Persistence Pays Off

Yay!!! Today, I received the yarn I needed for my Christmas stockings. I asked my client to order the yarn from Knit Picks, because it looked like it would be a perfect match (gauge and color) for her stockings. I was right! WOO HOO!!!

Here's the yarn and stocking together - couldn't be better.


And here is another photo, without flash. It STILL matches! :)

In Other Knitting News....

Aside from the lovely gloves and Christmas stockings, I'm also in the midst of knitting a cape, and a ribbed hat, among other things.

Here's the latest view of the cape. I'm halfway up the back now!


And the hat is going well also.

Cedar Chest is FULL

Remember my new cedar chest? Well, it's filled to the brim now, with lovely wool yarns and a few handknitted items. Time to buy another chest! Ha!

Yarn Adventure for Christmas

As you know, I've been commissioned to make three Christmas stockings. She's already paid me for two of them. I told her to pay me for the other one "on delivery", to give me an incentive to finish them. (tee-hee)

Anyway, when I agreed to make them, I had an idea of the yarn I would be using. I figured it would be easy to get a good match. HILARIOUS!!!! The yarn has turned out to be the most frustrating part so far! :P

To start with, here's a photo of the original stocking I am using as a guide. It was knit with acrylic yarn a LONG time ago:


When I saw the colors, I immediately thought, "Red Heart Sport yarn would be perfect".
So, I went to my local Michaels, Hobby Lobby, then finally AC Moore, and found the Red Heart Sport in red, green, and cream. I also found Red Heart Designer in a great blue to match.


I was happy with my purchase, and set it aside to start working on it in a few days. My time was focused on making gloves for Cottage Yarn. Aren't they pretty so far?


In the midst of this, I had also been asked to make some samples for a new yarn shop in Charlotte, so I was figuring that out as well. AND I was working on a cape for the Bernat blog I've committed to doing. (I think I need ONE more thing to knit, don't you?) Ha!

So, after a few days of divided knitting, I took a look at the Christmas Stocking project again. I looked closely at the stocking, then looked closely at the yarn, and said, "Oh my gosh....this yarn is too thick." UGH!!!

So, off to Hobby Lobby I went, because I remembered having seen "I Love This Yarn" sportweight in the right colors. I was able to get a refund on the Red Heart yarn at AC Moore, so that turned out okay.


Then, I took my new yarn purchase home, and tried knitting a swatch with this thinner yarn. No go....STILL too thick. ACK!!!! :(

Back to Hobby Lobby I went on the following day....and got another refund. I kept the green yarn, because I figured I could make it work if necessary....the green was the hardest to match. So, there I was....starting over again.

This time, I got SERIOUS, and went to a real yarn shop. Cottage Yarn, where my cousin happens to be the owner. :) I was happy to see my cousin there, so I could show her the gloves I'm making to display there. She loved them. Yay! After some mutual glove fondling, I told her all about my problem with matching yarn for the Christmas stockings. I showed her the original stocking, and asked if she had any yarn that would knit to a gauge of 28 stitches per 4 inches (7 stitches per inch).....IN THE RIGHT COLORS.

We searched for quite a while, and only came up with two yarns that might work. Katia Mississippi 3, which is a cotton-blend, and Universal Pace sock yarn.



I had found some Delft blue DMC floss at AC Moore that matched the blue section, and figured I could just double strand it to knit the eyes and shirts on the stockings. Not the best option, I know, but I was desperate. So, now, here was my new yarn configuration:


I wasn't too happy about it. Because, now I would be using FOUR DIFFERENT YARNS to make the stockings. I didn't feel like it would knit up well. But, I thought I would have to settle for it.

Then, when I got home, I had a brainstorm.....Why not just knit it with all wool yarns? My client said that she never washed the stockings, because she was afraid she might mess them up. So, this gave me hope. I then remembered that I had a nice red wool in my stash. Bear Brand Ever Match Sock and Sweater yarn. So, I went digging in my cedar chest, and found that yarn at the bottom of the chest. Gorgeous yarn.


I knit a swatch with the red yarn....wonder of wonders. It matched gauge PERFECTLY!!!!!
Hallelujah!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!

I couldn't believe it....I think I fell to the floor in tears.

So, now I had a little bit of hope. I wondered if I could possibly find a match for the blue, green, and cream in my stash. I spied a skein of Knit Picks Palette in White, and quickly knit a little swatch. Again....PERFECT GAUGE!!! YAY!!!!!

Unfortunately, the white was too light for the project, but I had a great feeling inside. I decided to look at the Knit Picks website, to see if I could find a match for the other colors. EUREKA!

Chicory is a perfect match for the blue.
Cream is a perfect match for the ivory.
Grass looks VERY CLOSE to the green.

So, I'm ordering yarn from Knit Picks for the stockings. They will all work together nicely, and should look very professional. I'm so pleased!!!

New Cedar Chest!

I am SO PLEASED to have a new cedar chest in my craft room. We found it on clearance at a local antique store for a great price. Yippee!!!


It looks like it has never been used. The original tag and large label are still attached from when it was made back in the 50's or 60's. Nice!

Here's how it looks when it's opened:


The label still attached:


And the tag, stil hanging by it's original string, hooked at the front of the chest.


The inside of the chest smells WONDERFUL, and will make a perfect home for my nice yarns and handknit wools. Yay for me!

Current Knits in Progress

I have so many WIPs (works in progress), that it's just ridiculous.
23 projects, to be exact.

Most of them are high priority, but I have a deadline on six of them, so those are the ones I'm concentrating on right now. In between working on those, I'll grab an Oddball Charity Blanket, and add another row to it.

My deadline projects are:

Bernat - "Side Button Hooded Cape" for new Bernat blog (going live in October)
Cottage Yarn - Lace gloves from Fall 2009 issue of Vogue Knitting
Commission for a Client - 3 Vintage Christmas Stockings
Yarnhouse Knits - 3 knitted samples for the shop

Here is my progress on some of those:

Side Button Hooded Cape


Lace Gloves


Vintage Christmas Stockings
(So far, I've just selected the yarn)


I've also started one of the samples for Yarnhouse Knits, but don't have a photo right now.

In addition to those high priority items, I'm working on these as well:

Oddball Blanket #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and the Orphan Blanket (finishing up)


Bulky Jacket for me


Silk Shrug for a friend


Chenille Lapghan for my mother in law


Lace Curtains for my craft room


Chemo Cap


"Dream by Moonlight" Shawl for me


Fair Isle Headband


Mohair Lace Scarf (my design)


Lacette Drop Stitch Scarf


Simply Anne's Infant Sweater


Chevron Lapghan


Harry Potter scarf for my hubby


Noro Lily Drop Stitch scarf



In addition to those things, I also want to cast on the following:
Wool baby jumper for Cottage Yarn
Purple shawl for my sister-in-law
Illusion scarf for my son
Something pretty for my son's girlfriend
Socks for a musical friend
Lapghan for my stepson
Lapghan for my grandma
Shrug or Cardigan for my mom
Sweater for my hubby
Cushions for my hubby's CPAP machine
Sunglass pocket for my hubby's sun visor in his car
A gig bag for my keyboard (I'll probably sew that instead of knitting it.)
Slipper socks for most of my family
Hats and socks for family and friends
Chenille lapghan for our house
Lapghan for my mom
Ribbon top and wrap for a friend
Sweater, Vest, Scarf, Hat and Gloves for me

I wonder if I'll ever make all of those things? Ha!

Oh well, at least I have goals and plans. :D

A Wonderful Day of Knitting and Yarn

Yesterday was an awesome day. I was busy all day long, meeting with friends about knitting projects.

To start off the day, I met with a young man that will soon be opening a new yarn shop in Charlotte. The shop has a website right now, but there's nothing to see yet. It's called "Yarnhouse". Cool name, and the owner is cool too. :D

We met at Amelie's French Bakery, which is also a cool place. I was afraid that I might not be "hip" enough to go there, but I felt very comfortable. They have amazing pastries and comforting beverages, and the atmosphere is eclectic and fresh. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. So, they are ALWAYS open. ;) Nice to know that I can go there anytime I want. It's a great place to meet friends to knit, because there are so many nice places to have a seat and relax together. Wonderful!

Funny thing....when I first arrived at the location, I didn't know how to get into the bakery, because it just looked like a warehouse building to me. Little did I know that the entrance is actually on the SIDE. Ha! But, I was lucky to meet the owner of Amelie's, who was just coming out of the building from the warehouse-looking part. She let me in the back way, by unlocking the door with her key, and I was THERE! Very nice of her to help me find her shop.

Anyway, back to my original story. I enjoyed meeting Chris (the owner of the new yarn shop), and we immediately started talking about his new yarn shop. He is full of excitement and dreams...you can see it in his eyes. I'm happy for him also. He asked me to knit some samples for his shop, and gave me the yarn to work with.

Queensland Kathmandu Chunky


Hacho


Silky Wool


I looked on the internet last night, and chose patterns for each of the yarns.
The Kathmandu will become a "Cabled Hat of Awesomeness"
(you have to sign in to Ravelry to see that one)
The Hacho will be "Berryhill Fingerless Mitts"
(the free pattern is listed on the right side of the webpage)
And the Silky Wool will be "Saartjes Booties"
(the free pattern is on the right side of the webpage - in English and in Dutch)

I think those will be fun knits. :)

Back to my story again, because my day was not over yet!

When I left Amelie's, I said goodbye to Chris, and headed over to Brodt Music to buy some music for one of my piano students. Then, I taught one lesson to a new student. She's a sweetie!

After the piano lesson, I went to Barnes & Noble in the Arboretum to meet with a nice lady that has asked me to knit some Christmas stockings for her. I have found the free pattern online before, and have always wanted to try making it. So, it's nice to get the opportunity! It's a vintage pattern from 1945. http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/christmas/1945-stocking.htm

She has asked me to make three of them, so I'll get lots of experience with it! It will be a fun project too. She has paid me to make them, so it's actually a "commission". Nice to make some money for my knitting. :D

When I left that meeting, I drove over to Books a Million in Cotswold, to see the ladies that meet there every Wednesday night for a knit night. I wanted to show my completed blanket to the nice lady that donated wool squares to me for my charity knitting. I had used those squares to make a wool baby blanket for the Afghans for Afghans project. She loved it!


So, you see, it was a long day, filled with lots of fun knitting and yarn....just like I promised.