Tomorrow my long time friend Barb Tinsler and I are going to the Coastal Condo for a few days so I thought I would post early in case I have so much fun I forget.  This is kind of an experiment.  I am a Delta girl.  I have my Delta American Express, I always fly Delta and I love the Delta terminal at DTW.  I am experimenting with flying Spirit to Myrtle Beach.  Delta has two flights to MB; one at 8:45 am and one at 7:30 pm.  The 8:45 am is way too early for Barb and the 7:30 is too late for me.  Besides we loose a whole day.  Spirt has many flights from Detroit to MB.  Keep your fingers crossed. Now on with the show!

I was working at Ann's By Design with Sandy one of the wonderful people who have become part of the Ann's By Design family.  I mentioned that my Mom used to give Kathy and me crocheted pot scrubbers for Christmas every year.  Mom hasn't made any in many years and I am down to my last two which are pretty shabby.  Sandy's mother crochets lots pf samples for Ann's By Design.  Sandy said, "My mother makes those." And I said, "GREAT!"  I have been thinking that I have to go to some church bazaars in the fall ready and willing to pay whatever for those wonderful little scrubbers.  The next time I saw Sandy, she had these adorable little things with her.  

Aren't these cute?!?!?!  I asked how much and Sandy said, "Nothing.  Mom had these already made."  Now is that just the nicest things or what!?!?!?  Then Sandy told me about these slippers her mother is making which use flip flops as the sole with a cotton crocheted top.  She showed me a picture and they are very cute.  In my mind I saw a tub of cotton yarn in the Stash Studio which has a wonderful story behind it.   

Do you remember this?  It's the Crayon Box Jacket I made several years ago.  Linda and I took a class at Crafty Lady (before it was Crafty Lady Trio) and had so much fun with it that Linda wanted to make another using cotton.  Dick and I happened to be going to New Orleans so of course I wanted to purchase my yarn at the fabulous Quarter Stitch.  You know I'm not a big cotton fan.  I just prefer the drapey feel of animal fiber to the stiff feel of plant fiber.  But hay, Linda wanted to try it so I said, "I'm game!"  

This is how it ended.  The Quarter Stitch had beautiful colors of Classic Elite Provence. I chose pinks, purple and orange.  I loved it.  I loved it so much, I wanted to make something else, even though it was cotton.  But not just any cotton; 100% mercerized Egyptian cotton.  I found this wild Intarsia pattern that made my heart pound.  I called the Quarter Stitch and ordered all of the fabulous colors necessary for the jacket (and then some).  

​As Sandy and I talked I could see a tub in the Stash Studio marked "New Orleans Cotton."  I hadn't been in the tub for a very long time but I knew I had quite a bit of beautiful cotton in many colors.  I went to the Stash Studio and this is what I found. . .

28 skeins and 6 wound balls of yummy cotton yarn.  At first I gasped.  I thought this was a tub full of Crystal Palace cotton.  Since Crystal Palace has gone out of business, I must admit I have been hoarding Mini Moucha.  How could I ever give away Crystal Palace cotton?  After I had a little argument with myself, ("Give it to her!" "I can't give it to her!" "It's the right thing to do!" "But I'll never be able to replace it!") I discovered it was Classic Elite so argument over.  I gave Sandy's Mom 2 skeins of Classic Elite in orange and pink and 2 skeins of Cotton Fleece in lime green and  purple.  I can't wait to see the slippers.

​You know this really feels like PIFWY (Pay It Forward With Yarn.)  Maybe I can start a new movement.  

I just thought you might want to look at these yummy colors again.  I would like you to join the movement and PIFWY!

Or in my context, which came first the yarn or the pattern?  Where did the inspiration come from?  Where did the excitement come from?  In the case I'm about to share with you, it came in the mail in the form of exquisite yarn.

A few days ago, I got a package in the mail from Turkey.  "Turkey?" you question.  When I do my next installment of "How My Yarn Stash Grows"  Etsy will have a prominent place.  I had purchased this beautiful yarn around the first of May on Etsy and had forgotten all about it.  Once again I must tell you that the cake is much more beautiful than this picture shows. I am usually a vibrant color person but this pastel Roy G Biv cake is so yummy. I couldn't wait to knit with it.  One problem was, the label was blank.  I didn't know the weight (I could pretty much guess at that) or the yardage.  I emailed the seller and learned it had 600 meters.  So I had plenty to do most any wrap or scarf.  Then I began searching for the perfect pattern.  I immediately went to my iBooks on my iPad where I keep a copy of all of the ePatterns I buy.  It is so much better than only having a copy at Ravelry or Patternfish or Etsy or Carftsy.  I can access my patterns whether I am within WiFi range or not.  I learned that at a class at Crafty Lady Trio on using your iPad for knitting.  I didn't find anything which shouted, "THAT'S THE ONE!"  One of the issues with a gradient or ombre yarn is having a pattern you have enough yarn to complete but not so much that you waste the beautiful yarn by the pattern ending too soon.  So I figured I was looking for a pattern that ending was flexible.  I went to my Pinterest page and found exactly what I was looking for.

I had a little trouble finding the pattern because it was named something different in this picture than the pattern is named.  But I finally found it on Ravelry.

It is called Close To You and reminds me of the "Knit it a million times" Hitchhiker scarf.  It just has that great eyelet work that sings "I AM SPECIAL!"  I bought and downloaded the pattern, sent it to iBooks and, of course, made a paper copy (just in case my iPad runs out of power when I am somewhere I can't charge it.) I was already to start. I had the perfect pattern for the perfect yarn.  All of a sudden I realized It was the perfect pattern but this wasn't the perfect yarn for the pattern but I knew what was.

Remember this Trendsetter Transitions Lux I bought at Purl 'N Purl in January?  This is the green to orange with that great little sparkle that makes it Lux.  I've been on the lookout for a perfect pattern for this amazing yarn and I thought I had found that pattern.  When I started knitting the cotton and acrylic yarn just did not knit up right.  It didn't have enough body and didn't do the pattern justice.  So I went exploring and came up with this. . .   

This is Twisted Fiber Art Tasty in colorway Paramour.  It is beautiful.  So I started knitting and still wasn't quite satisfied.  I am not sure why.  Maybe it was because as I was knitting I could not see any of my knitting friends wearing pink.  What to do?!?!?!?!  I definitely wanted to knit with TWA.  I love the yarn and the surprises you get along the way when the color gradually changes.  Then I thought of this. . .

This is called Lucky Penny and was one of the yarns from the Fall 2016 or winter 2017 Club.  It may never come back for sale.  I am very surprised I was able to knit with it without feeling anxious, scared or depressed. But, I didn't.   I might never be able to replace it once it is used but that didn't illicit the usual anxiety I get from using a discontinued yarn.  I just kept knitting starting with the inner copper color.  All of a sudden I did start to feel a little anxious.  It wasn't about using Lucky Penny.  It was about not being able to use all of the beautiful teal on the outside of the cake.  THIS NEXT STATEMENT IS SO IMPORTANT.  When using a gradient or ombre cake of yarn ALWAYS start with the the color you like best.  That way you will be sure to get all of that beautiful yarn in your treasure.  There are other things to consider with an gradient or ombre cake.  If it is a pattern with one side closest to your face, the color that will look best closest to your face is important.  I decided I must have all of the beautiful teal and was willing to sacrifice some of the copper.  If I would have done all of my problem solving before I started knitting, I would have rewound the cake with teal in the center.  I just like to work from a center pull better than the outside.

So here it is my perfect pattern with the perfect yarn with the perfect starting point.  It is going to be stunning as it moves through light, medium and dark teal to to dark blue to brown to copper.  I love the pattern and the yarn.  I learned several things in my knabbling on this project.  1)  A stunning yarn can make a average pattern sing.  2)  But an exquisite pattern cannot save a poor quality or just plain wrong yarn.  3)  When using a gradient or ombre yarn, decide which color you are not will to sacrifice and start with that end of the cake whether it is on the inside or outside.  Or better yet, rewind the cake so your starting yarn is a center pull.

So which comes first the yarn or the pattern?  I find I have a much easier time fitting the perfect yarn with a pattern I love than finding the perfect pattern for the yarn I love.  The pattern may come first, but the yarn is always the most important decision.

Sorry it has taken me so long to write this.  I got out my lap top to work on Knitting: A Love Story and discovered it had no change.  Then I discovered I left the plug at the condo!  After a trip to Walmart, a trip to Meijer, a trip to Best Buy in Toledo, I finally got charged.  The good news is I have a charger at the condo and one here.  

I tried to think of a clever title for this post but "My Oh My! I'm So Proud Of Myself" says it all.  I love getting stuck on a pattern and finding my own way to solve the problem.  I love finding a better way.  I love making a knitted project more beautiful than the original pattern created.  That's just what I did earlier in the week.  

I started this edgy little necklace on our May trip to the Coastal Cottage. One of the things I told you the last time I talked about Luna was it is a Ravelry pattern.  For all of you who looked for this on Ralvelry, sorry.  It is an Etsy pattern.  It did have all of the elements I love in travel knitting:  1) The pattern is so memorable that after a while you don't need to refer to a pattern; 2) It is small enough that you can hold it on your lap in the car; 3) It uses yummy yarn; and 4) It is fun.  Even though it is on double point needles, I still worked on it in the car.  Let me refresh your memory on what this looked like.

It looks pretty good here laying down but when I tried to hold it like a necklace very strange things happened.  It looked like it had deflated.  It looked all scrunchie.  It lost it's edgy, professional, handmade look and got that "homemadey, crafty" look.  This is another Luna with much the same look.

So, I became a bit obsessed.  How was I going to turn this squashy, unprofessional look  into something that delivered a WOW?  Now remember, I love this pattern.  I could see me making many for Christmas gifts.  I could definitely see this being a pattern that makes my yarn stash grow.  I used a heavier weight yarn but I love the Madelinetosh Pashima and I didn't think a heavier yarn gave me the same exquisite look.  Then I remembered something is a tub somewhere in the Stash Studio and the search was on.  After searching through many, many tubs, I found it.

Do you know what this is?  It is a magical yarn by Habu which is 69% silk and 31% stainless steel.  It adds a little umph when added to yarn and the color are beautiful.  So I added it to my beloved Madelinetosh and got this. . . 

It's not perfect yet but it's on its way.  I steamed it and may have put a little too much of a crease in the stainless steel.  it needs to relax a little bit but it doesn't look deflated or squashy or scrunchie.  It's on its way to WOW.

The final test is always "How does it look on Lydia?"  It's getting there!  I love this.  I did lots of one of my favorite things, knabbling.  Remember my invented, new, knitting word?  It means dabbling in knitting.  WOW! I love to problem solve, invent and knabble.

Beauty calms me.  It doesn't matter if it is a flower, a sunset or a piece of art, it calms me.  Maybe that is why I love yarn so much.  Just being in its presence calms me.  Now lets start at the very beginning "That's a very good place to start."

Before our last trip to the Coastal Condo, I fell in love with the Stripe Study Shawl and. . . 

after much indecision, paired it with Twisted Fiber Art Evolution in Tasty with colorway Juicy and Madelinetosh in a dark/light grey.  

I started it before we left to see if it would be good travel knitting.  It was. I even showed you the finished, unsteamed product.

Yesterday, I got serious.  I brought our Madonna (my hot mama steamer) and decided to allow The Stripe Study Shawl to reach its potential.   

This is my master piece finished but not steamed.  Finally you can see the beauty of Evolution Juicy.  It is a rainbow of fruit  from strawberry to watermelon to tangerine to orange to mango to papaya to lemon to lime.  It makes my mouth water just looking at it.  I must admit that I did get a little bit antsy as I was knitting.  I've had this cake of Twisted Fiber Art Juicy for quite a while.  It was part of "the collection."  It is the only cake of Juicy I had and you know how I feel about discontinued yarn or yarn I'll not be able to replace.  I am quite proud I made something totally beautiful out of it AND I haven't brought another cake to replace it.  I think that is a small victory over my yarn addiction.  Now for the finale.    

This is Beautiful Juicy immediately after steaming.  Look at the interesting curves caused by the short rows.  There is the pleasing curve down the middle and the interesting curve along the right side.  Now for the ultimate beauty.

Lydia loves it!  This picture shows off the gradual color change the evolution in the color of the beautiful Juicy.  

This thing of beauty may become my joy forever.  I am not sure I can part with this.  Isn't it funny how somethings become more a part of you than others.  This got me through the tension of the accident and will always be a reminder of the wonderful week with Butch and Evie at the Coastal Condo.  When Christmas comes, I'll have to see if this treasure begs to go to one of my friends or if it is happy here with me.  Finishing this beauty was like finishing  a book you absolutely loved.  Just like you have a hard time finding a book which holds your interest after spending time with a book you love, I am having a hard time settling on something I want to knit.