Semi-Historical Post #1

Originally titled "Backstory."
 October 8, 2011

The problem with neglecting one's blog is that after a while updating begins to Loom. After a while, I sit here staring at a blank screen, overwhelmed by how much I haven't written.  A backlog of seemingly mammoth proportions accumulates. Then there's the whole guilt factor.  Of late, blogging has felt frivolous, an activity in which I do not deserve to indulge,  When did that happen?   After a while, one forgets that one began subjects which one never finished, like Stitches Midwest.

From last year.

Oops.

Last year's class from Sarah Peasley was all about Lord Kitchener.  We did a section of stockinette rows to stockinette rows as a little warm-up and then went into what I can only call Extreme Grafting.  Over there on the right side of the left-hand swatch?  Not only is that grafting stitches to rows, what looks like a fold is actually a grafted hem.  Along the top of the left hand swatch? That's grafting a picot hem.

I expect it's obvious from the right hand swatch that my attempt to graft 1x1 rib was less than successful.   I can, however, attest to the fact that it is possible.  I saw the swatches Sarah Peasley had, other members of the class managed it, and I have the instructions, should I ever feel an overwhelming need to do so.

The highlight of last year was, of course, the brain-washing indoctrination of another sane woman into the the whole knitting thing. It also, however, started a trend that has become the standard here at Chez Woolgathering. 

Buy patterns, not yarn.

Not that I didn't buy yarn, it's just that I bought patterns to use up the yarn I have on hand, too.  I know my stash may not rival  that of a lot of Serious Knitters, but there's enough of it that I feel compelled to hide it when non-knitters come to the house. That attests to a pretty impressive stash, especially considering the speed with which I knit.  My Stitches yarn acquisitions last year, then, didn't involve much in the way of Yarn Pr0n.  Note the "much" because of course I have some to offer. I just bought few, and of small(ish) quantities,

in support of

 -Ta da! - patterns.

We are not going to go in to how many of these patterns I have actually knit.  I begin to think I have only found a new way to stash. 

I wonder if 3-inch binders ever go on sale oat Office Depot?