Has anyone tried this yarn? I want to make a baby blanket with bright colors. Is it actually as soft as it says?
Caron Simply Soft Brites Yarn
Price: $2.49
Care:Machine wash and dry * 100% acrylic * 6 ounces 315 yards * 4""=18 stitches on size 8 needles * Suggested crochet hook: H8 * No dyelot.
Okay, so I'd been knitting for only two weeks, and I decided that I wanted to make something other than dishcloths and scarves. I decided to knit a blanket for my grandmother....the one who tried to teach me to knit when I was a little girl. Her 80th birthday was coming up, and I thought it would be a nice present from her granddaughter. So, I hunted for a pattern that would be nice, but also easy, since I didn't know much except to knit and purl. I didn't even know where I could hunt for patterns, so I just went to Wal-Mart on a lunch break to see what patterns were on the labels of their yarns.
They carried quite a good selection of Bernat yarns, and I really liked Bernat Chunky. So I found one in a nice bluey-gray colour called True Denim. The pattern is only called "knit blanket" but it turned out really pretty. It's almost like a basket weave pattern, so it took a lot of counting between purls and knits. I worked on it every day (even when I was at work) from November to January. I'm really disappointed that I don't have a finished picture to show you, but Grandma loved it.
....sort of. My husband runs this sight, and since I'm actually the knitter, it only makes sense that I would be the one to post on this blog. I'm new to the blogging world, so you may have to be a bit patient with me, but I thought I'd share with you some of the projects I've completed, some I've started, and some I hope to do.
I've only been knitting since November of 2007. We had a friend over to dinner one night and she brought her knitting with her. I asked her to show me what she was doing and how to do it. My grandmother had tried to teach me to knit when I was younger, and it just never caught on, but this time when my friend taught me, it just kind of clicked. She started me out with a basic diamond-shaped dishcloth pattern, using a cheap acrylic yarn in a pretty eggplant and royal blue color. All in that night, she showed me how to knit, purl, yarn over, increase & decrease stitches. She raved that I was the quickest student she had ever had! Plus, she told me that my stitches were surprisingly even (not too tight or too loose) for a beginning knitter. I still use that first dishcloth - in fact, it's draped over my kitchen faucet as I'm writing.
Since that fateful evening, I have become addicted to knitting....finding out about different types of yarn, different stitches, etc. I still haven't ventured into the world of cable knitting yet (frankly, it scares me) but soon I will attempt it, and I'll share my trials with you all. On my next post, I'll tell you all about my first large and rather ambitious project, considering I had only been knitting for 2 weeks......
I know it's still summer and you're not likely thinking about Christmas just yet, but if you plan to knit a project or two to give away at Christmas, you might want to get started. If you're lucky enough to be able to spend a lot of time knitting, then you might be able to get away with starting a little late, but for many with busy schedules, 3 or 4 months is a reasonable time frame.
For all the procrastinators out there, here's how you can get started with your Christmas knitting projects.
1. Decide who you will knit something for. Keep in mind that even though you love knitting and spend a lot of time doing it, some people just won't appreciate it and buying them a gift might be better.
2. Decide on the yarn color and then get to work trying to find a good place to get some discount yarn.
3. Make sure you have the appropriate needles and anything else the project requires.
4. Start.
It's not really that hard, is it! Just get started; The sooner you start, the sooner you finish.