Sunday, September 5, 2010

Tigers and Yarn and Blogging--Oh my!

I haven't been blogging much lately, but I have been knitting. Just finished something so cute, it will make your teeth hurt. Unfortunately, I want it to be a surprise, so for now you'll have to check out my Ravelry projects page to see it. Tilly, tell your mom and dad not to peek. I'll be there in a couple of days.

I'm so excited to finally meet my granddaughter, I can hardly stand it. I'm bringing my camera and laptop, so there will be photos and blogging. Found a couple of interesting looking yarn shops in Fargo, so maybe I can squeeze in a yarn crawl too. I know a few of the blogs I read have declared themselves on a yarn diet, but I won't kid myself. There will be yarn purchased. I can't lie about it.

Speaking of yarn, I have a question. I noticed something with the Opal yarn I used for these Tiger Socks (Rav link):


When I weighed the yarn to divide it up--I knit all my socks 2-at-a-time with separate balls of yarn--the skein weighed about 10 grams less than the label said it should weigh. That's a lot of yarn! So here's my question: do they sell yarn by weight or by length? Can it weigh less than what the label says but still have the number of yards or meters stated on the label?

I didn't run out of yarn but I was hoping to have a little bit more left, at least enough to make a pair of baby socks. The Tiger Socks are meant for DD's band director, but I'm not sure they'll fit. LOVE the way this yarn worked up--it really does look like animal stripes. (The school mascot is a tiger.)

I have three trips coming up in the next month, so I'm focussing on the most critical aspect of traveling--which knitting projects to take along. Never let it be said I don't have priorities. What are your favorite projects to take on a trip?

Joanne, never fear. I will get your prize in the mail before I leave. Her reaction to winning is so cute, and a contest was hinted at, so go check out her blog.

More tomorrow!

6 comments:

  1. Have safe trips! Enjoy the time with the little one.
    The socks a great. Love the colors.

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  2. Love the gift you knitted for you granddaughter. I can't wait for you to take a picture of her in it. I look forward to lots of grandbaby pictures!
    I don't know about the yarn weight but I have noticed that a couple of times. I made a pair of socks with Opal Harry Potter yarn Dumbledore but didn't weigh it first. I do love the way Opal yarn patterns.
    My favorite travel project is socks! and sometimes I take a scarf (with an easy pattern) along for something different to work on.
    Have a safe trip.

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  3. Wait a minute... fargo? That's where I am! Check out prairie yarns the ladies there are very nice!

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  4. I wish i knew the answer to your question about what the skein weighs versus how many yards it's supposed to be. I recently ran out (by like 80 yards) when making a shawl and I can't decide whether the designer was wrong, the skein was wrong, or whatever. The designer said she figured the yardage by weighing her yarn cone before and after so who knows? I don't want to become one of those obsessed knitters who weighs every skein and posts on ravelry every time a skein is an ounce underway (but it really ticked me off when I had to scour the entire nation for one more skein of hand-dyed sock yarn in a colorway that even the dyer didn't stock anymore). Ok, I feel better now. Never mind.

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  5. Yarn can't be sold accurately by weight because it will hold water (esp wool!) in humid /damp conditions and dry out in drier areas. The amount of water it holds affects the weight.
    When the ball band gives a weight and a length, that is at standard conditions--that length of yarn needs to be conditioned in a oven, effectively, for a specific number of minutes at a specific temperature. This drives out most of the water and dries the yarn. Then it is weighed before it has a chance to regain water.
    Having said all that, there is also a tolerance that is acceptable. If they state 400 metres, they are allowed a tolerance (as a percentage of length). There is also a tolerance for the number of joins (knots--don't we all hate those too?) in a ball, etc.
    Hope this helps!

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