Insomnia...

Yesterday on November 18, I fell asleep around 9:30-10:00 p.m.  I was soundly sleeping when a sharp bark penetrated my sleep clouded brain.  It was the our old momma dog....  She was at the back door, barking to go outside.  I stumbled down the steps and to the kitchen door, opening it to let her out.  By the time she came back in, I was wide awake.  Great....

Auracania Coluimo

What to do?  I can't sleep as I'm now wide awake.  I really didn't want to get onto FaceBook as 90% of my friends were being smart & sleeping.  So, I started a new project using the recently purchased, light purple, hand spun & hand dyed yarn - Auracania Coluimo.

This is an imported yarn having been spun in Italy and then dyed in Chile.  I try to purchase yarns Made in the USA only, but this was a really good buy that I stumbled upon at the discount store, Tuesday Morning. It is a really nice, bulky yarn that is a wool & silk blend (70% wool and 30% silk).  It isn't scratchy and is quite soft. Best of all...  It's warm.

I bought this yarn to add to my stash, not that my stash is small - it isn't - in fact, the last thing I need is more yarn.  But, it was such a good price and I've been wanting to try the Auracania yarns but they're just too expensive at nearly $20 a hank.  The price was so good and this yarn is so soft & bulky and...  it's a pretty color of purple with natural variations because of being hand dyed. Yes, I can justify....   So, I sucked it up and bought it.

Bobble Stitch Neck Warmer

The next day as I was browsing the aisles at the local Jo-Ann's, I saw the latest edition of the magazine, Love of Crochet.  Scanning the pages, there were some rather interesting & neat looking patterns: a "bobble stitch neck warmer", a "waffle & berries cowl", etc.  One of them is for a "Bobble Stitch Neck Warmer" caught my eye. I liked the pattern as soon as I saw it.  The pattern calls for a chunky yarn, weight 6, and it only measures 27" in length. So, I started looking for the yarn for it, considering the various colors of the various chunky yarns of the appropriate weight such as Wool-Ease.  Then, it hit me....  the purple Auracania yarn would work for this!

So, last night during a bout of insomnia, I picked up my size N crochet hook and started making the Bobble Stitch Neck Warmer.  It turned out well.  I'm going to keep this one for me and make a 2nd one to sell.  It took just over one skein of yarn and there is enough yarn left over to make a cap or some fingerless gloves to go with it.  I'm leaning towards the fingerless gloves or, perhaps wristlets...  maybe cuffs.

It's held into place on one's neck with 2 large buttons. The pattern in the magazine was done in a sage or grass green and it sported two wooden buttons. Since mine is purple, I've added two, 1 1/2" blue buttons off of an old coat.

Now...  to make something to go with it...