In this post, I mentioned a baby blanket I wanted to knit. I printed the pattern off the internet and ordered the yarn and needles the poster used (different color, though). I received the wrong size needles, but picked up the right ones and started in on it. Here's a picture from the pattern's link:
That's what the blanket was supposed to look like. My font got really big there. Hmmm.
Here's the yarn I bought (kitty was not included):
So I went ahead...whoa...that font's even bigger. Hmmm. Let's try this. No. Okay, let's try this. Okay, so. I don't have a picture of it, but the blanket did not come out as nice as the internet picture. I don't know if you can tell from the picture of the purple yarn, but it's not straight/flat; it's kinda wavy. I don't know what you call it, but it's got some texture of its own. When I knit it, the boxes were not nearly as distinct as in the picture. And I really wanted that textured look to it. I wonder if, bc the yarn itself has a texture, it made the pattern less distinct. I tried a few things: going to a smaller needle; going to an even smaller needle; something else someone suggested that I forget. But nothing worked; it didn't get that nice, distinct boxy look.
Soooooo, I'll be sending back the unopened yarn skeins and the wrong size knitting needles. Deciding that I needed professional advice on selecting an appropriate project, I took myself over to Nonna's Yarn Cafe in Denville, NJ. I had gone to Time to Knit in Boonton, but they've since closed. I do like to use local yokels, but forgot about the Denville place until after I'd already ordered the stuff online. I am glad I went to Nonna's. From their website:
Benvenuti! (Welcome)
Here we are in beautiful Denville. Two Italian sisters, Josephine & Nickie, who love to knit, crochet and bake! Our mother’s name was Rosalia and our children would call her Nonna, which means Grandma in Italian. She was the inspiration for our yarn café. Now she is our guardian angel watching over us and our dream.
Our dream is to make Nonna’s Yarn Café a very enjoyable gathering spot for all knitters and crocheters. Don’t worry if you are neither…once you walk through our doors you will want to be one or the other!
Anyway, the lovely ladies there were very helpful and set me up with a pattern, yarn (color #7021; scroll down to see the swatch) and needles, sizes 9 and 10. I use the larger needle for casting on and binding off bc I tend to knit kinda snugly. Using larger size needles keeps the cast on and bind off from curling. I use the smaller needle for the body of the project. Here's what it looks like so far:
Annnnnd, close up:
Mmmmm, I don't know that you can really see the texture on the one side. I'll try to get a better picture when it's done. And now, a gratuitous kitteh w/yarn shot:
Why? Bc I can.
I am still working on my blanket of different colored squares. I decided to break into that iot make this baby blanket bc babies are born in a rather time-sensitive manner. The cool weather will come around again and I hope to have the big blanket done by fall.
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