Musings of an avid knitter, middle-of-the-pack runner, and native New Englander
Pretty much from the time I cast on the Starshower shawl-cowl, I began thinking about blocking it when I finished. It was knitting up kind of stiff, even though the pattern was lace-ish, and didn't have the drape that I was hoping for. Did I swatch before I started? Why, no I didn't. Thanks for … Continue reading Blocking to the Rescue
Weekend hike in the White Mountains of New Hampshire provides time for knitting and appreciation of fall foliage.
In November, I started teaching a Knit 101 class at Stitch House, one of Boston's lovely local yarn stores (LYS). Starting at 9:00 on Saturday mornings, a group of about six or eight new knitters gather around the table for learning, creating, sharing, and only occasionally, cursing. The students include sisters, ages 7 and 9, … Continue reading Fearless Knitter Finished Objects
My Twitter feed is full of ideas for gift knitting. As we get closer to Christmas, there are more "quick knits" made with chunky, bulky, and super bulky yarn. Someone could probably track how the changes in yarn weights correspond with amount of time until Christmas. But that someone isn't me because I've got gifts to knit. … Continue reading Cozy Knits for a Birthday Girl
After several years of having 6 to 8 knitters around the table at each knitting class, I find myself with two very small sessions this fall. I don't know what accounts for the change, and I'm not taking the lack of enrollment personally (at least most of the time!). What these regular Fearless Knitters lack … Continue reading Knitting Class: Small but Fierce
Christy joined my knitting class this fall and is making an adorable hood for one of her daughters. The Failyn Fox Cowl is knit with two strands of bulky yarn and has provided Christy with several opportunities to learn new techniques. For example, knitting in the round and, as you can see, seaming. The ears are … Continue reading Foxy Knits: Update from Class
Beautiful blue GAP-tastic seed stitch cowl
As a non-monogamous knitter, I often juggle a couple few projects at a time, often ones that differ in complexity or portability. Socks that can be stuffed into a purse for knitting, without the need to consult the pattern, on the subway or waiting room (there's a lot of waiting in life!). A shawl or … Continue reading Starlight Gaptastic
After promising an update when I finished my second Chromatic Cowl, I completely forgot to post the finished product! In the intervening week or two since my back seat knitting, I completed the cowl and grafted the two ends together with the Kitchener stitch. I must be doing something wrong with my provisional cast-on because I ended … Continue reading Soft, Color-Shifting Cowl
From the moment Rachel walked into my knitting class wearing her Chromatic Cowl, I knew I had to make one -- or two. "Gossamer" was the word that popped into my head when I felt the soft, fluffy lightness of this cleverly designed infinity scarf. According to Merriam Webster: gossamer: (1) a film of cobwebs floating … Continue reading A Gossamer Cowl
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love teaching knitting. One of the best parts is watching a knitter, novice or one with experience, work through a project -- deciphering a pattern, fixing the inevitable mistakes, and finally finishing. First up, Debbie, a beginner whose patience, good humor, and perseverance are remarkable. … Continue reading Treasures from Knitting Class
For the past few months, I've been monogamous in my knitting, working on Michael's sweater with the hope of finishing it by Memorial Day, when it's still cool here in Massachusetts. The sweater is finished, but it's not done. But that's a story for another day.... In the aftermath of finishing/not-finishing, I've cast on two … Continue reading Curlers in Her Hair
Until I made an Eclectic Cowl for my old long-standing friend Beth, I've never known the artist who created the yarn for my project. Diane, aka Lady Dye, is a talented local fiber artist here in Boston. Her "urban-inspired yarns" are inspired, in large part, by street art. Her hand-dyed, multicolored yarns are simply exquisite … Continue reading Eclectic Cowl
Inspired by Skye, an extraordinary young girl at the Friday knitting group at JP Knit & Stitch, and by a recent Wall Street Journal article and video, I decided to try something new. As we sat together on the window seat last week, Skye created this loose, chunky, oh-so-soft scarf. Totally intrigued, I bought a … Continue reading Know What’s Fast? Arm Knitting (seriously)
Just before I finished the second of K's socks, I succumbed to the lure of my next project: the Diamonds Are Faux-Ever cowl. It's a Fair Isle style, knit with two yarns, one of which changes color, giving the illusion that you're knitting with more than two. I modified the pattern slightly, starting with the solid … Continue reading Ambidextrous? I Think Not.
My Mom is full of old sayings, many of which are prefaced by "As my mother would say...." One of her favorites is "when in doubt, read the directions." So true, so true. I figured out why Square 2 of the Albers cowl was turning out to be significantly bigger than Square 1. It wasn't … Continue reading When in Doubt, Read the Pattern
Day #2, Knitting Cruise: Saturday morning started with a workshop on color theory, which, in simple terms, is using colors that work together so that each color looks its best. In our goodie bag, we each got a nifty color wheel, one more detailed than the one I recall getting in elementary school art class. … Continue reading Color Theory or Making Your Colors Pop
Saltwater Hill Knits 