Upsetting the Proverbial Apple Cart

Eileen made an executive decision to work ribbing instead of the brioche section in her Exploration Station. I suggested working a twisted rib to give it more texture. When you knit the twisted rib, you knit into the balk loop of your stitch. Little did we know that I would completely upset her apple cart ~ metaphorically speaking.

Before getting started she asked me to count her stitches. She had counted three times with three different results. It is truly one of life’s simple pleasures to have the right stitch count (which she did).

Eileen and I learned that her regular way of knitting was to knit through the back loop. When she purled, she purled taking the stitch underhand. By working her rows this way, she was basically correcting her stitches each row so they would appear normal. A Twisted ribbing will not work if she knits her way. Leave it to me to break a forty year habit. I had to reteach her how to knit. And here she thought skipping the brioche would be easier. I sure threw a wrench in her plans. To her credit, she took it in stride and was a very good sport.

Elizabeth took me in the way back machine to a yarn trip we made years ago to a shop in Shelburne, Vermont. She and Michelle bought the Mountaintop Vail yarn (Fingering: 70% Alpaca, 30% Bamboo, 236 yards) to knit the Flair scarf.

Mary wore her (recently finished) Runway Cabled Headband. People, you must understand the significance of this. This is the second accessory Mary has worn that was knit with Merino wool Mary, who can not wear wool against her skin. Are the star aligned? Full moon? In the ten years I have know her, she has never been able to wear merino comfortably.