Camera died.

My camera is toast. It has served me well but it's time to let it go and move on. It now gives me about 2 seconds to take a photo and the lens likes to go in and out about 3 times (OK that's amusing), the batteries are lasting about 3 pics and then I can't get them downloaded to my computer. I think it's done, done, done. Five years old and it's had enough. I think it had a good camera life. All those photos of knitting projects over the years will live on.

Got one last picture. This is my variation on the basic pattern. I'm at the knit, rip, knit, rip, knit and rip again stage. Somewhat frustrating but it will come together soon. It's interesting that if you work a pattern in one direction (neckband, cast on and double decrease to create points) and then try to match it going in the other direction (bottom edging, increasing and cast off) it is way more difficult than it looks. AARRGH. I'm trying to work out the best increase which will make the points while working garter stitch. I think I am going to use YO, K1, YO on the right side and Ktbl, P1, Ktbl on the wrong side. This seems to be working the best so far. Did you know you can use this increase on your raglan too? Working into the back of the YO will close the hole. You can also wrap the YO one way before the K1 and the other way (from the back, over the needle and under to the back again - I forget the short form for this yarn around - I'll look it up). Then you work into the front of one and the back of the other. Easier if you are knitting on the wrong side than purling on the wrong side. We all know that purling through the back loop is a total drag. But if it gives you the results you're looking for it's worth it.

I'm giving myself a break now. This part of designing takes me quite a long time and it's easy to get bogged down. Time to read for a bit and try again tomorrow.

Does anyone have a good camera they love? Mine is an Olympus but I'm ready to try something else. I need a large monitor so I can see if the photo is blurry, something I couldn't do with my present one. And, I know it's a small thing, but I would love my new camera to click when it takes the picture. A hold-over from pre-digital days but I do love the sound.

- Deb