What's on my needles (week 53)

At The Knitting Garage

Candle Flame Shawl

I am about two thirds done with the Candle Flame Shawl.  After careful monitoring the weight of the yarn,  I knitted six increase sections, then row 1-12 of the increase section and rows 13-24 of the section B (no increase, no decrease), another 1-24 and 1-12 of section B and then I started to decrease on row 13. One fun fact:  While working on this, a customer came in who is also making this shawl. She is using the same yarn in grey (Nuna Fina) which she had purchased at The Knitting Garage and beads.  I am looking forward to see her finished shawl which she is making for her Mom.

Classes and ongoing private instructions

During this past week I met a couple of new knitters who took a lesson from me and to me it is the greatest joy and feeling of accomplishment to see them go home equipped with the knowledge of how to carry on on their own.  A new knitter is born and I think of all the fun they are going to have because they took this first step of learning (shouldn't there be a bell ringing or something every time a new knitter is born?!).  Not to blow my own horn, but here is part of a letter I received from Ellen:  "... I'm very excited about the knitting.  You teach in a way that is patient and calm (just what I need) and encouraging. It's such a nice atmosphere too."
Here is a little video of fixing one mistake she was doing at first.  She didn't pull the yarn completely through the stitch on the purl side, but it was easily fixed in the next knit row:)

And Sylvia's finished very first project.  She used my pattern "The simplest fingerless mitts you'll ever make" which is available on ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-simplest-fingerless-mitts-youll-ever-make

SOOO PRETTY!!!

Kay, too, is now knitting solo at home.  She just has to remember that there are four steps to working one stitch:
1. insert
2. wrap
3. pull through
4. pull off
It is almost like dancing the waltz with your knitting needles.  And if you get muddled then it is best to re-position yourself to step one.

At Home

I finished the Aurita Shawl

Almost done, just a few more decreases

layered double and blocking :)

a close up of the lace sections with the pretty beads

and the finished shawl

Since I doubled the shawl when I blocked it (because I did not have enough space) there is a bit of an edge to the middle and I will re-block that section, but otherwise I am very pleased :) <3

blocking the middle again for a softer curve

Birthday Socks

With the shawl done I started a pair of socks for my husband's birthday.  This is yarn I had bough at Knitting Addiction on the Outer Banks last October, but we have very similar yarn (if not nicer!!!) at The Knitting Garage.  I have made several pairs of socks with this yarn and love how it makes up a nice pattern as you go along.
I am knitting these two at the time toe-up (my favorite way to go).
I thought I started both socks at the same color sequence repeat, but soon realized that that was not so.  I cut one section of yarn out from one of the balls and rejoined the yarn using the "magic knot (double knot join)":  http://youtu.be/-nq_7EXTWHE
 Now I am back on track making two identical socks (except for the toes).

cutting out some yarn from one of the balls

back on track to have the socks look the same