adding to the stash (with purpose)

Life has been really hectic since the conference at the beginning of the month. I have been knitting but not much sewing has been going on.

However, there has been some time to add to the stash – and have others add to it!

At the end-of-winter sale at the Big Box Store I bought six metres of polar fleece. This will be used to make doggie blankets for the local animal shelter.

I won a 45cm x 45cm (18” x 18”) piece of beautiful fabric from Ink and Spindle from Helene’s blog. It is organic cotton/hemp. I have no idea what I will do it – at the moment I just admire it! Thanks, Helene.

Several months ago, Cindy, of Tops to Treasures, made me smile with one of her fabric purchases (from Hancocks). When she finished with the fabric, she kindly offered to send me a small scrap for the “I Spy” quilt I will eventually get around to making for my grandsons. Along with the scrap that made me smile, she also sent these:

Older Grandson will love this monkey fabric and those synchronised swimmers (on the left) bring a big grin to my face!

And here is part of the original “scrap” that made me smile. It is so ridiculous that I just cant help grinning!

Thank you so much Cindy!

On the yarn front, there have also been purchases “with purpose” and a couple just because I could!

Firstly, I needed yarn to knit a blanket for my new great-nephew. I didn't knit in advance because I was hoping the baby would be a girl -- I have a lot of pink cotton in my stash!  But it wasn't to be, so it was off to the store for some "boy" yarn! This is a bamboo/acrylic blend which means it can be machine-washed: a quality most young mothers appreciate!

While in the Big Box Store I found a new range of yarn – “new” in the sense that I have never seen this brand before. They had three varieties – a 100% wool in an 8ply, a silk/merino blend in an 8ply (DK weight) and the one I purchased – a 4ply sock yarn. All of them are very reminiscent of Noro yarns but at about half the price!


I returned to the Big Box Store on Wednesday to see what they had on sale. I wanted to knit a lightweight (summer) cardigan for myself. I need it to go with everything in my wardrobe. I didn’t go with any particular pattern in mind so had to guess how much yarn I would require! I can do that with no problems in 8ply but I think I miscalculated when I bought 20 x 50g balls of this viscose yarn:


Just as well it was on sale! Viscose is a plant fibre, originally wool pulp, but has been treated to be super soft. It also has the most beautiful sheen which is hard to see in the photo. I really wanted the grey but they only had fifteen balls and it was three different dyelots – and yes, there was quite a discrepancy between the shades of grey in the balls.

I could also imagine a beige or stone-coloured cardigan going with everything in my wardrobe so I also bought fifteen balls of this cotton/acrylic blend.

This colour is so wrong – in reality it is a lovely, soft beige colour.

I have had no success with cotton in the past – it always stretches way out of shape on the first wearing so I’m hoping the acrylic will help it maintain its shape but that it also won’t be too hot.

And, I couldn’t resist the last two balls of this yarn on special. I can imagine this 50% wool/50% acrylic blend as the Lady Eleanor Stole (Ravelry link) – a lot brighter than the original!

I’d better get knitting if our great-nephew is to get his blanket and I am to get a new cardigan!