Sock it 2 me

That is the name Sue came up with for the sock class I'll be teaching in a couple of weeks for those who have graduated Laura's basic sock class and are interested in trying some different techniques. Laura herself will also be teaching a special sock class with a fancy leg stitch for those who'd like to move beyond the basics.

and so...for the last week or two I've been busy experimenting with different heels and toes. Those of you who followed along with my husband's birthday sock saga may be reading this with a not-so-small amount of incredulity. But yes, I have in fact developed a sort of love affair with knitted socks...even to the point where I find working on toothpicks kind of comforting...

There are just SO MANY OPTIONS...about a gazillion ways to cast on, pattern the leg, turn the heel, form the toe. And the yarn choices are frankly STAGGERING. I admit that I have been stashing hoards of the stuff: self-striping skeins of sock yarn, each beautiful in its own way!

And here is my favorite so far:





This uses the Channel Island Cast-On (from the British Isles) which makes an interesting and perfectly pretty edge for single rib. And here I use a Dutch heel which makes a rounder heel than the more common French method.

And this is the Star Toe:


It makes a very nice round, seamless toe with a pretty star-like design that is impossible to see in this picture...

So stop by the shop and sign up for one of the new sock classes!! And if you've never tried a sock before, then hurry and get into Laura's basic sock class (they fill up fast!!) you won't believe how addicting knitted socks can be!

Yours in self-striping sock yarn,
Claire

Gloves with Sock Yarn

Self-striping sock yarn is one of the coolest products on the yarn market today. And if you've made a sock lately, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't tried it out yet, stop by Cultured Purl and take a look at the BEAUTIFUL self patterning and striping yarns Shirani has in stock. This Tuesday, I'll be teaching a class on how to make gloves with sock yarn. We'll learn how to work with double pointed needles, and how to make fingers and thumbs in the round. These gloves are very funky and really quite simple. There's still room in the class, so stop by and sign up!!

Yours in knitting,

Claire

Cultured Purl News

When I stopped by the shop Saturday, I got a chance to take a peek at the draft of the next newsletter. It's absolutely packed with lots of new classes as well as the return of some old favorites. Shirani's got a new series of beginner classes lined up, as well as children's lessons by appointment. Laura's adding a new sock class as well as an adorable zippered baby sweater which Leo modeled for us a month or two ago. You'll find a couple of new bag classes, and I'll be teaching my floral intarsia felted bag class again. And if you haven't made those comfy cosy felted clogs yet, you're in luck as Sue will once again be offering this popular class.

If your looking for a new challenge, please consider signing up for the fair isle hat class in January. If you're a beginning knitter and have mastered knits and purls and are ready to move beyond scarves and felted bags, I'd love to have you join me for the monthly afghan block class. We'll begin with simple blocks comprised of knit/purl combinations and basic increases and decreases. And then together we'll move onto more intermediate skills such as cables, bobbles, and beginner lace. I think the ladies who took last year's class felt an amazing sense of accomplishment. By the end you'll be knitting at an intermediate level and you'll have created a beautiful heirloom afghan!!

Look for the newsletter to arrive in the mail in a couple of weeks, or stop by Cultured Purl at the end of the month and pick one up.

Yours in knitting,
Claire

Knitting calms the nerves

Knitting is different things to different people. For me, it's all about the process. The soothing repetition of forming stitch after stitch using beautifully polished wooden needles and strands of luscious wool, smooth silk, soft alpaca, or luxurious cashmere. The end result - a garment for a loved one, or an heirloom throw - is more a perk than the overall goal. I suppose that's the difference between a process knitter and a product knitter. And whether you're one or the other, or those really lucky ones among us who find they are both, is really beside the point as long as you're doing the knitting!!

I always keep a couple of projects going at all times (alright, my knitting friends would call that an understatement,) to match my mood, my available time, and the level of chaos going on around me. Note that I am speaking here of any time other than the pre-Christmas deluge of gift knitting that I NEVER leave myself enough time for. This was really a good year for that though and I had the pleasure of watching several of my hand knits being unwrapped and I have to say every second of the work is worth it!

Sometimes I need a keep-my-hands-busy-on-a-mindless-quickie-big-needle project to pass the time while I do car pool duty, or I'm watching a really good show on TV or a riveting soccer game.

Other times I grab a little project like a sock that I can pull out of my tote bag when I have a free few minutes. There's something therapeutic about working on fine needles and tiny, perfectly formed stitches.

When I need to emotionally recharge my batteries, I'm often drawn to a sweater project for someone I love. Knitting a nice soft woolly garment for someone special gives me a chance to quietly reflect on my affection and working with the yarn warms me.

And then there are the times when the vagaries of life overwhelm me and I need the distraction of a REALLY REALLY complicated lace project to focus me away from the stresses of my day and the chaos around me.



Here is such a project: the beginnings of the Lace Sampler Shawl. 237 stitches per row of Silky Wool, done in various lace patterns ranging from simple (can do with the TV on) to complex (needing absolute quiet and time allowed for the inevitable ripping back.)

You'll notice the life line (making it easier to rip back) and my extensive reliance on stitch markers - I don't, after all, knit in a vacuum...


Working on this lace project (it is the prototype for the Lace Sampler Shawl class I'm teaching in the spring) focuses my energies on the Process while at the same time centering my spirit and calming my nerves. I know it sounds contradictory - complicated knitting being calming - but if you work on a stitch pattern within your abilities, and just about everyone can manage any pattern if it's broken into small chunks (hence the stitch markers), you'll find that focusing on the repetition of the stitches will bring about a sort of therapeutic peace.

If you don't believe me, grab a skein of cotton, cast on a multiple of 4 stitches and work a swatch of *K2 tog, yo, k2; repeat from * (Herringbone Faggot Lace). You'll learn a really easy lace, get a sense of that calm I'm talking about, and end up with a very pretty dishcloth!!!!


And don't worry, for those of you considering signing up for this class, I would never present you with a rip-your-hair-out project that would overwhelm you. The shawl will start out with a very basic lace and together we'll move on to gradually more intermediate techniques. You'll be AMAZED at what you accomplish!!!

Yours in knitting,
Claire