Pick Up Sticks

Knitting Class #3

I told you I was on a roll with taking classes! The third class I signed up for at my LYS is an intarsia class that has us knitting a pillow with stars on it from a pattern from www.sarahjamespatterns.com. I tried intarsia on my own while trying to knit the Wobbly Circles Tote last year. I had no luck – as I kept getting holes where the joined yarn met. I’m hoping this class will help and then I can go back and retry that tote pattern – which I loved!

So far all the classes I have taken at Yarn Love have been wonderful! The instructors have been really good and the group of ladies in the classes have been fun and so helpful. Since none of my friends knit – and they have tried – it is fun to get together with a group who loves to knit as much as me!

This class just started so no pictures worth showing yet. Just a blob with lots of little bobbins.  I may try to knit the smaller version of the pillow that the instructor came up with since the 16 inch pillow has me so frustrated with all the little bobbins.  I plan on ripping out what I've done and starting over.  More to follow.

Knitting Class #2

After the fun in my scarf class I decided to sign up for a child’s sweater class. I wanted to learn how to knit a sweater and thought a smaller sweater would be a good start. Again I signed up for a class at my LYS – Yarn Love. The pattern – Junior Knit Jacket - was written by the class instructor and is very easy to follow. It was knit with a bulky yarn – Universal Yarn Classic Chunky in colorway Water - doubled on size 10 needles. After knitting socks and lace it took me a while to get use to the feel of the bulky yarn and bigger needles. It felt so clumsy…but I’ve finished the knitting and just need to do the seaming in class. It is so cute! I started a second one in worsted weight yarn doubled and have that nearly finished as well. I ran out of yarn with one sleeve left to knit. On the second sweater I did the sleeves with DPN which cuts way back on the seaming that needs to be done.  Pictures to follow.

This class gave me the confidence to try a sweater for me. I had Mr. Greenjeans in my Ravelry queue and bit the bullet and cast on over the weekend. I am using a cheaper yarn – Cotton Ease by Lion in a cotton blend. I was afraid to invest too much money in the yarn in case I couldn’t knit it or didn’t finish it for some reason. I am working on the increases for the raglan sleeves – which seems to be taking forever! But once I get on to the cabling it should keep my interest better! 

Knitting Class #1

One of my goals for 2008 was to increase my knowledge in knitting and get past the basic scarf knitting. I ventured out in to world of lace knitting after finding out about a wonderful lace designer named Anne Hanson. Her patterns are so easy to read and offer written instructions – since I wasn’t too sure about reading charts. I finished Hypoteneuse, Gust and Zig Zag Mitts and started her Autumn Throw and Gale. I purchased way too many patterns – but love to knit her patterns!

So when a class came open at my LYS – Yarn Love – called the Silky Leaves Scarf I signed up. Yes it’s another scarf – but the class promised to teach me how to do a provisional cast on as well as read a simple lace chart. The scarf and yarn are from Sheep Shop Three. The yarn is a silk wool blend and so soft and in wonderful variegated colors. The scarf pattern was easy to follow except when it came down to the very tip. The whole class struggled – even the instructor – who by the way was terrific! I also ran out of yarn and had to rip back one side in order to even out the sides. Now I know I am a loose knitter – but I had to take off four lace repeats on each side of the scarf to make it work with the amount of yarn I had left. I would have purchased another skein but there was not one in my color left at the shop. I the end it all worked out. The scarf is beautiful – just needs a light blocking to school off the pattern. Picture to follow...need camera batteries!

Because of the fun I had in this class I signed up for several others. More to follow in other posts.

Life

Sometimes life gets in the way.....

When I finally logged in to typepad I couldn't believe that it was Easter since my last post.  Life has been busy.  Spring always finds me in the garden more - digging, planting, weeding, enjoying the wildlife as well as fighting the wildlife.  Bunnies have eaten all my Oriental Lillies - and while I have been furious with them we have also enjoyed watching a nest of tiny bunnies grow. Our dog - Dallas - was digging and digging under the fence.  Lo and behold a furry nest of bunnies.

We also have a nest with baby birds on the back porch in a basket.  The mother bird finally feels comfortable enough to let us sit on the porch while she flies back and forth with bits of food.

The other destructive wildlife is a family of groundhogs who are destroying our neighbor's back yards.  Neighbor's on either side of us have tons of large holes in their yards.  We have been lucky so far - I think because of our dog. Even though Dallas is a tiny little thing - only 14 lbs - he has a loud bark.  He patrols the backyard barking at squirrels and birds and chasing bunnies.  The bunnies know how long his rope is and sit just beyond it's reach and this drives him crazy!

Lots of knitting and stash enhancing going on the past few months...more on that in my next post.