As The Yarn Turns

Red Cross Knit Kit

Well I received my American Red Cross Knit Kit in record time. I ordered it on May 30 and received it yesterday, June 4. It contains a 1940s knitting pattern for Serviceman's Socks, a 4 oz. skein of olive drab wool, 4 red plastic double point needles, and a plastic finishing needle in nice tin. It's not bad for the price and it goes to a good cause. Some people seemed surprised that their kit didn't match one of the pictures on the Internet. The picture I saw, though, was just a prototype for the idea, not the final version. In any case, I'm pleased with mine. Now I just have to decide whether to knit them up or save them. I know a good candidate for the socks if I decide to knit them up. Here's a picture if anyone is interested.

WiseNeedle Yarn Reviews

If you haven't visited Kim Salazar's WiseNeedle yarn reviews yet, now is a good time. It's a wonderful resource when you are planning a project with a new yarn. It relies on voluntary reviews by knitters. If you are having trouble searching for yarns, start by clicking on the "Yarn Search" link. You can search using any of the search items on the page. If you just know the manufacturer and it's not listed in the drop down list, click on the "Lookup/Add" button under "Manufacturer Name", type the name of the manufacturer in the box, and click "Search". For example, type Brown Sheep in the box and click Search. The search engine will give you "Brown Sheep Company" and the code for that company. Click on the Code link and you'll be taken back to the search page with the company name in the Manufacturer box. Click the Search button again and you'll get a list of the Brown Sheep yarns in the database. The resource is only as good as the reviews that are submitted. If you haven't submitted a review yet, go ahead and give it a shot, even if there are already some reviews. It's easier than you think and you won't be graded on the quality of your review. Just click the "Review this yarn" link when you are looking at the reviews for any particular yarn. If it's a new yarn, click the "New Yarn & Review" tab in the menu at the top of the page.

by Sydney  |

A Day Looking at Old Stuff

Rick wanted to look for old speakers for old radios, so yesterday we went antique browsing and had a lot of fun. I wasn't looking for anything special. Mostly I was looking for some little inexpensive trinket that I couldn't live without. Well Rick didn't find his speakers but he still found a prize, a 1947 Arvin AM radio. It's cute as a button. I found my trinket, a pair of old cotton hand carders. They have obviously been used but they are still in fairly good shape.

Other than that, I've been doing a little bit of knitting (remember that cable sweater I was working on) and spinning a little bit of blue-faced leicester. I'm starting to accumulate quite a bit of blue-faced leicester yarn. Now all I have to do is figure out what I'm going to make with it.

If you haven't seen this yet, the American Red Cross is offering a World War II Commemorative Knit Kit, complete with needles, yarn, and World War II knitting pattern for servicemen's socks in a tin. They are also offering commemorative t-shirts and posters. What a great idea!

by Sydney  |