Monday, December 20, 2004

Oh the Weather Outside is Fine by me :)

Mornin’ all :) Monday rolls around again and here we are!  It’s snowing here at the moment, the fine, dry stuff that floats around and is easy to clean off your car.  The weather critter says there won’t be much accumulation but the temperatures (around 16ºF) and the wind will make the most of it.

Actually, I’m enjoying it as I’m all snuggled up in my quilt and quite cozy and comfortable.  There’s nothing I need to go out for and the view out the window is pretty (see this week’s sidebar photo to look out my kitchen window) and I have my coffee and my knitting close to hand.  It might not be heaven, but I will take it :)

I got a pair of mitts and half of another pair plus most of a hat (you already know what hat - do you even need to ask? - heheh...) done over the weekend.  The mitts I’ll need for tomorrow and the hat was kind of a surprise project that popped up last Friday.  The recipient needs it by 1-5-05 and that shouldn’t be a problem :) I used some plum colored Cashmerino from the stash and am working it on size 6 (US) needles; it’s coming out splendidly.  I had tried this pattern before with the Cashmerino on size 8 (US) needles and wound up with something so limp and lifeless as to be unwearable.  The smaller needles were the right answer - this hat rocks and it’s going to be very soft and comfy :)

There was more stash acquisition on Friday, just a little :) I went out to my little country yarn shop (I have realized that I have nick-names for the three yarn shops I go to: The mill shop, the little country shop and the little city shop.  I know their names perfectly well, but this is the way I think of them) because I hadn’t been there in quite a while and, kind of, just to visit for a while.  Janet, the owner, is a knowledgeable and humorous person and she has two dogs that are great fun.  Their names are Cassie and Bailey and they are the happiest dogs you ever saw.  Myria and I had only just gotten out of the car when these two avid little faces appeared in the shop door, big grins on one end and furiously wagging backsides on the other.  Don’t know us from Adam’s off ox and they still couldn’t wait for us to come in and play!

I’ve never worked with Encore before though I understand it’s a pretty decent yarn.  What particularly intrigued me is that this Colorspun is supposed to stripe as you work.  Wouldn’t that be fun?  It’s otherwise what I understand regular Encore to be - 75% acrylic and 25% wool.  The strand has a nice, soft feel and the yarn seems to have a nice loft to it.  I’m very much looking forward to seeing how it works up.





The bright pink is mostly gone because a pair of mitts has already come out of it.  One mitt has been made from the blue and I have one to go.  I like working with this yarn, it’s very soft and cushy and the colors are very beguiling and cheerful :).  If you follow the knitlist, you know washable wools have been under discussion for a couple of days with, in the end, no one thinking a lot of them.  I hope this yarn will stand up reasonably well as I’m using it for gifts.  It’s nice to work with and felt warm and soft but I suppose that doesn’t address the issue of wearability or longevity.





This is the one that has me really champing at the bit.  It’s 45% cotton, 40% wool and 15% nylon - not a bad combination but it was the color that sucker-punched me.  Isn’t that sweet?  It’s entirely possible that I have Christmas on the brain and am simply succumbing to the influence of candy cane décor, but I think this is awesome!  You can see how it works up here.  Peppermint striped feet!  Is that not very cool indeed?  Wheeee!!

We’re indulging in a bit of Mannheim Steamroller this morning and you know, with that and the snow outside and the thought of upcoming, peppermint-striped socks, I believe I’m mildly exhilarated!  Heheh...time for more coffee :)

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

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1. oh goodness, my yarn envy has just about gone over the edge now- i can’t wait to see the peppermint socks- all your new acquisitions are lovely and should set you up for a most knitterly new year-

   i’ve used encore yarns before with good results, but i haven’t tried their colorspun- yours looks lovely- i’m a sucker for pastels lately (wonder if all these baby girls around here could have something to do with that?) so i would be twitching to start something with that-

   i’ve always found that if you wash wools carefully, the ones that claim to be washable really are just that- none of them are at their best after rough handling and they like shampoo and conditioner just like hair does-

   snow- sigh- sounds great- enjoy it and stay happy-

   Posted by  on  12/20  at  12:51 PM
   Location : in the steamroller's path



2. Ahhhhh, the ambiance....I can feel it :) Now THAT is what Christmas is about I feel!! Thanks for reminding me to pull out my Steamroller cd!!
   Oh, and the yarn should I even go there? Absolutely gorgeous!  I like your ‘pet’ names for your stores..I think that’s cute! That’s neat to be greeting by the owners dogs...animals just make you smile!

   Posted by  on  12/20  at  01:07 PM
   Location :



3. Barb - Thanks for your tips about handling superwash wool.  As the mitts are crocheted rather than knitted, I think the stretching tendencies will be somewhat curtailed but it’s nice to hear that someone has had reasonable luck with them :)

   PJ - Some animals have more spirit than a great many people - LOL!  I also lit a bayberry candle a little while ago - Ahhhh!  Lovely :)

   Posted by Robbyn  on  12/20  at  02:06 PM
   Location : Wishing I could ride with Santa...



4. Oh I love that Clown.  I, too, am a sucker for anything fun-colored.  I am most of the way through a blanket using the Colorspun. It does self-stripe and if I hadn’t bought my skeins a YEAR apart, I wouldn’t have the dye lots problems that I am.  *looks for link* Here you go. Enjoy your weather!  We had snow here, too, but I haven’t been home in the daylight yet to enjoy it.  So the dogs and I just ran around the backyard in the pitch dark with no coats. Hee hee

   Posted by Laura  on  12/20  at  07:42 PM
   Location :



5. Laura - The mental image of you and the dogs cavorting without coats is just too cute!  I only have three balls of the colorspun so I don’t know what it wants to be yet but I’m dying to make the “Clown socks”.  Now those are going to be fun :)

   Posted by Robbyn  on  12/20  at  07:52 PM
   Location : Wishing I could ride with Santa...



6. Oh, I haven’t been to a yarn store in a while, (lots of non-knitting commitments), but I absolutely love that Marks and Kattens! Am going to have to write that down for future LYS refrence… And yet another Steamroller fan! :)
   Have a great one!!!

   Posted by  on  12/20  at  08:26 PM
   Location : Out in the country, waiting for Santa...



7. Dee - And to you!  Happy holidays and may the Marks and Kattens be yours :)

   Posted by Robbyn  on  12/20  at  09:59 PM
   Location : Wishing I could ride with Santa...



8. Nice stash Robbyn. I think you will like the Encore. I made a baby blanket and some chidren’s hats and mittens with it. I like the yarn very much. I LOVE that sock yarn. I have never heard of the brand before. Hope you have very Happy Holidays!

   Posted by Maureen  on  12/20  at  10:01 PM
   Location :



9. Maureen - Hope your holidays are fun too :) And thanks for your opinion about the Encore - I’m looking forward to trying it :)

   Posted by Robbyn  on  12/20  at  10:51 PM
   Location : Wishing I could ride with Santa...



10. I saw Steamroller in concert just a couple of weeks ago!

    Love your work and look forward to seeing the clown socks.

    You posted a couple of links to some Star Trek sequels (internet movies) a couple of months back. Would you be able to post those links again?

    Posted by Marie  on  12/21  at  08:27 PM
    Location :



11. Marie - I’ll bet that was an amazing concert!  I wouldn’t have thought I would enjoy synth music as much as this but I really enjoy Steamroller’s take on traditional music.

    Posted by Robbyn  on  12/21  at  11:09 PM
    Location : Wishing I could ride with Santa...



12. Personally, I really like Encore Colorspun, especially for kid stuff. I’ve used it for several baby shower gifts over the last couple of years. It’s easy to clean and I LOVE the slow color change. Like Noro Kureyon but without the expense.
    I’ve put a small collection of project pix on my website (always under construction) so you can see the color gradations, how lovely they are. Actually, I think the green sweater is the tweed, not Colorspun. The filel has 4 photos so it may take a minute to load.
    Encore work-ups
    Hope you’re having a wonderful holiday.

    Posted by  on  12/24  at  12:42 PM
    Location : Portland OR

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