Bliss in finding a new yarn store

I was delighted to visit a new yarn store in town. I had received a gift certificate from the store as a Christmas gift and had been mentally wrestling with myself to wait until I had finished some projects before buying more yarn. I am trying to move toward a method of using up everything I have and then buying just for my next project. This is my resolution as a knitter. I used the escape clause of it not yet being the new year to go to the yarn store anyway. I was delighted to find that the new store carries a numerous selection of lower priced yarns ($6:00-$8.50) which fits very nicely into my usual knitting budget. The yarn store in the nearby city has much pricier yarns and was harder to get to. I found myself impulse buying more in the city because it was much harder to get there and "they might run out". With the new store nearby, I can shop more sparingly as it will be quick and easy to pop in for an extra skein if I am running low. I can also keep an eye on sales and clearance items.

Today's expedition netted two skeins of a beautiful blue/green ombre planned for a poncho, a skein of neon green baby wool for a baby knitting project for charity using my "One Skein Wonders" book, a skein of red wool to use for a scarf, a skein of dark gray and purple ombre to use for socks, and a skein of bright green, also earmarked for a children's charity knitting project.

I also got more information about other knitting charities. I am going to put together the information and links I have found in a charity knitting digest here on the blog. Making things to give away may not seem like a wise use of resources to some, but in looking through my Master's view using the resources He has entrusted me with to comfort and help others makes me a better steward of His gifts to me. And of course it gives me a even better excuse to buy more yarn and spend more Saturday afternoons knitting. Bliss & Joy!

Frugal work in progress: MIFA Cap 1

Here is one of my two works in progress for a local charity, MIFA Love Caps.

The organization does not know I exist yet as this is my first project for them. I found the program looking for a local charity for which to knit after pouring through the dizzy array of charities accepting knitted goods nation wide and after years of making and donating blankets. I am leaning toward smaller projects that allow me to be creative, use my talents for the good of others and to do so frugally and within my budget.

This cap is a simple rib-all-the-way-up design that I sort of just worked up myself after wading through a myriad of cap patterns. I have a reluctance on some projects to tackle a complex pattern and like some patterns that allow for mindless knitting. This is basically a K2,P2 rib worked for the required length of the cap (cast on 92 stitches for a worsted weight, needle size 7 or 8) with a gradual decrease toward the top. I then leave a 16" tail for whipstitching down the sides.

This particular cap is being made from a single skein of Wool-Ease brand, Loden color that I found at the Knitting Warehouse for $2.00. Ordering bargain priced yarn online a few skeins at a time usually does not equal a frugal investment but if you order a larger quantity, it offsets the per skein cost of the shipping. Sometimes you can find a better per skein price that way. On another post, I will organize some notes on where I have found low per skein cost for higher quality, natural fiber yarns.

The tradition of the Unfinished Gift

I have this uncanny, often unintentional, tradition of having a homemade gift to give that is unfinished. I used to be embarrassed and try to come up with something else at the last minute to go with the gift that was "taken back" for finishing. It has become part of our family Christmas now though to see who got the unfinished gift and I somehow manage to keep the tradition going. This year, my mom is getting the unfinished gift but I am not going to wrap it up. I will take it to my sister's for Christmas to work on while I am there and tell her about it.

She picked up some yarn recently and starting knitting herself a scarf in a deep ombre of burgundy, greens and browns. I noticed some sock yarn in my stash in the same colors so I grabbed it and started knitting up a pair of fingerless mittens. I have about an inch of the first one done. I am doing a K4, P4 rib all the way up the cuff and will switch to stockinette for the part that covers the hand using and elongated eyelet hole for the thumb hole. I am working with size 5 double pointed needles which are slowing me down a bit. It is a fun project to do and I know she will love the mitts.

They are a practical gift that she can use in the cold mornings to get the car warm and de-iced before going to work and the technique is one she would not do herself. I will add another post with the pattern as I created it after reading several similar ones and rejecting them for one reason or another.