I did make it to the shop for some Harrisville Shetland yarn, and here it is:
I bought 3 cones in purple for a Fir Cone shawl from Cheryl Oberle’s book, Folk Shawls. It sure is a lot less expensive to buy a cone of yarn than skeins! The yarn washes up nice and soft, even though it’s kind of rough in the hands while knitting with it.
I also bought a ball winder, because I am sick of fighting with rogue balls of yarn. I will wind them, dammit!

And here they are, aren’t they cute with their little bug buttons? I hope the babies’ mom likes them too.

I found a copy of Celtic Collection and some other OLD AS books at the library this week, and for the most part, I agree that her stuff is really nice. I think I am becoming a fan. Two of the books are really old, Scanidnavian and Brittish Isles, and they are sooo dated! But the newer ones, I like. Aran Knitting and Celtic Collection especially. I might go to a shop later today that supposedly carries Harrisville yarns and see what kind of colors they have. I am thinking of many projects, a shawl, Elisabeth I, or something fair-isle. This is hard being a beginner, because I haven’t tried everything yet!

I found some cute buttons that look like VW Beetles for the Baby Albert sweaters. I am going to see mom on Monday, so I have to finish up one sleeve and seam up the second one and put the buttons on by lunch on Monday. I think I can do it.

Which reminds me, anyone out there a member of TKGA? I am contemplating taking the first level course, because I know I have a lot to learn and that might be a nice structured way to learn some stuff. I wonder about other’s experiences. Did you feel the work was worth it? Did you really improve your skills?
I wonder if there would be a difference in me hearing from some stranger via snail mail that I am doing well, or if just knitting a difficult garment would give me the same feeling. Its not expensive, so I may just go for it, but I am curious about other’s thoughts.

Over the weekend, I picked up a copy of Tudor Roses, and I am inspired to become a better knitter. I think I will do Elizabeth I first of the collection, because I like it, and I am sure I will never find a pattern for Sand Dollar unless the book is reprinted.
I also really like Katherine of Aragon. I think that’s a bit ambitious of me now, EI is only one color, and a good place to start.
Now the question becomes, do I use the VY yarn and add stitches to the sides, or do I use a slightly larger yarn, and do different math to figure that out.
Time to get out the Vogue reference book and see what looks better. I wonder if using a larger yarn with the existing pattern would be very distorted, making a huge neck and wierd shoulders.
This is why I wonder if I should join a guild, to speak to folks who have experience in this kind of stuff.

I decided to work on the Baby Albert #2 first, and then see how I feel about a next project. Good thing too, since I may see the twins’ mom next week, so I have got to get cracking!
I cast on Saturday and am done all but the sleeves and one front panel. I think I am getting better at this! And now that I can knit and read without making mistakes (well, many) things are going much faster.

Does anyone out there have an opinion on whether or not you leave the ball band on your yarn as you knit? This is assuming it’s a skein or center pulled ball that would allow such a thing. I tend to leave them on, and I don’t know why, because inevitably the other end does come peeking out and gets in the way. I don’t know why I do it.
Just wondering.

A friend from work went to Germany and brought back some pretty sock yarn for me in a color I’ve not seen here. It’s hard to see in the pic, but the main color is white, and there are varying shades of blue from very faint to navy blue. I am curious to see what it will look like when knitted up!

Thanks Amy!

The straps still need some adjustment, and she’s a little damp, but I am overall very happy with how it turned out. Can you see the little peerie around the top? I’ve got her blocked sort of, while drying. Hopefully it will collapse in a pleasing way when not full. If not, I guess I can suffer the wet wool smell again and really block it around a box or something.