What’s on our needles

It may be summertime, however, the knit goes on.

At Stitch and Chat on Tuesday during the morning group…

Eleanor is knitting a Roo Sweater Design. If you’re not familiar, Roo Designs are wonderful kid sweater patterns with motifs on the front. Eleanor’s grandson wants a Tractor sweater and the Roo Tractor Sweater is not in his size. Together we combined two Roo Patterns and worked out the math so that the tractor will be centered on the right size sweater (for him). Neither of us can wait till she gets to the front to knit the tractor!

She is using stash yarn to knit Plymouth Hot Cakes Vertical Lines Prayer Shawl (the pattern is free on Plymouth’s website). The yarn the pattern calls for, Hot Cakes, is self-striping.

Mary and I have been organizing her stash. She’s found some treasures that she would like to revisit and a few unknown projects. Once we’ve finishing cataloguing her stash, we can decide what stays and what gets voted off the island. One of the patterns she would like to revisit is the Bowties Scarf by Helene Rush.

She found an ad for a crocheted bag from Neiman Marcus for $280. We both agreed that we could make our own for a fraction of the cost. I am hot on the trail!

Cornelia is nearly done with her daughter’s afghan.

She’s knitting steadily on her cabled vest knit with Malabrigo Worsted.

© Michelle Hunter

During the afternoon group I met with Jackie and Esther. Jackie was ready to cast on for her Building in Color Afghan by Michelle Hunter. The afghan is knit in vertical strips. The first strip (center blue serpentine) is Intarsia (the same technique as Eleanor’s tractor sweater).

Don’t mind my starry-eyed look, it’s not easy taking a screenshot.

I teach a Building in Color class monthly for Westport Yarns via Zoom. In this picture, Mary had started the fourth strip where she learned to knit in the stitch below and Marjolijn cast on for the first strip.

© Crazy Sock Lady Designs

Esther cast on for the Sweetheart Socks by the Crazy Sock Lady (I like her already). There were several stitches that she was unfamiliar with.

© Casapinka

Next we looked at the K1b (knit one below) in Casapinka’s Breathe and Hope Shawl.

In the evening, I met with Christine. She just finished knitting my Marrakesh Express Scarf in Artyarns Merino Cloud and Beaded Silk & Sequins. IT IS STUNNING!

© Brooklyn Tweed

We worked on sorting out the instructions for the Radmere Sweater by Michele Wang she is knitting for her son. This is one helluva sweater! I told her that he had better wear it every.single.time he sees her (or he and I are going to have a talk). She has knit the sleeves. Now she’s onto the back and since she is knitting the smallest size, not all the cables are included. Can you say ‘good light and coffee’?

Earlier in the week, I met with Meg for Breakfast Club. While we were together, she finished the knitting her Polar Chullo Hat by Mary Ann Stephens. Knitting on #1 needles is not an experience she wants to repeat, however the hat is awesome!

And finally, I taught the first class of the Rift Sweater by Jacqueline Cieslak. The class is hosted by The Observatory Shop. This is a terrific sweater, an awesome pattern, and sure to be a repeated class.

I think I’ve given you a lot of “knit for thought”.

Stitch and Chat™ meets every Tuesday at three times and is open to every skill level from beginner to intermediate. For more information on how to join, email me. For a current list of classes on offer, click here.

You don’t know what you don’t know.