Thursdays Are For knit Group

Summer draws to a close and the knitters start to surface. Sandy and Joanne were both back

as was Ingrid.

Ingrid is knitting - - sit down for this -- from a pattern!!! She says 'It's hard for me.' Aaah.

Sharon and Doreen are knitting hats for the Good Samaritan project. Doreen knit these,

and this one,

and this one

Sharon made these

and is working on this one. Great mindless summer knitting.

Gail said that I am not the only one with knitting woes. Gail woke up at 5 am this morning! Yikes. Up and with coffee in hand before she realized the time, she did what any one of us would do - she knit. She seamed together this little sweater

but when the sun rose, she saw that she had done it all wrong. She spent her time at knit group ripping out. How can she smile like that? Welcome to my knitting world, Gail.

One of the great things about summer's end - knit group is back in full swing.

In The Meantime

What's a knitter to do when her last two projects end up in the "I'll never wear this" pile?

Turn to comfort knitting. Knitting that doesn't have such strict fit requirements. Knitting where the design doesn't have to flatter one person only. Knitting that you can do with your eyes closed. Knitting that is straight stockinet. Knitting that will be given away.

If you give knitting away to someone who wants it, then it doesn't have to fit anyone in particular. Or be knit to a particular person's standards. That's the reason, I'm convinced, that many knitter never knit for themselves. It is much easier to just knit. When visitors come, if it fits and they like the design, give it away. The perfect answer to the projects that disappoint.

So what am I knitting? The choice was either socks or a hat. Socks require more of a time commitment and never one to learn a lesson quickly, I'm anxious to get to the next sweater. I chose a hat.

Knit with this lovely little ball of yarn I picked up for $2.

What size am I making? Don't know. Just knitting. Who is the hat for? Don't know. Just knitting.

And thinking about what sweater to knit next.

Back To School

When the kids return to classes next week, I think I should go with them. To knitting school. Hey Teach! is done,

and it is sweater number two - this month! - that I don't like.

Certainly, I like it more than this one.

But it is not the best sweater I've ever made and sizing is a bit off. (Could it be that I've grown yet again? How many times do we do that in a lifetime?) I've blocked the #$%@ out of Teach and still the armholes bind.

And I should have remembered - having several years ago made a never-worn sweater with mid-body ribbing - that mid-body on most is not mid-body on me. Even with severe blocking, this ribbing wants to ride up to sit atop the nipples.

Nipples of the over-sixty crowd certainly lack for attention, but I don't want it in public or from my sweaters.

My first hint that it might not be the design for me was from Marie at selandpoivre. She commented that she wouldn't make Hey Teach! because she doesn't look good in baby doll designs. Baby Doll? I hadn't seen Hey Teach! as baby doll. But in fact it is. And I now know, like Marie, baby doll doesn't look good on me.

On the positive side, the yarn is wonderful. Eco Cloud Cotton from Peru by Kertzer.

Soft and despite it's Aran weight, very light, drapey and great to work with. I just might take Teach apart and referring to my latest wonderful text book,

do a re-make. I hate it when I fail at something that so many have succeeded at. Ravelers by the hundreds have made Hey Teach!, to great reviews and with great success. Mine - well, I'm going back to school.