The Drought Has Ended
Those who have read this blog for a while know that it often features pictures of my new yarn purchases. Often. It's very difficult for me to enter a yarn store and not buy yarn. However, it's been around two months since I last bought yarn - or at least more than just a skein or two I needed to finish a project. The yarn diet was primarily because I was broke. I hadn't done my billing for three months, so money wasn't coming in. When I finally did have cash, I had to buy Christmas presents and I was sick, so I wasn't really going out anywhere. I also decided to be a bit more circumspect about my yarn purchasing. I've already got so much yarn and so little time to knit it, it's getting out of control. I want to knit the great stuff I've already got.
However, I did go the Yarn Knit while I was in Sioux Falls. I mostly was still in the low purchase mode, though. I had my sister, Laura, pick out a sweater pattern she wanted last Christmas and then knit up the sweater using some alpaca I had in my stash. The yarn felt pretty nice to the hand, but when I tried on the sweater, it was really, really scratchy. So I decided that the loose turtleneck should be knit in a softer yarn. The pattern calls for a bulky weight of the same yarn, so it's at a different gauge than the sweater anyway. So last time I was in Sioux Falls I went to Yarn Knit (their only yarn store) and bought one ball of each gray yarn that was nice and soft. But then I didn't see Laura. So I've been carrying around this bag of gray yarn in my trunk for months. This weekend I finally got to show her the sweater and have her pick out a yarn for the neck:
She picked out some Berroco Pronto. Of course, in true Berroco fashion, this yarn is now discontinued. I'm afraid one skein is not going to be enough. I did find some on eBay, so I'm buying 10 skeins. Oh well, this is a nice yarn and I'll figure out something else to make with it.
Laura also asked if I would knit her another hat and scarf set. Of course I said yes. I asked what color she wanted - she said gray and black. I asked if any of the gray yarns I had suggested for the sweater would work. She said sure, so I went back to Yarn Knit and was able to find additional skeins in the same dye lot several months later - amazing. So I got this:
An additional skein of Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky. This is a much softer alpaca. Love Blue Sky Alpaca - a Minnesota company! I'll make a hat out of this bulky yarn and it shouldn't take long.
I also picked up this:
2 more skeins of Karabella Aurora Merino. I'll make a scarf from this yarn. I'm thinking a classic ribbed scarf. This is a really nice and soft wool.
I had also bought a novelty yarn called Baby Monkey which she was not interested in for the sweater - I thought it might look cute - like she was wearing a boa or something. Anyway, she said it would be ok for a scarf, but they didn't have any more gray there. I may try to find more of this yarn online because it's really soft and yummy and make her another scarf too.
Going off my "yarn diet", I purchased this too:
I'm thinking of making the cabled wrist warmers from Stitch N Bitch Nation, but I bought 3 skeins in case I decide to make a Booga Bag instead. I just really loved this colorway.
However, I did go the Yarn Knit while I was in Sioux Falls. I mostly was still in the low purchase mode, though. I had my sister, Laura, pick out a sweater pattern she wanted last Christmas and then knit up the sweater using some alpaca I had in my stash. The yarn felt pretty nice to the hand, but when I tried on the sweater, it was really, really scratchy. So I decided that the loose turtleneck should be knit in a softer yarn. The pattern calls for a bulky weight of the same yarn, so it's at a different gauge than the sweater anyway. So last time I was in Sioux Falls I went to Yarn Knit (their only yarn store) and bought one ball of each gray yarn that was nice and soft. But then I didn't see Laura. So I've been carrying around this bag of gray yarn in my trunk for months. This weekend I finally got to show her the sweater and have her pick out a yarn for the neck:
She picked out some Berroco Pronto. Of course, in true Berroco fashion, this yarn is now discontinued. I'm afraid one skein is not going to be enough. I did find some on eBay, so I'm buying 10 skeins. Oh well, this is a nice yarn and I'll figure out something else to make with it.
Laura also asked if I would knit her another hat and scarf set. Of course I said yes. I asked what color she wanted - she said gray and black. I asked if any of the gray yarns I had suggested for the sweater would work. She said sure, so I went back to Yarn Knit and was able to find additional skeins in the same dye lot several months later - amazing. So I got this:
An additional skein of Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky. This is a much softer alpaca. Love Blue Sky Alpaca - a Minnesota company! I'll make a hat out of this bulky yarn and it shouldn't take long.
I also picked up this:
2 more skeins of Karabella Aurora Merino. I'll make a scarf from this yarn. I'm thinking a classic ribbed scarf. This is a really nice and soft wool.
I had also bought a novelty yarn called Baby Monkey which she was not interested in for the sweater - I thought it might look cute - like she was wearing a boa or something. Anyway, she said it would be ok for a scarf, but they didn't have any more gray there. I may try to find more of this yarn online because it's really soft and yummy and make her another scarf too.
Going off my "yarn diet", I purchased this too:
I'm thinking of making the cabled wrist warmers from Stitch N Bitch Nation, but I bought 3 skeins in case I decide to make a Booga Bag instead. I just really loved this colorway.
rdladd@arnan.com
