Sunday, April 20, 2008

Recreational knitting

(Actually written April 18)This is so nice, it’s Friday afternoon, spring is finally here, the snow is gone. I’ve got a few days of no deadline to worry about and I’m doing some ‘recreational’ knitting - that sounds kind of kinky, but what I mean is the ‘just for fun’ variety, no pressure, no mega-swatching or keeping tons of notes, worrying about writing the pattern. I’m re-making ‘Caped Wrapper’ from No 43 - it turned out to be one of my favourites of that issue, I’ve worn it a lot and gotten tons of compliments!! I really liked the stitch pattern I’d used (it was one of my one-row-tucks that I totally love and when making the first one had a hard time deciding which side of the fabric to use as the outside) so this time I’m going with the purl side as outside and I’m using Yeoman Yarns Twister - it’s a tweedy (ha, ha, guess what colour?) green, of course. Adds nicely to my Wardrobe Workshop...you probably won’t believe this and maybe I shouldn’t tell you, but I didn’t even make a swatch...I’m just going with the written pattern - using the same tension and it’s so easy!! oh, you know what? I’m going to let you in on one of my ‘cheats’...to check the gauge and make sure I’m not wasting my time entirely (when remaking something in a different yarn), on the first piece I knit - usually a sleeve - I hang yarn marks as I’m knitting to use to measure the gauge after I get the piece off the machine. That way, I save the time and yarn of making a new swatch and it’s makes me feel better to know on one piece whether this is going to work out or not.
Fast-forward to 6:30 pm, got all the pieces made, just the front and collar bands to go but will save it for tomorrow morning when I’m fresh. Also, before I forget, funny thing, this tweedy yarn looks better on the knit side, so knit side/out side it will be!
I guess enough play for one day, I’d better get my taxes done!

1 comment:

Mar said...

Hi MA!
Congratulations on your blog. It will undoubtedly be one of the most frequently read in the knitting world. Now you need some pictures to show what you are talking about. (Advice from someone who doesn't even have a blog...)
Anxious to see the summer issue in a couple of weeks!
Mar