Cable Shrug Revisited

Well, here is where I left the cable shrug about a month ago, pondering over whether I should even bother continuing when the pattern required joining both sleeves right down the middle - which has all the potential of a natural disaster waiting to happen.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!

I found a video yesterday that visually explains 'Kitchener stitch' very very easily and suddenly this problem seems so trivial. I mean if they had just said it was just grafting I would have at least understood the concept and hurried away to look up 'how-to-graft'. But the posh title kind of threw me:)

Anyways, if you are looking for a video to explain 'kitchener Stitch' or common old grafting then do try this video by Knitwitch.

I still have a way to go before I even need to use this stitch but at least I know how to finish this one now!! Pics to follow once it's grown a bit more. Best get going then, I've a shrug to finish and apparently the few days of really nice sunshine we've been having is finishing this thursday so I'd better get a move on before the blustery weather arrives!

BTW - two posts in two days?! Look out tomorrow and I might just break all records and make it three in a row!

Rose Red

This lovely hat designed and made by Ysolda is Rose Red, my knitting project of the moment. I am including the original picture as mine is nowhere near finished yet but it gives you an idea of the complexity and balance of this pattern. If you want to look at it in more detail or try knitting it you can buy it here. I would highly recommend this as an elegant, considered design that looks complex and gives you a feeling of achievement - and a damn good looking hat when you've finished. (People think you have awesome knitting skills!)

Anyway, this has also shown me just how rusty my hand knitting skills are! Using the knitting machine enables me to see structure and form more easily but I'm having to remember abbreviations in hand knit that I took for granted before. It's like you still understand the structure and what it should look like but the sequence with the needles isn't flowing quite as smoothly as it once did. So, these hat patterns by Ysolda are gently breaking me back into hand knitting.

I'm checking everything - YO for instance. I thought I knew this one at least but since I mucked up SSK and had to look online for a video, I began to question myself and decided to check how much of my knowledge was a bit faulty. So I discoverd that YO is done differently if you follow with a Knit stitch or a purl. Thank you Knitwitch for your online videos! Now my hats are looking more like the pictures!

Progress so far.....

See? Now we have perfect crisp YO's and in the next section we will have lovely SSK's! They will be beautiful! I also went out and treated myself to some Debbie Bliss yarn to knit this in - A darker red Cashmerino DK. It is so soft to the touch and makes you value your knitting that little bit more. If this one works out then I will use this or Ysolda's verity pattern for the next pressie on my list. I also got some Alpaca silk - again debbie Bliss - in a green/blue shade. Aaahh.... such lovely colours and so soft! So keep a look out in the next week for that one too. Maybe Ysolda will have written another hat pattern by then?!

I am also beginning to use Ravelry more now, so you can also check any progress there too if you are already a Ravelry member - registered as tootiefruitie!

Until then, happy knitting!