Knitting Group

I'm going to miss it.  Again.  We only meet twice a month and I missed the first one this month because I had a friend visiting the area from out of town (waaaay out of town) and I will have to miss the one coming up, too.  I'm having knitting group withdrawal!  Granted, I'm new to the group because I am new(ly) (back) in town (long story there....) but I have so enjoyed my time with this group that I already hate to miss a get together and this month I am going to miss them all!   Next month looks good for me being able to make it (so far), so I'm looking forward to that already.

It's such a nice group.  I live in a very small, rural New England town and it's the town knitting circle.  I started going because I thought it would be a good way to get to know some more people in town and was hoping it would also provide me with a social outlet.  It's done both of those things.  It's a bit of an eclectic group in that they are fine with you bringing pretty much anything fiber-y to work on ~ the notice in the town newsletter (yes, there is a town newsletter...) says, "All are welcome to join us; no experience is needed.  Knitters, stitchers, spinners, menders, quilters - all kinds of handicrafts are fine.  Just come along for a relaxing evening.  We look forward to spending time with you!"  Now, really, how much more welcoming can you get?  The really nice thing is:  they really mean that.  One of the members brought basket reed that they were working on to the last meeting I was able to get to and it was really neat to learn a little bit about that just through friendly conversation and also to see some of their basket making tools and find out what they were used for.  At another meeting, the aforementioned basket- making member taught another member how to use a Nostepinne.  There was also some show and tell with some beautiful felted eggs and teeny-tiny barbed felting needles.  Now, I think felt is cool, but my only experience with making it has been knitting over-sized items that are felted in the washing machine and I've had mixed results.  But these eggs were amazing, and the needles were a revelation.  Hopefully, you are beginning to see why I like this group so much and why I am so bummed that I am missing the two meetings this month.  Maybe, instead of my knitting, I'll bring the spinning wheel next month...

Forever and a day....

That's how long is seems like it's been since I last posted to this blog.  My heartfelt, most sincere apologies to those of you who may still be checking to see if I've added anything.  Life, as they say, happened.

So, to get back on track, I'll tell you about what I am knitting now.  Two different things, as it happens.  The way I usually do this is to have at least two different projects going at the same time.  When and where I work on them depends on what type of project they are and/or what stage in the process they are.  For example, one of the projects I'm working on now is a simple lace scarf:

This is the third one I've made of this pattern so I know it by heart and it goes relatively quickly.  I can take it with me anywhere, so it's the project that I turn to when I want to work on something but need a project I don't have to think too hard about while I'm working on it.  The yarn is Schulana Kid-Seta (kid mohair / silk) and it's knit on #6 needles.  The pattern and first yarn I bought were an impulse buy.  I was at one of my favorite yarn shops that I mentioned in an earlier post on 7/14/10 titled, "He Played Knick Knack On My Knee", A Likely Yarn in Abingdon, VA (http://www.alikelyyarn.com/ ) where I encountered the most beautiful, soft "sample" scarf I thought I had ever seen.  I couldn't stop hugging it and petting it and when I saw that the pattern was free (yes, FREE!) with yarn purchase I couldn't resist.  I am such a sucker for beautiful yarn!  I figured it would be a good idea to pick out my color and get the pattern before I started drooling on the sample scarf, so I selected a gorgeous slate blue for myself.  The silk gives it a slight gleam and, really, it's to die for!  Ok, so why is the photo of a scarf in pink???  Well, this one and the other two I have made have been gifts for other people and my beautiful blue scarf is still on the needles I bought when I bought the yarn!  I thought it was such a beautiful yarn that I decided it was THE gift for a couple of really special people in my life.  Mine can wait, I'll get to it eventually and when I do I'll be sure to post pictures.

 The other project I am currently working on is another lace scarf for one of the three special people I made the Schulana scarves for.  It's the Raha scarf pattern from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush and I'm knitting it in Cascade Yarns Alpaca Lace Paints on #4 needles.   The person I'm making it for gave me the book for Christmas last year and I'd really like to make her one of the big shawls but, for now, it's more realistic that I will finish the scarf in a reasonable amount of time.  I'm not that far along on it yet because I just started it a week or so ago: 

and it's a charted lace, which means I pretty much just plod along, making sure to check off each row as I do it.  I also use a post it note to keep my place, sort of like you would use a ruler:

I'll post pictures when it's done.  I'm really trying to get better about pictures now that I am back on track with this and hope you enjoy them!  The next project on deck is a pair of bed socks - as soon as I get them started I'll post.... with more pictures!