Thursdays Are For Knit Group

Sorry about a Friday post regarding Thursday's knitting but a girl's gotta have fun.  Right after knit group yesterday we knitters took off for Owen Sound, some great Chinese food and Riversides Yarn's previously-postponed-due-to-weather, post-Olympic party.  All of which meant by the time I got home and relayed the day's events to Fred it was too late to post.  Too late for me to post, that is.

So day-old, but-just-as-jaw-dropping, knitting news is what I present today.

Deanna is wearing her lovely, lovely scarf.  Knit with Sweaterkits Mulberry Silk, it is the perfect colour to brighten an end-of-winter day.  As well as your eyes, Deanna.  Gorgeous.

Gail has a scarf on the go.  A Diagonal Scarf,  she is knitting with a ball of Patons Lace  she scored on one of Sandy B's sister Sue's (bag lady Sue)  great give-aways. 

 Another bright colour to offset winter, but the perfect part of this knit is the way the colours are transitioning almost precisely on the directional change.

Wilma and Sharon, our two injured/sick Olympic knitters are back to full knitting steam.  Sharon working on a pair of cabled socks - a first for her -  and Wilma working on her intended Olympic project, The Sarah from Button Up Your Top Down. More knitting in Wilma's favourite colour!

Now what is Miss Jean doing?  

Seems to be socks.  Seems to be circs.  What!!! Seems to be two socks at once. Toe up, 2 socks on 2 circs.  Imagine!  A great psychological advantage over the one-at-a-time sock knitting which leads to second sock syndrome, claims Jean.

Doreen is working on a pair of the war-time socks for the gallery display in Owen Sound. 

With one finished  - according to pattern she wants you to know - she thought it the most bizarre shaped sock.  I suggested she give it to the enemy!

Michelle, new to knit group and new to knitting shows off her dishcloth.  Well - it was intended to be a dishcloth but - things went awry.  Or went down designer lane, because she ended up with a hat.  A darn nice hat, I might add.

She is now working on project number 2 and when asked what she was knitting replied  "I have no idea."  I predict big things from Michelle.

Another fun day with lots of laughs.  It has been said that we sure do liven up the library.  

Much Better

Here is my original Graylina.  My 2014 Olympics project finished in time for the  medal ceremonies but - too short.  At least, too short for my liking.

 

Here is the newly lengthened version, blocked and buttons sewn on.  

 

Isn't this much better?  Seen here with the skirt that inspired the knit.  Black boiled wool with purple inserts and trim.  

Version two is much better.  I feel comfortable in it and it is an easy wear. No tugging or pulling. Always my test.  I am a happy knitter now.

A Re-Do

Graylina was finished in time for the Olympics medal ceremony.  But.  It was so short.  Most that saw it said  "Just leave it. It will be your short sweater."

But it felt so uncomfortable that I was uncomfortable.  Then a happy coincedence happened.  Weather was so bad last Thursday that Riverside Yarn's post Olympic show & tell party was postponed until this week. 

Hmmm.  7 days to change the length of Graylina.  Who am I to resist that challenge?

Knowing that knitting can only be ripped back in the opposite direction from which it was knit, I knew that   Graylina would have to be ripped back from top down.  Did I want to re-knit a great portion of the sweater to lengthen the body by a mere two inches?  No, of course not.  The alternative and the method I chose,  was to cut the sweater just above the bottom ribbing,  pick up the stitches and knit down  for another couple of inches of lace pattern before ribbing and casting off.

First though I had to remove the button bands.  They were last to be knit, so first to be ripped.  Once the bands were off, I snipped the sweater just above the ribbing, unravelled the ribbing, picked up the stitches and began to knit down.  Easier written than done of course because there were seams to contend with and wool that had done what we praise it for - stuck to its neighbour.  But after a bit of work I managed to be in a position to start to knit.

Knitting the lace pattern downwards when it was written to be knit upwards required some brain work.  Not only did I have to work the pattern upside down, but also it   didn't take long to realize I also had to work it backwards.  That is, I not only had to  start at row #11 and work back to row #1 but also had to start  at the end of the line of instructions and work backwards to the beginning.  It did take concentration but seems to have worked out. 

The only thing I think I should have done differently was to work the  left-slanting decreases as right slanting and vice versa.  The decreases are there in the new portion but do look a bit different than their upstairs neighbours.  I am hoping that since these new decreases run across both my butt and front parts that no knitter or observer will peer too closely.  Take that as being forewarned.

Just a couple more rows to do  on the buttonhole band, then sewing in the new ends and I have a sweater I will wear with comfort.