Beware The Old Yarn Stash

I have a huge stash of yarn in my basement.  I don't know where it came from, maybe it crawled in one day when I was inattentive and left the cellar door open,  I've had that happen with snakes and toads and maybe that's what happened with the yarn.

However it happened, I have skeins and skeins of yarn!   The colors are not very attractive and the texture of most of it is questionable.  Why some company produced yarn that feels like kitchen scrubbing pads is beyond me but it's there in my basement, lying in wait for me every time I go down there.

It usually looks accusingly at me, as if to say, "Why do you hate me and never let me see the light of day?"  I've tried to ignore it, but it's getting harder and harder.  I feel bad for the poor stuff, even though it's ugly and scratchy and no one in a million years would want to wear anything made from it.

And I was successful in ignoring it until a couple of months ago.  That was when I came up with the brilliant idea to try and design a shrug pattern.  Most of the shrug patterns I've seen are simply rectangles of knitting with parts stitched up for the arms.  Is that the route I took when designing my pattern?  Oh no, not me!  I had to have one with fluted cuffs and different stitches to give it texture and a nice big ruffle around the neck line! 

So down to the basement, where the yarn is kept contained in plastic tubs.  I did that so the yarn doesn't get out and try to strangle me when I go down to do laundry and so far it's worked!  Anyway, I pulled the tubs down and cautiously opened them.
All the yarn started clamoring for my attention.  "Pick me,pick me!"  they all shouted.

After doing battle with some of the more unruly skeins, I headed upstairs with my choices.  I picked a florescent orange, don't ask why, I don't know, maybe it yelled louder than all the rest,  a variegated yarn with the appealing name of Chili, a raspberry colored yarn and a large skein of Christmas red.  Then I started knitting.  I won't bore you with the details but it took me quite a while to finish this piece and I did so in the middle of July so I can't even wear my creation for months, but oh well, I will get to wear it eventually.

And now, what you've all been waiting for (if you've had the courage and stamina to read this far), here is my shrug in all its glory!

 Note the bright orange ruffle that encircles the whole thing.  I wanted it to mimic the cuffs with a knit 4, purl 4 ribbing but I ran out of room on my circular needles because I had about a gajillion stitches on the needle but I was too cheap to go out and buy a larger set.

Howling Caterpillar of the IBH Guild on Art Fire

So, this week's victim of the IBH Guild's Blog Roll is Howling Caterpillars
I love the name and her Art Fire shop avatar.  She also happens to be a fellow New Englander, hailing from Weymouth, MA.  She is also a fellow Pagan. 

This talented crafter admits to be a Jill of All Trades and her shop shows this. Her gorgeous products range from Dream Webs (kind of like Dream Catchers but since she is not Native American, she didn't feel it was right to call them Dream Catchers), to jewelry, ArchAngel bottles and altars in a jar.

You can also earn good Karma points by purchasing one of the  chokers on her site.  These were made by a friend's husband who was 1/4 Choctaw.  He, unfortunately passed away and she is helping her friend out by selling the chokers he made.

She has several blogs, this one: Demented Scribbling About Stuff and this one: Howling Caterpillars Maybe Daily Crafty Blog which highlight her sense of humor which is a little to the left of normal (I mean that as a compliment).
Some of her entries had me falling down laughing.

Her Art Fire blog is a delight to read and I recommend all these as prime reading material.

Here are some of her wonderful pieces.

Good for Karma points  Rose and Quartz and Silver Choker

Three Wise Monkeys Dream Web

Maika i Pomaika i Hawaiian Voyage Necklace

Divine ArchAngel Bottles