Seams easy: Seaming videos

If you have been following my knitting exploits, you are well aware of my anxiety towards the idea of seaming my projects. My library is FULL of top-down and seamless projects. I do love the many patterns that are not written this way...but if I like the project enough, I will refigure the stitch-counts to make the pattern seamless. It's a sickness, I know. More often than not however, this backfires and I wind up giving up on the project and move onto another (seamless) project.

Anyhow...I have decided that I have to learn how to seam projects properly. I talked to one of my FLYS owners yesterday and she mentioned that you seam from the front. Huh, really???? That is probably why mine look really really bad. So I went onto Youtube this morning and found TONS of knitters seaming! OMG SO EASY!!!!

This is where I am compiling them. As of this date (8/27/2010) I have included 4, including the shoulder seam.

OMG I think I feel another project calling me - seamed! I can't wait.

Max's sweater

I cast on for Max's sweater. I will be using a pattern by Mary Rich Goodwin called Circumnavigate. Instead of the different colors, I will use the fair isle pattern that I used for his hat. I may have to change it a little depending on how many stitches I will have for the body.

Stay tuned...

Some Twisted Charm

I frogged my Leaf T-Shirt. It was a top down design. Just simple raglan shaping with a lace pattern going down the center. I was not liking the way it was turning out...the top was curling and I think I was getting bored with it. It was a nice enough pattern and well written. I guess I could have added some shaping to it for more flair. But I've been "adding the pattern" more often than not lately and I just didn't feel like it this time around.

I am making another Leaf Yoke Top, like the one I made with the Malabrigo cotton. I shrunk the one with Mal Cotton accidentally and it broke my heart. I can't believe that I did that - I meant to take it out of the wash after it was clean and have it dry flat. It still fits, but not as well as it did, unshrunk... I am considering frogging the hemline and making it longer...Maybe I can just undo the hem altogether...hmmm that's a thought...

Anyway, I am using the Cotton Twist that I had originally purchased for the Athos Top from Norah Gaughan. I am still not crazy about this yarn...I like the sheen, the color is nice enough, the price was good, no knots. It's holding up to my numerous frogs. However, the yardage stinks, it splits terribly, and there are places where I've accidentally pulled the rayon so there are loops where there shouldn't be. Pulling on them on the wrong side is a bandaid, but I am going to hate wearing any jewelry with any top that I make with this yarn. The only reason I am knitting with it is because it is cotton and I don't want to waste it.

This is the third project for this yarn and I hope it is true what they say - Third Time is a Charm.

Woohoo Fair Isle Fabulous

I am really proud of myself. I finished my first ever Fair Isle project. It's a gift so I am hesitant to post a picture in case the intended recipient sees it. I will probably post it on Ravelry. In case you are prone to guessing (Claudia - teehee) it is the Fake Isle Hat from Ravelry that you mentioned a few months ago. It was SO EASY, although it was a challenge to get into the groove with the Philosopher's Wool trick that I learned a few months ago. This site is definitely something you should check out if you want to do a Fair Isle project. Knitting-With-Two-Hands sounds difficult, but I promise (and I don't make these kinds of promises online very often) that you will feel VERY proud of yourself too when you actually finish a project this way. You may even impress your significant other who may pooh-pooh your fiber and yarn addiction...

Anyway, back to the hat... There were a few rows that had twisted stitches because I was still getting used to the two-hand knitting trick, but this was easily adjusted by knitting into the back loop, instead of the front. I want to make another one for my daughter and niece but with a different motif. I played around last night with my handy dandy gridded paper and created a heart motif. I am trying my hardest to make things that I will not have to buy more yarn for, and hats are great for this. I did buy just 2 skeins of white and off-white Plymouth Encore for the contrast colors, and I am going to use these with the other colors of Encore that I have. Hats are definitely in order for gifts this year. I only wish that my husband wore hats. If you spent as much time on your hair as my husband spends on his, I guess you wouldn't either. Haha.