Trading Places

Okay so just home from my Monday night knitting group that meets in a Starbucks
in Sudbury. We are a rather large group, meaning we basically take over most
of Starbucks, and it's great fun as we are all in multiple directions with our knitting. I find we all inspire one another and it's not uncommon to go in a
week or two later and found someone knitting precisely what another person just successfully finished previously. i.e. I wore my calorimetry one week to group,
I think last year, and went back following week to find at least 4 members had
made one too. What a great group photo.

Anyway, Starbuck's has these new awesome must have cabled knit ceramic mugs. I
bought one tonight for one of our many group knitting yankee swaps coming up, but....I am rather in love with it....so thinking I might have to just go back
and pick up another one.



Also they had these lovely wreaths, yarn themed (balls wrapped in yarn)
too displayed around store.



They don't appear to be for sale...but it sure does make you feel welcome as a
knitter to have your favorite coffee shop decorated with lovely yarnish things.



Knitting Tip of the Day:
I learned yet another cool new knitting trick on my current project. I love
to knit on double points, but this would work too on circular needles.
When casting on and you go to join in one continuous round, it's always
difficult to get a secure joining. I have tried several tricks, and my
favorite up until now, was to cast on one extra stitch more than pattern
calls for. I always knit first row according to directions, and when I
get to final (extra stitch), I slipped that stitch purlwise then knit
first stitch of new second row and slipped the extra stitch over this
first stitch.

The new way is called "Trading Places."
1. cast on number of stitches called for in pattern.
2. then use tip of right needle to move the first stitch on left needle
to the right needle
3. then use tip of left needle to lift current second stitch on right
needle up and over the first and put it back on left needle. This will
now become the first stitch you knit.
It pulls work all up together nice and snug. I gave both ends a further
tug just to help close the join. I think I prefer this way to above,
but both work like a charm.
I found this latest great tip in the Knit Socks! book by
Betsy Lee McCarthy.

Blog of the Day is Crafty Pod and can be found blogging here:
http://www.craftypod.com/

Evidently it's also a podcast, so I will have to go to I-Tunes and check
this one out. There is something on this blog for everyone.

I especially like these salt dough cookies.



What's on the Needles for me:
actually a tv nonconcentration project....lace scarf, 100% very soft alpaca
lace pattern actually very simple, 4 row repeat so easy to remember. and it's
almost done and ready to photo plus use....as it's COLD outside!
Am I ever glad I knitted all those really warm hats!

I also have a strange (nonwearable) item going, slow progress though as I am
writing my very own sock pattern...of course it's fair isle.
Staying with just 3 colors....slow going as I have been having gauge issues.
Even though it was meant to be a sock, it initially would have fit around my
head, so have been doing a whole lot of tinking and swatching and now
I think I may have it.. at least it looks like a sock.

Besides these projects...ah hem...is there a rule about how many
projects you can have going at once....and please don't run over to
Ravelry and poke into my WIP list there...anyway, am also doing fingerless gloves...fair isle of course.
and remember it's gotten far too cold here!. They are all wool. One is
finished. see photo.



The pattern is from Classic Elite Yarns the Inca Alpaca Fair Isle Mitts.
Pattern can be found here:
http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/WebLetter/32/Issue32.php
and yes it's a freebie, and for me was rather fun. I hope there isn't such a
thing has second mitt syndrome...I am pretty sure that is just limited to socks.