Sunday, January 14, 2007

Modern Classics Book & Blue Sky Alpacas Melange



I took a nice little trip to Three Bags Full yesterday. I found myself a couple of goodies. I got Modern Classics by Louisa Harding, and 7 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Melange in a beautiful light pink (#810). This stuff is 100% Alpaca!

Truthfully, I've never knit with Alpaca before. I've wanted to, but I just hadn't found a chance. As I mentioned this little tidbit in the car yesterday, I got what can only be described as shock from Stu and our friend Gill.

So I'm knitting the Basic Sweater (the one on the cover) in soft pink yarn.


I had to make the trip to the yarn store a quick one, since Stu was waiting in the car, but in my short time there I found another temptation that I gave into. It came in the form of Knitting Nature.

I thought I'd looked through this book a while ago, and remember not being very impressed, but I thought I'd give it another look through. Well, I don't think that I'd ever looked through it before, because I really like a lot of their designs.

I may have to sneak back to the yarn store to acquire some yarn to knit something from Knitting Nature with.

After some stash acquisition, I came home and made Strawberry Jam. I'd attempted jam once before, probably about 4-5 years ago, and all I remember was that I burned it to the point that it didn't even make it to jars. So, I was a little nervous this time.

I was most nervous about getting the jars to seal. I filled my biggest pot up with water, then I put this metal thing that's actually meant to hold Corning ware off the table . Of course this didn't fit the jars particularly well, but I rested them partly on the rack and partly on the side of the pot.


I have good news this morning. There are 2.5- 250ml jars of jam that have set and are sealed.

I guess I can take that one off my life-goals list. Jam. Check!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great sweater choice! Can't wait to see it knit up in pink (my fave).

Congrats on the jam. It is always a good feeling to cross something off that list :)

Anonymous said...

Your new yarn is beautiful! It will make a lovely sweater.

Anonymous said...

I hope you'll post pictures of this sweater as it progresses so we can keep tabs on you.

Yea....hip, hip, huray for the jam!

rae said...

I am knitting this sweater also, but with the mock neck. Have you had any problems with the front neck shaping instructions? My bind off/decreases leave my stitch count off. Would love any advice as this is my first sweater.