Thursdays Are For Knit Group

Between returned snowbirds and visitors there was a great crowd at knit group today.  Carol,  mastering her new tablet, took some great pictures of her winter knitting.  I took pictures of her pictures.  How far photography has come.

This is an entrelac afghan.  The most entrelac I have ever challenged myself to do is a scarf.  Something this big I would never tackle.  But it is lovely, Carol.

Still on the entrelac path, she showed me a picture of a shrug she made.  Beginning with Entrelac in the centre back,  you then pick up stitches and work ribbing  round and round.  A one of a kind piece.  

Then she showed me this lovely cabled poncho with sleeves.   Quite a winter's work to show off, Carol.

Sharon brought a new toy.  It attracted much interest.

Called a Lucette, it produces, what appears to be a type of double-wide corking.  Used to fasten medieval clothing parts, said Sharon.  Although the only reference I could find to Lucette online was that is was the name of Paul Bunyan's girlfriend.  

Sharon R has been working on her  first Intarsia. Sharon , a relatively new knitter is always looking for projects that will expand her knowledge base.  And she doesn't shy away from a challenge. 

This is  a child's sweater with Elephant Intarsia just above the bottom ribbing.   A beautiful job you have done, Sharon.

 And your new socks are lovely too.

Sandy worked quickly throughout the afternoon to finish her latest linen shawl.  A little too quickly it would seem as the cast off puzzled both her and Nan. 

Seems  it wasn't quite right.

 As Sandy said, no matter how long you've been knitting,  you can always find new ways to screw up. 

 It took a re-do, but she finished before we left.  

Nan, clever  fibre artist that she is,  has  recently taught herself to crochet.  After only 4 hours she has a great shawl to show for her efforts. 

 Lovely stitch, which Nan called the Granny Square Stitch.  Is that the same as a double crochet?

Another great day at knit group.  Nice to see the snowbirds back.  We like having them back more than they like being back. But knit group helps they tell us.

Spring Break

From time to time over the last couple of weeks, I've been in the mood to clean out drawers. I know, I know.  How much fun can one person have? Necessary work that I subject to mood swings.   On one of those work-bee days, I  re-discovered  Fauxnel. 

Knit with yarn I scored at our great, yarn give-away last year, I called it Fauxnel because it reminded me of a Chanel jacket, but of course was a fake.  Hence my name  - fake Chanel or Fauxnel.

Intended to be a summer cardi, I found that the yarn, with all its built-in baubles, had produced a heavy fabric.  Too heavy for my plan of  hot-weather wearing.  Conversely,  with it's short sleeves, not warm enough for the shoulder seasons.

My solution?  Lengthen the sleeves, turning what had been intended for a July/August wear into a cardi that I could wear for a month or so right now and again in the fall.

With a few hours of car knitting time coming up this past weekend while we drove to Peterborough and Sis' house for a family  Easter get-together, I thought it a good time to take a spring break, knitting style.  Lay aside the Sheer Panel Top I am currently knitting, which is  most definitely  a July/August wear and lengthen the sleeves on Fauxnel.

Today, one sleeve is done, and number two is on the needle. 

Just a few more knitting hours and I will have a new - well, re-newed sweater to wear this spring.

Thursdays Are For Knit Group

Late again this week.  Blame it on Mommy - the movie being shown at Meaford Hall after knitting yesterday.  I mis-read the flyer.  When it said 140, I thought it read 1:40. One hour and 40 minutes.  Lots of time to get home for dinner and post on the blog.  Instead it meant 140 minutes.  Two hours and twenty minutes.  A bit long - for both my schedule and the movie. This morning I am playing catch up.

We were thrilled to see Sandy B, back from Florida.

 Must be tax time.  All my friends and acquaintances that head south for the winter  come back to file their taxes.  Such good little Canadians.

Sandy was on a shawl-knitting spree this winter.  With this one, she said, she struggles to determine the best wearing position.  Wilma gave it a try.

Like this?

Or this?

Or get Nan to help?

Or wear it back to front.  Lots of options.

Sandy's second shawl is knit with Linen.  Sandy's favourite, Florida fibre.  Or as they say in Florida, fiber.

Horrified, Sandy noticed an error.  A now, never-to-be-fixed error.  Despite the flaw, Wilma modelled it anyway. Sandy described it as a great piece to throw into a purse ready to throw over one's shoulders in a chilly restaurant.  Oh what a life she leads down there.

Wilma was  a busy model yesterday.  Finally she finished her vest.

 Great fit, Wilma.  I like the open look.  Like me, Wilma knit the buttonholes but will wear it without buttons for the first few times.  Who knows.  Maybe it will stay like that. Many of mine do.

Gail finished the yellow baby sweater at knit group yesterday.

I love the yoke detail

 and think it might be easy to copy that design into an adult sweater.

As I was packing up ready to head to the movies, Wilma said , "Not yet. Not yet."  
"A few more stitches and this second vest will be finished."  Wow. A two-fer.  Way to go Wilma.

It even looks good in the unblocked state.

 This is Leaflet, from Knitty.  Fits Sharon too.  Maybe you can share, Wilma.

Spring seems to have sprung. Cotton is heading for the needles.  Happy Easter Everyone.