1st day

Alright; Today's the first day of the of the Knitting and crochet blog challenge that was set out in Eskimimi Knits blog ( Link ) And the challenge is as follows:

A Tale of Two Yarns – 2KCBWDAY1 Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

 ----A tale of 2 yarns----

 Even though I have been a knitter for many years now; I have only just came round to the idea that the Yarn changes the project. You could knit a lovly pair of gloves in acylic and Find that they itch, where if you knit the same pattern in, say, merino or (if you can afford it) Silk then the pattern is no longer itchy, it feels light against you're skin... I guess that's why they're expensive. But today in this Blog post I shall be comparing Yarns... and Fantizing about what I hope to taking with me on Holiday (when I go to Salou in 2 months)

Pictured is A book by Franklin Habit, my second (sorry; Harlot takes 1st) favourite knitting person. I just thought the title of the book accentuates the point I'm trying to make. I'd love to talk about Franklin, Cookie A, Eskimimi and Yarn harlot..But...I'll talk about my knitting people top ten another time :)

---My favorite Yarn---

This was a hard decision, especially since I have knit with only a few of the many fibres out there, I've never knit with Silk, Alpaca, Angora or even Bamboo (I have it in my stash but I havnt knit with it yet), so I won't judge those without experience of them.

The best Yarn I have knit with however would probably be Merino. We are very lucky here to have a supplier called Rico which makes 100% merino Wool. (no blend.... just pure Merino sheep fibre) I comes in 100g balls which gives about 125m of this glorious Yarn. BUT (and that's a large But) it is expesive (well I beleive it is anyway: for my mieger wallet) it is priced at £4 a ball in most stores (although online it is £3.50) and for most of the projects I'd be making with this I'd need at least 6 balls of the same colour. That's £24 without any work doe to it at all. It is my favouite Yarn; But dear gawd it it expesive. It would however be perfect for 'The Holden Shawlette' by Mindy Wilkes. It's the perfect weight and texture for that project. It does however need about 400m of the yarn ; that's about 4 balls with a bit left over for spare finishing and that's £16.... which isn't too bad.

but I'd rather make this... instead. It's the Echo Flower Shawl by Jenny Johnson Johnen ( Link ) And it's made with the same weight of Yarn.... it's just bigger and looks more complcated..... which it probably is lol The Yardage for this is very... spaced. Depending on how long I want this to be: it could be between 402 - 805 m. That's a huge jump. that's a 3 ball jump... (a £12 jump if you're counting) and even though it is nicer It would be my first ever Shawl.

 I have learned not to commit myself to a staggeringly large project (like a certain Cricket jumper: but more on that tomorrow) but instead to ease myself into a new skill like this in smaller, less swear-worthy projects, which is why I'll probably be casting on the Holden Shawletee when I have the cash to spend on the Yarn (aka: next payday..... the end of April) I don't know which colour I will pick but I think I'll just go into Selections and see what tickles me just right. :)

----My least favourite Yarn----

This again was a hard one, hard for a differnt reason though. I already knew straight off the top of my head which type of Yarn I was going to pick and I looked at my stash..... it's full of it. yes people; that Yarn is Acrylic. I know; I know, Acylic has it's uses and a Very wide range of colours and Shades and I know that I knit with it more often than not, that is simply because of it's availability and it's cheapness. I am not a business woman, nor am I overly rich, I don't have the disposable income enough to go out and buy Merino or Alpaca every week.

But, I'f I'm working fairisle (and that's what I am doing most of the time now) and I need the tiniest bit of mustard yellow wool; I know I can buy a ball of acylic at £1.20 at my LYS. I don't like it, But id rather have a random ball of yellow Acrylic lying at the bottom of my stash than half a ball of Merino in a shade that I'll never use again. it would be a waste.

Aslo; knitting with Acrylic.... it just never seems to sit right. And it you knit tightly (like me) then the yarn Sqeeks as it slips between your needles. I don't like that. I don't mean to sound like a Yarn snob, and notice I didn't name any paricluar name, because it is all acrylic. It all squeaks and it's all mostly cheap. I also ashamedly have quite a large stash of it. Around 20 balls or more.....(Aki here realises that her most hated Yarn is actually on the needles at the moment and bangs her head off the table)

---Roundup---

So there you have it. My most and least favourite yarns. Tomorrow we'll be discussing new skills that I have learnt.  pictured is the 1 UP mushroom from Mario (yeah someone knitted/crocheted  it) as that is what the post will be called  AnywayIn the mean time; Im off to Fondle some Merino and possibly cast on something very soft and lacy, as the weather calls for something light on my lap. Until next time then Luv from Aki XX



I've been a bad blogger.

----Apologies----
I've been a bad blogger..... As I have failed to provide you with recent updates through the Christmas period. I didn't even try to post, what with working horrible, long hours over Christmas and getting 2 days off in 2 weeks worth of 9 and 10 hour shifts every day.... I lost track of my internet-y life. I am sorry.

My facebook is a mess, please don't pay attention to it,

My Ravelry hasn't been updated in so long it's starting to feel neglected.
I have a lot of other people's blogs to read (I read a lot of blogs, If you think no-one reads you're blog because there's no comments, chances are: I've read it, I'm just not much of a commenter... I'm trying to Change that though, more on that later
And Lastly(in this section) I have a good-ass blog to write. because people miss my blog (or I like to believe that they do.... the way you miss Grass when it snows.... but as soon as the snow's gone you wish you had made 1 more snowman, another snow-Angel... or stored a snowball in the freezer for a very good prank in the middle of summer ) pictured is Lady in the snow, so cute. ^^

---New Year---
New year is the time for resolutions! My last years one Failed around Febuary.... But I am determined to make these stick (these; yes, I'm making more than 1, 4 in fact)

1. Instead of making myself an unhealthy list of things to knit about a month before Christmas, I will be working on them all through the year. So excuse me if it's July and I turn up knitting a Gingerbread Man, or an eccentric scarf.... Socks aren't actually that weird but still

2. Update Internet Life more- that's Facebook; Ravelry and this Blog. I'm going to aim for at least 2ce a week. I have a new do-hicky on my phone which lts you post to your blog from anywhere, so I'll be using that almost religiously
3. Update my recipe book - some of my readers may know this, but I love to cook. I own more cookbooks than I can store anymore, which is why I bought a recipe book. this means that I can write down the recipe's that I like from a book and then send that book up to the attic, stored for when I get my own place and I can store them properly, near the kitchen.
4. Comment! - Every blog that I read from now on I will comment on. This is every blog from the mighty gathering of knitter-blog readers that is A YarnHarlot post, right down to blogs who; like mine, don't get very many readers. Tree Falling in the Forest and All that.

---OK, I know I've been avoiding it---
Yeah, there's a good reason why all the knitters that I listen to, and read start their holiday crafting as early as I did, but they only do 3, maybe 4 items...... I tried to do 8. doomed from the beginning, but I didn't know that until I started ALL of them and realised that NONE of them would get anywhere near done.

So I tried to stick to one, Craig's Cricket Jumper, But I realised too late that this was the largest project..... therefore it would take the longest anyway. Needless to say it is not done. None of my holiday crafting got done, except for a Singular Gingerbread Man and his tiny scarf. (Which I took with me to Larne's Inver Garden Centre, for their craft Fair; he was sold for an unspecified amount.... cus it was higher than the price even I was expecting.

Craig's Present is the thing I have been working on, it's around-about 70% done. I have 1 more pattern repest to do, then I have to do the V neck and the shoulders, then attach to the back, and knit the caps on the sleeves lol. It's looking to be more of a Valentine's Gift than a Christmas gift anymore :/ sorry sweetie.
Also sorry to Nadine - Her Xmas present was supposed to be something supreamly Guitar-hero related, but that didn't happen (she got coffee instead, something that I think pleased her at least as much as the still secret guitar Hero thing. She shall be getting her Guitar hero related thing tho, for her birthday, which is on Febuary the 13th (and she'll be 20! An old fogee like me :D)

---Apart from knitting and Job---

Apart from Knitting and my job :I havn't really been doing that much. There's beeen a few nights out with Craig, Like the Winter Formal in my Church, At which I felt we had to Dress up Quite a bit, So we I ... both of us got Craig into a suit... that was Fun. Apartently we look like proper grown-ups in this photo. Therefore I like it quite a bit lol.
We also went to a rugby match on the 29th of October (yeah, that was a while ago sorry) it was Ulster vs Munster. it was fun. But now I really want a rugby Shirt ....
During the incredibly snow-y winter it was difficult for any of us to see our friends; so we organized a night out to the Harmony Chinese in Glengormly. It was really just to exchange presents and Cards, while catching up on what everyone was doing, and having a very good meal. Tashi and I set out our plans for World domination.... all we need is money lol.

---The coming Year (2011) ---

Many of you may know that this year both me and My other Half will be turning 21 (woo-hoo!!!) That means there's gonna be quite a massive party coming up in our honour. We're thinking as close to our birthdays as possible (the 3rd and the 7th of July) so people try to keep that roundabout week sorta clear! People say I'm always hard to buy for so about 2 months before the party I'll post a small wish list here for both of us. You are free to use it/ don't use it, but it's just to give ideas. But because I don't want to think about it too much, I'll stop talking about this now :)
This year I also hope to be going to 2 weddings (maybe 3, depending)... or rather 1 Full Wedding and 1(poss 2) wedding receptions.
I will also be going to 1 fundraiser for my little cousin( I shouldn't call him Little - he's 19 and taller than me....) to go over to Malawi, in South Africa to help with something. I think he's going to help build a school or houses or something :). Gooooood Luck to him

---Yarn Tales---

I was let loose with my Chrismas money and my work pay in a Yarn shop early December. I wasn't looking for anything for the Christmas Knitting (that didn't get done) but I was looking for things to do after knitting all the chrismas projects. I have in my mind that I want to make a Carigan for myself (I know: I still have a shrug on the go, I'm finishing that as soon as I get Craig's cricket vest off the needles and onto his back. I also wanted to do another pom-pom scarf, becasue the one I have at the moment is too fat and too short. I want a long thin one. 6 poms to a side instead of the 15 that I decided on last time. Rather than rip out my Hard work I wanted to buy another Ball. I found a pattern on the internet for the Cardigan that I want to make, it requires 5 balls of DK weight Yarn. I went to my LYS (local Yarn Shop) which is Selections in Carrickfergus.

(I've heard there's another in Newtownards and a few in Belfast but I dont know where...This is why I want to open A Yarn Barn for God sake!)

Anyways I went in and I looked about for a DK weight Yarn that there was 5 or more Balls of (6 was what I was actually going for, cus I'm on the larger side and it wouldn't do any harm to have an extra ball flying about) and I seen these (->)

There was 4 balls of 1 dye Lot and 1 of another. you can tell which one is the odd one out (the top one, label showing) but by the time I am finished you won't know where 1 ends and another begins :). I also Got a nice Pom-pom Yarn in an Almost Lime-green. (shown with Craig's Vest in the background) I love that colour, I might add some White Tassels, with some of the Green treaded through it. The shop didn't have any of the Can-can yarn that I wanted in Stock, But I have plenty to get on with without trying to Master a new Yarn. I might have it as an Eater Challenge for myself if I can find it instock.

I have been looking at the Deramores Website way too much.... I(link) love nearly everything on there and I really want to cut down on my Stash Yarn..... but some of them are sooooo good I might just have to spend my Winter paycheck online. At least it's better than looking at the Nimu Yarn page.... which is too tempting, because it wakes me want to knit something that I swore I wouldn't do until I am engaged, and that is Knit a Shawl. A Lace shawl (propably in White or in Purple) And that's only as a Challenge to myself (link to Nimu)

Also hilarious t-shirts about knitting have cuaght my attention (link) as well as buttons. they just make me giggle.

---I guess thats it---

I can't really write about anything else without sounding like a ranting Lunatic..... that is more than I do already. I may be getting a new addition to this blog that I hope everyone shall enjoy. just as soon as I figure out how to work it lol. I'll probably test it on this post; then test post it in about 3 days, just to see if it worked. Oh and before I forget: Lazy Kate Creates is giving away some gorgeous Yarn this week; all you have to do is comment (hop on by at Lazy Kate Creates) I've aleady commented :) and I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for a good chance at the yarn.
I will blog again before the week is out.Until then; I'll be working on Craig's Cricket Vest and Nadine's Present. toodles :D

Last Picture: Icicles off my conservatory. looks cool as heck :)