My latest project is a Lingering Doubts Shawl, designed by Gabi Bolland. 

I'm using Pediboo sock yarn from Frog Tree. The pattern is a 6 row repeat with a row of purl after each lace row. I used some of my brain cells to memorize the pattern, but now it's firmly etched in my brain . . . and I realize I have 47 more repeats to do.  (Can you hear my heavy sigh?)

I also have a pile of Jo Sharp yarn that I thought would make a great cowl using the linen stitch. Do you see where I'm going with this? I am on the verge of creating a UFO. The infamous 'unfinished object'. 

Maybe I'll get an audio book at the library today. I'll listen to Harlan Coben or Janet Evanovich tell me a story while I knit away on my shawl . . . and I won't start the cowl. . . I'll let you know if it works. 

Any advice? What do you do when you get tired of a project?

From the Library's Shelves

I've gradually been working on my bucket list. I still need to see the Grand Canyon, be able to make Boston baked beans from scratch, keep a plant  in the house for more than one year without killing it and finish the Knitting Guild of America's Master Hand Knitting program.

But then one day at the library I noticed Knitter's Life List by Gwen W. Steege. I quickly checked it out. Suddenly my bucket list was 320 pages long! The book has everything from a who's who in the knitting universe to descriptions of every fiber you could ever knit with. Add to that, technique instructions, tons of tips and yes, a check-off list for anything that could possibly be on your knitting bucket list.

Don't worry, I returned the book right away. This was one I had to have in my own library. Go ahead, go to the library and check it out. Let me know if you also return it right away and buy your own copy.

left click here to place a hold on the book. 

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Books, yarn and friends.
Three of my favorite things.

Speaking of friends, I'm always looking to make new ones. I would love to meet you at our next Monday night group. It's a great group with a variety of knitting skills. Come and learn with us, or just come and knit with us!
Can't make it? Let's still be friends. I am PlymouthKaren on Ravelry. Find me and send me a friend request. I'd love to see what you are knitting. Be sure to also join the Duxbury Free Library group on Ravelry.

Oh wait. There's also shoes.
Books, yarn, friends and shoes.

Until the next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Monday night was our first of hopefully many more gatherings. Our knitters represented a variety of skills and projects including prayer shawls, cowls, baby items, afghans and socks. A couple of knitters learned how to seam using the ladder method, and everyone was subjected to my lecture on gauge. For those of you that missed it . . . 

If you are going to spend your hard earned money on that beautiful hand painted yarn, you are going to want the sweater to fit! So take the time before hand and test your gauge.     

Create a 4" square. Thread waste yarn around the middle section of your square, count the stitches and then measure. Divide the width by the number of stitches and voila - you have your gauge. Don't cheat - make a decent size swatch! Yes, Martha is right - launder your swatch according to the yarn label, or however you will care for your project. If I had laundered the swatch of a recent project I would have a beautiful, kid-silk turquoise cardigan (It would have looked really cute with a cami and jeans!). I didn't, so now it's in someone else's closet.   :(

A little blurry . . . but there are 20 stitches and it measures 4".
So my gauge is 5 stitches per inch.

If you have too many stitches, make another swatch with a bigger needle size. If you don't have enough stitches, go down a needle size. Here's a tip . . . for whatever needle size you use, work that number of stitches in purls in one row. Then if you have multiple swatches you'll be able to tell which needles you used. Always work your swatch in the pattern stitch that your project will be in.

There. End of lecture. Until the next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber!