Monday, May 9, 2011

Blue Monday, or, giveaway week for adventurous souls

Since my mother is now safely wrapped inside her new Holden shawlette I feel safe to post pictures of the finished thing. I'm very pleased with it, it turned out so pretty and I just love the yarn, which is a limited colorway from Little Red Bicycle (Tandem Sock in Dagon). 





I guess I shouldn't have used the "thrifted treasures" title so soon because in all honesty that is a pretty big part of this blog. Browsing pretty things is, for me, a big middle finger to stress, hurry and being poor. Thus, after last week that was dominated by a big rush-job and me being so tired that I left a bag of yarn on the train, I somehow ended up splurging a little bit.

Used to hold a skein of yarn instead of the arms of an innocent bystander, for all of you not in the know.

In all honesty I bought an antique yarn swift last summer, but it's missing a somewhat vital component, the screw that keeps it attached on a table. A post about all the little projects I have lying around with the innocuous "I'll fix this bit and then..." labels attached to them is for another day. At least I now have something to model that missing screw on, and I paid a fraction of the retail price for it. Besides, it will soon come very handy.

Because I also bought a bag of cobweb weight yarn, nearly a kilogram altogether. It's not quite as insanely thin as the last one, but close. Again I have no idea what the fiber content is, but I'm guessing cotton. It's squishier than the last one that I suspect is mercerized, but not squishy enough to be wool. I did a burn test, but it told me nothing, really, except that it's organic material or rayon.

There's black yarn. 

Also in the picture: my IKEA scale, very useful for everything from baking to knitting to weighing kittens.
There's gray yarn.

Also in the picture: a sheet ripped by a kitten and destined into the sewing bin

And then there's a whole bunch of different shades of blue yarn.

Very dark, purplish indigo. 
A more greenish and duller shade of blue.
Bright, deep blue.
Very close to the last one, but a bit darker and duller.
Blue really is not my color. And since a week from now this blog turns three months, which obviously is a big fucking deal, I've decided to hold a giveaway worthy of such a milestone. Do you want my ridiculously thin blue yarn of unknown fiber content?

This is relevant also because I decided to overcome my stupid blog shyness and comment on all of the blogs I follow this week, starting today. So, comment on this post and tell me what you want to make out of 62-155 grams of maybe cobweb maybe cotton yarn. I really could use the ideas because apart from making a summer shawl/scarf from the gray yarn I have no ideas for the black yarn except a gazillion pairs of fancy lace stockings. After a week I'll pick up names from a hat or something and mail one of these batches to four people anywhere on this planet. And unlike all the fancy pants giveaways out there, not many people actually read this blog so you might end up with all four of them! How wonderful! Or not!

Let me repeat the rules:

1. Comment on this post.

2. Tell me what you would make out of 62-155 grams of mystery!yarn.

3. If you have a blog, put the address in the comment, I'm easily amused.

4. You have until May 16th midnight Finnish time to comment. The winners will be posted on May 17th.

5. Feel free to celebrate your own "comment on the blogs you read" week if you are as awkward as me about it.

I'm going to finish this post with a cake. In the last couple of weeks I've made 45 liters of mead, over 120 doughnuts, three cakes and some ginger ale and this is the only picture I have to show for it. It's also entirely mine, my own, for me to eat. I had that slice and now I'm full. Cake, anyone?

Chocolate cake with cream, mascarpone and cherry filling and chocolate frosting. Yum!

10 comments:

  1. Hi! I came here from LSG, enticed by mystery yarn. What would I do with it? A shawl, probably Gail/Nightsongs -- with beads. I've got these gorgeous blue beads that I bought for a previous Nightsongs attempt, but they don't look right with the yarn, which is a bit more purply than blue, so... They sit.

    Also, that is a tasty looking cake.

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  2. Hello :)
    I love that deep shade of blue! If I was lucky enough to win, I'd probably make a pullover for my little one. Or a shawl for myself.. No, definitely pullover for my baby... Or maybe shawl for myself... Oh... so hard to decide :)

    Have a fantastic week,
    Kasia
    (yarnpoetry.blogspot.com)

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  3. heya! You commented on my blog (robotaday.com) so I stopped by to check yours out! Honestly, I have no clue what I'd make. Somthing ambitious! Or rather, I'd start something ambitious and feel guilty every time I pulled out another project to work on :)

    Congrats on your 3 month anniversary!

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  4. I would make a shawl, the Rock Island by Jared Flood. I am ready to tackle a lace project. I will also need a lot of chocolate to get through it. Brain food. That cake is gorgeous. If you have extra, I can help with that. Srsly.

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  5. Blue! is not my color by inclination, but I am fascinated by it lately. I am starting my master's degree program this summer, and literary scholarly type ladies have previously been called "bluestockings". So I love the idea of lacy blue stockings; however, as I am studying to be an English professor/writing teacher, beautiful things like lacy cardigans and shawls are also permissible for my work attire.
    I blog at http://www.handsomeknitter.blogspot.com/ and I am hypnotized by your blog's swirly blue background. And cake.

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  6. I like blue. I would put it to the flame test. If it was synthetic, I would give it to someone else, and if it was wool or cotton, I would make socks. I blog at http://rutabagagirl.blogspot.com, check it out! I also spin.

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  7. I came over from LSG. What would I do with it? There are so many possibilities! I've never knit with anything other thinner than worsted weight yarn so this would be a first for me. I think I'd make a "shawlette". It should be an adventure!

    Also... CAKE!! I wants it!GIMME NAO! Plz?

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  8. I came over from LSG. I would make an Icarus with it! I've been wanting to tackle a big lace project and that would be perfect!

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  9. Blue is a new love for me, and sadly, my stash shows it. I've been on a green kick for years. I think I would use the yarn to make something surprisingly summerish. I have patterns to make a cute top with knitted/crocheted bodice, and fabric babydoll type bottom. I think I'd go for that. Or, if worsted weight comes my way... the youngest son is always after a new hat!

    Indulgence on Ravelry

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  10. Good thing I checked back! My comment from last week didn't post!
    I came over from LSG...I just can't pass up a mystery! I would make a shawl for my grandma. I've never made a shawl before...but I know she'll have to love it!
    Also, GIMME CAKE!! PLZ??

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