The Latest Projects and A Yarn "Report"

I haven't gotten as much knitting done on winter-hiatus as I should have. It seems I have to 'work' knitting into my day, and if I am not feeling in a "Zen" mode, I don't pursue anything of a creative nature because the "love" won't freely stream from my fingertips into the yarn as I weave a fabric that will eventually envelope someone's body. I am learning a lot about how living in a highly populated area blocks your energy. You don't even have to be "out and about." The "energy" finds you and "builds," causing an underlying irritating 'stress.' That stress blocks creative energy. This is why you will find the more highly creative people living in a rural area, or a lightly populated town. They must be in an easily accessible nature-filled setting. It makes all the difference in the world.

When you live in a place like that a peace opens your thoughts to the universal mind of Creation, and it is from this place you develop a two way communication with what needs to come into the world through your hands. Whether you knit, paint, crochet, woodwork, weave, make jewelry, sew, quilt, etc., you are always inspired through the universal mind of Creation while doing your work. Enough for now of my experience with "spirituality" and back to knitting.

I wanted to knit another Baby Surprise Jacket and did, although it seemed to 'drag on and on' and I could not wait to finish it. I used Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn" acrylic. A few members on my charity knitting group raved about it and I had to send away for it because it isn't sold in the 'usual' yarn stores. Only the Hobby Lobby stores do, and unfortunately, it does not have outlets in every state. They do have an online store http://www.craftsetc.com/ that gives great service and the prices are about as fair as everywhere else. Also; you get free shipping if your order is $25 or more. And free shipping today is a wonderful thing....

I love Hobby Lobby's private brand of yarn. I'm waiting for my third shipment. Their acrylics are superior to other brands. The yarn texture is not skimpy; is soft, but not 'wimpy' as some other brands can sometimes be. Their worsted cotton is much better than what I have been using for years (Peaches and Cream), soft and silky. It makes wonderful dishcloths and washcloths and doesn't "stiffen up" on you when dry. It dries quickly. The only complaint I have is; there is a limited color range but they have added variegated colors, which is just great!

They have also added a wool yarn: worsted weight which is 93% wool and 6% polyamide; 219 yards for $5.99. Colors are limited, but maybe they are waiting to see who's interested before they expand the collection. I would say their wool is more of a heavy worsted weight because they recommend using a size 9 needle. I have ordered one skein to see if I like it.

Here is the baby sweater I knitted with their acrylic:

The Front...........

The Back.........

For the Knitters who are reading this; I have included a photo of "I Love This Cotton" along side the acrylic "I Love This Yarn" ($2.79) so you can see how large the skein is. The cotton is $2.99 but well worth it for the quality. I have knitted with several other cotton yarns, and this one is ..... well, let me say that I will lean towards this brand for my dishcloths. For facecloths, this is the only yarn I will use because of the silky, sensuous texture when it is wet and soaped. Nothing 'scratchy' about the woven fabric at all.

These are dish and washcloths made with "I Love This Cotton." The washcloths are being donated to a Nursing Home in Virginia. The dishcloths are mine....... Geri; if you are reading this, some are coming your way in the future. You will love them!

I am also working on a Shawl for no one in particular. I want to see how it turns out first. It's a dig through your yarn stash and knit away shawl.

Here is an updated photo after adding another color.

I found a local neighborhood yarn shop (which is as scarce as hen's teeth, believe it or not) in Boston that sells high-end fibers about 2 miles from where I am staying. I went in, looked around, came out with 4 skeins of yarn and $40 less in my pocketbook! It has been so long since I have actually touched or looked at "new, fresh skeins of yarn," I was beginning to feel 'deprived.' I actually felt 'yarn-sick' and something was coming out of that store with me whether I was excited about it or not!

Here is what I came out with..........

The Lamb's Pride I already had; but the two skeins of Noro is what I took a chance on, and though I LOVE the colors in each skein, I do not like the feel of this yarn. It is scratchy like Lopi. I don't think I will buy it again unless a project absolutely has to have it and there is no substitution.

Here is a 'close-up' of the pink variegated....

And a close-up of the blue-green

The Lamb's Pride ..... is a good value for the combination of wool and mohair mix. It is most definitely a warm wool. I can personally attest that it has been tested in the sometimes 'artic' cold of Maine.

Here is the other yarn I purchased. A nice soft, yet firm wool. Not like some worsted wools that are 'air-whipped' and actually leans towards being a light-worsted weight.

When my new shipment of yarn comes in I'll have to purchase another clear zipper storage bag to store it in. The bag I brought from home is packed pretty much to the gills. I left a hefty 3 storage bags of yarn at home and travelled with enough yarn to keep me 'busy' knowing full well how much I love to add to my stash which I have been doing....