Testing Sophiti-cuffs

I like test knitting even though I don’t do it too often because of schedule conflicts or being waist deep in my own designs and projects. When the opportunity presents itself, I sign up whole heartedly because I like supporting people and designers that I like. I also get to knit the cool stuff before anyone else.

The latest bit of testing was for the Squares Sophiti-Cuffs from Gwen Erin. I’ve been following Gwen’s blog for years now and I’ve never once considered culling it from my RSS feeds. She recently started spinning yarn and dying fiber full time and it’s been to resist. I have a few ounces of her fiber and it’s been elevated to such high status that I can’t help but feel the urge to improve my spinning skills so I can do the fiber justice.

The cuffs turned out to be a quick little project. I might have spent more time picking out buttons than knitting. The grey yarn is leftover from a few different projects and the cream is some of my very own handspun. First time I’ve knit with my own handspun too. Full technical details on Ravelry.

Besides from being quick, the pattern’s pretty versatile too. I think the cuffs would be cute buttoned around gifts, flower pots, or naked table legs. I’m looking at you, Ikea table legs. 

February's Quick Knits Club

My love affair with the Leethal Quick Knits Club continues. Being February, this month’s theme is Valentine’s Day but it’s really about the act of giving as an act of love. The patterns and yarn are geared to a multitude of people but aren’t boring or bland like one might expect. Both patterns are for wrist cuffs which,through some strange coincidence, I’ve been thinking about a lot. The first offering. the Argyle Cuff (@rav), is a buttoned band done up with small cables in an argyle motif. Bolt (@rav), the second pattern, looks like a bolt of lighting tied to your wrist and it seems like a pretty fun project.

The yarn for these cuffs really grabbed me and I really wish I had a few more yards of both. The dyed yarn stripes red, blue and green and has a slight halo that I find irresistible. Also irresistible - the matching buttons. Anyway, the spun yarn is 100% cotton and a combination of grey, blue, purple, and yellow. It has a wonderful barber pole look and it’s hard to resist hanging the skein up as a piece of art. I think I’m going to put both of the skeins aside for a special project because, as I’ve been thinking about cuffs, I don’t wear them often and would rather use the yarn for something I’d really enjoy. 

I’m also really enjoying the goodies this month - a dinosaur card, nice paper, some fun foam stickers, and even a double sided crayon. I think the dinosaur card and the octopus sticker are going to stay with me but I can’t wait to do some crafty things with the rest of it for gifts.

On the whole, I’m going to have a lot of fun with this package and I can’t wait for March’s fun to show up in my mailbox.