What are you knitting? 

I love knitting vests/sweaters from side to side especially with the self striping yarns. The results are certainly figure flattering. Early this year I came up with this pattern for a vest using the Rowan Colourscapes yarn. Knitting in garter stitch from side to side is easy and with knock-out results with his color combos (this is color #434) designed by Kaffee Fassett. I used the crochet cast on recommended by Sally Melville in her Knit Stitch book which gives an edge that most resembles the bind off edge.

Island time? Should it be named a new time zone? No not really,  just a slower way of life and one we are becoming accustomed to quickly. Relish life one minute at a time.

Our daughter Sarah and husband Ben are expecting their third any day now with time dragging it seems. We are sure they are anxious to have the baby put in it’s appearance. Grandma is knitting away on THE baby blanket which has been,  for all the previous 5 grandbabies, out of cashmere which makes a simply luscious blanket. It’s amazingly strong as evidenced by the “Linus” blanket pose it has assumed for all of them. Baby Caroline has been the roughest of any of them, worrying hers by sticking little fingers through the lace holes. Grandma has become known as Grandma Fix-It because she watches me mend the holes and return it ready for abuse once again. Lesson learned though, forget the lace. This one has NO yarn overs. Simply knit and purl with a diamond design.

One thing about moving, you lose things and you find things. Since we have moved several times in the last 6-8 months, we have experienced this big time. Thankfully the found are beginning to outnumber the lost.

Some books have surfaced such as Lily Chin’s Tips and Tricks. She was talking about increasing by knitting into the front and back of a stitch and how it always leaves a bar which can be particularly annoying in a stockinette garment. She suggests reversing the order - knit into the back and then the front of the stitch. Still leaves a little bar but not as noticeable. Will have to try this. Let me know if you use this or try it yourself. Sounds like it might be a good tip to file away.

Does not sound attractive. But that’s what happens when you go kayaking for the first time without gloves to protect your hands.  Thankfully the blisters are mainly on my thumbs, not the tips of my fingers and since I knit continental mostly, we are dealing okay with it. We did head to the bike shop to find suitable gloves.

Walking around town, I’ve found I have conch shell envy. People have them stacked on their porches, in windows, decorating flower beds. How do you find these was my question to one and all. Wait for a storm and take a 4 wheel vehicle down the beach and you’ll find them washed up. Guess where I’ll be dragging Dan next! In the meantime, I had to break down and buy a couple for my shop windows.

We found out the other day that Noro Silk Garden Lite has been discontinued. We have just a little left if you like using it.

SoXperience 2010 on Chincoteague Island, VA

SoXperience is in the works for this year and will be held on Chincoteague Island, VA on April 10-11th. Even though we are not settled in our new shop on the Island, we have rented a conference room overlooking the bay at one of the hotels and will hold this year’s event there. Wendy Johnson of Wendy Knits is graciously allowing us to use one of her sock patterns, called the Seaweed Sock (how appropriate!) for one of our workshops. Please check back for details and registration information. It will be a great weekend full of info, techinical tips, and plain good fun.

Giving your hands a break

Thank heavens for being able to switch back and forth between large and small needle knitting. I am knitting a little shrug out of Rowan’s Lenpur Linen on a size 4 needle, casting on in excess of 100 stitches for the back. WHEW! And of course the edging was on a size 2 in seed stitch. Loved finishing that edging. Sweet to change to the Rowan Colourscapes yarn on these lovely size 8 needles and only cast on 49 stitches for working a side to side vest. The color changes are terrific by the way.