Cool class
Teaching update: What a cool group of women in my Last Minute Holiday Gifts class. They're eager, smart and they've already formed their own Stitch 'N Bitch (except they don't bitch--they're too nice). One woman muscled her way through loop stitch to create this darling winter white evening pouch. Knit in ribbon, the pouch has a loop stitch opening that she sparked with this wild burnt orange eyelash that asserts itself like fireworks from the top of the piece. Another woman is doing the Audrey bag (see Get Nake-id Patterns) in creme Lamb's Pride with glamor gold eyelash and it's a revelation, eye-poppingly gorgeous. And we've got a Gedifra Techno Hair Lungo muff happening in shades of burgandy and pink that will be extra girly.
When we meet next on December 3, we've all committed to finishing a scarf or two. We've got several diagonal scarves in the works using Plymouth Electra--a fabulously textured novelty yarn--on size 13's; one in drop stitch; and a straight-from-the-stash surprise number.
All-in-all this teaching thing has been very cool. I've learned a ton, made tons of mistakes (yeah, that yo should be clockwise, no counter-clockwise, no clockwise, wait a minute...) and just absolutely loved it. Plus, I've been urging them to the dark side, I told 'em about blogs :-)
Cheat sheet: In attempt to teach some technique and push the goils beyond garter stitch scarves, I taught the following stitches (man, that lace background stitch is a booger!).
Diagonal knitting
Use handpainted yarn, mix and match novelty yarns with traditional woolens, or pick one color and play with textures, adding slubby cottons, ribbon, silk, chenille, whatever makes you smile. Once you knit diagonally, you'll see knitting from a whole new angle!
Cast on 2 stitches.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2-?: Inc. 1 stitch at the beginning of every row. Knit across.
You will be knitting a triangle. When the base of your triangle reaches your desired width, mark the wrong side of your work and count your stitches.
Next row: Inc. 1 stitch at the beginning of your wrong side row; dec. 1 stitch at the beginning of your right side row. When you reach your desired length, count your "garter ridges."
Next row: Dec. 1 stitch at the beginning of every row until you have two stitches. Bind off.
Purse stitch
Row 1: K1, *yo, p2tog; rep from *, end K1.
Repeat this row.
Drop stitch
Rows 1-4: Knit.
Row 5 (RS): *K1, yo twice; rep from * to end
Row 6: Knit, dropping the extra loops
Lace Background Stitch
(Odd number of stitches)
Row 1 (WS): K1, *yo, sl 1, k1, yo, passo the knit st and the following yo; repeat from *.
Row 2: *P2, drop the yo of preceding row; repeat from *, end p1.
Row 3: K2, rep from * of row 1, end k1.
Row 4: p3, *drop the yo of preceding row, p2; rep from *.
Repeat Rows 1-4.
8:02:50 AM 
|
