Patons SWS

After reading a blog on Crazy Aunt Purl about Patons SWS yarn found at Michaels, I had to make a pit-stop there after DH and I hit Home Depot tonight. The SWS yarn is a mix of wool and soy and comes in several fun shades. Patons also makes some other cool ones like Grace and Rumor which I am seriously coveting now. The Grace yarn has a ton of sweet colors, while the Rumor is so soft I just want to wrap my whole body with it. Okay, maybe that's pushing it. Nevertheless, had DH not been with me I guarantee I would've walked out with way more than I did.

Megan (my daughter) has been wanting me to knit her a sweater and when I saw the Patons SWS "Natural Blue" yarn I knew I had found a winner for her. Although the picture I am posting shows it as much brighter than it really is, the colors are b-e-a-utiful! Soft, subdued, and blend so perfectly. I can just see her in a cute little sweater with some khaki pants. I may have to make me one too. I will say that I had a hard time choosing between the Natural Blue or the Natural Geranium...or even the Natural Pink as she likes blue and pink equally, yet if I get something in one color she will usually ask me why I didn't get the opposite color instead. Girls. When she comes home from spending the night at my dad's we'll see what she says. My next step is to find a pattern that will work with this yarn. I grabbed three skeins but figure I'll need to pick up another. I really love this color though...check it out...

Patons SWS in Natural Blue








I also have decided to knit up a sweater for Phil & Julie's baby due towards the end of July in the Patons Grace in Tangelo. I dig this color a lot too. I think I can even use the same boatneck pattern as the gauge matches up. Have to double check on that one. I'm almost scared to go back to Michaels though. Will I have enough will power to only buy what I need instead of what I lust after?

Patons Grace in Tangelo

I heart yarn

I do. I heart yarn like nobody's business. I can't go into places like Gossamer or Juniper Fiberworks without leaving empty handed. It's just not possible. All the colors, textures, types, and styles boggle my little creative mind. I start thinking of how a certain yarn will look knitted up and I want to buy out the whole store. Because my budget will not allow me to clean both stores out I behave myself and only go in whenever I truly NEED something.

Need is such a subjective word.

So anyways, I started knitting again last year after not having any sort of craft needles in my hands for oh...20+ yrs. My grandma (whom I adored and miss like all get out) started teaching me to knit and crochet (mainly the latter) when I was but a wee lass. I loved it then but since I didn't get to spend a ton of time with Mee-Maw I didn't get a lot of teaching in. Thus, I stopped. I had always wanted to pick it back up again yet knew no one that knit...or crocheted (is that even a word?!) until one of my best friends said she was knitting. That peeked my curiosity, which made me delve into the internet world of knitting, and dragging my daughter out to places like Joanne's, buying crappy yarn, a book written when Einstein was a child, and some aluminum needles. I sat down, read the book, and started knitting. Things were going great...until I messed up.

I called Patty. I whined to her. But she knits on a loom and won't dare try sticks. Crazy girl. I researched and found Gossamer...and classes! Oh! Classes! Loves me some classes. The hubby and I had to go to Portland in a week or so for some medical tests and I really wanted something to keep me occupied both on the trip up and back and while at the hospital. Thankfully Jasper at Gossamer was able to squeeze me in. She was quite impressed that in just a day or two of knitting I had re-learned how to cast on, knit, and make something that resembled a small scarf-to-be. She showed me how to not only fix the mistake I made (which is something I'm still getting down pat) but she also showed me how to purl, and seed stitch, and bind off, and make pom-poms, and cables, and...and...all kinds of stuff. My head was so full that it threw up the moment I walked out. Sigh. I did retain quite a bit though and knitted like mad on our trip.

My first project I'll post in a bit. It was a hat. Something simple and knit in a yarn that is one of my favorites. My daughter "steals" it from me when it's cold out. Looks good on her given it's a skull cap so it's not as long as I usually like my hats. I then moved on to another hat with yarn I had picked up at Joanne's. This yarn is so soft but it drives me insane. I had to take an 8 wks. hiatus as I broke my right arm. Of course right before that happened I had purchased more beautiful wool fibers and they were calling to me. They sat so pretty in my cute little knitting box that I bought, just waiting, wondering why I had abandoned them. Yes, I tried to knit with my splint on. Didn't work out so well.

That hat is still on sticks. I have moved on! Patty is expecting not one but TWO babies (one of each) and I have decided to make her two sweaters that the little cutie patooties can wear this winter. Last night I finished the front of the baby girls' sweater and will be starting on the back...or maybe a sleeve...tonight. It is knitting up very fast and so far I love it. The pattern is from Debbie Bliss (adore her) and is a boat neck style sweater. Something easy for a gal like me who is not great at reading patterns and doesn't have a lot of experience yet.

I want to do socks and purchased some great sock wool yarn for that however I am intimidated as hell on socks--so I shall wait until I've done a few more things first. For now I must finish the sweaters!