Red Pearls, not just any Cotton

I'm trying to show you the texture of this yarn in this picture. Fat, and skinny, flat and shimmery.

This picture, though a bit blurry shows some of the shimmer this yarn has. I held this up with the light of the computer behind it with one hand while taking the picture with the other hand. But, I think you still see the texture and difference in the shimmer and the not shimmery portions of this yarn. I've never used it before, but will be using it again.
Again holding it up with the light from the computer screen behind it. You can see it's sorta lacy. Nothing fancy, straight garter stitch on size 8 knitting needles. I used Cascade Yarn Pearls. I'm NOT a fan of using cotton yarn. It's hard on the hands, rough and tough and often blah...flat in color. This however, is 55.7% cotton and 44.3% Viscose. This Cascade Yarn is made in Brazil and I loved working with it. Felt nice in the hand, moved nicely on the needles and I love the shimmer and non shimmer contrast, as well as the thick and skinner portions of the yarn.
This terrible picture makes it look orange, it's not. It's red. I like light weight summer scarves for accessorizing and to keep the neck warm in air conditioning when we go out. Though I am rarely cold, the arthritis in the neck really aches and so often a light weight scarf is just the ticket. The edges look awful also in the picture...I must have laid it down badly because they don't look so lumpy. My indecision now is whether or not to keep this for myself or to donate to the battered women's charity, Scarves from the Heart that like soft, frilly, feminine scarves. I generally make my summer scarves a bit more narrow, sooooooooo...hum, just not sure. Will think on it.

Have you used this yarn before? If not, I highly recommend it.

I might also add this fun scarf traveled with me to ARUBA. Was a good plane project.
Click on Aruba to go to my Travel Blog and read about/see pictures of Aruba. Here you see where I laid it on my tray table to take a coffee break. We had a really early morning flight. Yikes! I really needed the coffee.

**Catching up after being gone takes time, but am working on it. Got all 300 drops done for my friends on EC, and visited and commented on all 20 on FO. Made some visits and comments on The Hive. And now need to throw another load of laundry in. Whew**

Working Ahead for The Red Scarf Project

A beginning, not the best picture, but you can sorta see the pattern. Actually guess it's more of a texture. This is a nice reversible stitch called checks and ridges. Using Plymouth Encore knitted worsted weight yarn which I love. It's 25% wool and 75% acrylic. It washes and wears very well and has a nice soft feel to it. It will be nice and warm because of the wool, and because this is a nice solid stitch. Using size 9 knitting needles. The red looks a bit more orange here in the picture than it really is. Had this yarn at finger tips and decided I needed a knitting project to give some relief after so much crocheting which is more bothersome on the arthritis etc.

This is working ahead for me as it will go to The Red Scarf Project which isn't due to be mailed until this coming fall. This is a charity I used to do a lot for, but in recent years my list became too large, so it's nice to have worked my way back to this part of my list. The pattern is a 4 row repeat and shows up best on a solid color in my opinion. I also like it because there's 2 rows of good old garter stitch.

I should also add this will be traveling with me to Aruba (be sure and check out my travel blog, will have lots of pictures and info there in the future).

What are you working on?



This was last weeks WIP, but I never got things officially posted, so am using it this week, now that I'm back in town and trying to play catch up. In my effort to play catch up this am before heading to work, I did manage to drop 209 for my EC friends (think I got all of you who dropped in my absence), and a few more. I also managed to visit and comment on 21 of you in the WIP--all that had signed in before my time was up. And now, to work. Keep stitching.

Hanging Art

A while back I mentioned I needed some art for the wall in this post. I couln't get the angle on the picture to include the bed, window, etc for you to see this, so please click above link to see. Took this picture several times trying not to get the flash reflection on the glass in the above picture. Seemed the only way to do that, was to take the photo at an angle. I put one of the bed pillows there with the picture so you could see the colors. The mat is grayish, and there's lots of that in various shades in the Monet Print. The frame is brassy looking to me, as is the bed post. The tan border on the print and mat seem to pick up the tan in the window treatments, the carpet and the tan in the print on the bed. Still need something behind the bed; but it's a start. We had these print with a really cheap frame previously hanging in this same spot. Hum, wonder if I have a picture of it anywhere. Anyway, having it re-framed wasn't cheap and hubby thought I spent too much. But, nice mats, and frames aren't cheap. And, I think it turned out really nice. He thought since the print was cheap to begin with I shouldn't have spent much on it. However, I think I added to it's quality.

Someone suggest a plant/tree behind the bed. Well we had that in the previous arrangement, but after fighting trying to keep it dust free, I don't want to go that route again. A collection of pictures is what I have in mind currently. Small prints probably, but will I make the corner interesting by doing this, or will I highlight further how offset the bed is to the corner? Thoughts? Ideas? Anxious for some input folks.

Too Pretty to Eat

The pretty orange on the left is carrot cake, and desert on the right is a cheesecake something. Bought these 2 pretty deserts the other day at the grocery in the specialty area because I thought they were pretty. Pricey, sorta too. Wouldn't want to get more then 2. Buying these is like buying a desert out. This is not something I would do often; but thought what the heck...we're having a nice meal, a good bottle of wine and we should top it off with a really special desert too. Sadly, they were prettier than they tasted. I won't be doing this again, or at least won't get these again.

While I agree presentation matters, it doesn't matter more than taste in my opinion. Hubby had the cheese cake and I had the carrot cake. Or rather we both ate about half with a bite of the other. You'll note these aren't big, so eating only half, well....that pretty well tells the story. I do think they're art, and they did look to pretty to eat. Is that the idea. You have them on the table, but no one eats them?

Live and learn I say, sometimes you try new things and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

How bout you? Anything similar happen to you? Tell us about it. Share your story.

**Don't forget to check in tomorrow to see about Monday Meme (provided I get it to work right, lol)**

Little Princess moves to the FO List

Here's Little Princess after being joined, still needs tails woven in, and needs a nice border.

I had a hard time deciding on a border for this ghan, but am really pleased with the one I selected. The pattern called for one more row of the open weave, but I nixed it and went with just the 2 rows instead of 3. Here's a close up of the border so you can it better.

Debating a lot about what color to edge, join, and border with; as I'm not one to use much white or off white....but the off white here seemed like a good choice to me. I try to stay away from light colors like that because of the dirt factor, but....

This is another ghan made from squares donated through my Give a Square Program that was active for 3 months. The finished ghan will be donated to Faith Mission where I hope it will give warmth and hope to a little girl in need.

Little bit of knitting corner to corner

After finishing the 2nd longest WIP ever ghan, and Rose Garden Ghan, I needed something sorta mindless. Also, needed a project that could go with me to work and other misc places. Also, needed something knitted to give my hands and fingers a little break from crocheting which seems to be harder on the arthritis, carpal tunnel etc. Though, am still working on ghans that require crocheting for Bridge and Beyond, I do now have a knitted project I can work on in between which is helpful. This corner to corner is simple straight garter stitch. With this yarn's texture, there's really no reason to use a fancy stitch; it would be lost and not seen anyway. Had a hard time trying to lay this out so you could see it, as the circular needles curl so badly. The yarn is JoAnne Sensations Rainbow Boucle with 873 yards a skein. It's nice to work with. I believe I prefer knitting with this over crochet though. I've seen this yarn used for almost everything from a really lacy knitted shawl, to baby sweaters, hats, scarves, doubled up for slippers as well. Lots of different colors to choose from and fun to see how it changes from light to dark. Thus far, you're not seeing that in my start. I'm using 2 color ways, a pink and white, and a pink-gray-black. It reminds me of Poodle skirts.

Not totally sure what this will end up being. Well, actually not true. It's going to be a blanket/ghan. I'm not sure how big I'll make it or whether or not it will be for a little girl or an adult female. I'm just knitting and we'll cross that decision bridge when the yarn runs out or I get tired of working on it. lol Most likely it will be another Faith Mission Blanket though.

**PLEASE make a point to pop back in Monday, a fun Monday Meme and linky love for all**