Bang for Your Knitting Time Buck

 

 

Last week I taught a class on the Brandywine Falls wrap pattern at A Tangled Tale yarn shop in Powell (this is such a great little shop and I will be doing a review in the coming weeks).  I met some nice ladies and had lots of fun working through a pattern swatch with them.

Very different yarns were selected by the students, which is one reason I love knitting - it's so easy to personalize a project.  Being able to take one pattern and choose different yarns, different sizes, and different detail options makes it a unique creation. 

I've enjoyed seeing the students' photos posted on Ravelry, and I can't wait to see how their wraps turn out!  One knitter confessed to me that she had wanted to make this wrap for awhile but thought it looked hard, and had been pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is than it looks.  

Which sort of sums up my approach to any pattern (my own or someone else's) - I love to make things that look great, but are not necessarily always expensive or time-consuming. Who doesn't?  

Yes, sometimes I crave a big challenge to sink my teeth into, but I like to balance that with simpler projects that don't look like they belong in a 'how-to-knit' manual.  And although I've learned that it's worth saving up and investing in quality fiber for any project, it's also nice occasionally to have a smaller project that won't cost you an arm and a leg.   Or, as I wrote on my project page for this charcoal grey version, "more bang for your knitting time buck!"  

 

BTW, my DH hand-carved this beautiful, natural purple shawl ring and stick from Purple Heart wood - that's not a colored stain.  He hand rubs each piece with Tung oil to give it a beautiful, durable finish.  If you are in the central Ohio area, you can catch these sticks and pins up at A Tangled Tale!