The Clog Saga and "Double Vision"

Well I didn't make my goal for a Friday update this week, but here's what's on and off my needles this past week. Unfortunately, the saga of the clogs continued well into the week. I did make myself go out in the cold back to the yarn store Saturday. I drove thirty minutes out there only to discover the yarn Cari picked out a few weeks ago was discontinued and they didn't have anymore. Not only did they not have anymore but I didn't have the ball band with me (and I didn't even know if I still had it at all) to get the color number from it. Since we didn't know the color number we couldn't even look it up so she could make a note to call the company on Monday morning to see if they had a stray ball in the warehouse. Extremely frustrated, I left. I started to head home and then decided that Knit Wits was only another ten minutes away, so on the off chance they still had a ball, I turned my car in their direction. Of course they didn't have anymore! But after telling Sharon (owner) that I wanted/needed four hanks of the sumptuous Magic Flute color of the Misti Alpaca Chunky Hand Paints (can I just say ... yarngasm?) that Regina got the week before, plus Regina needed another one, the next time she ordered ... well, Sharon found a whole nuther bag of the stuff and instead of spending $5 on a ball of wool I spent ... never mind, I don't even want to go there. But this color is so awesome Cari and I both needed a scarf with it. (More on these later.) Despondent I left Knit Wits after spending way too much money on awesome yarn still not able to finish the clogs. And I didn't know if I'd be able to get any more of that color - ever.

Bright spot - I found the yarn label (ball band) in my basket and called Sharon with the color number. She said she'd put it in her network and see what she could come up with. So Cari's clogs still sat. In the meantime, however ... I had this alpaca calling out to me. No it was yelling at me to play with it and fondle it and make it into something. I caved. It won. After trying several different patterns and needle sizes the Misti Alpaca Ribs and Ruffles pattern was what the yarn wanted to be worked in.  Truly, it told me so. Each hank is only 109 yards, and working with a 10.5 needle, well it works up pretty quickly. I finished my scarf and immediately picked up the same yarn to make Cari's. I didn't intend to use the same pattern for both scarves, but in the end I did just that. I loved the first one so much and it was too perfect to do anything else with the yarn. So here's the "Double Vision:"

I had seen some felted pot holders in one of my knitting books earlier in the week. I also saw some neat mitered coasters in another book. So I thought I'd try making the mitered coasters with wool and felting them to see what they'd look like and if they'd be functional. That's what I pulled out to work on at S&B Friday morning. Wow, I was thrilled at how fast they knit up and had one almost finished by the end of the morning. Liz went by Knit Wits and called me later saying Sharon had found me a ball of the wool (for Cari's clogs) and it was in!!! Asked if I wanted her to pick it up for me! Well, yeah!! I was about ready to throw in the towel and just finish those last four rounds with the cream I was using for the cuff. So I was able to finish the second clog Friday night and I felted them today! I'm pretty happy with how they turned out - hopefully, Cari will be too.

I also managed to whip out three more of the coasters and felted them along with the clogs this morning. Pretty happy with how they turned out too!! Think I'll make Cari some and throw them in her care package to mail later in the week.

Future projects? Same as last week: the owl (maybe I'll get that pattern this week and knock that out), my entrelac stole and my kimono - oh, still need to get some more wool for a couple more pair of clogs I promised over Christmas. Michael's has it on sale this week so maybe I'll swing by there, buy some and get started on another pair.

'til next week ...
QB