Gracious Authors and New Techniques

I have no pictures. I don't have time. I barely have time to update here. I've fallen behind on my reading and it's only a month into the class, BUT a third of the way done. I'll try to get pictures taken and posted, but I'm not making any promises.

Thanks to all of you who are reading and told me to keep this up. It not only showed me that someone across the country is reading, Hi Nikki!; it sort of keeps me connected to those of you who I no longer see at the SnBs and who don't have time to keep up with their own blogs. For those of you who I do see, sorry for the redundant nature of my stories. ;) [Should any of those "who"s be whom?]

I am making the Bump Sweater from "Natural Knits for Babies and Mom" by Louisa Harding. I got lost pretty quickly while working on the front of the sweater. There is seed stitch border, and once I got past that my comprehension level dropped quite rapidly. I queried my friends and fellow knitters. I wrote to Interweave Press about possible errata (they never even acknowledged my query). I asked the Executive Assistant to the second man in command at work, who I heard was a prolific knitter, and she didn't know. Daniella suggested I write to the author. In my head I scoffed at the notion of this woman, this knitting book author writing me back, but she did. She was gracious and gentle in her instruction and she resisted what must have been a very strong urge to call me an idiot and send me on my way. I'm still working on it. The sweater will NOT be complete by Wednesday, but I'm thinking maybe by the end of next week. Thank you Louisa Harding!

Here is the sweater:



Other than that I've been working on socks. I finished the socks for my instructor, and picked up the Sockotta one that I like to think of as The Ocean Sock. I've been trying to scribble down the pattern, and I use that word loosely. Since I claim absolutely no design capability. I can alter what you design, but coming up with something all on my own is probably never going to happen, and I'm okay with that. Anyway, I kept looking at the heel flap on this sock and I hated it more and more. It was the reason I stopped working on it in the first place. The yarn is so small that I cringed at the thought of counting the rows and picking up the gusset stitches. Christine has the exact same yarn in an orange colorway that I love, and she flew through her socks without a hitch. After some questioning I realized that she had not picked up gusset stitches or turned the heel, she did a short row. AND she had done a short row heel for her first socks too. What is wrong with me that I can't figure this out? She explained that she didn't do the "wrap and turn" for her short rows, she did a yarn over technique. So, after an exhaustive internet search I came up with a few patterns that explained a short row heel. It was ultimately the Interweave Press Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks pattern by Ann Budd that broke throught my wall. I messed up the first one, and will probably mess up the second one, but I'm proud to say I have a short row heel on my Ocean sock and am decreasing for the toe after a weekend of classroom knitting. Thanks Christine! I wish I had pictures because I really do like the colors in the yarn. Someday soon.

Hope you all had a good weekend!
Happy stitching to you all!
tb