by which I mean in focus, with crisp stitch definition, AND something remotely resembling the actual black
not a washed-out grey
not charcoal
actual black [ yeah fuzzy pic but the best I could manage ]
If the answer was no - well, consider yourself lucky
but knowing the difficulty doesn't ever seem to stop me from using black on a semi regular basis
take this week
I'm still working on the cardi in that red angora that Kay gave me but I needed a break from the fluffy little beggars that kept jumping ship and trying to set up an alternative residence in my eyes, nose and/or mouth
so why not knock out a nice, quick and easy improvised beret?
Might as well use that single ball of black Patons Smoothie
ahh yes
Patons Smoothie
a yarn I will never willingly buy again.
I do have a ball of ivory sitting there and one day it may turn into something but I can't ever see myself walking into the LYS and thinking " ooh there's some more of that Smoothie - must get some"
... not even if it's on special
...for 50cents a ball even
....EVER
If you GAVE me some ... well okay ... I'd find a use for it, but I don't know if we'd still be amigos afterwards...
do you now have a sense of how much I hated working with this stuff?
When I bought it, I was looking for something soft and smooshy and suitable for a baby beanie [ used something else in the end but that's just bye the bye ] and the woman in the LYS talked me into this stuff. Never again. Yes, it IS smooth but not really all that soft and is made up of 6 separate strands loosely twisted - notice I didn't say 'plied'- around each other to make a DK [ sport / 8 ply] yarn
... can we say "splitty"?
4mm needlesthe yarn you already know about
1x1 rib and then alternate bands of stocking[stockinette] stitch and moss[seed] stitch
simple
if you don't factor in the yarn
and the
black
black
black
so here's some cuteness overload to balance all that negativity
You will have to stop this look alike deal with my pets past and present.......lol.
ReplyDeleteBear is the spitting image of Kim the last dog we had on the farm.
Such a precious one...he would even protect me against Dad playing with me if I called to him, and he was Dad's dog all the time. Dad taught him to kiss the cat before he got his scrap of afternoon tea.
Dad would come to pick me up at the train on the Stony Point line and you could drive the car onto the platform, so I would thankfully exit the carriage of sailors on route home to Crib Point and dive for the car whereupon a nose would dive through from the back seat and I would be licked of all the city rubbish and be welcomed home.
Black knitting would be as hard to photograph as an all black cat, I should imagine!
ReplyDeleteIn my late teens, Angora jumpers were all the rage, and we used to put them in plastic bags in the freezer for a half an hour before wearing. It stopped the fluffy bits getting up our noses.
I've owned one angora item. A dress. I loved it until I wore it and left an impression on everyone around me. Those little bits fly everywhere.
ReplyDeleteBeen there and done that with yarn that wasn't agreeing with me. The remainder of that particular stash got donated to a group of knitters that knit mittens for kids. And, I do read your blog for the knitting, as well as for your beautiful quilting, and the wonderful scenery pictures...not just for the cuteness with four short legs. ;)
ReplyDeleteHow about I combine the two?
ReplyDeleteI have a dog who is black. Wow. A black dog is really hard to photograph.
Hi Susan
ReplyDeleteI read your blog becuase I enjoy your crafts, love the look of bear (what breed is he?) and most of all, my dearest daughter is in her last year of Uni at Ballarat and I sense that you are close and the countryside is great.
Deb
Albury
Bugger Ive just bought some of that smoothie yarn to make something for the grandie......sigh.....but your work is lovely!!!
ReplyDeleteI came for the puppy and he didn't disappoint
ReplyDeleteThat is a whole lot of cuteness. And I can't knit in black, my eyes aren't good enough.
ReplyDelete