a bit of knit a bit of book....

Here is a cowl I'm knitting... One of the few (okay 7 or 8) that I have started.... Hopefully I'll finish one while it is still cold out! Otherwise - I will have to wait until next year and/or wear them around the house this summer with the a/c cranked up!  I'm reading this book. It is The Wedding Bees by Sarah Kate Lynch.  I love quirky characters in the books I read - and this one has quite a few of those!  I can't wait to find out what happens to all of them....

Acrylic Yarns.....

I have always tended to not knit with strictly acrylic yarns. Just my preference.  However, I do knit with acrylic blends - with wool, with cotton....   That being said, I know that over the years, the 100 percent acrylic yarns have gotten better and better!  Yes, even the ones sold at Michaels and Hobby Lobby and A.C. Moore Crafts. I don't have a Hobby Lobby here - so wish I did!  I normally buy my yarn at the yarn shop near me.  They have yarns from $4.00 on up!  And many of them are acrylic and acrylic blends. And they are quite nice! However the yardage on them is usually low.
For Christmas, my sister gave me a cowl made out of the new Lion Brand "Heartland" yarn.  I love it!  100% acrylic.  Comes in lovely colors. It isn't in all the Michaels stores around me. But it is in some - and I recently found it at A.C. Moore Crafts - much to my delight. Nothing like buying yarn that isn't that pricey to being with - and you can use a coupon!  So this started me on my quest to check out some other acrylic yarns at Michaels. I am using the Lion Brand "Heartland" right now - to make many cowls.  And it knits up really nicely and looks great!  Wears well...no pilling.   I haven't washed my cowl yet, so can't tell you anything about how that will turn out.  Today I went to Michaels and got some Vanna's Choice by Lion Brand. And some Red Heart "Soft".  Here are my ratings for Heartland, Vanna's Choice and Red Heart Soft.  Heartland comes in first!  But the Red Heart Soft is quite appealing to me also and I'm starting a cowl in that tonight.  My least favorite, was the Vanna's Choice. It isn't bad, it just didn't quite work for me.  But again, it isn't bad!  Someone else could try all three of these yarns and have their own preferences that are much different than mine. Anyway, that is my two cents today on acrylic yarns of "today's times". They sure are different than the ones from long ago!  And that is a "good thing".  I want everyone to be able to knit in yarns that may not be expensive, but are still nice!! 

I Am.... (aka Ten on Tuesdays)

Our challenge from Carole this week was to write 10 sentences beginning with the words "I am"....
Here are mine....

1.  I am happy that my cat came back from his wanderings...

2.  I am turning into a cowl-knitting fool....

3.  I am happy that I got out for two walks over this past weekend...

4.  I am reading more lately than I had been doing for awhile...

5.  I am enjoying the cucumber and leafy green salads my husband fixes for us each evening...

6.  I am having fun discovering new blogs that I enjoy reading...

7.  I am enjoying greatly the 10 on Tuesdays that Carole sends to us each week...

8.  I am happy that NASCAR is starting up soon!....

9.  I am spending too much money on yarn (well as if that could ever be a real problem)!....

10.  I am trying out a new hobby - painting with water colors.  I still need a lot of practice!....

Sweet Boy....