Some New Yarn

I haven't bought any new yarn in a while, but I finally succumbed a few days ago. We were running some errands and I decided to stop by Michaels. Last week at the Billerica Library knitting group - The Libraryarns - one of the other knitters was working with a new yarn she bought at Michaels.

I found some beautiful colors I thought would look great in scarves. The picture below shows the yarn I purchased and the beginnings of a scarf I am making.




The name of the yarn is Impeccable and it's made by a Canadian company called Loops & Threads. It is a worsted weight acrylic, 3.5 oz/100 g and 192 yards/175 m. The texture is not as rough as some yarns, but it is not the softest either. I think it will work great as a scarf. With 21 stitches on size 9 (US) needles, it's about 5 inches wide. I'm not finished, but I think one skein will make a scarf about 5 to 6 feet long.

Happy Birthday Jen! and Olin College Open House

Today is my daughter's 19th Birthday! Boy, does time fly. Birthdays can be bittersweet for moms. It's so wonderful to watch our children grow and thrive, but I sometimes miss the little girl.

My youngest daughter and I went to visit Olin College today. They had an open house for prospective women students.

Many people haven't heard of Olin. It is a small engineering school in Needham, Massachusetts, and it has only had three graduating classes. It has an amazing program that emphasizes hands-on, collaborative, real-world projects. It is well-funded with amazing resources. Up until this year every student received a full tuition scholarship, it has been reduced to half for next year - but it's still an amazing deal. The kids leave there with an excellent education preparing them for just about any field they want to go into.

I posted an article yesterday called "Acquiring knitting needles and yarn without spending a lot of money" In these economic times, we need all the help we can get!

Knit Picks Website and Podcast

One of my favorite places to shop online is Knit Picks, whose slogan is "Passionately committed to affordable luxury knitting"

They have a wonderful assortment of yarns in many colors, fibers and sizes. A great collection of books, knitting needles, and other supplies can also be found on their site. I have made many purchases, and I have been happy with all of them. This picture (and the next one) come from the Knit Picks website.

Their descriptions of yarns and colors are quite reliable. New products and colors are introduced all the time.

There are also many amazing knitting needles, including circular, straight, interchangeable, and sets, which are made of various kinds of wood and metals in all sizes.

The Knit Picks podcast is my favorite crafting podcast. First of all, the woman who does the podcast, Kelley, has an incredibly soothing voice which is a joy to listen to. The content of the podcasts is always informative, there are interviews, information about yarns, book reviews, and much more. Summaries of the contents of each podcast can be found on the website. You can download the podcast from iTunes, or at the Knit Picks' website. You can also listen to the podcasts directly from the site.

Sorting and Storing Yarn

Today's Tip: This is another measuring tip. If you stretch out your arms, for most people, finger tip to finger tip is equal to your height. Not sure I'm right? Most people are familiar with DaVinci's picture, Vitruvian Man (ok, I didn't know the name of it before now, but I was familiar with the picture). Look at the picture to the right, there is a square inside the circle. The man's arm span goes across the square, and the height is head to toe in the same square.

How do you organize your yarn? First of all, I use a combination of clear plastic bags, and storage bins. I leave the bags with at least a little opening, so that any moisture doesn't get trapped in the bag. Putting the yarn in clear containers helps me to remember what I have and makes it easier to find things if I want a particular yarn.

My sorting system is one that reflects the way I use yarn. Another method may work better for you. I have all cotton threads and yarns in one bag/bin. Anything with wool in it is also sorted out; although I can work with wool I can't wear it, so I like to keep it separate. Some yarns I separate by their weight - worsted, bulky, and sock weight in different bags. However, I also separate out "novelty" yarns - one bag for ladder and ribbon yarns, and another for fuzzy/furry and sparkly yarns.

Additionally, I organize my projects. I have one bin of unfinished projects. There are bags that need linings, buttons to be sewn on, and ends to pull in. I often finish the knitting or crocheting but don't have the tools handy to do the finishing. Other times I take out the items I need for finishing and take care of several projects.

One bin holds things I have posted on my Etsy site - AlysaMerle.Etsy.com. There are items that I have taken pictures of, but have not posted yet. I keep them handy so that I can make accurate descriptions in my listings. Also, I have bags holding things that are completed which have not been photographed. Finally, there are plenty of projects in progress - on my couch, and in various bags. I just purchased some medium sized clear plastic boxes, to hold things I am working on in the living room - so the cats can't get into them!

Do you have ideas about storing and sorting yarns? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Knitting as Therapy

Do you find knitting to be therapeutic? I know I do. This morning I had a Doctor's appointment and I purposely brought a soft, furry yarn, and needles to make a scarf. Texture can really make a difference. Also, the yarn is so nice, no special pattern is needed, and garter stitch will look good.

Just after we started talking, the Dr. suggested I finish the row and then I could put it down. And I said "No, I can't". In response to her quizzical look, I said that I needed it to keep me calm and to fidget out my nervousness. I was knitting furiously as I said it. She let me continue, thank goodness.

I got a package from KnitPicks today - I'm such a yarn hog!


You can see the yarns in this picture. KnitPicks has great yarns and great sales! It's almost impossible for me to resist. Their descriptions are wonderful, and I've liked everything I've received from them. I also love their podcasts (I'll review podcasts in other posts).

But, it gets even better - all books were 40% off.
If there's anything I like as much as getting new yarn, it's getting new books. As you can see, I mostly bought books that have stitches and motifs in them. I plan to incorporate the designs in new items to make and sell. I have lots of ideas for things to make, and I love trying out new patterns.

Today's Tip - Do you ever need a ruler or tape measure, but there aren't any to be found? Sometime when you do have a measuring device, use it to measure parts of your hand. I know that each joint of my thumb is 1 inch. My full hand span - pinky to thumb - is about 8 inches, and from pinky to pointer is about 5 inches. Even though it is not totally precise, I find this to be very useful information. For many items, exact measurement is not necessary. Knit and crochet items always have some stretch to them, so "about" is good enough for many items - such as hats, bags, and scarves. If you're making something that needs more precise measurement, you can use your hand to check if you're almost there, if it's time to get out that ruler.

Taming my yarn and projects

Today's Tip - A travel toothbrush holder is useful for holding crochet hooks and double pointed needles. Use it at home, or put it in your project bag so you can easily find your needles.

In case you're wondering, the gorgeous creature pictured here is our cat, Inanna. She is named after the Sumerian goddess of Love and War, and Queen of the heavens and earth.

I just spent over an hour untangling the projects and yarn on and around my couch. To help keep future tangles down, I put rubber bands around all the balls of yarn. I also have to actually finish a few projects. I found about 10 things that I have started. I keep on getting new ideas or seeing a new yarn I want to work with. Then I put one thing aside and start another. I sometimes have to make a deal with myself to finish at least 2 projects before I'm allowed to start another.

But there ARE some good reasons for having so many projects ;) First of all I have some crochet projects and some knit projects. That way if my hands get tired, or I get bored with one, I can do the other. Then there are some projects with big needles and some with small needles; and there are simple projects and more complex projects. There are also some projects that are more portable than others, so they're easier to carry around. This way I have something for different moods and situations. (Note: I'm good at making excuses). Now, if I could just get myself to stop buying yarn...