What's on the Needles

I am a pretty monogamous knitter. I have learned that if you don't work on a project it never gets finished. Deep, I know, but true, nevertheless. I finished the back of my sweater, cast on the front, did the ribbing and am now about 1 1/2" above the ribbing. Not very exciting to see. I did start another project.

This is the beginnings of the Oaklet shawl. Normally I knit using the right hand flick method. I don't really throw but flick the yarn with my right index finger. I want to learn the left hand pick method aka continental knitting. I have watched numerous videos and practiced the technique on scrap yarn but never on a project. I decided that this would be a good project because there are a lot of knit stitches and an equal number of purl stitches with a few yarn overs thrown in for good measure.

I got a good start on it but when I tried to knit and walk on the treadmill at the same time (3.2 mph) the whole project went south. So I did a do over. That is something that is cool about knitting. You can have do overs. In quilting if you cut something wrong you usually can't reuse your mistake. You have to start with new fabric. Anyway I ripped it all out and began again. From now on if I walk and knit at the same time it will be at a lower speed.

Starts and Fits

I am working on my second Customfit sweater. My first was a classic V-Neck pull over which can be seen at the end of this post. I could hardly wait to start my second. I bought some wonderful Wollmeise DK yarn from Germany. I then decided that I wanted to do a classic crew neck cardigan based on  the Cypress cardigan in Amy Herzog's book Knit to Flatter.

I swatched up the yarn and got the information I needed. The cool thing about Customfit is that you don't have to hit a gauge. The program gives you a pattern based on your gauge and your measurements. I printed off the pattern and inserted the lace in the back. After about 10 inches I did not like how it was turning out. So I ripped it all out. I wish I had taken a picture of it before I did.

I then thought about what I really would want to wear and all of my favorite sweaters are pull-overs. I also thought of the Hermione's Everyday Socks that I had made. I really liked the texture the pattern had made. I swatched that up and really liked it. So I began knitting the back. After about 10 inches I did not like how it was turning out. To me it was too busy or something. I really can't put my finger on it. So I ripped it back to the ribbing.

I was looking for something similar in the pattern and texture when I came across the dot stitch in a knit stitch pattern book. I swatched that up and really liked it.

I am now about 10 inches up the back and I like it. I think this is what the sweater will be.

A little catching up

I am back home and have been for two months. It is so nice to be here with all my stuff. Mostly my creative stuff. I can live without it but I am glad I don't have to anymore.

I have a bit of an obsessive streak and right now knitting is my interest. I am quilting quilts for others and that is fun but I mostly prowl the web looking a yummy yarn. It is interesting that knitters talk about their stash (some have a very impressive stash), and where they are going to store it because they are running out of room, and how they will never be able to use it all up in their life time. All of this is so very much like quilters and their fabric. Some even talk about sneaking it into the house. This is stuff I can relate to and it makes me smile although I think my stash is a total of 17 skeins.

I want to share what I did while in Brazil. To have wonderful yarn I ordered some yarn and it was waiting for me when I made my quick trip home last March. When I went back I took about 16 skeins of yarn for socks. I figured that was something I could learn to do. So in my remaining 6 months I made 10 pairs of socks, one scarf and one cowl. It was really very fun.

I have found knitting is more portable than quilting, especially when I do all my quilting by machine. I know I can do stuff by hand, but basically I don't want to.

 After making socks I was ready to move onto something else. Sweaters! In October I bought yarn and began a sweater. I was able to finish it in about a month. Yea! And it even fits.Well, the sleeves are a little short but I am not redoing it.

So, if this blog becomes more of a knitting blog than a quilting blog, I am sorry. I think knitting has become attractive to me because it is something new to learn. There are new techniques to learn and master. After quilting for 30+ years so much of what I see now I think, "be there, done that." I went to a quilt show the other day and nothing sang to me. NOTHING! I couldn't believe it. I go into fabric shops and the same thing. About 10 years ago I took a hiatus from quilting for about a year and then I was ready to get back into it. Maybe the same thing will happen again. In the meantime forgive me if I dream about what I can cast on next.