I stopped because gaming and just life got in the way. Plus the yarn I was using I just did not like and I kept getting frustrated because things were not working the way I wanted them to.

I picked up the knitting ago again and started on another scarf (my third, plus the fingerless gloves which while a cool concept, I hate the pattern that I was given by the little book I bought at Michael's.) and a hat. It was my first time knitting in the round and it was taking me a while, plus the scarf got boring, so it turned into a cowel and while my knitting went everywhere with me, I rarely really did anything with it. Then last Thanksgiving came around. I went to my aunt and uncle's for Thanksgiving, and we went to a few knitting stores and I caught the bug again. After working hard on my hat and starting a really awesome chenille scarf, I decided that I was feeling confident again to try different, more difficult patterns.

Then I found Raverly.com. No more boring scarves for me, unless I'm playing with a new yarn and want to practice with it before going with anything more complicated. I have been finding new patterns I want to make every time I go on the site, and my stash is steadily growing with every trip to the yarn store with a specific pattern in mind and a ton of cool yarn on the shelves. This blog is going to be my tracking my progress and my mistakes....such as last night when I tried felting for the first time. Yeah, that didn't work out to well. I made a small envelope purse, put it into the washer on hot with a few towels, and waited. And waited. When I took it out of washer, this is what happened:
it sucks because the yarn(Schoeller Stahl, Limbo Mexiko in Country Color) was gorgeous and knitted up and I was hoping, felting, really cool but apparently, it didn't want to work. Yes it was 100% wool, but...it was also superwash. As I found out later, yeah that won't work.

So obviously my first foray into felting failed miserably. So today I went to find some 100% wool that would work. Ella Rae's Classic Heather in a red/pink/purple color. But not superwash! I'm going to MA this week for vacation and plan on finishing this bag and starting a purse that's a cabling project while there. (I like bags)

My other project at the moment is blocking for the first time. I made this:

  

so I just have to block it so it doesn't look lopsided. and sew on the button. 

I also got my friend to start knitting. So victory! 

So yes, I will hopefully remember to post updates of my work and my favorite yarns and patterns. Yay!

Until next time. 

 

Emily