It's almost fair time, part 2

Less than a month to the Fayette County (PA) Fair and I'm almost done. I say almost because I'm still working on a sweater that may or may not get finished. It's a woman's Aran sweater from an old Bernat pamphlet that I've modified to be worked in one piece in the round. I also changed one of the cables that I just didn't like. I haven't reached the underams yet nor made the sleeves, so it's going to be close.

I'm only entering about half of what I had been entering in the past few years. Just didn't  have the desire this year to make baby things or knitted doilies or something for St. Patrick's Day. We'll just have to see how things play out this year with my entries. As usual, there are some I think should win, and probably won't, and some I think are OK which will probably get blue ribbons (I hope). In any event, I get to grouse and gloat while checking out all the other entries.

Here's what I've collected since 2004. There should be another Grand Champion purple ribbon, but for the first year that I won, I didn't know where to pick it up!

It's almost fair time

Aran Sweater Barbie

Every year since 2004, I've entered the Fayette County(PA) Fair. I enjoy seeing how my projects compare with other people's. Sometimes, an entry I think can't miss doesn't even place fourth, like this Barbie entered in the Doll Clothes category. The picture doesn't show her kilt or knitted knee socks , which I made using #10 crochet thread and size 000 needles.  But no ribbon of any color. I'm often not sure what the judges are looking for, so I just make what I like.

Same outfit, just bigger

And because I like Aran sweaters and kilts,the next year, I entered a bigger doll with essentially the same outfit: crocheted hat, cabled sweater, kilt, knee socks. I guess bigger is better, as this doll outfit won a blue ribbon.

I'm going with baby doll clothes this year: knitted sweater and leggings, crocheted hat and booties. It's done, just needs to be photographed.

What a bargain!

Today's bargain is a pair of Easy Spirit Motions for $5. That's right, five dollars for a pair of shoes that retails normally for almost $70. I bought them at Gabe's (Gabriel Brothers, if you're not familiar with them) and it made the trip worthwhile.

Yesterday's bargain was 6+ skeins of a vintage fingering weight wool for $6.99, including shipping, from eBay. I don't know how I lucked out, because that's a great deal.

I'm going to need all the money I save to buy health insurance. It is outrageous what Keystone Blue costs. I wish that the US would get universal coverage. I would go back to practicing medicine in a heartbeat if tort reform was enacted and the threat of medical malpractice was mitigated in a government run health care system.

Bargains!

I just love a bargain. Who doesn't, except the baby in those commercials with Jimmy Fallon? My bargain for the day is The Chronicles of Narnia priced at a dollar (less my 15% senior discount) at Goodwill. I had previously bought the first five in the series but couldn't find the last two until today. Now I can donate my individual copies back to the Goodwill for someone else to enjoy and still have a copy should I want to re-read them. It's a win-win situation.

Now, if I could just find the last three Harry Potters.

Red Heart Bear

Just finished the most adorable little bear from a Red Heart pattern, using Aran Fleck as the bear color (it's a pool-ar bear) and various scraps of other acrylics for the bathing suit and accessories. Very cute and I'm definitely not an amigurumi fan. The ears were the hardest part but I hobbled something together that looks ear-like enough for me. Pictures to follow.

Update: As promised, here's my bear. I modified the ears and bow. The directions were clear, but I couldn't get either to look right. I love the rubber ducky swim ring! I did make the pail, but not the fish.
For you Red Heart fans, you'll recognize the bear is Aran Fleck, my favorite RHSS color. The other colors were just miscellaneous acrylics that I had lying around.

Goodwill has yarn! (sometimes)

Even more hit and miss than finding yarn at Big Lots is yarn at Goodwill. I've been lucky enough to find cashmere worsted weight and Noro Kureyon sock in single skeins, but a lot of what is there is acrylic. Nothing wrong with acrylic, and I've bought it at Goodwill myself, just I know it's not everyone's favorite. Right now, I've got 4 skeins of a laceweight mohair, a big skein of a microfiber from Joann's, and some baby yarn waiting. Unlike some people who decide what they want to make, then buy the yarn, I find the yarn and then decide what I want to make with it.

If you want to try yarn at Goodwill, here's some tips that I've found helpful.

1. You might have to ask where the yarn is shelved. The usual suspect areas are household goods and domestics.
2. I take a few minutes to check whenever I'm shopping near a Goodwill. You never know when the good stuff will be waiting there for you.
3. Sometimes the yarn is bagged  so it's impossible to feel. I've bought  unlabelled acrylic I thought was wool and  unlabelled wool I thought was acrylic! I was pleasantly surprised with my wool and disappointed with the acrylic, although I did make a crib blanket with it, then re-donated the leftovers.
4. Since the yarn is often unlabelled, not only is its content unknown, so is the yardage, which can also be a problem with vintage yarns that often didn't have yardage listed, just weight.
5. If you're concerned about bringing home unwanted pests, keep the yarn in airtight plastic and away from your other yarns. I've also placed yarn in the freezer for 72 hours, though some sites say a home freezer doesn't get cold enough to kill larvae. However, I've never had a problem with moths.
6. If the yarn seems soiled, you can wash it first. I've washed acrylics still in the skein with no problem.
7. I've rarely found yarn that is still being produced. If there's any question you'll run short, you might forgo using Goodwill yarn, as it's doubtful you'll find more.

Hope that helps. Good luck at Goodwill.

Big Lots yarn shopping tips

So, you want to try Big Lots yarn. Here's a few tips I've learned.

1. If you don't see yarn, ask! My local Big Lots don't have an actual "crafts" area, so the yarn is sometimes where you least expect it: stationery department, electronics department.
2. If one store doesn't carry yarn, or the yarn you want, call or check out other stores. I check out three different stores on a fairly regular basis, and the selection at each varies.
3. Don't believe the labels. I've found fingering weight yarn that burn tests as wool despite a label declaring it to be "100% polyester" or something like that. Easiest way to do a burn test is to cut off a short length and just burn it. Wool will self-extinguish, leave an ashy residue and smell like burning hair.
4. Labels may also not reflect the actual weight so look for the heavier ones to get more bang for your buck.
5. Buy more than you think you'll need. It might not be still there if you run short.