the knitting update

What have I been up to lately? Well, let's have a look:

On Pi day, which you may know as March 14th (3.14), I cast on a Pi Shawl. It's from Elizabeth Zimmerman's book called the Knitter's Almanac and this is the pattern (if you can call it that) for June or July. One of those hot months when you really want a massive circular shawl. This could also be a big circular table doily, but alpaca's a little too ... alpaca for that. 

Anyway, when this shawl is worn, you wouldn't know it's a big circle. It gets folded and wrapped in such a way that you're warm as heck and no one is the wiser. It's a very interesting knit and it really does use pi in its construction, so it's a great name for it. And who doesn't like pi? I'm now on the last stretch of about 50 rounds, and I've just gone up to my 60-inch circular needle. There are a (Canadian) TONNE of stitches on that needle!

Also in the knitting realm, I have begun a little baby cocoon for my future nephew. It'll be stripey. I'm not going to spoil it, so no picture yet. My sister-in-law likes to request specific things, so she knows it's coming. Having said this much, there's no spoilage.

I went to quilt camp. It was great. I made a ... neveryoumind. You'll see that in the quilt update - it's coming later. So anyway, I made some stuff. During the making, my machine was skipping stitches and behaving badly. My Mum's friend Robin was so very kind and, after providing me with a different needle, trying my machine with her technique, and eliminating all the variables, she finished off the last bit of stitching for me on her machine. There's a lot to be said for a high-end quilting machine vs. a very basic domestic non-quilting sewing machine.

So anyway, I was so happy that I promised her a hat. She doesn't knit, but I do. There's a colourway that I named after her - Fishing for Robins - so I'm making her an alpaca hat in that colourway, and I'm using the Swirl Hat pattern that I like so much. It's a really basic k2, yo, k4, k2tog, but the way the stitches line up and twist around is very pleasing. I've done a bunch of baby hats with that pattern, but this is my first adult-sized one.

Remember I said I'd have a pattern to release? I haven't decided if I really will yet. I'm not sure the slant on the YOs and the way the decreases work is really the best way to do things, and I'm sort of waiting to see if my daughter can't live without the tank top version this summer. If she loves it that much, I'll publish it, but if not, I'll probably let it slide into the ether.

That's all the knitting news. I really ought to design something new. Maybe a series of accessories. I'll get right on that.

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