Friday, January 13, 2012

Spectra!

It's been a while since I found a project that was so much fun to knit that I didn't want to stop even to go to bed at night.  I was at my favorite LYS a couple of weeks ago looking for nothing in particular (something that gets me into all sorts of monetary trouble lol) when there on a mannequin was this scarf/shawlette thing.  It looked GREAT!  I asked for the pattern and then hunted down the yarn for it.

The pattern, "Spectra", by Stephen West (found here--also see the other great pic's of the pattern there!) called for all fingering weight yarns and size 5 needles.  However, the model at the LYS was made from DK and worsted weight yarns and size 7 needles.  I picked out a Noro Silk Garden color and a funky new superwash wool/cashmere blend DK--the dark green--and wished with everything in me that I had my size 7 needles with me!

It's one of those patterns that you just don't get sick of working on before it's done.  Watching each color melt into the next is so cool!  Anyway, so I finished it last night.  In addition to being fun to knit, there are all sorts of different ways to wear it--as a capelet, as a cowl, as a scarf, etc.  I LOVE IT!!  Ya, I have a feeling there will be several on the Christmas list getting one of these this year...

Happy knitting!

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Misc.

I miss posting on here.  I have gotten so caught up in Ravelry and Facebook that I have neglected my blog and really it is so much more personal.  Not to mention it is infinitely easier to upload pic's to my blog than it is to put them on Ravelry.  Don't get me wrong, I love Ravelry!  It is a fantastic place for inspiration!! But I have a terrible time getting pic's on there.

Anyway, so here I am back to my blog. 

No job prospects in my life still.  I would like to think I could make a living of my craft's.  However, I think that the fact that my patterns don't fly out of my two stores, nor does my yarn--which is some of the finest out there, that I should continue to search for a job among the "others".

I was very surprised this past Holiday season that I had NO yarn sales.  That's a first for my stores.  I take that as a sign that I should not kid myself into thinking that somehow, magically, I will make a living from them.  It's sad really because I love yarn, fiber, knitting, crochet, etc so much.  I just don't know how to make a living at it.  If I had the money I could open a yarn store here, but what are the chances it would make enough to pay me a decent wage?  Very slim probably.

If any of you have any suggestions or ideas I'm all ears.