I spent the first part of the week writing the blog I am doing for the TKGA website. It focuses on the design process and stuff I have to do as the Executive Director. Since I am going to Stitches East next week I will try and do a posting about that as well. Since I had finished the jacket, the blog describes the type of decisions you have to make while designing. If you are a member of TKGA you can find it at TKGA.com. Sign in and click on For Members.
I will not be posting for the next two weeks as I will be at Stitches and on vacation. Hopefully, I will have some fun stuff to report when I get back. I've not been to Stitches East before.
STUDENT NEWS
I've heard from knitters who signed up for courses several years ago but didn't complete the course. Again, my policy is that there is no time limit for completion as long as I am the instructor. Just send me an email or contact me through Ravelry or this blog and ask for the updated materials. I'll check my records and if you are a student I'll send the materials.
TIP OF THE WEEK
This week is German Short Rows. I got a comment on the video I posted this week and if I weren't such a Youtube idiot I would respond there but I am in a hurry to get out of town! The questions was if you can use a different short row technique when a pattern specifies another one. YES! Most patterns (except socks) don't usually specify which technique to use and if they do, it is Wrap and Turn. You can use whatever technique you want. The results of short rows are all the same.
My new favorite is the German Short Row technique. I am so glad I decided to do the short rows techniques for this blog or I probably would have never tried this. Knitters tend to have their "GO TO" techniques and Wrap and Turn was mine. I generally try to use a new technique in every project but I got lazy with short rows.
With the German technique you don't wrap and turn. I could describe this method for hours and it would be clear as mud. I strongly suggest you look at the video first before reading further. German Short Rows
This photograph shows the purlside in progress. The red arrow shows the stitch and yarnover. As I worked with this technique I learned that you should not pull the working yarn too tight or the short rows will be very visible. Try and use a consistent technique.
Here is a photograph of the knitside in progress.
What really appeals to me about this technique is that it is so easy to work the short rows. You just knit (or purl) the stitch and yarnover together. I like the way the WS appears as well.
Here is the RS. I think it looks pretty good.
The next posting will finish up with the Japanese short row technique.
KNITTING SALON
No salon this weekend or next. Salon will resume on the 19th. I am very excited that the Met HD season is starting again. Alas, I will miss Verdi's Macbeth on the 11th as I will be at Stitches. I'll be on vacation when they encore it and since this is a fly fishing trip I don't see me convincing my fellow travelers to try and find a theater to see it. Oh well. On the 18th they are doing my very favorite opera of all time...La Nozze di Figaro. The final sextet is the most sublime music ever written.
CURRENT PROJECTS
The jacket is done! I finished up the pattern, chart and schematics on Monday. It took all day. I wound up naming it the Maggie Prescott Jacket. I was inspired by a character in the old movie Funny Face. It looks to me like something she would wear.
My next project gave me fits. It is a fitted dress with zero ease. Julia will model it. It is knit top-down with raglan sleeves in the round (three of my least favorite things). The yarn is Rylie by Hikoo, a linen and alpaca blend. I did the neckband originally and hated it. I wanted a tubular cast on and it just didn't look like I wanted it to look so I decided to do a provisional cast on and pick up stitches for the band and do a tubular bind off. I liked that but I didn't like the placement of the increases for the raglan. After ripping it out 3 times, I finally on my way. I am keeping track of the progress for my other blog. I love the yarn. It is very forgiving. Here is a photo.
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