Usually I am not a big fan of these craft store pattern books, but the projects in this one are kind of nifty, and I got it at Jo-Ann with one of their 40% coupons, so it was practically free. And in the interest of symmetry, I am knitting these out of Patons yarn, too. The pattern calls for Kroy Socks, but I am actually making them with Classic Wool. Two things here. First, I have some bizarre quantum strangeness-type relationship to gauge wherein I get nothing even sort of approximate to what I'm supposed to get with the same weight yarn, same size needles, etc. I'm a relatively tight knitter, but even that isn't sufficient to account for what happens. I'm a freak of nature, what can I say? To wit, this pattern calls for using fingering weight yarn on size 2 needles. I'm getting gauge with worsted weight on size 3s. Go figure. Which brings me to the second point. I've bought Patons Classic Wool before - it's actually a pretty decent workhorse wool for basic projects: readily available, inexpensive and reasonably soft. But I hadn't bought any for a couple years, and when I snapped up several balls last November, I thought "hmmm... is it just me or is it thinner than it used to be?" I'm a big fan of dense knits and thick fabrics, and I seem to recall that this yarn made a suitably dense knit for me with a size 6 needle. But with the new Classic Wool, when I knit it up on a 6, the fabric seems way less substantial, hence using it in place of Kroy for these mitts. I'm baffled. I knit something like 5 or 6 swatches (which is really unheard of for me) and just sat there and scratched my head. The twist seems different, too. Anyway... onward and hopefully upward. Apologies for the distinctly unartistic photo - it's one of those days.We're redecorating a bit around here and looking to buy a couple pieces of furniture, and as I've been shopping and fantasizing I've come to the realization that I have a crazy mixed-up style eye. Across the board, I love old things, from vintage to true antiques. I'm a big Frank Lloyd Wright nerd and I love just about all things Craftsman. So you wouldn't think I'd also be completely potty over Danish Modern, but I am. Things like this make me swoon a little. I also like Asian design elements - traditional Japanese houses make me go a bit giddy, too. But probably my dream home would be a Craftsman bungalow or four-square, filled with a mix of Craftsman antiques, Danish Modern pieces, and the odd Asian accent here and there. (Don't want much, do I?) Trying to cobble something like that together on a budget from thrift stores and secondhand furniture shops is challenging, sometimes fun, and almost always a little sad and frustrating. It's times like these that I try to bear in mind this sage quote from Bertrand Russell: "To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness." Think about that, I mean really think about it. It's a tough one, and I try every day to really feel it in my soul. (Bertie R. had a lot of pretty cool things to say, actually.)
I mentioned, in my last post, that I am prone to thrifting envy. This is somewhat of an understatement when I come across posts like this one, from the archives of one of my favorite blogs of all time. I don't even know if churches here have rummage sales. If they're something privy only to the congregation, I'd consider joining if only to get in the loop on some loot like that! Or maybe it's a Montana thing, in which case I think we should definitely consider relocation.
Also, I'm as delighted as I can be that one of the people I love most is roadtripping northward to hit the KY Sheep and Fiber fest with me in May! Seems a long way off, but I know it will be here in no time. Flat. At the rate I'm going, I might still be working on these mittens then.
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