I am very excited about my next project because I love to learn a new technique. This “shadow-knitting” project started from weird coincidences. During my first meeting with the Nashoba Valley Knitters Guild I sat next to a member whose swap gift was the book by Vivian Høxbro. Then after my Christmas holiday I received a knitting store’s flyer about how they are specializing in Vivian Høxbro patterns for the month of January. I saw this as a calling and decided that I must try it out. I looked through her website and decided to order the Ocean Vest.
So here is my gauge swatch. I am running at 25 stitches x 48 rows to what the pattern suggests as 26 stitches x 50 rows. I stopped in a new knitting store to ask about the needle size of US 1.5, thinking that I might try to remake a gauge swatch closer to the patterns’ suggested gauge. The store owner thinks that I’m close enough and that I shouldn’t go down a needle size. I’m relieved in a way because I really wanted to get started.
The other thing that this gauge swatch is teaching me is how to manage the two color yarn stripe at the edge. The instructions include some nice graphics and directions how to twist the yarns together before slipping the first stitch in the row.
I love how the gray/black stripes are obvious when looking at the knitted fabric straight on but when you look from the side the zig-zag pattern from the purl ridge becomes dominant. I’ll continue to post the Vest’s progress.
New England is finally getting some Winter weather. This is the result of the Martin Luther Day ice storm.
Here is my completed bag. I sewed on a Celtic designed 7/8 “ metal button with a 51 “ twisted rayon cord for a handle.
I enjoyed working with the Vero self-striping yarn from Naturally. When knit loose as suggested this yarn is very soft. The bag’s bottom knit up very soft and thick when using the garter stick bottom. (Our Hamster, Shadow, is checking out just how soft.) The black stripes ended up hitting the bag in just the right spots, in the middle of the bag and then at the top edge.
Once the bag was finished my daughter came along and asked if it was a hat. I actually thought it would make a nice hat too, but alas, after washing and felting the “hat” no longer fit. See . . .
I’m trying to learn more about the world of blogs . . . I actually was thinking to buy a book about it. I wanted to find a recently published book and found that this is one of the most current: Blogging For Dummies. I am reluctant to get this one though because I am not a fan of the Dummy book format.
I’m thinking of several things for these “spectrum” months. I’m thinking about a knitted-felted project. I used my 30% off coupon and bought a book about it: Knit One, Felt Too by Kathleen Taylor. Actually when I was in the store reviewing the books I had a hard time to decide which to buy. My daughter helped out by pleading that I should knit her the toy bear from the cover shot. It is cute but we both decided that I should use more a realistic color scheme of browns with pink ears and feet. It turns out the other book I was interested in was in our local library: Felted Knits by Beverly Galeskas.
My only concern is that it feels a bit itchy on my head after a few minutes.My daughter doesn’t feel the scratching, as you can see she loves to try it out.
For the groups’ January meeting there was a mitten contest. Alas, I only finished one in time so I missed out on the contest. I modified the pattern, Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt that I found in the Interweave Knits Winter 2005 magazine. Here is what I came up with. After many starts and pullouts I got the thumb working how I wanted. I think for the left mitten I will try again to straighten the single leaf on the palm.
