Duo of Finished Objects

I try not to set too many knitting goals for myself, but sometimes a knitter has to do what she has to do. And I must admit that I'm quite pleased to have achieved my vacation knitting goal of completing two projects. Since they had a true deadline -- birthdays are exact dates after all …

Life Lessons from a Sweater

Like many knitters, I'm usually always working on more than one project at a time. Recently, however, I've been playing favorites, spending much more time with a pair of socks than with the Sunshine Coast sweater. Sure, I can blame it on a deadline. The Monkey Socks (pattern on Ravelry and Knitty) are a birthday …

Fiddly Sticks

I'm a big fan and regular user of double-pointed needles (DPNs), especially for socks because then I don't need stitch markers, but I completely understand how daunting they can appear to knitters and non-knitters alike. "Fiddly" is the word I use when explaining DPN use to my knitting students. To be sure I'm using it …

More Sunshine than I Thought

As I've mentioned a few times, progress on the Sunshine Coast sweater has been slow although it's been moving a bit faster now that I've got the pattern memorized. There are 12 stitch markers, which was a bit daunting at first. I think part of why it feels so slow-going is the way it "sits" …

Back to the Old Stomping Grounds

I'm regularly surprised by how long it's been since we moved from the Washington, DC, area. I know, I know, "surprising" probably isn't the right word if I keep doing it, but really -- 21 years?! We've been fortunate to maintain friendships by visiting once a year or so and seeing friends whose travels take …

Bursting Out All Over

Spring has been a long time coming here in Greater Boston with last month's temperature averaging a cool 55F (13C). If yesterday's weather is any gauge, we've had the shortest spring on record and have jumped right into summer -- sunny, dry, breezy, and a hot 88F (31C). I figure we've earned it and have …

Some Things are Never Finished

When my children were very young, I didn't knit much. I thought I didn't have enough time, which is bizarre because there's the same amount of time in Every. Single. Day. If I'd been honest with myself, I would have realized that it wasn't a matter of time; it was my perception of time and …

WIP Wednesday: Socks and Sunshine

Having lived most of my life in New England, I'm accustomed to cold, snowy winters. I generally try to avoid the broadcast and social media hoopla that surrounds storm predictions and round-the-clock coverage during the actual "weather events." My attitude generally is "It's winter. What do you expect?" Does it really matter whether the wind …

How Can I Swatch with This?

I'm not a regular swatch knitter, partly because I generally make things where fit isn't quite as important (like socks or shawls or baby knits). Indeed, dear friend and Fearless Knitter Cathie -- who's been swatch-free for about 50 years -- and I regularly share messages about our swatch aversion. But since I've decided to …