This morning I was agonizing. I kept thinking “I really need to go to the yarn store, but if I go to the yarn store, then the blog will be late. Should I stay here and blog, or should I go to the yarn shop?” Halfway through my second cup of coffee the caffeine hit a high enough level in my bloodstream and I realized what the hell I was saying and put on my coat. (“Should I go to the yarn store”……who did I think I was for a minute there?)
I got a little sock yarn,
and another shawl kit in green. (Don’t start with me. The yarn is discontinued. That means there will be no more. Ever. In the world. Do you understand me? I need to make sure I have enough. No, I don’t know how much “enough” is, but apparently I’m not there yet.)
New business.
I’ve started a new cardigan.
This one’s a kids size, and I’m rather ashamed to tell you that I can’t name the yarn. For reasons known only to my former self (or whoever keeps breaking into my house and messing with the stash) this yarn was carefully stored in large ziplocks in my “primary stash zone” with the ball bands removed (No….let me just answer here, I don’t know why I would remove the ball bands. Your guess is as good as mine), but I did carefully write cotton/acrylic on the bag. There are several possible explanations for this.
– the yarn is cotton. Some other yarn in the bag was acrylic
-the yarn is acrylic. Some other yarn in the bag was cotton.
-the yarn is a cotton/acrylic blend (frankly, this is the one I’m leaning toward. The yarn just feels like a cotton/acrylic blend. Of course, I don’t remember buying a yarn that was a cotton/acrylic blend, but that doesn’t mean much. I think I have a yarn buying trance state that I enter in situations with extreme yarn conditions. I don’t remember buying half of the stash. I don’t let it bother me.)
– the yarn is neither cotton, acrylic or a blend, but is instead some yarn of a completely unrelated fibre content that got jammed into a leftover ziplock that I didn’t notice had writing on it while I was trying to be a better person who keeps an orderly stash. Naturally, since I am me, all attempts to organize my life or have a labelled stash and things in an orderly fashion are doomed to result in chaos, confusion and the absolute opposite effect that I was aiming for. In fact, instead of being a knitter who has this stash of power that makes total sense and is accessible and inspiring it would turn out that I am actually a knitter who inexplicably removes the ball bands from yarn and jams them into an enormous stash of other yarn that is remarkably similar, none of which I remember buying.
I have to admit that this last one is pretty likely too. It’s nice yarn though. Tomorrow, we discuss “button bands – vital and underestimated or a stupid idea that Stephanie should adapt out of the cardigan pattern.” Extra points if you can guess which way I’m leaning.
Yarn Harlot
You realize now, of course, that the best choice is to go to the yarn store and then blog about it. 🙂
I am laughing about the mystery yarn bag, so carefully labeled, yet not informative at all. I am laughing because, while my co-workers think I am so amazingly organized, what they don’t know is that I seem so only because I have a mind like a sieve. If I don’t leave myself little notes and guides on how to do things, I never do anything the same way twice, even things I do every day. (Argh.)
Of course we understand why the blog was late, now…. It’s okay.
You can do a burn test on the yarn. Take a piece of the yarn and put flame to it (lighter or match). After it has burned for a moment, blow it out. If you have crust, it’s acrylic. If you have gray ash, it’s cotton. If you have both, it’s a blend. There is quite a science to this, i.e. color of flame, burns fast or slow, smell, etc. I used to work at a fabric store where we often got yardage unmarked.
Googling “burn test for fabric content” will yield some good results.
PS. Please take appropriate precautions not to burn yourself, others, or property. 😉 (and other disclaiming notices, yada, yada)
But if you DO a burn test, make sure you invite Hank. Little boys *love* playing with fire (thank goodness my house is still standing and my little boys are both big and responsible now. We won’t talk about that speeding ticket.)
And hey, I bought that same Fortissima–fun stuff!
Thanks for the drop in, I am anticipating all sorts of new traffic to come from being your next door neighboor! I only had to make a small bribe to the ringmaster 🙂
The sweater is a gift for a nephew across the country, if I get a digital fashion show (and I *better* or no more cool scarves for his mother) then I will be sure to post it!
Late? I didn’t know there was a deadline. 🙂 And really, we’d rather you go to the yarn store and then tell us about it. (Not that I didn’t spend two hours at my LYS yesterday, but I didn’t get any yarn, so . . .)
I completely understand why you bought the shawl kit.
Green shawl? I LOVE green. I LOVE that shawl.
Remind us, oh wise and clever Stephanie, from whence comes this lovely shawl?
I’m a little frightened by the prospect of yarn fires . . . but I’m sure you can handle it. Maybe just keep some baking soda on hand?
I must must know from whence you came upon the pattern for the lovely and varied Mexican Wave shawl . . . My dd must have one of those, because I can’t resist that soft yarn. 🙂
What was that flash? Is it a bird? a plane? or super Stephanie knitting like a fiend. I am here to tell you the woman can knit so fast it makes my head reel. Not only that, she manages to do other things while knitting at Concord speed. I had the privilege of sitting next to the Harlot and witnessed this feat.
We are so unworthy!! Oh and I guess Ms.Harlot you wouldn’t be interested in a little Shetland news..you know the shetland fleece/spinning kind of news?
Ahhh ’tis a grand thing indeed when you can tempt/tease the Harlot a tetch.
Lovely sock wool btw. And the shawl? Do you need my postal code? Fedex number? What you want something in exchange?? Hmmm rare and unique dust bunnies? We could do a trade..your shawl for my dust buns? You could spin these buns too.
Regards to all.
Is that an Ashford Traditional I see in the background? It looks just like mine! I bought mine second hand and have been trying to date it. Do you have any idea of the date of manufacture for yours. If so please let me know.
Hey, what’s that sock yarn at 10:00 in the pic? Did you actually buy non-patterning sock yarn, or is it just in a subtle colourway? Must be the latter; the Confetti is all self-striping, isn’t it?
what were you thinking??? Nothing should come between a knitter and a yarn store. I tried to stop there on my way to the hospital when I was in labour with my first (and our LYS was a corner of the hardware store) but the old boy was driving, and insisted on going straight to the doctor. 23 years ago, and I’m still sure he made the wrong decision.
I made a pair of socks from the Sisu, same colour. They are my favourite right after the fibre artist marino.
Barb