Block Party...and New Yarn !!

Another Block Party took place here last night. I also received the yarn I have been waiting and waiting on for like, a long time. I literally gasped when I opened it. More on that later. Blockin' and Yarnin' in the same post. Does it get any better?? 

I've been catching up on some blocking which is  why you are seeing so many of them lately. One is mine, in today's post, and the others are for friends and family. They all know that I don't mind blocking at all so they bring me their finished knits and a little bribe and that's generally all it takes. And, of course, anything I block will be photographed on Lucy. If you're just knew to my blog and are following for the first time, Lucy, short for Lucinda, is my dress form. I'll start with Moms, which we actually blocked a few days ago but I forgot to get pics until now so I thought, no harm done, I'll just add it to today's Block Party post. After all, its the same shawl, Cinnamon Stone, and we knitted them together...like right down to who was ahead of who and who was binding off before the other person. It was great! Mom did hers in Crave Yarn Serenity in the colorway Bubblegum For Me. I did mine in Dream in Color Everlasting Sock, but I cant remember the colorway. Its sort of a rusty color, its GORGEOUS. And since its going out to someone I don't know as a RAK through Ravelry (Random Act of Kindness) I hope they like it! 

Mom did a wonderful job knitting hers in this gorgeous pink colorway Bubblegum For Me...

Mom didn't do the picot bind off because the yarn she was working with was quite fine and she didn't like the way they looked when she did them. She just did a regular bind off and we pulled points when we blocked it. The yarn I was working with was an 8 ply sock yarn and there was plenty there to do the picots....

I am very pleased with the way mine turned out. I love a picot bind off on almost just about anything. I do hope its recipient will be just as pleased!

Okay...so that yarn I was talking about. Folks, let me tell you something you don't want to forget. Kismet Fibers. Say it with me, Kismet Fibers. I, just like so many others out there, are jumping on the gradient bandwagon because its revved up and going all over the place. So many people are doing gradient yarns now. This is awesome but I have a very small, minor bone to pick with those dying gradient yarns. YARDAGE. I have been working and designing primarily in fingering weight yarn for at least a couple of years now. I want a gradient yarn in fingering weight with at least 800-900 yds to work with. Finding this seemed to be almost impossible. I found 550 yds once and that was about the best I could find. That is, until I stumbled across Kismet Fibers. Kismet offers 5 skeins, 50 grams each, 231 yds per skein for a total of a whopping 1155 yards! I almost couldn't believe it. Now, maybe I wasn't looking in the right places, there were some, The Paint Box, that offered some significant lace weight yardage but were all sold out. Of everything. I think Stephanie Pearl-McPhee used it or something and they sold out of everything the next day. This gradient set was so beautiful, the name of the colorway was Larc's Song. I took a couple pics in 2 different places because the light made it look different....

Oh my God. Isn't it gorgeous?! The yarn is a standard superwash and nylon blend but this yarn is so soft in the hands, I know it will work up well. And get this....because it took them a while getting the yarn to me (I ordered mine from their Etsy shop and as I was ordering it said there was 1 available. Turns out they had to dye my order, therefore taking much longer than simply pulling it and shipping it) they threw in a full skein of this same base in the colorway Cypress which was also stunning....

Stunning, incredible gradient yarn. Stunningly good customer service. This is how you get repeat business. People will keep coming back to a company who treats their customers this way, I'll definitely go back to Kismet. So, say it with me....Kismet Fibers. You can check them out here. You can see the gradients kits specifically here. I will go directly through their website next time. Beautiful yarns, spectacular gradient kits. 

I am frantically knitting away at my last 2 presents. I should have plenty of time but still....Christmas is next Thursday. AHHHHH!!!!!! Are you also frantically knitting away?! Remember, we knit to stay sane! I would love to hear how things are going in your world right now, this close to Christmas. Until next time....Knit On!