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Saturday, July 23, 2011

Provisional Cast On

I just taught myself to crochet by accident.

For a sweater (French Cuff Sweater as pictured on the left... in off-white) that I'm making for myself, I needed to do a provisional cast on.  A provisional cast on allows you to start your project (like a normal cast on) but keeps the stitches "alive" so you can come back and knit the other way.  You use waste yarn for the cast on and remove it when you want to go the other way.  And, apparently, you use crochet to do it.

Check out this video to learn how to do it yourself! (This is how I learned)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3J-sUx_whE

Maybe I'll play around a bit with this crochet thing... some people seem to like it...

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Nicky Epstein at Pacific Fabrics in Bellevue!

Nicky Epstein, knitting designer and writer, visited Seattle this weekend to throw out the first pitch at the Mariner's Stitch 'n' Pitch game on Friday and teach a couple of classes at Pacific Fabrics in Bellevue and Northgate.  I signed up early for the Bellevue class, and it turns out that was smart, because the class was completely full.

I was first introduced to Nicky's books a few months ago when Knitty Gritty in Richland was going out of business.  They were having a massive sale and I drove out there with a fellow Whitman knitting club member to see what was still there.  I'd just started designed different headbands (I have a sketchbook with ideas!) and came across this book that had lots of neat little designs that would be perfect on an ear-warmer.  That book was Knitting Over the Edge by Nicky Epstein.  It had lots of neat little color work designs and some interesting textures, but it also had a lot of stuff in it that I wasn't even certain how to use, let alone make and incorporate into my own knitting.  But, with a huge store closing discount and all those pretty colorwork ideas, I got it anyway.

I've been really happy with Knitting Over the Edge and so I started looking at her other books, especially her newest, Knitting Block by Block.  After flipping through it, I decided that it wasn't for me and I would just have to be satisfied with the one I already had.  Like the first, it had the same great pictures and a wide variety of things to knit, but I wasn't sure how I would use any of them.  All of the patterns were set up in squares and since I'm not knitting quilted afghans, I didn't know if I would actually use the book.  When I heard she was teaching a class in Bellevue, I signed up, because there are a bunch of applique flowers in Knitting Over the Edge and I didn't know how to do that technique.

The class was great.  We didn't do a whole lot of knitting, but did do a whole lot of looking and listening.  I not only learned how to do some pretty neat applique (I-cord then hand-sewn on), I also learned how to make tassels ("for if your day job doesn't work out" - Nicky) and she showed us how to use her edging techniques, which can be used as, you know, edging OR you can manipulated them to make flowers and other neat little things.  Even if I'd left with just that, I would have been pretty happy.

Since Nicky is going around promoting her new book, she spent a good deal of the class talking about the blocks and techniques from it.  At first I was a little wary because I wasn't all that interested in knitting squares.  I ended up leaving with a copy of Knitting Block by Block.  Nicky showed us how many things can be created just by using different size squares and how customize-able your projects were just by using a different variety of the squares she has in her book.  I know this sounds like it was a QVC commercial for that kitchen gadget that can do anything, but she brought some of her finished projects for people to see in person and try on and it really does work out, you just have to be conscious of the decisions you're making while you're planning.  So now I have plans to make a blue and chocolate brown capelet with coordinating fingerless gloves to wear to work in the winter with my brown skirt and off-white blouse that will look simply fabulous.

I now own not one, but three of Nicky's books and they're all signed. :-)  After that class I left with a little bit more technical knowledge, but a better understanding of how to really design your own things!

And I follow her on Twitter at @NickyKnits.  And I'm on her mailing list at NickyKnits.com.  It seems that Nicky has a new fan...