Here we go a-thriftering, a-thriftering, a-thriftering

25 oz wine solid, wool



20 oz oatmeal 10 oz chocolate 5 oz betwixt heathers, wool



5 oz ea navy, fuschia and dk grey, 2 oz lt grey heathers, wool; 5 oz cream, acrylic, 1.75 oz silvergrey fun fur, acrylic.

Nothing had labels except the fun fur, which simply says Knitting Yarn Hilo Para Tejer in lieu of a brand name. I'm thinking the cream acrylic has that nice "Caron Softness" feeling to it.

The wool has a firm feel, rather than lofty; slighty rough, but not really scratchy. There is a small swatch of it the donor knitted on the size 11s, which I'd consider too loose, but it is nice feeling. In fact, it feels better than some Noro yarn I've used. I think on size 9 or 10 needles it will make a nice fabric that will be comfortable, very warm, sturdy and long lasting. Washing may also add some softness.

$7.47 - less than 10¢ per oz for almost 5 lbs of wool, and the acrylic and needles for free. Oh yeah, there's also a little pile of loose strands, none over a foot long. Fortunately these little dearies will never have to be cut to pieces and made into stitch markers, read the last post to learn why.

The one about Patty, Dawn, Jeanne, Ruth, Kristin and Beverly

I-cord. You're familiar with that, right? Three stitches around and around. No need for a marker at the end of the round. But let's just pretend The Kitten is making some I-cord, and places a stitch marker. By the time the end of round comes up again, three stitches later, the marker is gone. In its place is a note "Dear Kitten, The Precious is mine! Yours truly, Gollum"

Stitch markers. I've bought and lost - can't begin to count. Scrap yarn loops? Tie up a new one every two or three rounds. Cutting the yarn loops out of the knitting takes longer than weaving in the ends of the project yarn.

Then a wonderful thing happened... I won a set of 5 stitch markers in a contest. Once I finally got the nerve to use them, I surprisingly didn't lose them. 5 stitch markers that didn't disappear instantly the second they touched yarn. Second and third sets I won, same thing. Never lost a single one. And really pretty ones, too. Gollum got the wrong end of this deal for sure.

Never having been able keep more than a couple markers at a time, I never fully realized that you can never ever have too many, because no matter how many you have, you'll find you never ever really have enough. I now had over a dozen and was still short by about a zillion.

Midwest Knit Girl And The Zillion Markers to the rescue! One point zero zero zero three zillion, to be exact. And I'll never lose them, not even one, because I didn't buy them. I think this might actually be a lifetime supply!

She's also sent me my first ever split ring stitch markers. I can't believe how serendipitous this is, absolutely just in the nick of time.

The sweater I'm working on is going to need some retrofitting to accommodate a design change. This will entail dropping stitches for nearly 20 rows, through 4 intarsia blocks and right on the borders of three other blocks. TERROR! I've been stumped and stymied wondering how I would accomplish this.

Patty and the Split Rings to the rescue. The second I saw these I knew what to do. Using these split ring markers I'll be able to "lock" stitches to their neighbors and insure that the ladder doesn't go too far, and that the intarsia twists aren't messed up. Patty, I really appreciate these. Thanks so much.

Dawn at Knitting Nonstop has selected Sinuosity as the name for her beautiful new sock pattern. I've won a copy of the pattern and a skein of the same wonderful Destination Yarn in the Sea color that she used to make hers. Blue is my favorite color and that rich shade is sumptuous. Thanks again Dawn, and Thanks Jeanne, for dying up more of this incredible color.

More great news! Ruth of The Yarnarian has been clearing some bookshelf space by giving away great knitting titles, and The Kitten is to be the recipient of Kristin Knits by Kristin Nicholas. In my opinion this talented designer creates "Knitting Adventures in Colorland" instead of patterns. Thank you Ruth for this great book.

Beverly of The Knitting Restaurant is celebrating her birthday with a giveaway of some stash yarn and some knitting needles, and the Knit Fix book. Doesn't that sound like just the combo for The Kitten? To enter the contest leave a knitting tip in a comment. Happy Birthday Beverly

WE INTERRUPT THIS PERIOD OF NO BLOG POSTS TO BRING YOU THIS IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

The Time Of Enlightenment Is Approaching!

That all important day when the all important question will be answered, when the single most important of life's mysteries will be solved.

The answer will not be revealed by mankind's diligent research into the sciences, nor through the intercession of the billions of prayers of the millions of faithful, which over thousands of years have been offered to hundreds of versions of a few dozen dieties.

Nor will the revelation come from the far reaches of the mirror dimension universe, transported across the light years instantly by the telepathic powers of an alien race so far in advance of our own that we appear to be barely more developed than the swarming bacteria under our own microscopes seem to us.

Not even that most likely of candidates, that repository of all knowledge worth knowing, of all truths worth telling, of all facts verified and re-verified and confirmed and reconfirmed; no not even the supermarket gossip tabloid will carry the news.

On that fast approaching day... that lovely, fateful, blessed day...only here will you find the answer to the question that is buzzing on all our lips... the question that arose from this innocent seeming remark on the blog of our beloved Midwest Knit Girl :
　
"WINNER # 3: KITTEN WITH A WHIPLASH! You have won something knitting related – could be yarn, could be something else."

What is it? What is it? What is it? Only time will tell.

Patty, thanks so much! I love surprises and I love the anticiaption of waiting for a package.