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Hello and thanks for visiting my blog. I have been knitting on and off for 50 years and I recently learned to crochet. I love looking for wool bargains and making them into something useful. I mainly knit for charity. I occasionally knit for myself and family members if I find a really good pattern or if they ask nicely!!

Thursday 1 September 2016

Oh no, it isn't.....a bit of a rant.



Start of rant****
Since when did September 1st become the first day of autumn?  Maybe it was about the same time we dumbed down and started talking about "going to uni".  In my day(!), every school child knew that autumn started on September 21st and people could actually be bothered to say all five syllables of "university".  

This morning, I heard a chirpy weather forecaster say that we use September 1st as the first day of autumn because it is easier to remember.  Never mind that we might have several weeks of good weather left.  Using that logic, Christmas Day will be on December 1st this year.  End of rant****

But just to show that I can move with the times, here is what I am working on at the moment.  When I bought this King Cole Country Tweed at an outdoor market, the sun was blazing and it looked like pink and grey.  At home, I realised it was more like autumnal rust and brown. My original plan for a baby item had to change to a scarf.  It is beautifully soft.  But there is no way on earth that this is a double knit yarn.  It feels like 4 ply and takes forever to crochet with.  

I have made this scarf many times and know that I would be finished by now if this was a real double knit yarn.  The stallholder told me the yarn had been discontinued. I can see why.  It is perfect for a soft scarf.  I have checked on Ravelry and many projects made with this yarn tend to be scarves and shawls.  But there are also some cardigans and jumpers.  I can only assume that the knitters/crocheters avoided sizing disasters by making a tension square first.

So, if a double knit yarn feels more like 4 ply, then it probably is.  Likewise, if it feels like summer and looks like summer, it is still summer!


12 comments:

  1. Our summer season ends on Labor Day, which is the first Monday of September. This year that would be Sept 5. In most parts of the country, the kids go back to school a few days after Labor Day. Where I live, after Labor day is also the time most stores start promoting Christmas!
    I love the last line of your post!

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  2. But, the scarf is beautiful! As for the rest, it's like we are regressing to communicating in grunts!

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  3. totally agree with you.Autumn starts on Sept 21st!!!I recently bought some yarn in a sale at a big wool shop.The assistant told me it was DK but it was 4ply.I am knitting it up as DK,having done a test square,and it is fine.Icouldn't contemplate making a jumper in 4 ply.It would take tooooo long.

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  4. I remember as a teenager knitting a grey school cardigan in 4ply, it took ages, I think I wore the elbows out fairly quickly so my Mother bought M&S grey jumpers a bit looser.

    I learnt to patch clothes as I went through the elbows of white school blouses too (bony elbows and long arms). The fabric for patching was from old worn sheets so a looser weave than the blouse.

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  5. The scarf is lovely Una even if it did take ages to make it was worth it. I saw that too on the news this morning and felt the same as you it always annoys me Summer is short enough as it is without chopping 3 weeks off the end. :) xx

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  6. It's still summer! Autumn is 3 weeks away yet.

    I saw that yarn remaindered in my local yarn shop, but I resisted as I have so much donated yarn at the moment. It looked so pretty, though, and I love the way it is knitting up in your scarf.

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  7. Interesting! I love the scarf- very pretty ♥

    summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

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  8. Your scarf is lovely...the yarn is really pretty even if it does take a while to crochet with. I agree with you...it's not Autumn yet!
    Marianne x

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  9. Hi Una, I am catching up with blogs and I now realise why you so whole heartedly agreeing that it is still summer for the first few weeks of September! we have had a super week of warm temperatures. The scarf will be nice though won't it. Jo xxx

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  10. It is definitely hot summer still here! The scarf is very pretty, whichever kind it is -- good save!!

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  11. here in southern california we've got a risk of dry brush fires well into october!
    i don't think fall (or any colder season for us, for that matter) shows itself until at least december or january.

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