Nothing to see here

This is the post that honestly reports that I have not been knitting much, or rather that what I have  knit since the last post isn't really much .... still best to report in. So today I've got a quick update about the project that is growing so slowly that it hardly shows ... and I realize that its only going to get slower and slower. I've also got another new toy, not mine but on loan, so I'll share. Finally there is a new edition of Entangled up... with an interview with the amazing Verb-for-keeping-warm people, Jacey Bogs, Granny squares in their new role as a vampire accessory, and  I've got an article in it on how to minimize waste when making things and it comes with a pattern! Not knitting but sewing, a very easy and I think rather elegant bathrobe. The pattern is cut in a very traditional way, no need to buy a paper pattern, just fold the fabric up as instructed and chalk your measurements out on the fabric then cut. The design comes from an era where fabric was precious and so the design makes advantage of the entire width and length of fabric.

First up is Deciduous, a lace knit shawl, knit from the centre out. There are numerous ways to knit shawls, from the top down, from the lower edge up, from a mid-point out, and from one tip across to the other tip. I'm not experience at all of those methods, and for all I know there may be more. Deciduous is knit from the top down, starting with a wee set of 2 stitches and increasing and increasing and increasing until the shawl is complete, So every second row has increases cleverly concealed into the lace pattern, and thus every second row gets longer and longer. The pattern repeats over four rows, and the stitch count increases by 8 stitches on the first row, and 4 stitches on the third row. Twelve extra stitches every repeat, Above is what Deciduous looked like last week, and here is what deciduous looks like now, to me there isn't much change at all. But I have gone from 12 repeats to 17 repeats. Last week I could knit many repeats a night, now knitting a repeat or two  seems a good accomplishment. I know that soon, completing a repeat will be more than I can manage in an evening. That is going to make for very boring blogging - as this green sort of scribbly thing gets incrementally larger in a way that is hard to notice.

I know there will be a new project this week, as the local Knitters Study Group is meeting, and we are working on Sanquhar mitts. I simply can't ignore the opportunity to knit colourwork, and historical colour work  at that.

Then there is this, a bright  new Aura wheel. I've been asked to learn how to work this wheel so I can be the go-to demonstrator at Unwind. How could I say not to that request? Bear is a tad worried that after this I'll want to buy one (he called the one who requested I learn an enabler). So far I've only spun a little on the Aura, and yes it is different to other wheels but I think not so different that it can't be mastered. And yes there are a huge range of adjustments that one can make ... I think I will see how I go and then write a review.

Back next week, with a new project, reports on the ease with which I'm adapting to the Aura and slow but steady progress on my Deciduous shawl.
na Stella