No More Teachers, No More Books

My grandma, a former elementary school teacher, is not surprisingly a huge advocate of continuing education. Once retired, she took a number of "adult ed" type classes from anything to crafts to computers, even once taking a yoga class so she would be occupied while my grandpa took a bread making class. Last fall, she found a knitting class for me and my mom to take where we learned all sorts of techniques like mitering, cables and color work. This quarter I've joined a "knit along" class where we're making a baby sweater and socks.

The baby sweater is done!

The pattern was fairly easy to follow, though I definitely needed teacher assistance to understand it and complete some of the stitches and steps. 

It involved some seaming, which was very exciting to the cats. Whenever yarn moves, BEWARE! Lol

I added some color work to mine, copying a Fair Isle pattern I saw in a baby hat in my "60 Quick Knits for Baby" book. I also used the seed stitch on my edges, just to give it a little more design. It's for about a 3  to 6 month old and I can't wait to find a model to give it to.

These classes are really stretching my knowledge and building my confidence in knitting. Depending on what is being offered next quarter in the knitting classes, I may take a sewing class next. This week, we start socks. I can't wait to learn how to "turn a heel." Am I a knitting nerd or what?! Until next time...peace, love and yarn.

The Skinny on Intarsia

We tackled a new method of color work, called "Intarsia," in my knitting class this week.

I had really enjoyed the Fair Isle method of color work so I thought that I'd love Intarsia. Yeah, not so much. In Fair Isle, you carry all of the yarns you are using behind you. It makes for a very thick back of your knitted work. In Intarsia, you use multiple balls of yarn so that each time you change a color, you use another ball of yarn. If you look at the back of the "j" Intarsia sample, you'll see that I just kept changing balls of yarn and that the old colors weren't carried over.The back of the work is much thinner than with Fair Isle.

If you are really interested in the subject of Fair Isle versus Intarsia, check out this link: http://www.maggiesrags.com/tips_color.htm

I've posted the pics from Fair Isle (left) so you can see the difference from the perspective of the back of the work.

When it comes to doing color work Intarsia style, you twist your yarn when you switch so that the stitches don't pull apart. Nothing like gaping holes in your work to distract from the image you are trying to create! This method will definitely need some work before I would use it in a project. However, there are some super cute Intarsia patterns out there so maybe I was too hasty when I declared in class that I was only sticking with Fair Isle. One of the newest craze I've noticed is...skull and cross bones. Though I'm not a fan of them personally, I do think that skulls and cross bones done in pink and purple would be super cute ;0)

I did managed a decently neat initial...if you don't look too closely! I do have to remind myself that it was just my first attempt...practice makes perfect, right?

Hope all is well in your crafty world! I'm almost done with the blocks for the Bella Baseball Scarf! Then the long, tedious process of figuring out how to sew them together will begin! I'm nervous but excited to see how it will look when I actually get done. I will keep you posted!

Junk in the Trunk! Fair Isle Cup Cozy--Knitting Class #3

This week's class involved a simple Fair Isle pattern project.



I'm sure there are many ways to involve color and patterns in your knitting. This particular method involves the knitter carrying all of the working yarn strands with them as they knit. Wow, talk about a bulky back side, that pattern's got some junk in the trunk!




The class was great as always. We practiced reading from a pattern, which was great, and I zipped along with it pretty quickly. I went ahead and sewed mine up after I finished it at home and...viola! Of course, it looks just like a wrist band unless it's on a cup so here's the finished product modeled by my drinking glass.


I chose the colors from the personal project the teacher is having us do for our last class at the end of this month. I wanted to pick a project that incorporated skills learned in the class and this scarf has LOTS of cables. Plus, it's just gorgeous!



I'm a little intimidated by the pattern but I'm going to start it this weekend. Wish me luck and I'll keep you posted on how it is going.