Thanksgiving Walk

After dinner yesterday my family and I took a walk along the Cumberland Trail on the edge of Signal Mtn. The photo above shows the distinct shape of the mountains in this area. Raccoon Mtn. is in the foreground and Lookout in the back.

The mountains around here are small in comparison to many mountain ranges, but incredibly old. Their bases are of limestone and their upper parts sandstone. Limestone belts can be spotted sometimes by the cedar trees growing there.

Walking the trail was really the best part of the day.

Sewing Arsenal

Over the weekend my mother gave me some old sewing items that had been her mother's and grandmother's. As I laid some of them out, it struck me as amusing how dangerous the domestic sewing basket could be. Besides all the needles and scissors there were all sorts of pointy things and blunt instruments. The maraca looking things are darning balls. The slender pointed sticks are stilettos--a rather lethal looking device for poking a hole in fabric for eyelets. Throw in some knitting needles and I'm well armed.

Baby Hat

I have a new nephew. Actually he's a couple of months old now, but I'll see him this week. This little hat is for him. It's the first baby hat I've made. I wasn't knitting much back when I had my own kids.

I would post the pattern but I didn't write it down. I saw a picture of a baby hat in bulky yarn done this way and I did the math of how many stitches per inch I knitted in my yarn to figure out how many stitches to cast on. I also used two circular needles to knit it--that was a first for me too. Overall, I like it, but adult hats are easier.

Knitting for Myself

Here's a photo of my latest sweater:

That lump of unravelled yarn is it. I believe it's my third sweater this year. All have been unravelled and wound into yarn balls. Why is it I can knit so many beautiful thing to give away but can't knit something for myself? Sure I have hats and scarves but nothing that's fitted. Either the end piece isn't quite what I wanted or is the wrong size. I swatch and check gauge, but to no avail. I put away the one wristwarmer/glove thing I made last week this morning. The woman's size small in the pattern was bigger than my small hand. I'll unravel that one later.

In knitting as with everything else we learn from out mistakes. The problem is I'm tired of learning--I would like a nice finished item--that fits.

Actually I have learned and I am about to cast on for a new sweater. I have made a swatch and measured it twice. I have done math--which is no small task for me. I think this sweater might work. It is going to be short sleeved for spring and a classic style, because if I finish it and it fits I plan on wearing it for as long as I can.

1920's Paper Dolls

I was rummaging through my small closet to find room to stow some Christmas gifts when I came across these lovely ladies. I took them out and looked through them--there are dozens of them.

My next door neighbor when I was a girl had been a girl in the 1920's. She's long gone now, but her daughter gave my mother and me a box with these paper dolls years ago. My neighbor had a sister and apparently they cut the ladies from a Sears catalog or some other catalog of the time. There are many women and young girl dolls and a few dapper young gentlemen. There is even a carpet cut out of the catalog for the stylish flappers to stroll on (its in the edge of the top photo).

Some of the figures have names written on the back of them, such as Marie and Helena. All are wearing the latest fashions including a couple with Egyptian revival dresses.

I've received several toy catalogs in the mail lately full of cheap plastic, overly priced toys. These are so simple.

Bernat Soy Yarn Review

Yarn: Bernat Soy

50% Soya, 50% Acrylic

70 g/ 2.5 oz.

Medium weight, US 8 needle (5 mm), US H/8 crochet hook

Machine wash and dry

Suggested retail: $4.99 (but who pays retail?)

I made the hat pictured using this soy yarn, size US 7 needles, and a pattern from Knitting Daily. You have to be a member of Knitting Daily to get the patterns, but they have some nice patterns so it's worth it.

The yarn was soft and knit well. It did tend to be slippery and wanted to slide off my Denise needles almost before I was ready for it to, but not to the point of being a problem. I think I will try it next time on bamboo needles. As I held the finished hat in my hand it drooped off the sides--a nice drape.

I thought as I knit that the yarn was a bit fuzzy and wondered how it would wear. After finishing the hat I cast on for another hat with a different yarn. When I needed a Place Marker I picked up a snippet of the soy yarn and tied it into a circle and stuck it on the needle (I'm not fancy when it comes to place markers). As the marker moved up the hat, row after row, it ended up being quite a bit fuzzy by the end. I don't think I would use this yarn for an adult sweater--I don't like sweaters that fuzz--but tastes differ. It might make a nice little girl's sweater. Because of the fuzziness, I think I would stick to making accessories with it. I can picture a lacy scarf in the green shade.

The hat took only one skein. The upper one in the photo is the leftover puddle of yarn. I wish the soy content were higher than the acrylic.

I've knit this hat pattern with a variety of yarns and really like it. It's called the Cecily Beanie, but depending on the size of the head it can fit more like a cloche. I knit it two weeks ago and have given it away.