What's on my needles (week 24)

Happy Fourth Of July!  

How it all started

This week I took a little trip down memory lane.  You may know that I learned how to knit in Elementary school when I was about 8 or 9 years old.  When I was in High school a friend of mine, Mechtild, explained the math to me on how to make a custom knit sweater.
Just for kicks I wore one of them last week.  I made this sweater over 40 years ago!

Here I am wearing the sweater in 1977

and again in 2014

This is another sweater I designed and knitted in 1974

 


















I think it is then when I started to enjoy knitting something I dreamed up myself and I am so glad that I have come back to this, which brings my story to the shawl I am presently designing.

I am working quite hard on writing out the instructions clearly and easy to follow.
The design is based on my Candle Flame scarf pattern which seems very popular (Check out this and other patterns right here on my blog and on ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/stores/doris-formby-designs.)
For the shawl at the store I am using the Mirasol Nuna Fina, a lace weight yarn, and I have just a few more pattern repeats to finish.
The shawl I knitted at home is done in the Lantern Moon Indochin yarn and is blocking right now.
Just as I was finishing the shawl, Cathy Woodcock from Lantern Moon asked a friend of hers, Sarah Lajoie, to ship a "Bead Aid" to me (how very kind and very cool!!!).  Sarah designed this little tool which makes placing the beads in the knitting faster than with a crochet hook. Check it out for yourself on their website: www.beadaid.com
You may want to order one of these for yourself :)  It looks very durable and is so small that it is easy to take along. It is also handmade of fine steel wire so if you have one of those magnetic boards which hold your pattern you can just stick it on there.

Let's take some peeks at the shawls:

At the Knitting Garage

At Home

At The Knitting Garage

We had a couple of wonderful classes during the last week.

Saturday Therese came by and took the class on making her own cotton T-shirt.  She choose a lovely mid-blue Cascade Avalon yarn for hers and I am excited to see how it is coming along.  When she left she had started the k1, p1 ribbing for the body which goes on for 16 inches and I had shown her how to knit with DPN's for the sleeves and how to later join the sleeves, but as with all classes she is welcome to come back any time with additional questions or to go over something again.

 

Then on Tuesday we had a total of four new knitting students which was great fun. This is a four week course.  I put together a little starter kit for everyone and we are working on a small pillow cover learning different stitches as we go along.  I have several things I want to teach, but we will see how it goes.  I think it is more important to instill a joy of knitting than to overwhelm everyone and if the pillow cover has just garter and stockinette stitch but is a favorite to cuddle with, that would be just fine.  

Don't forget this Saturday's Class is about how to cast on for your toe-up socks.  Judy's Magic Cast-on truly is MAGIC!
Here is a copy of Leah's e-mail she just sent out:

The following three classes on sock knitting can be taken as individual classes or sign up for all three at a 10% discount
Each one of these classes is $30 for 1-2 and $25 for 3-4 participants

· Saturday, July 5. Judy’s magic cast-on. This is a favorite cast on for toe-up socks two at a time or individual. You can use any weight yarn to learn this technique.

· Saturday, July 12. Fish Lips Kiss Heel. This is a simple and well-fitting heel construction everyone seems to be talking about. You will learn the special stitch used for this construction. You can use any weight yarn to learn the technique.

· Saturday, July19. Jenny’s stretchy bind off. A good and popular bind off for your toe-up socks

Walk-ins are welcome but its easy to sign up just email us! alstickle@gmail.com or reply to this email, we make things simple!

At Home 

Other than occupying myself with the new pattern I have also been working on the Market bag.  So far I have two sign-ups for the class on July 26, there are still two more spots available.