It Is Taking Shape

I have been working on my present that my sister sent, and it is beginning to really look like something. It is lots of fun to do, and even though I save it for my "to do" while I'm doing my medical treatment (every 4 hours), I often extend the time and just keep right on working on it.
My neuropathy in my fingers means that I cannot feel the yarn. This makes life interesting, to say the least. This particular yarn is thin and light like a feather. Sometimes I spend more time figuring out if I have a hold on the yarn, or if I have a hand full of air. Once it is threaded on the needle though, I'm good to go. There is one small area that I am going to take out and do over. I'm just not satisfied with the way it looks.
I have the first crewel embroidery I ever did, and the first needlepoint I ever did, and they both are framed and hang in my bathroom. This will never go in my bathroom!! It is just too beautiful, and will get a prominent spot where people can ooooh and aaaah when they enter the room.
I will post another picture when it is fully finished.

Mink Yarn

Here is the mink yarn. It is so very beautiful, and so soft to the touch it is like touching air. They do have colors, however, I chose the "natural". I can't imagine have mink yarn that is pink.

The yarn is real mink fiber blended with fine quality Mongolian cashmere, and it was developed by Great Northern Yarns in August of 2008. The yarn has wonderful properties, and knitting stimulates blossoming of the mink and cashmere fibers. The yarn can be washed before or after knitting.

No Animals are harmed making this yarn.

It is DK weight, with 5.5 stitches per inch on #6 needles.

I have 2 skeins that I treasure, and will make something wonderful for myself with them when I come upon a pattern that is worthy. (I think I have one, but will ponder it for a bit).

You can get this yarn at http://www.greatnorthernyarns.com/.

Until next Tuesday you can get a 25% discount....yes 25% on their yarn by using the promotion code 0609. A wonderful buy, and if you are a knitter you won't be sorry, I promise.

Pretty Lace Collar

This collar was knit with bamboo yarn. The yarn is really, really soft. Bamboo yarn is the latest yarn craze, what with all the talk about trying to save the environment. Now they tell us that the processing of this yarn takes a multitude of chemicals, and the processing to make it into yarn is very destructive.

So much for going natural.

What could be more natural than the wool of a sheep or alpacca? I think from now on I will be using the wonderful wool that our animals give us.

Speaking of which, I have recently purchased some "Mink" yarn. It is collected from the wee animals when they shed, and spun into a lovely extra soft yarn that is yummy. It is very much like alpacca - worsted weight -, but much softer.

Meantime, I love this collar!! It really is very soft, so no itching or scratching on the neck. The color is great for setting off a plain sweater, and does wonders for the complexion. You can find this for sale at my Etsy store. Now, I just might make myself one.

Done!!

No picture this time.... Just updates.

No. 1............... The swiffer cover is a go. It does a great job of picking up dirt, dust, hair, and anything else that is residing on your floor. It is not meant for using as a wet mop, but if I can stop buying swiffer dry cloths, I am that much ahead, and so is the planet.

No. 2............... My "stash" is all cleaned out, sorted, and put away, hopefully in some kind of order. I did throw away two large bags of unusable yarn, and I had two large bags I am passing around to my knitting friends before I donate the remainder to charity. Our local senior center will get some and the local art center will get some for their children's programs.
Everyone is a winner with this project.
I would take a picture of the end result, but it is in a closet, and taking a picture is not feasable.

Ok everyone......... sit back, relax, have a cup of coffee or tea and join me in celebrating my temporary orderliness . Yes, temporary. I know that within 6 months it will be a mess again, and I will be starting all over.

My Stash

"What the heck are you doing???", you say. I am sorting my yarn stash. Yup, that is my yarn stash piled all over my Queen size bed. It has grown to the point of being unmanageable. What you don't see in the pictures is the two large bags I threw away, and the two large bags I will give away.

Much of the yarn I didn't remember having!! How nice..... like going to the yarn store in my storage closet. I have found some really neat pink yarn from a long time ago that will make some really nice hand warmers. I found some wonderful yarn for some men's hats and scarves, and some absolutely lovely yarn that I sill have to think about before I commit to anything.

I think this has put a stop to buying any more yarn for quite a while. Recently, I bought some yarn for a baby sweater, and today I discovered I already had that particular yarn, but at the bottom of the heap. And, that is what it was in my storage closet... just a heap. Then, there was the heap in my clothes closet that rested on my shoes, and the heap in my den that I just shoved into the corner.

I now have a box of UFO's (Unfinished objects), One is a pair of socks I was working on when I moved into this apartment in August of 2001. With only a few inches left to finish the pair of socks.....why, oh why didn't I finish them??? Another is a pair of mittens pretty much in the same condition. Another 1/2 hour and they will be done.........why didn't I finish them at the time? Only God knows.

My knitting partner from one of our upstairs apartments took a look at what I was doing as I was just finishing up piling everything onto my bed. Her eyes got real big and she burst into song: "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty" and we threw our hand into the air. It's a good thing we have a sense of humor, or I might cry.

Stay tuned for wonderful things to come out of this stash. Hopefully ... lovely things and a smaller pile.

My Etsy Yarn Purchase

A while back I purchased some yarn on Etsy. This yarn is probably some of the prettiest and nicest to touch I have ever purchased. It is from http://yarntopiatreasures.etsy.com/. The price is extremely reasonable for the high quality of the yarn. It is a wool-silk blend, and the silk is what makes it so yummy to the touch. The colors, (she calles them ecru, mocha & chocolate) are handpainted. The richness of these colors are what made me love this yarn at first sight.

I loved this yarn so much that I put it in a bowl and put it on my coffee table. Everyone who sees it can't help but oooh and aaah and touch it.

Now, here it is for everyone to see.

Someday, I will make something for myself with it.

I didn't think I would be posting while I had my rental car.... but.....

I went to the Fabulous yarn shop in downtown Saratoga Springs today - "Saratoga Needle Arts". and made my little purchase. I didn't spend as much as I thought I would. I guess I was trying to be too conservative with my hard earned cash.

Anyway, here is the result . Mostly, I got alpaca. That is the green and very pink in the back. A wonderful blend that is delightful and easy to work with. I also got some "flag" style carry-along to make a scarf for a friend that requested blue. I got a small ball of cream Sirdar, that although completely man-made, feels and works up like cashmere. Then .. in their sale bin, (and who can't resist the sale bin?) I got some peach carry-along that was just too pretty to pass up.

I think the alpaca will turn into wrist warmers and scarflettes for winter. The cream Sirdar will be a baby hat or perhaps baby leg warmers. The peach carry-along will become a scarf when I pair it with some peach angora I have that is just hanging around.

I can't wait to start working with this beautiful yarn, but must finish what I am working on first.

You now have a preview of what to expect for next fall.