My Pet Chair, Yarn and Fabric Snobs, Rave, Knitty Site Free Patterns

Funny how so many of us stitchers have a favourite chair.
  I read a lot of blogs where people talk about their happy chair, stitching chair, happy place, etc.  It seems I've found my place in this house too.  In the corner, near the window, my vantage point-the whole room, to my left out the window a view of evergreens, on my right is the fireplace for toasty warmth in winter.  Yes it is darn near perfect and since I'm the only one who sits there, I guess it is my pet chair.
This chair has a bit of history.  It was part of the cottage furniture from many decades ago, is very comfortable, hasn't a mark on it, and says Made in Denmark.  I think they make good stuff and we are lucky to have a dozen or so of these to scatter about.  With their combination of wood and leather, they fit in well here.

Thank goodness you can't really see my hair; you can see I have hair which is good but not the strange cut I gave myself.

And like any pet chair I've had, things seem to grow around it...a pile of books, a couple of projects, a reading glasses collection, a box of tissues, a mug, a glass, my special lamps.

 Someone else likes this chair too.  I'm not the only occupant I've discovered.

Yes, Miss Murphy who loves her comforts and, being the diva that she is, tries to demand them too.

This is where I finished off with the crocheted hexagons back in May.  No, actually, I did a little more with them; I'd crocheted a row of single crochet in white around each before it got stashed for the move or when I'd run out of yarn.

This time of year with the slightly frosty mornings makes me think of yarn. And on that wooly front I have placed my order with Biggan Design, Australia for more of their wool to finish up my hexagon afghan- to- be, shown above.  I'd used up my first order and subsequently visited a number of local shops to see if I could match the wool, which was 100% soft merino, to finish this project.

  No luck and so I figured if I was going to spend the time on this, I may as well do it right and order the proper wool that would match perfectly.  I'm nearing the finish line with it; now hopefully I can remember how to crochet that hexagon!

On that wool question...I've been reading a little about how some people are snobbish about the wool they use. I guess Yarn Snobs are not only snobs but judgemental too about the yarns other people use for their projects.  I read an excellent article called On Being A Yarn Snob on the Knitlove site if you want to hear a little more on that subject.  Of course, the snob aspect crops up in lots of things, food ingredients, fabrics we use, wine we drink, etc., etc.

 I have special issues with the snobbery around which fabric to use for cross stitching. It seems so many take issue with folks using Aida cloth for their projects. I'm a little sensitive about this having lived in places where that would have been the only cloth  available and affordable; also with getting older and eyesight being an issue...the Aida cloth is so much easier on the eyes to stitch. How odd to not be able to celebrate all stitching in all its forms as true stitching lovers.  

Thank goodness I have no such notions; and why on earth would I, being such a novice in the wool /quilt world as it were.  Though novice or not, I don't agree with being judgemental of others' choices, period!

 In fact, I've been eyeing a wool called Caron Simply Soft for my next project (of course, I have one!); it's gotten rave reviews.  This wool is readily available and actually a little more costly than the UK Stylecraft Special Dk which I tend to favour.

But back to Biggan Design- look at all the yummy colours. Doesn't it just make you want to get out those needles or hook.  Kind of like looking at a brand new box of Crayola crayons when I was a girl, and Mom always knew to get me the largest box each Christmas.  Gosh, what simple times!

In other yarny news, I came across this lovely little site called Knitty that is loaded with free patterns for both knitting and crochet.  I was struck by this little easy to crochet shawl or scarf.  Basically it is the granny square stitch stretched into lengths- you crochet into the chains which I'm sure makes this work up very quickly.  Already bookmarked.

                                

I'm incorrigible.