Bernat Cotton Tots

If anybody is reading this and has any opinion, please post a comment....what did Bernat DO to Cotton Tots???? I knitted a blanket three years ago in the blue and loved knitting it and it is my second grandson's "blankie". So the third one is on the way and Mommie wanted the same yarn but a different color, so she chose the mint green. Ick and ick and ick. It is rougher and seems heavier, but it SHEDS. To the point that I had to stop knitting in the car on a trip, the fibers were about to choke us and were covering the dashboard. I am determined to finish the thing (baby due soon) and I have to lint-roll myself after a session. I guess they changed manufacturers? Anyway, a warning to all of you who used to like Cotton Tots....you might not like it so much now. I am going to have to do a lot of prewashing and drying on this one.

I actually just ordered some yarn to knit another blanket. It is from DiscontinuedBrandNameYarn and is pictured here. It is a closeout, so grab it while you can! Am going to do this blanket in rows of stockinette alternating with garter. The corner to corner dishrag pattern is starting to bore me, even though it IS easy.

Ravelry

I joined Ravelry a couple of months ago and did my profile but was overwhelmed by the size of the site and choices and did nothing else. I suddenly got in the mood to explore and now see why everyone loves it, especially us disorganized people. It does force one to think linearly. (is that spelled right?....I mean to keep my brain from bouncing in ten directions in once as I think about knitting). I have put up WIPs and finished items. I decided to only do photos of the finished object, since taking photos is the downfall of this blog, I did not want to have photos holding up my adding WIPs to Ravelry.

If you want to take a look at the meager amount of entries and photos, my username is, of course, MsNanknits.

Spring Peeks Out

The weather in the Carolinas has NOT been wintery. At all. Today is in the 70's with brilliant blue sky. I walk every day and have only worn a heavy jacket once or twice all season. I do wear my wool beret and scarf knitted from Malabrigo yarn, though...it is so soft and breathes so well, that I do not get hot, but any chill stays off my neck and ears. I picked these daffodils from my yard yesterday.

Lace Shawl

Here is the finished merino wool lace shawl. The yarn is from Cherry Tree Hill. I mentioned that I wore in unblocked on Valentine's Day. This is the first laceweight wool I have knitted and I did not know how amazing it would look when blocked.

Just a Tweak

Just a tweak is all it takes sometimes to turn something blah into something that has some pizazz. I knitted a cardigan about a year ago from a magazine pattern. It fit nicely, the yarn felt okay, it looked okay, I just did not like it. Then I saw a photo of a cardigan that used a shawl pick to close it at the neckline. I got out my sweater and my wooden shawl pick and pulled the front across a little bit and stabbed it with the pick and, Voila, the whole sweater looked different. The shawl pick becomes the focus and the sweater is just the background. NOW I will enjoy a sweater that I spent hours and hours knitting!! (I am also now knitting the cardigan that sparked this idea)

Catching Up

Yes, I have been knitting. No, I have not been blogging. I have finished the feather and fan shawl done in the Cherry Tree Hill laceweight. I have not blocked it, but am wearing it anyway. I used small enough needles that this works. I bought a lovely silver heart shaped shawl pin on Etsy and wore it and the shawl on Valentine's Day. I will get a picture posted as soon as I take one!

I think I have finally found the pattern/needle size for the spring scarf I want to knit from an Elizabeth Lavold silk/wool yarn I bought about two years ago. It is "my" green and is a nice feel for spring. I wear scarves all the time, even inside; I have a very sensitive neck to drafts, evidently. I finally decided on a size 5 needle (I knit VERY loose) and am doing another feather and fan. This pattern is completely mindless for me and I am discovering I just despise trying to read charts. I knit watching tv or listening to podcasts or recorded books and you simply cannot count stitches when doing that!