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| Santa came early to the pink cottage-I even get to keep the bins! |
Yesterday a friend of mine's face popped into my mind as I was knitting. I remembered her telling a new knitter, "I knit for two hours a day." She was trying to explain to the women who had just started knitting that it takes time, patience, and practice. They were wanting to jump ahead to complicated patterns before they had the skill and understanding. I nodded in agreement. I am a huge believer in drilling the basics.
This lady is the one who gave me the hand spun grey skeins that I used for my first Carbeth sweater last year, in addition to a lot of other quality yarn. I've made socks with it, and a short sleeved vintage sweater. She always buys such nice quality stuff.
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| swatch for the Carbeth Cardigan: it came out exactly on gauge |
Imagine my surprise when I received an email from her that very morning offering me more of her luxurious stash. I got to pick out all of this wool! She still has more to donate to the Senior Center. I was careful to choose only what I knew I would use. I am just thrilled. It feels like an early Christmas present: enough yarn to knit through my retirement. It's fabulous, and I've got big plans.
I am determined to finish the pink blanket. It's been very cold, and I wake up during the night. (even though I sleep in a Lanz flannel nightgown, flannel sheets, on a featherbed mattress, underneath a down comforter, and topped with an alpaca throw that I knit.) I think the second alpaca blanket will do the trick. I am very thin, and I seem to get colder as I get older. I only weigh 112lbs. now, which is very light someone who is 5'8". I eat like a horse, though. Lula presses against me to keep warm. She's so funny.
I have been wearing the Carbeth pullovers that I made every day, up at the cabin. They are perfect for the snow. I bought the Carbeth cardigan pattern, and plan to use the Cascade Ecological Wool for it. There's plenty. I find I always reach for the neutrals when I open my sweater drawer. How is your crafting going?
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Ooh, how lovely of your friend to share her yarn with you! You chose some beautiful colors! I see lots of knitting in your future! I started on the sleeves of my new sweater that I am knitting; it's not wool, though. Keep warm! I have the heater turned up high and am sitting right in front of it with a wool knitted poncho over 2 sweatshirts!
ReplyDeleteHi Bless, Layers definitely help. I'm glad you are warm and cozy. Happy knitting!
DeleteOh what beautiful yarns! They do look like nice quality- isn't it amazing the difference between yarns. I bet it makes you want to just sit and knit! Have fun. Looking forward to seeing your projects 🎄
ReplyDeleteIt's superb quality, LL. I'm so excited! It's fun to make swatches and decide what is in the future.
DeleteYour friend is so nice! That’s big stack of beautiful yarn.
ReplyDeleteI’m crocheting my very first top, and I think I should be able to finish it by the end of this week. I should have followed instructions for size XS, instead size S because it looks a bit bigger. If it’s too big for me, I am going to give it one of my sisters.
I agree with you about practicing basics. So far I have been using patterns with single, half double and double crochet stitches, and very simple patterns.
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DeleteThanks Nil. It's such a generous gift. Too bad about the sizing in your crocheted top. You could always rip it out and make the smaller size. Crocheting is so easy to undo. I think you will love wearing your handmade items. It's so rewarding.
DeleteHow wonderful to be gifted such beautiful yarn. I love Cascade yarns I have bought quite a few skeins over the years, it is lovely to knit with. I do hope your extra blanket means you stay warm at night there is nothing worse than being cold when you are trying to sleep.
ReplyDeleteThat's true, sustainable mum. I used to pile on the blankets when I was a child in Seattle.
DeleteOooh. That was kind to give it to you. I have so much yarn in my stash and I am off knitting at the moment. I will get back to it sometime in the New year. I tend to layer up in the cold weather so don't usually need the heating on until nightfall when it starts to get cold. I think the dark always makes it look and feel colder in winter.
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Cherie. I am wearing shawls quite often now. They really help with their softness and warmth.
DeleteYou have such a generous friend. I am also a believer in practice and mastering the basics before attempting complicated projects. I just finished 2 plaid beanie style hats for my oldest son and his girlfriend. Stranded colorwork using DPNs took all my concentration! Still working on my lace Ziggy shawl and am hoping to finish it in time to take it to London with me next month.
ReplyDeleteHi Anita, Those beanies sound lovely. I've never done stranded color work. I bet you will get your shawl done in time for your London trip. How exciting!
DeleteWhat a generous gift to receive, Stephanie. I'm sure this lovely lady knows you'll knit beautiful things with her yarn. I am stitching motifs on some squares of old Irish linen, that I salvaged from an op-shop embroidery kit, and that I will make into little lavender bags when I am done. I bought some french organic lavender, at a bulk supply shop, a while ago and this felt like a lovely way to use it. These will become gifts for the birthday of a friend coming up in January. Meg:)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a very special project, Meg. I love lavender! I'm sure your friend will love the gift.
DeleteWow, what a lovely lot of beautiful yarn, such a special gift. Many hours of joy for the future as you knit it up.
ReplyDeleteSorry that you feel the cold so badly, it's amazing what a difference keeping your neck warm will have.
I too feel the cold at night and now have a pure wool fleece under blanket on my mattress under the sheet, the difference is outstanding ! not cheap but worth every cent....like sleeping on a warm cloud.
Hi MargaretP, Thanks for reading and for commenting. I will have to look into that wool fleece under blanket. I know my dogs always like to sleep on top of a wool blanket. Maybe that's the key.
DeleteThat's very generous of your friend. The yarn looks beautiful. X
ReplyDeleteIt is, Jules. Such a pleasure to knit with it...
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