Long Term Project

It came to pass that I had purchased more yarn than I needed for one of my Christmas present projects.  Extra ball of yarn in hand, I proceeded post-haste to my local yarn shop, to see what treasure I could procure from my unexpected largesse.  (Okay, so it was a tiny bit over $10.  Still.)

This book, one I've been wanting for some time, along with some freshly-laid eggs, was what I ended up bringing home.  If you haven't heard of Elizabeth Zimmermann, and you knit, you should really check out her books.  They are liberating.

Because we had a big snowstorm yesterday, I was inspired to go through the piles of yarn I've got lying around here.  It was a perfect day for some yummy, thick, soft wool on some thick needles.  So I started going through my stash of yarn (leftovers, some handspun, and a few balls of whatever I've got lying around), using this book as a way to use up this stuff.  Sure, there are a few (maybe ten at most) hanks/balls/skeins that really have a pre-ordained purpose, but for everything else--I've got my book.  I do plan to add more books to my library by EZ and a few other authors--ones that help me know the basic framework of different items so I can use what's around here already or what I spin to create what I want.  I've already used two balls to make a really excellent brioche rib hat for myself.  The yarn has been sitting here for almost two years.  Now it's useful.  We'll be getting mittens, socks, hats, slippers and who knows what else out of my stash, mostly because this book is such an inspiration. 

Brioche stitch hat, worked in two strands of approximately worsted-weight, handspun (but not by me), indigo hand-dyed, alpaca-and-wool-blend yarn.  Used size 11 needles.  Finished in a matter of hours last night!  Now I just need to figure out how to do this pattern in the round--seams on hats bug me.