new yarns

Completed! I got my Basic Socks finished AND my birthday is still a month away. Good on me. :) That's 10 months for my first pair. They're a little dodgy. Not the best toe end on the second one coz I winged it (as I couldn't remember how I'd done the first one and have lost the original pattern) and so it's a little funny shaped when not on my foot. The shortrow heels left eyelets at the joins. But you know...it's my first pair and you can't actually tell unless you look pretty darn close. I'm happy enough. They're lovely and warm and they have the pride of being made by my hands.
So with my socks and my loop scarf off the sticks, I simply HAD TO pick up some new yarn projects. I also HAD TO use my Sean Sheep Prarie yarn I mentioned in my last post. So I started this hat. It's from a Lincraft pattern sheet. It's called Surprise Crochet Hat. When I picked it up I asked where the Surprise yarn was. The assistant got a little "oh dear"-like saying that Surprise was last season and it's no longer in stock and proceeded to remove all the other pattern sheets for Surprise yarn off the shelf. I just muttered to myself, "Well, I still want the pattern. I'll just use something else. He he." Funny. I'm kinda vague in my pattern following most of the time anyway. I'm liking the way the Sean Sheep wool is turning out. Funky.

And now that I've got my head around how a sock knit-up works I've slung some more sock yarn around my needles. This time I'm going toe-up starting with Judy's Magic Cast-on in Moda Vera Noir. I can't remember what the colour is called but I'm calling them my blueberry socks coz with splitting the ball into two so I can knit it double-yarned for a thicker quicker knit, the colours are blending most lovely rather than simply striping. I much prefer this. Makes for a more gorgeous coloured sock. I'm guessing a pattern...or rather, figuring it out as I go. So stay tuned...

loop scarf

Finished my loop scarf the other week. Finally wove the ends in so I could wear it this week. I've been a bit annoyed about the curl. In the photo below you can see just the underside because the edges curl due to most of the scarf being stocking stitch with eyelets. I thought the ribbing on the edges would help...but it doesn't. I still wore it. Then I woke up today with an idea...
I ironed where the ribbing meets the stocking stitch and it worked wonders. I'm thrilled! Much happier with it now and I quite like the brightness of the blue. It's pretty good on length. I could get away with it being a little shorter. It's nice to have something warm around my neck without dangly ends. I shall have to make another some time.

I'm also thrilled today because I came across a lovely new product. I was shopping at Big W (actually searching for a present) and couldn't resist buying wool for myself! Ever the knitter! I've never seen it before. It's Sean Sheep Wool! The colours are lovely...but I can't show you coz I don't have my camera with me. I bought two Prairie, one Stirling and one Rockbank, all lots of mixed colours. All pure Aussie wool except Rockbank. It's 70% wool and 30% Soybean. And what's also thrilling is it cost just $2.86 per 50g ball. Cheaper than the pure wool balls at Spotlight and prettier colours. Oooo the delights of wool! Check out their website and see what I mean.