Hmmm, Perhaps I should download that pirates book. Since I seem incapable of going yarn/craft shopping without referring to everything purchased as plunder.
Yes. I finally went shopping. I had my list. I needed some hat yarn for sweetums :-) and a circular needle for Jane's shawl. I had trouble finding what I wanted for the hat. This is what I came up with, Lion Brand Cotton Ease. I've never used it before, and it's not the right gauge for the pattern...so I'm probably doomed...but let's see if I can pull it off anyways, shall we?
I needed buttons (FINALLY BUTTONS!!!) for my niece's sweater. It's now an entire month late for her birthday....ugg! But, it's still a bit big for her anyways. It was seriously slim pickins for the buttons at Michaels, but much to my surprise they had these, which are almost exactly what I was seeing in my head, although a bit bigger. They are NOT sewn on yet... actually, they are still attached to the cardboard. I just poked them through the buttonholes so I could take a picture .
Next on the list was the beads for Jane's shawl. That was a bit tough , there was a lady in the aisle with 4 very loud children. Harold asked me if he was allowed to change his mind about eventually having a couple of our own...I said no. Anyways, we had to go to the other side of the store...(I decided to go get the yarn first..because the child sounds were just too much for me)...but we could hear them all the way from across the store. The mom was really trying hard to control them it seemed, but with 4! And it was really the little one making all the noise ...maybe a yearish old...so really, what could she do? Nonetheless, I had to leave the aisle :-)
So anyways, obviously from the picture you can see that I later came back to the aisle, note that during this whole adventure, Harold is standing (and walking) while reading a book in the store, because this is just too painful for him. I found these glass beads. It was difficult to tell which ones would have a wide enough centre to string onto the DK weight yarn without binding it up...so my options were pretty limited. I came home and immediately tried to string a few on. Phew! It worked!
Now for the poll:
Question #1 - Do I use all of the bead colours? Or just the blue ones? Or use a few of the colours only? What do you think? Really.
Here are some pictures to help you decide:
A
ll bead colours randomly distributed (I won't be able to control distribution other than to consistently string in the same sequence..Sooo
Question #2 . If using all colours, should I consistently string in the same colour order (eg. red blue green, red blue green, red blue green)...or just be totally random?
Only blue beads - There are actually 2 different blues, one slightly darker than the other (not seen in this photo)
Some more bead shots to help you decide on colours (all opinions are very very welcome...I'm so indecisive :-p
And here's just the blue...notice in this pic, you can see the two different blues, they're very close. I actually didn't notice at first.
Oh, by the way the pattern I decided on is
Mohair Tiger Pattern. She said that she needed about 140 beads for the size that she made. I have tonnes if I use all colours, or exactly 142 if I use just the blue ones. I have no idea how big her finished shawl was, so I don't know if 142 will be enough for me or not....I supposed I could go back to Michaels and see if they have one more package of the beads just to be safe...but...I probably won't get around to it...(Ha! but they did have at least one or two of them left when I was there today.
So....now I await your votes:
Question #1 - multicolour, a few colours (and which ones specifically), or all blue?
Question #2 - If you chose multicolour, should the beads be strung in a uniform order...or just grab and string randomly?
I await your responses :-) Here's to hoping someone stops by and actually reads my questions :-)
Now I'm off to sew on buttons...and maybe ....if I'm lucky....listen to a little audiobook and work a little bit on my hat.
Have a great weekend!
I asked him to do something cute and funny for the picture...and this is what he gave me. I don't know about his theatrical skills, but he sure is cute. (albeit scruffy today...but I like that ha!)
He says he loves the hat. This makes me very happy.
There here's a little small half sized one. Kassy wanted me to try this stuff out, just for the sake of trying different things. I found spinning easier, but I think I was just getting more used to it. I did not like this stuff, but I forget what it was called, the white stuff above is from Romni sheep (or something like that...I don't know sheep types) this is something different...with guard hairs....s.c.r.a.t.c.h.y! It reminded me more of horse hair.
Here's my two first skeins...in a nice affectionate embrace. See, they know they'll always have a special place in my heart :-)
They sat quietly while a sadly inept photographer snapped pictures ...including this one slightly more close up
That Kassy, she giggled with delight as she told me I'd better keep it in the back of the truck due to the smell. I've tried my best to follow the instuction given for washing. But really, it doesn't look much prettier. I assure you, it DOES smell better, but it still looks kinda ugg. I hope she's not disappointed in my progress. Hmmm, after looking at the picture again, it does look better, but certainly not all white and fleecy or anything...we'll see what she says tomorrow. :-) I'm learning carding, and some time dying, and then who knows what else!
It's sadly true. The tassle is undeniably too huge. 
Oh well, I'll wear it for a day (for the principle of it) and then somehow figure out how to reduce the tassle size by about half. I don't even want to think about how I'm going to go about that. Do I just cut half of it out...or actually take the whole darned thing apart. Gosh it's huge...I don't want to remove it from the hat ...it's so well stuck on there :-)
Anyways, my sweetums is right. I do look truly goofy with this hat on....why oh why is he always right. I guess it doesn't matter, because I will probably wear it anyways...just cuz I can. I can look goofy if I wanna! ha! 
Just wait till he gets his hat....I've got about 3 1/2 inches done...have to go till about 8 and then start the decreases...wow....this one does take a lot less effort. I'm still reeling over the fact that I actually finished that hat...and it's not July...I finished that hat in less than a month! This is a knitting miracle...a true knitting miracle.
So, I'm going to go keep working on the edging while my poor hardworking husband continues to bail out our basement, because it is once again filling with water.
I finished one of the ear flaps. Boy...my knitting back and forth is much tighter (now I wish I'd gone down a needle size like I considered...but I have the right number of stitches per inch..so whatever), and neater looking that the stuff done in the round...but the colour work around the edges is all messed up. It's knit right (meaning that it correctly follows the chart) but my stitches look all funny...especially the last stitch of brown in the row. Oh well, I'm hoping it will all come together in the end. I don't think I'll have too much yarn left over though...I'm actually wondering if I'll have to order another ball to get a decent sized pom-pom for the top...not that I would really mind having to order more of this stuff...but...I will be disappointed if I have to wait to be "really done".
And....I've only got 4 rows to go on the second set of skiers for my hat...then it's just one more patterned section and the earflaps.
I needed buttons (FINALLY BUTTONS!!!) for my niece's sweater. It's now an entire month late for her birthday....ugg! But, it's still a bit big for her anyways. It was seriously slim pickins for the buttons at Michaels, but much to my surprise they had these, which are almost exactly what I was seeing in my head, although a bit bigger. They are NOT sewn on yet... actually, they are still attached to the cardboard. I just poked them through the buttonholes so I could take a picture . 
Next on the list was the beads for Jane's shawl. That was a bit tough , there was a lady in the aisle with 4 very loud children. Harold asked me if he was allowed to change his mind about eventually having a couple of our own...I said no. Anyways, we had to go to the other side of the store...(I decided to go get the yarn first..because the child sounds were just too much for me)...but we could hear them all the way from across the store. The mom was really trying hard to control them it seemed, but with 4! And it was really the little one making all the noise ...maybe a yearish old...so really, what could she do? Nonetheless, I had to leave the aisle :-)
So anyways, obviously from the picture you can see that I later came back to the aisle, note that during this whole adventure, Harold is standing (and walking) while reading a book in the store, because this is just too painful for him. I found these glass beads. It was difficult to tell which ones would have a wide enough centre to string onto the DK weight yarn without binding it up...so my options were pretty limited. I came home and immediately tried to string a few on. Phew! It worked!
Now for the poll: 
Question #2 . If using all colours, should I consistently string in the same colour order (eg. red blue green, red blue green, red blue green)...or just be totally random?
And here's just the blue...notice in this pic, you can see the two different blues, they're very close. I actually didn't notice at first.
Sorry both pictures are so crappy, the 11:30 pm photo update just doesn't provide much in the way of good lighting...
Off to bed.....maybe I can dream up a fantabulous wedding scene..... :-)
