Unraveling

A piece of knitting that’s taken hours to achieve a length, can be returned to a ball of yarn in no time at all.

Ten hours of knitting? Can be undone in less than two minutes! But if it’s necessary? Wrong size, a mistake, wrong gauge, disappointing fabric, the wrong needle and/ or wrong stitch count.

My problem was I cast on 72 stitches for one sock then promptly forgot that I did so on the second. I cast on 64 stitches, my usual number. Rip, rip, rip! 8 stitches make a difference, in this case an inch in the circumference. You want matching socks. You NEED them to match as best you can . To fit! One thing I’ve learned is it will not remedy itself if you keep going. Face it! And rip. Carefully.

You just grit your teeth and do it. don’t think too much. No groaning.

There. It’s back to a ball of yarn. Now go cast on the correct number snd reknit. About ten hours worth of knitting. Love this handdyed yarn from Knittinbro Yarns of Pennsylvania.

Beets. Yes or no?

Do you like to eat beets?

The beets were delivered in the farm box today.

I thought I’d prepare them for supper. After I cooked them on top of the stove for about a half an hour, I saw the pan of beautiful crimson liquid and quickly retrieved a skein of ecru wool yarn which was meant to be dyed. I’d received it from a woolswapper, Cheryl, and once thought I’d experiment and dye it with Kool-Aid. She’d sent me a skein of Kraemer Textiles undyed yarn. I soaked it in water snd vinegar first and lowered it into the pan. Covered it and simmered the pan a bit. I dyed just the one skein of yarn in beet juice and a bit of white vinegar, rinsed it in cool water and hung to dry in the bathroom. Cant wait to knit with it.

But I digress. Beets? To eat. Yes or no?

Beautiful beets
Soaking in the pan
Sucked up the liquid
A bit varied in tone. Drying in the shower

Millvale Welcomes McWalker Yarns

Millvale welcomes McWalker Yarns A wonderful new LYS (Local Yarn Store)  Opening Day tomorrow, Saturday April 21st at 9:30.  I had the pleasure of photographing the owner, Amy Walker McCall today.  How nice she made time to give me a tour when she was super busy, readying the store for opening tomorrow.  303 Grant Avenue is just across the street from the gas station. Tuesday and Wednesday the store will be CLOSED but open every other day of the week with the tagline “Yarns at a variety of price points with hours for working crafters.”

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Stitch Party Yarn dyed locally in Millvale.

Three Pittsburgh area LYS have closed in recent months and what a loss to our community.  How fortunate that Amy created a business plan and put in a lot of preparation and hard work to make her creative vision a reality.  Millvale is a happening place, you’ve read many posts of mine before featuring all it has to offer.  And it is just over the Allegheny River, not a long ride at all.

The store is laid out by the weight of the yarn which is so helpful when you are trying to find just the right yarn for a project you are dream knitting in your mind.

Need help finding something specific? Check out this thorough colored labeling system.

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A basketful of possibility 

These O- wool yarns are organic “yarn that is environmentally responsible, affordable, and made locally in Philadelphia and the USA.”

Allergic to wool?  Lots of alternatives to choose from.  Here is some soft cotton with a hint of nylon in it  Check out the Cumulus below

Be sure to see and feel  the variety of Swans Island Yarn from Maine.  The Bicycle Hat is a bit blurred but if you know a cyclist, I know they’d love you to knit them the hat!

 

IMG_2575Looks like an inviting couch and chair to sit and knit a bit! Wishing you all the best, Amy,  as you launch your wonderful McWalker Yarns store tomorrow!