Yarn deals make me smile

I live very far away from yarn... like reaaaaaly far away from any yarn I like or would use in any project.  We have Wal-Mart, which only carries gigantic balls of crappy quality acrylic in questionable colors.  I've seen other Wal-Mart craft departments that have wonderful selections of many brands and fibers and colors, but our little half aisle of yarn is abysmal.  I obtain most of my yarns by mail order, which isn't really ideal either.

There is just no point in using inferior yarns or ugly colors in anything you have to look at or use for any length of time.  So yesterday, when I had to drive into Utah to catch some back to school sales for the boys, I talked them into stopping at a yarn shop.  I believe there was a bribery of a future steak dinner in there somewhere too.  It's amazing how easy it is to deal with boys/men when you offer them food of some kind.  Daughters are so much harder to bribe effectively.

I had a budget, and promised myself I would only pay in cash just to keep myself from going overboard, plus I gave myself a time limit, and it's a good thing too!  Oh, how I love the feel of yarn... and the colors!!  Mmmmmmm!!!  I could play there all day.

I made my choices and went on up to the checkout counter.  Of course the sales girl was asking about what I was making, and commented on the variety and quantity of yarn I was buying, so I explained to her that I was from out of state and this shop was my closest quality yarn outlet.  Then she tried to set me up on their email list, but I declined, owing to the fact that I rarely come down, and it just makes me sad to see the gatherings and the sales that I can't attend.

Well, right then and there she knocked 15% off my entire purchase.  Wow, really?

Having been in the LYS business previously I know what the markup is on yarn (which makes me crazy paying retail), so I do know this discount really didn't cut into her bottom line so very much, but it was a kind gesture on her part.

Then came the dilemma... this discount would allow me to buy another 3-4 skeins of yarn and still stay under my budget.  So.... do I take advantage of this and walk back and do a grabby hands on some more yarn, or do I smile sweetly and thank her for her generosity and leave.  (sigh)

I did the mature thing and walked away... Regretting every step toward the door, and imagining which colors I would get and what I would make.

The good news is that now I have some colors I truly love and I won't need to go yarn shopping again until after Christmas.... Right?

Playing with Lace

I tend to write out designs that never get made or see the light of day...

On a whim I decided to sign up for a one on one dishcloth swap on Ravelry.  I had planned on sending my partner one of my multitude of already finished cloths, but when she told me her family had allergies I knew I had to buy new yarn, make a new cloth and keep the kitties out of my lap while I made it.  This time I chose 'Creme de la Creme' by Coats.  I've never used it before, but I will use it again.  It's very tightly spun and has way better stitch definition than 'Peaches 'n Cream' or 'Sugar 'n Cream'.  The colors are very crisp and non-muddy.  It knits up a nice firm cloth.

I went hunting through all my notes and patterns in search of something different, when I discovered this doodle page... I had wanted to make an easy to memorize lace pattern (which is what this blog is all about after all!!) that could be made into a small scarf or cowl.  I decided to test knit my design onto a dishcloth for the swap.... On paper it reminded me of snow, made up, it looks more like trees.

So far, I'm liking the rhythm of the design and the look of it.  We'll see how it blocks out and it I take it to the next step and turn it into a real pattern.  So far it's a 'good knit in public' pattern, easy to memorize and keep track of.... Caveat is there is plenty of purling rows.  Even that top garter edge is purled (but it had to be for continuity of design).

This finished (unblocked) cloth looks very much like a watermelon to me.  Very summery and happy.  I like it!

I decided to actually wet block it with wires and pins instead of just laying it out on a towel and patting it a bit like I usually do for gift cloths.  It really defines the lace nicely.

Truth is that I rarely block dishcloths.  I normally just weave the ends in and that's good enough, but I really wanted to see how this pattern looked opened up.

Another test knit?

Just so you don't think I only make dishrags and garter stitch - LOL
Sometimes I do sit on my couch and do fiddly knitting too!

My first foray into test knitting for somebody besides a friend has turned out really great and I had fun doing it (even though it was a mindless car knit pattern).  Last weekend I was a little stressed so I decided to search out something else I might like on the Ravelry forum.  If I am knitting, people leave me alone and that's exactly what I wanted.

I chose another cowl and this one is really pretty... I'm very pleased.  It's called Rose Vines Cowl.  It's a 15x12 repeat that looks cabled, but it's just increases and decreases.

Of course I have to reign in my artsy-fartsy creative side and try not to make major changes to the designers vision.  This is difficult for me and I did make some decisions on this one.  I went with a tonal hand-paint that is the exact same color as my cat!!  Fabulous!!  This yarn is a beautiful "Sweet Georgia Toughlove Sock" in color-way Ginger.

I blocked this very aggressively to open up the lace.  I do wish I had made it narrower and longer.  I may make it again, but who knows.

This week I have to FINISH my Dunes de Sable cloths and get them sent off for the swap... deadline approaching fast.