Help!

I can't decide. My head hurts from trying to make up my mind.

A couple of posts ago, I talked about buying some beautiful wool called Patons SWS. Yesterday I started a drawstring purse (.pdf file) out of one of the skeins and got about 20 rounds into it before I sat back and thought, "Huh."

The colors are gorgeous. The striping is fantastic.

So what's bothering me then? I just don't think I'm digging the pattern. See, it's huge. You cast on 100 stitches, and with this yarn it's just ginormous. If I were going to felt it, then yea, that would be perfect. But I don't want to felt it.

Take a minute to let that sink in.

I don't want to felt it.

I, who recently made a beautiful little felted bag, who desperately wants to felt something else, just don't want to felt this yarn. Why you ask? Because it's SO pretty. Unfelted and knitted up, it's just beautiful. Don't believe me? Wait, I've got pics. I'll prove it.


See? I told you! Look at those delicious stripes! And see see see?? The eyelet round? I did that.

What? Stop looking at me like that! I know what you're thinking. In your head is a big fat, "Er, so what?" Well, to my ultra beginner knitting status, an eyelet round is HUGE. An accomplishment of monstrous proportions.

But I digress. The issue in hand here is that though this is beautiful, it will be very large. I wanted something a bit ... smaller.

Which brings us to my dilemma.

The second skein of this striped goodness has gone into a humble start of a sock.

Yes, a sock! I found on line yesterday a pattern called Easy Worsted Weight Socks. (.pdf file.) I got out my brand spanking new dpns and cast on. And began. And hey, knitting on dpns is kind of fun!

And after several rounds of ribbing, began the stockinette stitch. Which is where I currently am now. ... What's that? Oh, right. Pic.


Now this, I'm liking. A lot. BUT.

Wow, that's an awful big "but." But a but it is. I'm worried about laundering these. The yarn calls for cold water hand wash. Fine, that's do-able. A pain in the ass, but do-able. But heaven forbid they get accidentally thrown in with towels, which are they ONLY things we wash in hot water here, where they'll felt up and shrink down. Of course, one of my sons would probably like them...

HAH. I'm so lying to myself on that one. They so would not.

Another thing: stretch. There does seem to be a nice amount of give to this wool. And that's fine for some things, but I'm not really into the baggy sock thing anymore. I grew up past 1988.

But they'd be so pretty!

So now you see. I've got this beautiful yummy wool and I honestly can't find THE pattern with which it can live in symbiotic harmony.

---

But enough of that.

I'll write about some other things I bought the other day to take my mind off of the Patons for a while.













Aren't these gorgeous? They're Classic Elite Renaissance in Valencia Orange and Celery. I'm not sure what I'll do with these yet, but I just loved the colors. Besides, I have a fairly large stash of acrylic, it's about time I build up my wool stash. *evil grin*

I also got some needle felting supplies. I bought some needles and some roving wool. I still need the little foam pad, but the associate at the store was less than enthusiastic about the idea that I only wanted a little 5x7 patch of it. She said they usually sell that stuff by the foot and it's like 5.70 per foot. Yea. Right. Chickie, I don't need that much and there ain't no way you'll get me to buy it. I've got to have something around here that I can make do with.

I want to make an itty bitty teddy bear. Hee hee, because apparently my crocheted Tiny Bears just aren't tiny enough for me anymore. I've got to have a smaller bear. It's an addiction. They were the gateway bears and now I've simply got to have a smaller one.

But, without of course, actually having to crochet with hair-thin thread and a crochet hook no bigger than a bent sliver. Obviously that would be a choice to a normal person, but yea... I'm just not into that.

I've got a couple of those hooks. I've got some of that thread. I've tried to work with them. But I think they've formed a union against me. Because they revolt every time I try.

So a needle felted bear it is. I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully I won't accidentally shish kebab my fingers.