Two new things ....

oh, its lovely, starting two new things. Honestly I don't know which to pick up and knit, both are fun and exciting and different. One I really want to wear, and have and have knit, and I'm keen to see the shaping develope, the other, well I want to see how the shape develops and works. Today its all about new knitting, knitting new things, both new shapes to the world, and old shapes that are new to me. And work? Well its there, mad as ever, I'm currently in the throws of writing assessment rubrics for 3 new courses, all involving shared teaching. The deadline looms, and I feel like I have just spent days developing criteria descriptors that range from an E (yes we write descriptors for fails) to A's. They go along the lines of this, for example workbook practice, E = Student fails to demonstrate relevant research and engagement with the design process, to an A = Enthusiastic and comprehensive engagement with the whole design process resulting in a resolved and imaginative design(s). Ok that is not really the final descriptors, but you get the idea .... forgive me if I start to describe my work in those terms ...


But first Skew, have you caught up with the latest Knitty.com surprise? This sock is one of the very few patterns that made me want to cast on-right-now. Really it did, I ended up sorting yarn from the sock draw that very day. I was just fascinated by the idea of shaping a sock that was skewed - as in the spiral of knitting was not at a right angle to the foot. Discussion at spin night raised a suggestion that like Jaywalker the bias construction might result in a sock with no give, no stretch to accommodate pulling on and off. I'm trying it on as I go, and so far so good. I've started the shaping for the ankle, and hope to work the heel tonight. This is fun, fast to knit, and fun.

Lagging only slightly behind is my green sweater, the one I swatched and swatched. Now its begun, and its good. I'm over the hem, working in the round .... so its just round and round for a few inches. Enough time and space for me to decide if I will knit it as the original with deep set sleeves, or the modified version with slimmer sleeves. Right now, I'm leaning towards the original, why mess with a good design? And then I think ...but surely one has to have a nod towards contemporary fashion. I'll let you know which way I head on that one.

I'm also in the final throws of the 'unbloggable-project', its been test knit and I've still got to amend the pattern with the final suggestions from my wonderful test knitter when they arrive (thank you again - you know who you are), I hope one more set of tidy up changes and it will be good to go. Where is it going? I'm submitting it, so I can't say - yet. But if successful - you will all be amongst the first to know. Its been a month of submissions, I also submitted to 2 conferences ... about knitting .... fingers crossed for acceptance and funding.

That is my knit world for now, more latter.
na Stella