A Special Tuesday Post!
Someone is having a birthday today! Go over and wish her a happy one!

Microspun Redux
Thanks for all the compliments on DH's Nap Blanket, or the Sof' Bankie, as I call it (sof' bankie being the name of my security blanket when I was little :-)

As yarn goes, Microspun is a strange animal. The colors are super-saturated and very rich. When I ordered the lavender shade online directly from Lion Brand, it appeared much more subtle onscreen. DH and I were a bit taken aback when we opened the package and saw this vibrant, rich, glowing lavender microfiber yarn. We've decided we like it, though. My only gripe would be the lack of neutrals and jewel tones available in the color range. The available color range swings widely from a nice pink-tinged mocha (which I used in the original Microspun Shawl), to vibrant tropical lime green and fuschia. Although I notice they did add a very nice Silver Grey to the color line this year.

Being loosely plied, Microspun is also very splitty to work with. I suggest using needles with a fairly sharp point, or ones that "scoop" the yarn (i.e., Bryspuns), to avoid splitting. I have gotten used to it and haven't had too much trouble, but I do see a few loose strands where a split occurred. No biggie. The resulting fabric is light, warm, and soft. Perfect for a nap blanket!

See ya tomorrow. Go say hi to the Birthday Girl.

Oops! I forgot to answer Mia's question in yesterday's comments about the stitch used in the Microspun Sof' Bankie. It's a basic Ripple Stitch, as follows for the original Shawl pattern (calls for 6 skeins of Microspun):

RIPPLE STITCH
(over a multiple of 18 stitches + 6 extra)
Cast on 132 stitches.
ROW 1: (right side) Knit
ROW 2: K3, purl to last 3 stitches, K3.
ROW 3: K3 *(k2tog) 3 times (yo, k1) 6 times, (k2tog) 3 times; repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k3.
ROW 4: Knit.
Repeat Rows 1-4 until piece measures 60" from beginning. Bind off all stitches. Weave in ends.

Happy Rippling!