Since I didn’t go to Stitches West, and Burbank is about 60 miles away, I am going to go and check out the market on Saturday. I didn’t hear about it soon enough to sign up for any classes, maybe next year.
I did join the TKGA, and also ordered the Level 1 Handknitting course. I even made my first swatch over the weekend. I am using the Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool for it since I have some left over from Christmas presents. I may do a kool-aid dip on some of it later on, if I need another color. I haven’t read ahead to see if I do. I also have some blue worsted wt wool that I could use if there is a need for a color change. We’ll see.
Still working on the shawl and I had to tink 4 rows last night because I somehow messed it up again! I guess it’s all the carpool knitting, sometimes I lose my place or something. After all that tinking, I put markers in every 10 stitches. They move around because of the YOs and (Sl 1, K2tog, psso)s but between the markers there should always be 10 stitches. I think that I don’t need the markers on the knit side, but on the purl side is where I keep losing stitches, so this should help. I did 10 more rows last night and didn’t make any more mistakes, so I think it’s helping.
It’s in the crumpled mess stage, so I don’t think I will post a photo until the center is done, before I pick up around it for the inside edge. My brother-in-law’s birthday is this weekend, plus a day of shopping at the TKGA market might cut into my weekend knitting time, but I hope to finish the center panel this week and start on the edges. I can’t wait to wash it and see what happens, the swatch looked nice but it’s tiny, I want to see the whole thing done!

I have been toiling away at my fir cone shawl. I don’t know what I am doing wrong, but keep losing a stitch when I transition from one pattern to the next. I can’t see where I am messing up, although I am reading my previous rows so in general it’s all lining up. It’s just the ends that are not stable. The thing will need a good wash and block before it’s ready for prime time, so I am hoping that it won’t show. If I could figure out the problem, I would just fix it. I am only about 4 inches from the cast on, so if I do figure it out, I will be able to drop a stitch and break out the crochet hook.
I am totally sounding negative, so I should say that I really like the yarn and the pattern is going to be really nice once it’s done, I am just frustrated with it now. Perhaps I was too ambitious, but really, it’s just a 10 stitch pattern, what’s wrong with me? I need to get over myself!
Ok back to work.

So here’s my solution to storing circular needles in their ‘not in use’ place. Index cards, a stapler, a binder clip thingy, and something to make it stick to the wall. I was thinking of breaking out the sewing machine and making something a little nicer, but I saw the index cards before I got to the sewing machine so they took over. Just sort of bent them without creasing and attach one to the one before it with a staple. It works for me!

A while back, I wrote to VY regarding the Sand Dollar (Adult) sweater asking if they were working on a reprint of the book. I just got a reply that didn’t answer that question, but does say that with the book the Children’s Collection, there is an amendment for an adult size that could be sent if I order the book and yarn. I had thought about the book anyway, maybe as a practice run for an adult size Fair Isle, but maybe now it’s even more worth it. I am going to think about it a bit and write them back.

I was having trouble reading my knitting on this lace pattern and kept making it worse while trying to fix my mistakes. So, I ripped back to the first row and have started over. Now that I am looking at the knitting and not the pattern, it’s working and I am almost back to where I ripped from.
I really like the color of the yarn. It’s called Plum, and has occasional flecks of blue in it that are really pretty.

…or knitting back backwards, I have heard it called. I love this, now that I have figured it out.
There was an article in one of the knitting rags last fall that explained it and I tried it, and for the life of me could not get it. They really made it sound a lot more difficult than it is. (I guess the writers get paid by the word?)
A few weeks ago I just tried to figure it out myself the most obvious way, looking at what the needle does when purling, and looking at what the yarn does when purling and there was the Eureka! moment. I used this technique on the bag that I fulled, and got lots of practice.
I purl much too tightly, so doing it this way makes it much more in line with my knitting. I will have plenty of practice too, since the Fir Cone Square Shawl that I am working on has every even row purled for the center square.

I did make it to the shop for some Harrisville Shetland yarn, and here it is:
I bought 3 cones in purple for a Fir Cone shawl from Cheryl Oberle’s book, Folk Shawls. It sure is a lot less expensive to buy a cone of yarn than skeins! The yarn washes up nice and soft, even though it’s kind of rough in the hands while knitting with it.
I also bought a ball winder, because I am sick of fighting with rogue balls of yarn. I will wind them, dammit!

And here they are, aren’t they cute with their little bug buttons? I hope the babies’ mom likes them too.

I found a copy of Celtic Collection and some other OLD AS books at the library this week, and for the most part, I agree that her stuff is really nice. I think I am becoming a fan. Two of the books are really old, Scanidnavian and Brittish Isles, and they are sooo dated! But the newer ones, I like. Aran Knitting and Celtic Collection especially. I might go to a shop later today that supposedly carries Harrisville yarns and see what kind of colors they have. I am thinking of many projects, a shawl, Elisabeth I, or something fair-isle. This is hard being a beginner, because I haven’t tried everything yet!

I found some cute buttons that look like VW Beetles for the Baby Albert sweaters. I am going to see mom on Monday, so I have to finish up one sleeve and seam up the second one and put the buttons on by lunch on Monday. I think I can do it.