Carry up and Carry over

Michelle was in yesterday and she brought all her lace yarns. Our next project together is going to be (yes, you guessed it) lace. We agreed to knit Abrazo by Susanna IC. We found projects for all but one of her lace yarns.

She decided to work afterthought sleeves onto her Gypsy shell tank too. You ever wonder why you have so many stitch markers of varying styles? Well, this is one of those times when many different markers in many different colors comes in handy.

She adopted a Yoga Warrior pose while she worked the short row reverse cap on her sleeve. It was, after all, serious business.

This year Michelle asked her nieces what they would like for their handknit holiday gift. They each came in with different requests. On the left is Berroco Boboli which she’ll knit in a cowl with a feather and fan pattern. In the center is Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Chunky which she’ll knit in their free online pattern chunky scarf. The one on the right we haven’t decided what the pattern will be, we got the color and weight of the yarn and that’s good enough for now.

Today at Cosi I met with Robyn, Lois, Diane and Elizabeth.

Diane had some show and tell and a couple of questions. She knit a horseshoe lace pattern with Rowan Lima and wasn’t happy with her blocking results. We talked about soaking it and really pinning it out as much as the yarn will give to show off the lace pattern.

She has 2 skeins of each of these yarns and found a pattern for feather and fan from Archiknist where you alternate two rows of one yarn and then two rows of another. She’ll either do that or go up a few needles sizes and hold them together.

I’m really excited with how her tunic sweater (design #5) from Queensland Collection #13 is coming out. The yarn is Berroco Redux.

Robin brought her stash of baby (blue) yarns and some patterns. She has a baby gift to make. Elizabeth and I chose the hat, Robin picked the yarn. She cast on and finished the garter rib this morning. This baby may get some booties too.

The sock she is knitting for her husband is looking fantastic. She is enjoying them enough that she’s considering making some for her grandkids, although she’d like to learn one of the two at a time methods. Robin has become acquainted with second sock syndrome.

Elizabeth remembered when Robin swore she’d never knit socks.

Hmmm, swearing off certain knitting projects can be considered a statement made in the passion of a knitting crisis and are like temporary insanity.

For example, Lois is swearing off lace after she’s done with the sweater she’s knitting. With the exception of a Lace Hoodie sample sweater she saw at Westport Yarns.

Elizabeth is knitting a really cool pair of mittens, Forest Mushroom by Elinor Brown. I love the horizontal braided stitch. When Robin learned that not only does Elizabeth carry the different colors up, she works them in Fair Isle carrying them across the row, well, she kind of just shook her head.

It put me in mind of one of my favorite MASH skits with Alan Alda: