Oh - P2tog, not K2tog!

There I was knitting along on my Wine and Roses Mitt number 2, all confident and happy and BAM - right there on the last real pattern row of the cuff chart, I notice that what I've happily been knitting as a K2tog is in fact a P2tog. Bother! And when I had the chart copied to put on my magnetic board - the copy center lady misunderstood me and enlarged it - so I've got no excuses. I guess women in their 40's should wear their hobby glasses for more than threading needles lol.



Today - I'm not going back, I actually worked the row as charted - just to see how different it was (not much - can you notice any differences?), and I'm well on my way towards the top of the thumb gusset. I've promised my self that the next knit is a lace shawl, and I'm working towards that, I've also promised my self that I will dig out the forgotten cabled yoke cardie and work out just where I am with it and knit on. But today, I'm blogging, and so there is the update on the mitts, and another hat, and I've got two stories to tell you about how not to respond to a knitted gift because in the past month or two I've had a couple of responses to knitting for others that just make me stop, and wonder what people think knitting is, and is it work the effort involved.


On long trips I take the i-pod all loaded up with Cast-On and Sticks'n'string. Bear takes The Naked Scientists and History according to Bob on his i-pod. Lets make no rash decisions about who the seriously intellectual one is in the car. Once at a party, we were all discussing podcasts, after discussions about titles such as Democracy Today - I did bravely admit my favorite podcast was Cast-on, they just didn't get it, and kept assuming it was knitting patterns I knit along to. I was told by more than one person in that room that their mother was able to remember her patterns and could watch tv while she knited! Back to the podcasts, we take turns to play these in the car. Ages ago Bear listened to Brenda discuss the Monmouth cap, and decided he wanted one. So when I was wondering what do do with the 2 and a bit skeins of Gotland I had plied so far, I thought I'd knit another hat. I started with a pattern from Spring 2008, Spin off, Anne Budds top down hat. Bear thought it was a tad pointy, so I ripped back and started again with a few more increases, a bit like a pi shawl start. Then as I neared the crown Bear suggested the hat was not to his taste - so I decided to make it a top down Monmouth cap,



That makes for a hat that is pretty much the same but with a 3" fold up facing to keep the ears warm instead of a neck flap. Once it was blocked - Bear said it was loose, and didn't fit, so I felted it a little more and now it fits perfect, all I need to do is find a suitable button to add to the top. Both Bear and Boy-cub resist i-cord finishes for hats, they say they remind them of something ... and you know they are right. Hats with a nipple are not a good look for a guy of any age.

And ungrateful hand knit and at times hand spun hand knit recipients? Well the Odessa I knit for my sister, she rang to say thanks but it makes me look like a Granny, and not a cool one so I'm letting you know I'm giving it away - just in case you see it on a student - yes she gave it to one of my students! And my favorite Bear - didn't endear any more knitting for a while from me with his, to pointy, I wouldn't wear that, and its to loose for me now comments. Coupled with the above comments about people who couldn't understand what a knitting podcast could contain, and these non-positive responses to knitted gifts - well I'm a bit down about how non-knitters see knitting and the time, effort and love that goes into knitted items.

So the next few knitted things are for me, just for me and no one else .....
and I've downloaded a free knitting symbol font for my mac (it works for PC's to) and been playing with that, now I can chart patterns with line by line written instructions .... seeing the pattern is so much clearer than reading the pattern.

Take care, keep knitting
na stella