Swatching for a fun shop sample - will share details on the yarn and project soon!
Dyeing for a Gift
As a knitter, I find it challenging to give gifts to other knitters. I could knit for them, but that always feels weird. I could give something non-yarn related, but that just seems totally ridiculous. If it's store-bought, I just feel like I'm cheating them. So what did I do when a dear knitting friend recently had a birthday? I decided to dye for her! I've been toying with the idea of dying yarn for awhile now and this birthday was the perfect motivation. No matter how it turned out, I knew she would appreciate it and love it for what it was - you know, kind of like a kindergarten art project?
I've had supplies on hand for months now so I gathered them up and took a deep breath. This is what I came up with:
It reminds me of a sunrise or a sunset and I know she'll make something absolutely beautiful with it. I wanted her to be completely surprised so I had to keep it a secret. I'm not good at secrets so this was tough, but her over-the-top enthusiastic reaction made it all worthwhile and she was immediately looking for project ideas!
I'm not sure where this dying adventure will take me, but I know I will be back at it again in the near future. I really enjoyed doing something new just for fun and this experiment sure was fun!
For now, I'm excited to see what this beauty becomes.
Cheers!
Big Herringbone Love!
I've had a love affair with the Big Herringbone Cowl for quite awhile and decided to use this lovely accessory as motivation - actually, it was bribery - to push me through the last bit of the 2012 knitting. My rule: as soon as I finished the 2012 projects, I could cast on with the Blue Sky Worsted Hand Dyes. AND... cast on I have.
The classic herringbone stitch with the fabulous yarn make this a timeless accessory and the Ecru will go with anything - including marinara and red wine *gulp*. The stitch pattern is beautiful inside and out and the squish factor is amazing!
I'm using ginormous needles (US 17) so my forearms feel like they are going to fall off if I knit with them for too long. I've been trying to balance with projects on "normal-sized" needles, but I have a feeling I'll be risking physical injury trying to reach the finish line this weekend. Seriously, this is going to feel like a big hug when it's off the needles. I might not take it off until spring. Or maybe summer. We'll see.
I have a few more projects that have recently come off the needles and holiday gifts to share, but I'll save those for later. For now, I'll leave you with sweet herringbone weekend wishes and a photo of the cutest boy ever, my fabulous Mr. Joey.
Cheers!