Sunday, January 16, 2011

Trading one Addiction for Another

I am making the Worlds Most Beautiful Scarf. Once finished with it people will gasp when they see it. They’ll want to touch it, and once they do, they’ll gasp again.

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Yesterday I travelled down to Sheep Street, my favorite yarn and fiber store. I decided to arrive at that particular time because someone was going to be demonstrating how to make cables. I sat waiting in anticipation for the instructor. I prepared myself for the mental acrobatics that we were about to begin. She passed out written instructions, held up two needles and a ball of yarn, gave 20 seconds of verbal instruction, then stopped. I sat, waiting for her to continue. She didn’t. I thought maybe she just lost her train of thought. Or perhaps she was waiting for feedback from us before moving on. Still nothing from her, she just sat there looking at us. I wondered if  maybe she was having a brain aneurism? Then what she had said finally registered in my little pea brain and I shouted, “That’s it?!”

Who knew cables were so easy? They certainly look complex don’t they?

The scarf I am making is done in baby alpaca from an Indiana company called Alpaca With a Twist. I think it is the softest, most beautiful yarn in the world. The color is called Lumber Jack. I have a million other things I should be doing today but it’s 9 degrees outside and all I want to do is sit and knit cables. The reversible cable pattern comes from a book titled Cables Untangled. It is a great book that explains how to do cables, has multiple cable patterns and best of all includes a cable stitch dictionary. I highly recommend it if you’re new to cables.

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I haven’t even scratched the surface of selling off my scrapbooking and rubber stamping supplies, but seeing how the price of gasoline is what it is, I killed two birds with one stone and picked up that Strauch drum carder I was planning as my reward. No need to waste another trip, eh?

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I can’t wait to use it. Now all I need is some clean fiber… hmmm, where can I get some fiber…

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“Why are you looking at me like that,” asks Ethel?

“I’ve noticed you keep yourself very clean,” I replied.

christinesig

19 comments:

Kathy said...

Shirley's fleece would make a beautiful scarf, but I suspect she needs it right where it is for a while.
I'm still trying to learn how to knit. My carrot is the book The Enchanted Sole. There's not a sock in there I don't love.
Good luck with your cables!

The Barn Door said...

Look out Ethyl!!!! Run for your life!

Bodecoa said...

~gasp!~ I think you're right. That IS the world's most beautiful scarf! And it isn't even done!

(can I touch it?)

Me and My Stitches said...

Oh, that is hilarious! That fur sure would make a soft scarf! Thanks for the chuckle!

melly~ said...

i love sheep street.
we must practically be neighbors. :)

your scarf looks great. isn't it fun, working on a project that will make even other knitters gasp? mine was the modern quilt wrap. two years of my life, but it. is. lovely.

enjoy!

Nancy K. said...

You got me again! Laughing out loud and my animals think I'm nuts.

Here I was ~ peacefully enjoying your post. Impressed by the lovely scarf you've begun (I love the color) and how easy you make knitting cables look. I haven't tried cables yet. I also notice that we have the same drum carder. Then you smack me upside the head with that CAT! That is NOT what I was expecting.

But that's how you do "it", isn't it?

I'm on to you now...

Anonymous said...

I have a serious addiction to cabled anything. If you haven't seen it - look up Jared Flood's Habitat hat pattern, or Ysolda Teage's Gretel Tam. YUM! Believe it or not - if you can knit a cable, you can make things that look VERY complex - pretty darn easily! Congrats for conqueoring cables! Hooray!

Penny said...

The scarf is gorgeous! I need to try cables everyone says they look more difficult than they really are to knit.

The new drum carder is all shiny and everything so it is what I'm lusting after .. just saying. ;^)

Keep your eyes peeled for me a new wheel. Used is perfectly okay. Cheap is wonderful!

Julie said...

Oh, this post really made me laugh! so much of knitting is like that, isn't it. You struggle and struggle and then the heavens open and angels sing and you say AHAA!

Florida Farm Girl said...

Can I come and take pictures when you start collecting fibre from Miss Kitty??? Hmmmm?? Please?????? That would be a memorable event for sure!!!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Did you know that there is a new yarn shop in Plainfield? Nomad Yarns, located downtown Plainfield. I took "My First Sweater" class there yesterday and all *I* want to do it sit and knit on my sweater!

Christine said...

I didn't know there was a shop in Plainfield, I'll have to check that one out.

Penny said...

Hey Christine,
Let me know if the new shop is worth the drive from Bedford. I do love a fibery field trip!

phyllis said...

The color of your yarn is soooo pretty! You must bring to Nov. retreat so we can see the scarf.

Angela said...

Good for you. Sounds like you had big fun! You were so close too! And gas is crazy. Just crawwwwzy.

Mary Ann said...

The yarn is gorgeous... we have llamas, and I am hoping after this year's shearing we will have enough to be made into yarn, which my sister will then make into an afghan for us, I hope!

My scrapbooking and rubber stamping supplies are sitting dusty and unused... I need to sell them, too!

thecrazysheeplady said...

Great job! Cables are fun, fun, fun! Nice carder too! Can't wait to see your Ethyl yarn :-D.

Jen said...

Hey Christine, Shoot me an email; I think your facebook account got hacked into. I just had a very odd chat with "You."

Unknown said...

That is gorgeous!