....to this yarn. I love it, I want it on a million different colors (Chocolate Brown being foremost), I want to knit with it everyday, and then wear the things I knit and sqoosh them in my hands, sqoosh sqoosh sqoosh. I don't care that it sheds a little, I really don't, I just really enjoy the way it feels in my hands when knitting with it.
You know I made a scarf and some fingerless gloves out of the 3 skeins I had. And I had planned to make an ear warmer out of it too, but by the end of the gloves I was about 40 yards short of what I needed for the project. So, in my typical fashion, (this drives Hayden nuts!) I hemmed and hawed about buying one more skein for 40 yards for a couple weeks, but, of course, moaned about my cold ears when we went for our 3-5 times a week 6 am walks (I DO NOT wear hats).
Then the knitting gods looked down upon me, and said, Goest and Gettest the Yarn, Young One, For It Sqooshes and That is Good. They showed me the way by having me drive my 45 minute commute to school only to have class canceled 5 minutes after I pulled in the parking lot. But, Oxford MS, where I go to law school, is also the town that has my closest yarn store. And, I mean, I couldn't very well go home empty handed right? Why waste almost 2 hours of driving time for naught? I obviously had to go get the yarn.
So I did, and my ear warmer is on the finishing table as I type. It's the Oh La La Headband Ear Warmer by Sarah Grieve. It was a very easy and quick knit, and I love how the cables, comprised of simple knit, purls and yarn overs make it look like I have a lot more knitting skill that I really do. I was quite impressed with myself. It also illustrates what blocking can do to your knitting projects. Blocking is a method of wetting the project down and pinning it into the shape you want, and when the project dries it retains the shape until it is wetted down again. It helps open up lace knitting, cables, etc to help bring out the detail and stitch definition.
The first project I blocked was the scarf I finished a few weeks ago, but I forgot to take pictures of it. My method for this project, the same for the scarf, due to advice I got on Ravelry, is to pin it down to a folded towel in the shape I want, making sure to pull it into the length and width I want, placing pins about every inch or so. Then I lightly mist it with water, and let it dry naturally. Once it is dry I will weave in the ends, sew on the buttons, and *sqoosh* I got a new accessory.
I don't own blocking pads right now, so this really is the best way for me to do it. If I ever get into lace knitting or shawls, this will not be the most optimal way. Excuse the towel in these photos. I have an old towel I use for my crafting and what nots, and this is one of them. I was going to get a nice one to use for pictures, but then I thought, Who the heck am I? Martha Stewart? And if you are checking out my towel and judging me on it, I am sorry for ya!
So here is a picture of the unblocked edge. See how it is all scrunched together? You can't really see the cabling, and it looks messy.
Here is the same edge (and full length) blocked. Now you can see everything, cables are defined, and all the stitches lay flat. It makes a much nicer presentation and finished project.
And here it is, blocked, dry, and buttons sewn on. All ready to keep my earsies all nice and toasty warm. Now, if you will excuse me....
*sqoosh sqoosh sqoosh*
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*Holding out piggy bank* I would love to get your $0.02!