Okay, my wedding was months ago, so I finally have time to post things now.

Here's the tiara I made (also posted on my blog at www.getcrafty.com):



I posted some vague directions on my blog, http://getcrafty.com/blogs.php?user=rratstarr, but I can get more detailed if anyone's interested.

-S

I got pretty far on the Renaissance Tunic from the Interweave Knits Winter 02/03 issue, but I now realize that I picked a poor substitute yarn.

I had a gift certificate to a LYS that didn't carry the brand I needed, and the clerk helped me find something that would knit to the same gauge.  Even though I had the pattern in hand, she didn't take into consideration that it called for a 100% merino yarn, and the sub was 80% cotton/20% wool.  It weighs a ton.  I know a little more about yarn now than I did then, and I know this just won't work.

Anyway, even though it's going to break my heart to rip out what I've done so far (more than half), at least there are a few errors in there to make me feel a little better about it.  Has anyone knit this in a different yarn than the pattern called for?  What did you use?

Alternatively, the yarn is "Lane Borgosesia Baruffa Maratona."   Have you used a substitution for this yarn in another pattern, or have you seen it/worked with it enough to make a comparison?  I'm basically looking for any ideas here, since I can't see this yarn in person.

Thanks,

-S

This is also posted in my blog at getcrafty:



The former goth in me was attracted to some dishtowels that were on sale after Halloween a couple of years ago.  However, a Halloween-theme kitchen did not appeal.  I (finally) decided to use the towels for their fabric.  A later garage sale find yielded some aluminum rings that were perfect round purse handles (they were originally for some sort of hardware use, the woman who sold them to me said they were “spacers,” but she didn’t know exactly what they were for).

Anyway, the result is this cute bag!  I have a feeling this purse-making thing is going to be addictive...

-S

George's Textile in Haverill is going out of business (they will still have Lowell store).  I went this weekend and the entire store was 50% off.  Also, Vogue & Butterick patterns were 75 cents!

Things were starting to look a little picked-through, but still plenty of good stuff left.  They had lots of natural-fiber stuff; silk, linen, wool, etc.

-S