Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Is summer almost over?????????????

Wow what a summer! Carson graduated-----------






















Aimee is married-----------------------hmmm the photo won't upload--perhaps because it is from a professional photographer and I shouldn't be using it? Take my word for it--she was beautiful, the wedding was beautiful.

And what have the KnitWits/Knits of the Round Table/NKLB (No Knitters Left Behind) been up to?

Well-Deb is driving cross-country. last spotted heading into Iowa. DeeDee is teaching native Chileans to knit---they already spin and dye their own yarn and weave. She took 50 pairs of chopsticks donated by Papa
San for the needles. I can't wait to hear about her experience! I saw Linda a couple of weeks ago and she was beautifully tanned--Mexico agrees with her. Shirley is staying cool in Flagstaff and dodging forest fires, and I discovered a latent addiction to cashmere.



AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Cashmere. I have a new mantra inspired by Linda and this cashmere addiction---



LIFE IS SHORT--------------EAT DESSERT FIRST, AND KNIT WITH CASHMERE---------



I now know why I never allowed myself to touch cashmere. I bought a skein back in October on Nantucket Island, and just finished a Seaman's scarf in the Dragon Scale pattern tonight. It would make a great knit-along for someone who is an advanced beginner and wants to learn a new technique (seaman's scarf), a new lace pattern, and practice foul language.

I also finished a cashmere scarf in a Fisherman's Rib pattern with a casing. A great project for anyone who can knit and purl! It's easy, "trust me".

Fisherman's Rib is a variation of a knit 1 purl 1 rib. The knit stitch is knit in the row below. It used appx. 126 yds. I recommend something really soft, if not cashmere, try an alpaca from KnitPicks, something in a worsted weight, or close to it.








I casted on 14 stitches on a size 9 double pointed needles, and purl one row. After that, each row is as follows:
slip first stitch as if to purl,* knit one in row below,purl 1*, continue across to last 2 stitches, purl them. Each row is the same. Continue for 22 inches.






In this photo I am knitting into the knit stitch in the row below (the big hole)
At 22 inches, you divide the purl stitches on the back needle and the knit stitches on the front needle. In stockinette (knit the front row and purl the part that will be on the inside) knit 8 rows. Cut the yarn and do the same with the other double point needle. Here is the casing before the stitches are put back onto one needle.
Put the stitches back on one double point needle. Put one stitch from the back needle on first, then one from the from the front, back, front, etc. Continue in pattern until it until you run out of yarn. Weave in any ends and you are done! This fits snuggly against your neck, so you want a nice, soft yarn. This was a very fast pattern, and was really fun.

I bought some unbelievable cashmere by Great Adirondack Yarns at a cool shop in San Francisco called The Urban Knitting Studio--it's a superb shop. Unbelieveably, it was ON SALE. 50% off. About 200 yards each. Two for the price of one! So I got all 4 skeins. To have left the other two by themselves would have been a horrible travesty. It hasn't decided yet what it wants to be.

I also got a couple of great books. One is called "One Skein" and all the projects are done with just one skein. The other book is a sleeper. It is called"Mason Dixon Knitting" and I have seen it before but was not impressed by the jacket. I definitely should not have judged it by its cover. It has wonderful projects and just plain cool stuff. There are many things I want to do, like a knitted rug, felted bowls, log cabin style afghan, etc.

Summer is almost gone! I return to work on the 20th of July. Anyone up for knitting on Sunday July 16? I will be there and bring any newly finished objects.! Hope to see you! Bring your finished objects! Send me photos of what been up to and/or knitted this summer! If you haven't been for a while, please come back, I miss you!