love  | luhv |  n.  an intense feeling for or attachment to someone or something.

It's still February, so it's perfectly okay to write an entry on love,  right?!

A few years ago my Minnesota sister gave me a skein of Bernat's Cot'n Corn yarn.  I used it to make a washcloth since I had only one skein.  And I LOVED it.  It's soft and silky, washes beautifully, doesn't pill ... everything you look for in a good cotton yarn.

.I have looked for the yarn here in Calgary where I live but have not found it.  So last month I asked my Sioux Falls sister to pick some up for me.  Sadly, she couldn't find it.  But not wanting to disappoint me, she picked up a cotton yarn she really likes and gave that to me instead.  She got it at Hobby Lobby and it's called I LOVE This Cotton.  How aptly named!

The last few weeks I have been knitting dishcloths for my daughter.  My usual yarn for dishcloths is Bernat's Handicrafter Cotton which yields about 1-1/2 dischloths per skein.  To my surprise I LOVE This Cotton yielded three (3!) dishcloths from one skein.  Perhaps I should clarify that:  I knit 8"x8" dishcloths in a Bee Stitch pattern  (see my dishcloth patterns at the upper right of my blog).

This is beautiful yarn to work with and it's SO SOFT!  I think I've found my new favorite cotton yarn.  Too bad it's not available here.  I guess trips to visit my sisters will be my vehicle for purchasing this new yarn that I LOVE.   There's eve a fairly good variety of colors available.  My sister brought me 6 colors (because I said I wanted to make 6-8 cloths.)  Here's the result of only 2 skeins of I LOVE This Cotton  -- 5 dishcloths and a scrubbie:

I think I'd like to try this yarn in a sweater for one of my grandsons.  Hmmm ... could that be my next project?

pro·duc·tion  | prō’ dƏk shƏn |  the action of making or manufacturing from components or raw materials

With Christmas nearing, I feel as though I am in knitting production mode!  I always seem to decide very late in the game what I would like to knit for Christmas gifts.  I really have to work on the whole "planning ahead" thing when it comes to my knitting!

I may not have posted much in the last 6 weeks, but I have been busy.  I have knitted:

A sweater for Anthony (larger size than shown here!)

A sweater for Jacob

(He likes cardigans.)

4 pairs of slippers (2 more to go)

2 ascots

(I haven't taken a picture of mine,

but this is what they look like)

I'm working on an evening bag right now out of pretty sparkly yarn that uses a clasped purse frame at the top.  The knitting part was easy.  Making a lining and figuring out how to attach it to the frame is proving to be a bit of a challenge.  The pattern instructions were oh-so-helpful:  "Trace knitted bag to make a lining pattern.  Sew lining.  Sew knitted bag onto lining.  Attach to purse frame."  I have a feeling this will take a few attempts!  Finding the purse frame proved to be quite the challenge and after a couple of weeks of searching and calling, I ended up ordering from an online craft outlet that carries purse fittings.  It came directly from China -- oddly enough in about 5 days form ordering!

I have a few other things in the works, but can't divulge them just yet.  The recipients may read this!!