Not Much Knitting

Weekend visitors here at the Harris household meant not much knitting for Brenda.  But after waving good-bye to our guests, I did spend a quiet Sunday afternoon catching up on blog posts and reading ravelry.  As always, there was lots to capture my attention.

Stash Queen, Christy  posted about a group called Craftsy.    Christy, alreday a member,  had taken advantage of the  members-only 50% discount offer  and signed up for one of their on-line labs - Fit Your Knits.

Fit Your Knits sounded like a course I could use - something that might help me achieve my 2012 goals.  Immediately, I went to the site and looked up the course.  Ouch!  Too expensive for me for a course that,   save Christy's blog post,  I knew  nothing about.   I took the 'crafty' way out and for free,  simply joined the Craftsy group. Who knows, I thought,  maybe  someday they would offer another member  discount.  Well, lucky me, once signed up, my welcome package included my first on-line course for a greatly  (Sorry, Christy.  My price beat your price)  reduced fee.  Now that's what I'm talkin' about. 

The course is taught by Stephanie Japel, can be started/taken any time and re-taken as many times as I like  need.    Two free patterns come with the course and I am so excited - I can't wait for school to start.  Good thing the timing is at my leisure as tomorrow the Grand kids come for March Break, so there will be little knitting and no studying for Grandma while they are here.  Sacrifices, sacrifices!

Thursdays Are For Knit Group

Ingrid  declared today 'hat' day.  We all brought our hand-knit hats for one giant 'show and tell'.  Hats stretched the length of the table.

 Such variety!  Such fun!

There were unique hats for big people

 

 and unique hats for little people.

There were baby hats.

hats with pom poms,

hats with cables,

and hats with I-Cord toggles on top

There were hats with jewels,

hats with peaks

 

and hats with flowers.

 
There were felted hats,

 
favourite hats,

 

and reversible hats.

All those hats!   This was a   'hat trick' of the knitterly kind. At the drop of a hat, these knitters  came  and brought a  table full of hats.   Hats off to all hat knitters. Some might think us mad as hatters, but I'd throw my hat in the ring with knitters any day.  And you can hang your hat on that one!

Modified Duffers

Slippers, in particular felted slippers,  have been my go-to knitting this winter.  When struggling with or bored by  my larger projects, I have knit a pair of felted slippers. 

I have long been searching  for the 'perfect slipper pattern'.  And Woo Hoo!!   I think I've found it!  The 19 Row Felted Duffers pattern  is almost the perfect slipper pattern. 

This weekend's pair  of Duffers, shown here  pre-felting,

have black soles, knit with   Cabin Fever Northern Lights,  paired with  variegated brown tops, knit with  my last skein of the Made-In-China, Wal Mart yarn  snatched from Gloria's Great Give-Away. With perfection in mind, I did make a couple of modifications.

Instead of the 19 rows, I took the suggestion offered in the pattern and knit an additional  two rows. 21 rows in total.   This makes the slipper come up further along the foot, both on the sides and also on the toe portion.  My modified Duffers, shown below,  look much more like a traditional slipper

 

 than the slippers knit to pattern. 

The origial slippers have a ballet slipper look.  Both appealing in their own way, just different. 

 

There is one issue to be aware of though.  Once those two extra rows have been knit, the opening for the foot  - even before felting -  appeared quite small.  Not wanting a pair of slippers I couldn't get my foot into, I undid the cast off and re-knit - or that would be re-purled -  the last row, increasing the stitch count by a M1 every 7 stitches.  This resulted in a more spacious cast off and foot opening.

There is yet one more modification I have in mind,  so there is still another pair of Duffers on my winter, knitting horizon.   More  quick, fun, easy knitting!  Woo Hoo!