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Monday, August 8, 2011

Look what elves sent me!

Two packages were awaiting me when I got home tonight, one rather large and one significantly smaller.

Here is the smaller one after the outer shipping box was removed...
The one ziploc bag on the top there has stitch markers in it, lots of stitch markers.
Under that brown paper wrapping :
To go with the fancy bookplates.
TDQ is enamored of all things Japanese right now, especially anime, her biggest gripe at the moment being that school requires a foreign language and she can't take Japanese as it is not offered, but even she can't read what is written in these books. Luckily for me, once the covers are opened the insides look more like this...
I can't do much, but I can read a chart!

Why, you may ask was I hunting for these books? There seems to be a rash of Japanese stitch patterns in my life. Umaro is a variation of one of them, and I had been really taking a close look at another one that a designer I know had played around with, thinking I would "embiggin" it and make The First Brother his blanket from it. Anne Hansen and I must have been thinking along the same lines as she wrote it all out as a pattern that is available through Brooklyn Tweed as part of Wool People. What was a knitter, who wanted something a little more original than what looked like the wholesale theft of another designers pattern, to do? Get some more inspiration!

The Other Brother's favorite color is green, and his blanket is certainly green! TFB needed some red, well what do you know....
How useful that some arrived in the bigger box.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to run through my stash has noticed that I have plenty of laceweight and quite a lot of sock yarn, but not enough of anything to make blankets, so a little stash enhancement was needed and while I was buying blanket yarn, just in case I end up with time I thought that maybe some sweater yarn would be a good idea.
Just enough for one, but it is a start.

I know, you thought if you scrolled down far enough you would see a new chart completion shot of my BTTG, sorry to disappoint, the knitting on that is going very slowly, especially as I am afraid to say that No, Amanda, I cannot knit while I am at my Jazz Concerts.

Maybe later this week that picture will appear. :)

Til then, to quote one of my favorite designers....Knit on!

~M

2 comments:

Amanda said...

Nice haul - I expect to see some more beautiful blankets from you. And shame you can't knit at the Jazz. But hopefully you get a chance to relax.

Jeri said...

Oh! Oh! Wonderful books! I adore "Knitting Patterns 250" and so does Shirley Paden; many of her designs come right from that book ( check out one of my faves, number 88). I have the 300 one, too, but 250 is my favorite. What a great selection of fun...makes me want to buy more stuff too. But must finish everything else first! Right?
Enjoy!1
Jeri