Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Homespun

Now that I've determined to take up knitting in earnest, I'm gathering supplies and making plans. My strategy? The right tools (AKA, actually paying attention to the size of the knitting needles I'm using -- I know, this seems like a no-brainer), and the "right" materials. I know I'll be more inclined to perservere if I'm working with a yarn that I absolutely love.

A yarn like this:




It's an absolutely gorgeous wool and angora blend from Moss Hollowe on Etsy. And when I say gorgeous, I mean it. Surprisingly soft for wool, it's a beautiful grayish brown hue that pictures don't do justice to. To top it off, Moss Hollowe includes the names of the sheep and rabbits with the skein, along with "head shots" -- talk about provenance! I usually ponder and vacillate when making a purchase, but it didn't take me long to make a decision when I encountered this yarn.




With needles, stitch markers, and accessories ready to go, all that's left is to take a deep breath and start.

Wish me luck!

8 comments:

  1. That's awesome that you're knitting! I love knitting so much. My favorite yarn is wool.
    Also, if you want good quality low priced yarn of all types, check out knitpicks dot com; that's my go-to website for most of what I buy, and I've used a lot of their yarn (fingering, worsted, DK, sport) and I've been happy with everything I've gotten. I especially love their Swish yarn; it's a superwash merino that is silky soft.
    (By the way, I don't work for them or anything; I wish!)
    Do you have a Ravelry account?

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    1. Laura Elizabeth,

      I'm a fan of wool (or at least natural fibers), as well. Unfortunately, that's generally the most expensive yarn! Thank you for the knitting website recommendation -- I'm out of my depth when it comes to this particular craft, so it's nice to have a reliable resource.

      I do have a Ravelry account (I've actually had it for several years! While I wasn't knitting, I found it necessary to see the projects of crafty friends). I'm loving how many free patterns there are -- in fact, that's where I found the pattern I'm using for this yarn!

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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  2. Shannon,

    What beautiful yarn! It looks so soft and delightful. I look forward to seeing your progress. : )

    -Sarah

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    1. Sarah,

      It is indeed soft (which is apparently not common for the breed of sheep the wool comes from). I'll be sure to post my progress soon! :-)

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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  3. Good Luck!! Let us know how it goes and what resources you are using to learn. Learning to knit is on my too-long bucket list!

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    1. Diane,

      Thanks! I'll definitely share resources and such as I go along. So far so good -- and if I can do it, anyone can! ;-)

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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  4. You're right: the wool is usually really expensive. KnitPicks has very reasonably priced yarn, and some lovely luxury fibers (alpaca/silk blends, for example, which are cloud-soft).
    Here's my Ravelry account: http://www DOT ravelry DOT com/people/LauraBethEliza

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    1. I can't wait to browse their selection! Thanks for the link, too -- my account is www.ravelry.com/people/thoughtsnthimbles

      Blessings,
      Shannon

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I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you so much for stopping by!