knitting with the dogs!

I am going to NYC to see Nora and Ainate---am very excited.

While I am away, the studio will be in the capable hands of Carrie, Kate, Susan M and Brooke. And Carrie and Kate are going to knit with the dogs on Saturday, the first of lots of knit-one-one outings and events in June---yes I know Saturday is May 31st but it is close enough!

A few weeks ago Carrie, Kate and I met and they suggested loads of things for knit-one-one. Since I always listen to them, I scheduled all of their suggestions. And knitting with the dogs is one of their brilliant ideas. You all know how much we love dogs at knit-one-one so of course this is a natural outing for us. (I will be doing my own knitting with dogs in NYC---a fabulous dog gazing territory I should add) So on Saturday afternoon, please join them to dog-gaze, knit, chat, drink coffee---what ever! Click here to get the details.

I am off to gussy Kofi up for the event!

And finally please send warm thoughts to yarn-a-go-go Rachael , her mother, Janette Heron, and her family. Her mother is very ill.

The issue of gauge---knitting gauge that is

At every knit-one-one class the teachers talk about gauge. Even in the beginning knitting class Kate emphasizes its importance and makes the fledgling knitters do a gauge swatch. Kira, Kate and Julie always ask me to mention to students that they should bring a gauge swatch to class---which I do---good Sile! Kira even wants me to have a phrase on the studio walls about the importance of the gauge swatch---which I will---in time.

If you remain unconvinced of the importance of THE GAUGE SWATCH,---just look at the 2 pics above. Next weekend Kate will be teaching this adorable little hoody and a few weeks ago she knit up the blue and red cutie. Then she liked it so much that she knit up the other using yarn from her stash. (She doesn't have the nickname Speedy Needle Freeman for nothing!) She used the same pattern, cast on the same number of stitches but.....different yarn and different needles. And just look at the variation in sizes. One is for a little baby and the other is for a far older, chunkier child. So gauge does matter---really it does.

A few weeks ago at a knit-out, one of our knitters--- who will remain nameless---was not getting the correct gauge for a sweater she was going to knit-- she thought it didn't really matter. We quickly disabused her of this notion---but of course--- and convinced her to go down a needle size. We hope she remembers us when her sweater is finished and actually fits her!

Doing the Magic Loop VS Double Pointed Needles

In my time running the studio I have come to realise that there are certain dividing lines between the various kinds of knitters. There are those who hate double pointed needles (Susan M for example) and would much prefer to use the Magic Loop. And there are those who hate the Magic Loop (Kevin W) and would much prefer to use the dreaded double pointed needles---you can see which side of the equation I am on!) And then there are those who hate DPN's but actually don't know how to do the Magic Loop and so avoid projects like those pictured above altogether. For the avoidance group,

knit-one-one

is having a workshop this Sunday May 18. Ms Punkrawkpurl, who is true magic looper, will have you doing the loop in no time at all. Then you will be tackling cuffs, socks, bag bottoms, hat tops,gloves, mitts and goodness knows what all. There will be no stopping you.

All of the above pics were done or could have been done, using the Magic Loop Technique.

PS For the double pointed crowd, Noe Knit is having a workshop on that topic!

Parties come to knit-one-one

Some of the finished squares

Veronica and Nate

Vero

Marie and Carrie

The yarn

Hard at work

Hard at work

Kate fuels up before the party


Well I know that many of you think that every day is a party at knit-one-one but this really was a party party. Veronica and Nate are leaving for Venezuela in a few days to get married so Kate, Carrie and I decided that we would throw them a knitting shower. We were expecting a small crowd but Vero and Nate have loads of friends---no surprise there---- so we had 27 guests, 12 of whom did not know how to knit---they do now I hasten to add!

Here is how it worked: Veronica and Nate chose the colors. We ordered the yarn and before the party, Carrie and Kate cast on the stitches for the beginners. People arrived, people drank, knitters knit squares and Carrie and Kate taught. ( I was buzzing about in my queen bee role!) Everyone laughed. Everyone had a rollicking good time. And this is the amazing part. The people who didn't know how to knit beforehand actually finished their square---they were fabulous students and highly motivated to get a square done for the happy couple. Amazing.

The follow-up: Kate, Carrie and I have to block the squares---some are not quite square--- but we will remedy that! Then we will sew them together, we will make a border and by the time the happy couple comes back, the BLANKET will be ready. Good blanket.

if you would like the knit-one-one party team to organize your next gathering---let us know. We throw a mean party.