Stuff happens... in my knitting life (post 126)

Sometimes things happen with no or at least no conscious effort on one's own part.  And when those are good and happy things, the world seems right and I feel like I am at the right balance with the Universe.  Everything resonates without discords.

Two such things happened to me during the past two weeks (at least).

• For one, I knitted a linen vest effortlessly incorporating my own vision of it ( I wanted it longer, less bulk around the neck, some short rows in the back...).  I tweaked a pattern I had previously used for a store sample Design 9+10 by Magdalena Neuer from the pamphlet "Lana Grossa Olympia Classic". This is how the store sample vest  which I had knitted at the time, looks like: 

I am pleased to say that the end result of my new vest knitted in Shibui Linen is just like I envisioned it and I am very pleased and looking forward to wear the vest come Summer.

My Linen Vest on ravelry

Sometimes it really is nice to "just go for it" and follow your intuition like I did previously, too, with the blanket for my sister and also the bar stool cover for the shop.

Blanket

Stool Cover

• The other thing was a total surprise.  I woke up Sunday morning to a message that my Facebook page "Knit With Doris/ Discover Your Inner Knitter" was tagged by a post from Titlili's Facebook page "Les reas de Tit'Lili".  At closer inspection, I saw that Titlili had translated my Candle Flame Scarf pattern into French!  This is a free pattern I had written some years back.  This made me very happy; what a spectacular nice thing of her to do!! 

I will be adding the translation to the pattern on ravelry shortly (perhaps I have already done so by the time you will read this post).  Here is the link to the pattern in my ravelry store:  Candle Flame Scarf.

Life is Good!

I learned something new!!! (125)

It is always so exciting and fun to learn something new!

I knew how to do Brioche, I knew how to do 2-color Brioche, I knew how to do both right leaning and left- leaning Increases and Decreases, but what I didn't know was how to do right-leaning and left-leaning Increases and Decreases in 2-color Brioche!

You may remember that I started Srephen West's "Building Blocks Shawl" for the shop (click on the link for the pattern).
I had put it aside during the past month, because it was far too busy in the shop to do section 5 which had something new for me to learn :) (All in all that was a good thing as it gave me an excuse to work on some of the gifts during store hours).
If you choose to do section 5 in the Brioche Version , you run into the problem how to incorporate the brioche stitch into the right- and left-leaning increases and decreases. 
Earlier this month I picked the shawl back up and watched and re-watched Stephen West's instructional videos on YouTube (they are a lot of fun to watch and I don't mind watching more than once).

Once you understand it, it is really very logical and you get that "of course! moment" , as if a light bulb goes off in your head. 

And here is the proof, that , indeed, "by George I got it"!

 

 

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I encourage you to look over my Class schedule again and see if there is something new you would like to learn.  There are openings in all classes and all classes have a maximum of three students.

New Year/ New Classes

New Year/ New Resolutions

New Classes/ New Skills

A new year often starts with several resolutions ( loose the few extra pounds, do more charitable work etc..) why not start your new year with the intend to learn a new knitting skill and let me help you with that.

 

These classes are all about learning new skills while knitting a hat. 

As the saying goes “There are many ways to knit a hat” or is it “skin a cat”? 

I definitely prefer knitting hats (not that I ever skinned a cat) and I am sure you do, too.

All classes are two hours long and give you a new skill and get you started.  Additional help is offered at no extra cost as needed.  The cost is $50 per class with a 10% discount if you sign up for more than one class. Patterns are included in the class fee; materials are additional.

Classes are on the dates indicated. 

Thursday classes are at the shop from 12-2pm (Please note this class is on a Wednesday instead of Thursday in the third week of January).

Saturday classes are at the shop from 10am- 12noon

Tuesday classes are at my home from 6:30-8:30pm

Thursday, 1.12. / Saturday, 1.14./ Tuesday 1.17.                                           

·         Super Quick/ Super Bulky

You will need 1 skein Loopy Mango #5, #15 needles 16” circular

Wednesday,1.18./ Saturday,1.21./ Tuesday 1.24.

·         Beginners Hat (knitted flat, then seamed).                                      

You will need 1 skein of Cascade 128 and # 10 needles.

Thursday,1.26./ Saturday,1.28./ Tuesday 1.31.

·         Simple hat (pattern by knitbot).  You will learn how to knit small circumferences in the round.

You choose from 3 yarn weights (DK, Worsted or Bulky) to go with #5, #7, #10 circulars 16” respectively.

 

Thursday,2.2./ Saturday,2.4./ Tuesday 2.7.                                                         

·         Cabled Hat

You will need 1 skein Cascade Lana Grande and #15 circulars 16”

 

Thursday,2.16./ Saturday,2.18./ Tuesday 2.21.

·         Learn to do Lace/ Tivoli Hat

You will need 1 skein Cascade Yarn Tivoli, #9 and #10.5 circular 16” needles

Thursday,2.23. Saturday,2.25./ Tuesday 2.28.

·         Color Work/ Fake Isle Hat

You will need You will need 1 skein Noro Silk Garden and 1 skein worsted weight solid color and # 8 circulars 16”

 

 

 

 

Thursday,3.2. Saturday,3.4./ Tuesday 3.7.

·         Entrelac

You will need about 220 yards of worsted weight color changing yarn and #9 circular 16”