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New Project and Update

Yesterday was just another drop-dead beautiful Lower Mainland day.  The sun beats down pretty directly here in the North making even a mere 70 degrees F or 18 degree C day seem almost scorching (or is it because the sun has been such a long time coming.)  Yesterday also marked an Open House Carnival at my university so I got an opportunity to be outside talking to people about my work for most of the day. On top of our mountain the air is good and the sunshine even more intense.  It was a great day (Good planning Organizing Committee!)

Then there is today.  The sun is not out, there's the threat of sprinkles and I have a house that should be tidied up and laundry to do but before then an update about my knitting (I know I said I'm generally a work first and play second type of person; this isn't by any means a strict rule as you can tell.)

I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating, I love to take quick looks at the $l/Loonie shops' yarn  selection whenever I'm in the vicinity.  It is there I've found some of the best yarn for knitting realistic looking food and some of the most unusual as well  Sometime in the last six months I found an acrylic that was too good to be true so I bought 6 skeins.

Fifty percent of one of my latest bargain finds
Mom had several years ago made me a couple of belts from this acrylic yarn that when worked up looks a lot like suede.  She'd told me how expensive it was so I knew this Loonie store yarn was a find.   I love it is a Canadian product and that each skein has 70 grams (no length given) and only cost $1.25 CAD.  At the time I had no idea exactly what I'd do with it but baby booties were a thought.

Then just recently I found this pattern and a small light went off in my head:


So I picked up my bargain suede-like acrylic and started experimenting.  The yarn is very light weight so I had to double it and bring the needle size down one, but in the end I have managed to finish one so far:

My version of a baby Ugg

It does have an interesting architecture and since I am a creative knitter and not a logical one, I had to heavily rely on the pattern.  Unfortunately, as is sometimes the case with free patterns, there's a mistake that I was able to figure out with the help of the added diagram.  This will be my travel project for some time to come.  There is plenty of yarn for more of these Uggs so I better keep knitting them and get them out before the Ugg is no longer remembered.  (I think they're already fading as a fashion statement.)

I have also been working on the flower wall hanging (I do like to have at least 2 WIP at all times.  Remember this one does not travel).   With its 90 stitch expanse and the need to actually follow a chart, my progress has been slow, but here's an update:

Flower wall hanging so far
As you can see the flower, on this sideway photo, is taking shape.  I am currently only needing 6 balls of yarn instead of 8, but I have a feeling I'll be adding a couple soon.  Additionally you can see the stockinette stitch on the left side of the work is characteristically curling.  This will be the part of the hanging hidden/stapled behind the frame so no worries.  A fellow knitter has written quite a complete explanation of why the stockinette pattern curls.  This post is very thorough so be prepared to read on and on and on!  I love when one of my peers in knitting applies their logic to really get down to the nuts and bolts of explaining why something is doing what it does.  Most of the time it is near magic to me!

Thanks local Loonie store for having just the right yarn at such a great price.  I'll be able to share the final projects with my daughter-in-laws who have friends with babies.  In that way, I get to enjoy the giving twice!
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