More for Coco
Last night I finished a hat for Coco that will match her wee booties.
Do non-knitters really appreciate knit gifts? I do remember as a kid loving the knit stuff that my aunts used to make me, but I wonder, nowadays, do people still care? I have my doubts, especially when for some people babies are almost like an accessory that they can dress up in their fancy designer baby wear. If only I could knit a Gucci logo on the stuff that I make. I guess I'm just hoping that the slight imperfections seen in a hand-knit gift are easy to overlook.
So...depending on the needs and wants of Coco's parents, I may or may not make a final gift...the "big bad baby blanket" from SnB. However, it calls for 8 (!!!) skeins of Koigu Painters Palette Premium Merino yarn. Where can I get some for a reasonable price, and are there any substitutes that would work? Anyone?
Do non-knitters really appreciate knit gifts? I do remember as a kid loving the knit stuff that my aunts used to make me, but I wonder, nowadays, do people still care? I have my doubts, especially when for some people babies are almost like an accessory that they can dress up in their fancy designer baby wear. If only I could knit a Gucci logo on the stuff that I make. I guess I'm just hoping that the slight imperfections seen in a hand-knit gift are easy to overlook.
So...depending on the needs and wants of Coco's parents, I may or may not make a final gift...the "big bad baby blanket" from SnB. However, it calls for 8 (!!!) skeins of Koigu Painters Palette Premium Merino yarn. Where can I get some for a reasonable price, and are there any substitutes that would work? Anyone?
Woweee!!! I love the hat!
Re: the blanket, it's a tough call. You have to feel good about the finished product - either you spend too much and it's not appreciated and you feel bad, or you scrimp on the materials and then you may not be happy with it. Tough call.
I saw one website that has the solid colors of that wool on sale right now for $10 per skein: http://www.fourseasonsknitting.com/asp/prodtype.asp?recorprod=1&prodtype=39&ph=&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=
I also checked ebay quickly, and it's pretty slim pickings from what I saw - one person selling 7 skeins, current bid at around $70: http://cgi.ebay.ca/KOIGU-KPPPM-7-SKEINS-in-PRETTY-PASTELS_W0QQitemZ8215636050QQcategoryZ75569QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I'm sure you can find something just as nice but cheaper though? Maybe on our Barrie field trip?
Oooohh...the Barrie field trip will be a good place to figure out what to get. I will be speaking with Coco's "gram" to confirm that this gift would be useful to Coco. I totally understand if it isn't, but it will be good to know. I will keep you posted. Let's email re: Barrie trip.
The hat looks great! I love the colours, and the curl on the top.
For what it's worth, I think most decent people appreciate hand-made items, especially of the baby variety.
On the blanket topic, I say substitute. Knitpicks (knitpicks.com) sells merino for $2 US/ball, and is just as good as any other merino you might pay lots more for. Their merino style is a bit thicker than Koigu (which I think is fingering weight), but it's a blanket, so I don't think it would be a problem. Or, you can just substitute with plain old sock yarn, knitpicks, or any other brand you like.
Sly, as for the DB book, sorry to take so long to get back on you. It's a good book, there are lots of patterns to choose from. I'm swapping some patterns with Al, I'll send some patterns from the book to her for you, and you can see for yourself.
Anna
Knitpicks is great - I can't believe how reasonable the yarn is. I'm also monitoring some yarn auctions on ebay, and hopefully I'll be able to find some bargains. Thanks for the feedback!