Hoodie Tuck Stitch Edge

My blogging is going to be somewhat erratic over the summer. I'm hoping to spend lots of time at my cottage where I don't have internet service. I'm wondering if I could figure out how to write my blog on my phone. Wouldn't that would be something!

I've finished the first testknit of one of the hoodies for the 4-14 book for kids. The edging is a Tuck stitch or sometimes called a Ruche (but there are two kinds of ruche techniques so that name is confusing).

 We used two colours which makes picking up from several rows below much easier. You know those little blips you get on the wrong side when you change colours? We're going to use them.

 Nice edge I think.

The shaping of the hoodie is done using short rows and is fun to work.
One hood done. Needs some more work on the details. But more on that later. I need to do a bit more on the body to see how this hood sits on the shoulders. Onward.
-Deb

windward

My Windward scarf is done, well almost. I do have all those pesky ends to sew in since I decided to add random stripes with a left over odd ball of sock yarn with the Alpaca Fine (by Berroco) I used for the main colour.

The reason this scarf has fascinated me is because the direction of knitting changes. It's nerdy knitting at it's best.

The big open arrows are the direction of knitting. It begins at the left end in a more or less usual way. Starting with section D the direction of knitting changes. Cast On for E at the bottom and work across D & E, Cast On for G and then work D, E, F & G at the same time. Finally cast on a bit for H and work back and forth across D, E, F, G & H. You can see the squiggly arrow I put in to show what a row looks like - an S shape. I love that. Cast Off across the top, leaving the stitches of H open and work I & J in a more usual way. Fascinating.

Unfortunately, when worn, no one will know that this is a very cleverly designed scarf. Oh well. I'll know.

-Deb

Reading too much Blogging advice

I think it is possible to read too much of certain subjects. Fiction, too much? Never. Self-help, yeah, too much can convince you you'll never be what you should be. But I think business books must be the worst. There is sooo much information on how to make it all work. It's overwhelming. And what does overwhelm usually lead to? Chocolate, cookies, wine and not writing the blog.

Blog advice I have read recently:

1. Be useful. So what is useful? Does that mean only technical advice on techniques? Help with getting difficult parts of your knitting figured out? Sometimes a good laugh is really useful. Or feeling like you are not alone in not finishing the 13 projects you have started. Or that you are not the only one struggling to sew on those damn buttons an hour before you want to wear your sweater even though it sat there without buttons for 6 months.

2.  Show videos. But it's also not advisable to send people to other sites because they may not come back. Hello, hello, anybody there? So do your own videos because videos are so easy to dash off in 1 or 2, 3, 4 or more likely 5 hours, to professional standards, of course. And that's after getting a manicure and elocution lessons, learning to handle your camera and keeping your hands in the assigned area that the camera can record (that's the really, really hard part because who can talk without using your hands even when they have knitting needles in them).

3.  Speak in your own voice. Obviously mine is a little cranky today but hey, we all have cranky days. But I should put my big girl pants on and say something nice about all the information I have gained reading how to have a great blog. Not.

So I'm adding new advice. Note to self: Just write your blog. Mine will be part diary of my knitting, part advice and technical help, part whatever else is on my mind, usually about knitting. I'm burning all these blog advice books. No, no, burning books is wrong! I'm taking them to the free bin at the library where they can cause someone else grief many hours of reading pleasure.

After taking a month off, I'M BACK.
Deb