I have started to do a new knitting project, making a cushion cover with several colours of Feather, 8ply and Ostrich yarns. The idea is originally from Paton, but has been amended by myself according to the yarns I just bought cheap from Go-Lo, which costs me only 99 cents for each 50g ball. I made my selection between some warmer colour pitches, and finally I picked beige, rosy red and a mixed colour of grey, orange, red and yellow. I will use these colours with the left-over Acrylic 8ly (which is chocolate) from the shrug to make it a fancy strip design 40cm by 40cm cover. I don’t really have an exactly vision of how I am going to distribute all these yarns, like how many rows for this colour and how many for that. I will have to see when I will be doing it.

I have noticed that a current trend is free knitting and crochet, using different yarns and plys to create varying shapes and textures etc, joined together, and forming very individual items. I always want to get some soft, touch-inviting fabric for the cushions for my couch, something you really want to hold in your arms when watching the Tele or something you really want to give it a caress when firstly see. We have been looking around in the market for ages and didn’t get anything which can quite match my imagination. The price was one of the reasons, but not matters all. Sometimes a cushion with beautiful design costs lots but unfortunately would not really fit my needs.

Anyway, let’s see and find out what it would look like after I will finally finish the knitting. I have started about ten rows yesterday with Feather yarn. Oh my god, I didn’t realise it incredibly hard to handle this kind of yarn since it has fringes along the one side of thread. I hardly can see the stitches I made, and once the stitches get off the needle, there is no way for me to pick the loops up once again. The only solution is to re-do the whole thing. I have re-done twice, but to some extent, it warns me to give extra attention when doing that. I call it “experience”.

Probably I could pass on my lessons I learned from the “experience”:
1. Don’t use feather or other lavish yarn to cast on; try the plain yarn so that you can count your stitches and get a tight and tidy edge;
2. Don’t knit with feather for the whole big project if you are beginner knitter or don’t have confidence with your knitting; only use feather for a small part of project, otherwise you will find you are easily frustrated.

However, feather really gives a fabulous touch & look to your finished work. I love it very much!