Knitting Sleeves as Swatches.

It's hard for me to say this, but I'm losing my faith in swatches. Yes - that's crazy talk coming from me! especially because my favorite thing to knit is sweaters and I really (really!) like them to fit. I need to know my stitch and row gauges so my finished piece turns out to be the size I  expect.

Case in point. Meridian. That cute cardigan from the latest Shibui collection that I'm knitting in black. I faithfully knit my swatch - not a huge one, but still a decent 5" square. I wet blocked it, let it dry flat and then hung it for a day to let the row gauge settle before I measured. It seemed spot on. But I wanted to double check. So I started with a sleeve. I finished it and soaked it...and realized it was way too small (smaller even than the schematic for the next size down). So small Marc wondered if I was knitting a sweater for Charlie (it's the sleeve in the upper right).

I went up a needle size (which put me at the US8 the pattern suggested - a little surprising since I feel like my knitting has loosened up a bit since last year's elbow injury) and started my second sleeve. A few rows in, I measured and the width seemed good, but the length was too long. I did some quick calculations and subtracted about 7 rows from the pattern to get everything to work out ok. I finished it and soaked it. The width was fine, but it was short (upper left). yeah, ugh. Turns out my blocked row gauge was smaller than my working gauge.

At this point I decided to take a break from swatching knitting sleeves. I bought yarn and cast on for a new project...without swatching!

This morning, I knit that sleeve again. This time, exactly as written. The piece is still drying, but I'm hopeful (bottom center). I do have the pattern memorized now, so the 4th sleeve should go quickly... and I can only hope that it - and the two fronts and the back! - are on gauge!

Two of my students in yesterday's class were ready to start Meridian. One had swatched on a size 7, and just like me, her gauge looked spot on. Nonetheless, I suggested they both start with a sleeve as a swatch. on an 8. following the pattern as written. Promise I'll report back on the results...for all three of us!

I'm sure you've anticipated my question - how do you swatch for a sweater?

A Tale from the Yellow Table.

...y'all know how much I love the yellow table at Cast-on Cottage. Hands down it's the best place to knit with friends. It's also where we have class - and a whole lot of fun - on Wednesday afternoons. Yesterday morning, one of my students texted that she had roofers at her house and would miss class. I texted back that we'd miss her, and she'd miss all the stories. She replied that I should take good notes. My quick answer back "what happens at the yellow table stays at the the yellow table." ha!

I guess she knew what was in store. The girls had a big surprise for me! and a delightful kickoff to this year's birthday week (we all have birthday weeks, right?)

This is the table just after class. Plenty of project bags, WIPs and potential projects is typical, along with the Starbucks cups. But that empty bottle of Prosecco, half-empty bag of parmesan crisps, still-nearly-full tray of White Chocolate Popcorn and half-eaten carrot cake ... not so much! We had a very fun time; and thankfully no knitting crises that kept me from fully enjoying all of it.

Denise even brought me a personal gallon-sized bag of the popcorn (I might've had a little bowl for breakfast...isn't that what birthdays are for?) It's a favorite treat for the care packages she sends her kids every quarter or so. She always makes extra for class. Needless to say, we love care packages! She shared the recipe a few years back and I'm sure she wouldn't mind me sharing it with y'all:

Denise's White Chocolate Popcorn

1 large bag (regular size not single serve) microwave popcorn, popped (remove the unpopped kernels)

2-3 C Honey Nut Chex or Rice Chex cereal or a mixture of both

A handful or two of broken up pretzels

12-oz pkg white chocolate chips

2 T vegetable oil

12-oz pkg M & Ms

A handful of raisins

1.  In large bowl mix popcorn, Chex cereals and pretzels

2.  In microwave bowl, mix oil and chocolate chips.  On 50% power melt chocolate chips stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.

3.  Pour chocolate over popcorn mix and stir to coat.

4.  Add in M & Ms and craisins, stir again to fully coat.

5.  Pour out on wax paper for chocolate to cool and set. Within about 30 minutes it should be set enough to break up into smaller pieces.  Done!

...and that pile of gray yarn, mid-table? happy birthday to me (again!) ... and a tale for another day!

on procrastinating.

...I don't think of myself as a procrastinator. in the five plus years I've had this blog, I've never written "procrastinate" or "procrastination" and I've only used "procrastinating" once. I am a "plan it, then do it" kind of person.

the "good" sample, the "not-so-good" sample and my notes....

so when I found myself procrastinating about finishing the preparations for my upcoming double knitting workshop (it's this saturday and it's full with seven students signed up), I took notice. I've bumped the due dates for the various tasks (finishing a "good" sample, finalizing my notes and the class handouts, getting copies made, maybe making a "better" sample to entice signups for an advanced workshop later this summer) at least once, and on wednesday I started to panic. I called katie to say I couldn't spend the afternoon with her on friday; could she meet me up here for a quick lunch? ...and still, I didn't start those tasks. I started and finished the second hunger games book (spoiler alert!). I finished a sweater (and had my sister take photos). I took a few pilates classes. I worked on project life (still two weeks behind, but I'm making progress).  I finished the stockinette portion of bandit. I updated the shop's pinterest (yay! we now have knitting, crochet and needlepoint pins!) and twitter...and still I didn't start those tasks. 

until this afternoon. I cast on and got that good sample knitted in about an hour. I took notes as I went and have a complete picture in my head for what the class handout needs to be.

I'm now confident I can get the handout completed over my coffee in the morning. I'll get copies made in the afternoon (after my abbreviated lunch with katie :-) and I'll be ready for saturday afternoon. I like that my helpful hints are really fresh in my mind. and this makes me think maybe these were tasks that needed to happen last minute. but I'm not sure what I think about that.

what do you procrastinate about? (and is it a good thing or a bad thing?)

talking in class.

creature comforts, barely begun

...I love many things about teaching knitting. sharing inspiration, seeing that light go off on a new technique, finished projects, "firsts" of any kind. and the conversation. there is something about a group of knitters sitting around a table, even when they're concentrating on their work (and hopefully learning something new), there's non-stop chatter. about knitting of course (patterns, yarn, who's doing what, what we love - and hate, new crushes), but also about cooking and books and movies and tv and life.

I noticed that folks were pulling out notepads to jot down things to check out later. that's a bit distracting when you're trying to concentrate. so I started taking notes, and then I'd compile the notes from all four of my classes into an email and send it out weekly. I got great feedback ... but the students really deserve the credit - they're the ones who come up with all the material!

and I thought it might be fun to share the notes here - we'll see how it works!

knitting projects

• creature comforts and vodka gimlet are the top two projects this month - if I count correctly (and remember counting is not one of my strengths!), ten of us (plus me - I'm knitting both) are working on one of these two projects. the photo above is my creature comforts, started today, and about 2/3 through the first cable repeat.
• I'm hoping someone will want to knit a beret sometime soon. the selbu modern is a favorite of mine and I'd love to knit along. it's colorwork. the suggested yarn is canopy fingering (remember that from the westknits knitalong?)
• the next saturday shawl class is silver and gold (aka crocus and sunflower - you can knit one or the other or both). and the one after that will be stephen west's new pattern gyllis - it's lace! (and not a triangle!!)
• rosamund's cardigan - this is a kind of oldie (interweave fall 2009) but definitely a goodie. it's in my mental queue (I have stash yarn to knit it) and think it would be a fun project. seamless to boot!
• a few folks asked about my holiday knitting plans and the sweater that I'm going to knit for katie. it's heidi kirrmaier's vitamin D. she chose a warm spicy orange/red colorway of my favorite nuna yarn. this is a re-knit I'm excited about!

books

• first up, the new kindles! thanks for all your input - I think the wireless touch is going on my birthday list!
• we've read time is a river, unbroken and saving ceecee honeycutt - enjoyed and recommend.

and last but not least, cooking

• we're hoping to get becca's mom's lemon fruitcake recipe (with all the right instructions :-)
• here's the recipe for the delicious granola that sandy makes (from the barefoot contessa)
• and here's the recipe for my white sangria (thanks to thea!)

white sangria

inspired by thea colman's recipe

makes about 3 quarts

1.5 liters inexpensive pinot grigio (in other words, use one that comes in the big bottle)
1 cup cointreau
1 cup vodka (citron is great if you have it)
12 oz frozen fruit - I like a mixture of peaches, melon and berries, but really, I think anything would do
2 liters sprite zero (or diet or 7UP)

combine the alcohol and the frozen fruit in a pitcher and let sit overnight. when ready to serve, pour the mixture over lots of ice in a punchbowl and then add soda to taste (I find about 1-1.5 liters is all it takes).