Trying the unfamiliar: October 2018

Monday 22 October 2018

Options, the first edition.

Hi Friends,

Being in Jamaica and doing crochet/knitting isn't easy as I have limited options regarding the types of yarn or thread I have access to here locally. I have been yearning to try some of the different types of yarn that I see online or in my Facebook groups. I have visited so many of the yarn websites and for the most part, they don't ship to my homeland Jamaica. The ones who do, shipping is way too much. I am used to Redheart yarns (even though they don't ship here when I tried their website) as that's what my retailer sells and she still doesn't supply all their yarns.

It was while watching one of Creative Grandma's (Glenda Winkleman) yarn reviews that I learnt about Ice Yarns. I visited their website (www.iceyarns.com) and even though it's not free shipping and you have to buy in bulk it is somewhat affordable and ships right to my door. I made my first order to try it out.

My order came in about 4 weeks (you do have the option of express shipping). It was exactly what I ordered even though, honestly, I didn't know what I ordered.

Baby fine (looks familiar, just thinner than I'm used to)

But! What was kid mohair anyways?

This is 😂😂

These are fine and they weren't crochet thread, get out of here.

Ok, you have new yarn, soft yarn, what are you going to make, 🤔 idk! Then the opportunity came 😀😁... The founder of my favourite Facebook group was looking for test knitters for her pencil skirt and I volunteered.

The baby fine is really easy to work with, it knits well and the finish is great as well.

Now, just look at this beauty. 👌💓❤

Now, there was the "kid mohair", what am I going to make with this thin fuzzy yarn🤔🤔. I have no clue.....

Two months pass and still had no clue what to make... I tried a suggestion "use it with a thicker yarn together"

I came up with this pretty little flower, that was turned into a clip btw.

A few weeks pass and Petra Breakstone posted in her FB group "Yarnz2go Groupies" for an "All Petra Design KAL (knit along) / CAL (crochet along). I thought this couldn't hurt, secondly, I'll be rewarded with patterns (now who doesn't love free patterns). Which yarns will I use? And it hits me, why not use two skeins of the kid mohair, together 🤔🤔. So I did.....

Now, doesn't this look nice?

Even better.

To be continued........

Tuesday 16 October 2018

Bitter Sweet

Hi wonderful people,

I've been eyeing a knitted pencil skirt from the very first time I saw the designer (Jen Giuntoli) share it in the group Yarnitude back in 2017. I've been inquiring about the pattern and it's always "not yet ready". Then the most awesome thing happen in September 2018 ........ She needed test knitters for the said skirt. I gladly raised my hand✋✋, "me teacher, teacher me, please pick me".

Guess what she did...... Yeeessssss...... She picked me as one of her test knitters. (screaming yes, yes, yes 😁😁😁😁).

I got the pattern and it was not like any other pattern I've done. No, no, no, this pattern requires measuring, calculating, and more calculating.

Ok, Melissa, your size would be a large (don't judge me 😂), and Sani would be a medium... Soooo, let's do Immi's as she's small, her measurements would be easy to do..... And so I decided on the colour and yarn, measure her... I did the calculations.

I was the first to complete my skirt. She loved it and I confirm this with "mommy make more pretty clothes for me". Aaawww, she melts my heart.

My first two cable repeats were completed.

Almost completed

Fitting, yes... It fits perfectly.

I was pleased with it, now it's time to tackle a size bigger. "Sani, want one?", I asked. " yes" came her answer.

I knew exactly what colour I was going to use, Redheart Soft, in the colour Coral.

Measurement ✔ calculation ✔

Oooohhh lalala, 😍😍😍😍

I worked on the skirt following the measurement to the Tee.... It's completed, yes!

It's nice, right.

She tried the skirt, it's nice but something wasn't right..... It's not as fitted as I would have liked. I tried it on and guess what? I got my skirt after all (and you thought you couldn't do your size just yet, ha). It was a bitter SWEET moment for me.

It fits like a glove.

Monday 1 October 2018

I'm all aflutter

Hi loves,

July 16th started like any other day.... but something happen that made that day super awesome. Here I was browsing through Facebook, going through my favourite groups and there it was a post asking if persons would be interested in test knitting.

Now, shut the front door, I am a newbie to knitting and have never, I say never test knitted before... But I said what the heck, it shouldn't be hard, right?

I volunteered and got the ball rolling. The materials needed were fingering weight yarn (what is that 🤔?), size 5, 16" circular (check ✔) size 6....... Aaawww, I don't have that... Oh well, it shouldn't hurt to use what I had, right?

Sure, I got the pattern and looked for the thinnest yarn I had, as this should be what fingering weight looks like (don't know). The chart was very easy to follow and with my enthusiasm, I was able to finish my top in record time....... Butttttt... It didn't fit. 😭😭😭😭

And yes it's the same top above.

I was not to be deterred. I searched my stash, found another "thin" yarn, did the first set, checked my gauge and it seems on point, blouse #2 started. I did the lace bit, started working on the actual top and 3/4 way in that yarn ran out, not to worry you have another skein or so I thought. It turned out to be a bit thicker than the one I was using but it's the same colour so onward I go.

Checking my gauge.

Yes, right on point.

Just look at that design.

I completed my top, blocked it overnight, and bam it's finished my "I'm all aflutter" top. The top looked good, but I wasn't satisfied as I didn't use the same material.

I finally got my hands on some fingering yarn and attempt #3 began. I finished the lace bit and placed my work on hold as I was determined to follow the pattern to the tee those times.