TKGA Basic Course Plans for 2009

Good Morning Friends and Fellow Knitters:

My daughter and I are interested in going through the Basic Course for TKGA (The Knitter's Guild of America). I am committed to continuing on through the Master’s Courses. This is our game plan:

If you are not a member of TKGA sign up as soon as possible. It's a simple process and not terribly expensive. For the price of a magazine subscription you get the TKGA quarterly magazine and membership.

Then, in January, request the Basic Knitters Course from TKGA, there is a charge for this program and the fees are available on the TKGA website.

Beginning the first week in February we will begin the course with any other members of our guild who also sign up. At that time we will agree upon a specified pace to get through the course and arrange to meet regularly. For those of you on Ravelry I would plan to open up a Ravelry group for those who would like to get into a Skype chat room and go through this program with us. This would be in addition to any guild group meetings we might establish for this course…sort of a virtual class room.

After the Basic Course has been completed I plan to move onto the first section of the Master's course. I have been knitting for over 49 years, nearly half a century, and there is so much that I do not know. I am opting to go through the Basic Course for three good reasons:

1. The Basic Course (if I understand correctly) is structured the same way as the Master's Program. This will give us a heads-up, clear understanding of exactly what will be expected of us. I am thinking that it is better to fumble a bit and "get our sea-legs", so to speak, in a course that we feel reasonably founded in already. Better to bumble a bit here than in the more advanced courses.

2. I want to be absolutely sure that I have all the skills that the Master's Program assumes that I have. That will save back-tracking and wasted time when into the more advanced program.

3. I would like to use this time to gather together a group of knitters who are serious about the Master's Program, (get us all on Skype with headsets and mic's, for the virtual participants) and for us to have the opportunity to get to know each other, form bonds and establish a group that knows what to expect from their fellow participants. I feel that this element will help us all to stay on track and stay the course...no wasted time, no procrastinating and no wasted money because we started with good intentions and did not finish. Additionally, I am sure that a natural leader or two will probably emerge, as in all normal group social behavior. It is better to establish the leaders and iron out any minor dramas in the Basic Course arena before we move on to the more difficult Master's Courses.

What do you think? Did I forget anything? Are you interested? I am totally committed to doing this. Please give me some feedback on this because I respect your knitting opinions.

Hugs & Prayers
Lee Mitchell
Serene Knitter on Ravelry
www.sereneknitter.blogspot.com

Charity Sweater

As a member of the Woolgather's Guild, Plymouth Mighigan we are asked to knit items for charity. We were directed to a pattern on-line (http://margarethubertoriginals.com/CHILDBLUE.html) and I knit up the first child's sweater. It is done on large needles with worsted weight yarn and knits up really fast! It took just a tiny bit more than one 6oz skein for a size 6. The sweater is knit from cuff to cuff in simple garter and stockingette stitches. Not that I ever just knit is simple garter and stockingette. I made the first sweater in bright yellow, left-over in my stash. I added a texture stitch (see left) and got a sweater I liked.

The second sweater, size 4, took a little less than one full skein, also bright yellow. I added ribbed cuffs and a basket weave pattern. I was really having fun with this pattern.
Thats 2 charity sweaters completed in a tad over 2 days.

Flush with success, I decided to re-knit Miss Belle's birthday sweater using this pattern (the original sweater was way too small). I added ribbed cuffs, a cable up the center of each sleeve, knit simple stockingette for the back panel but for the front panel I divided it into 6 rectangles of stockingette stitch with reverse stockingette in between and sewed butterfly buttons randomly on the panels. The buttons color coordinate with the Donegal bits in the yarn. She loves it! Score one for Nana!

Miss Belle's sweater took a bit more yarn, 2 full skeins, because I used smaller needles and made it a larger size, as well as making the sleeves longer than the pattern called for (and could have made them about 1 1/2 inches longer still!)

This a great pattern. It allows a lot of room to play with texture stitches and colors. I have seen it knit up so that the 2 garter stitch panels just to the outside of the stockingette panel were done in a different color and looked like suspenders. I recommend making the sleeves at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches longer than the pattern calls for. I tried a couple of different ways to cast on the additional stitches for the body and found that a knit cast on gives the neatest appearance, most consistant tension and best of all, no ends to weave in!!!

Have fun!

Hugs & Prayers

Serene Knitter

Just a little Holiday Fun!

I love to work a small project that is on and off the needles very quickly and then on to the next. This little decoration is lots of fun to work when working on a large project seems to just go on forever.

These small socks make adorable holiday decorations, a tiny Christmas stocking, if you will. These two were made of Moda Dea sock yarn. It is heavy sock yarn, just a tad thinner than sport weight.

What can these little goodies be used for? Stick a striped candy cane in it and hang it up as an ornament. Stuff it full of Christmas candy and tie it to a gift with a pretty ribbon. Make it just the right size for a small gift, add a little sparkling tissue paper and it becomes a unique way to give a gift.

I knit the larger of the two on larger needles because I wanted a stocking that would hold the long thin box that might contain a bracelet or a wrist watch.



Mini Christmas Stocking

Cast on 24 sts. I use 5 DPN's but circ's work just fine, go with your fave.
Join without twisting.
Work K1, P1Ribbing for 5 rounds.
Work Stockingette st, for 3 inches.
Place 12 sts on one needle to knit 3/4 inch heel flap. Since this sock will not be worn you can use any pattern you want to play with for the heel flap...plain stockingette, slip one/knit one heel st, alternating slip st honey comb....etc....this is the perfect place to play with new stitch ideas.
Turn short row heel:
K8, wrap next st, turn.
Sl1 wrapped st, P5, wrap next st, turn.
Sl1 wrapped st, K6, wrap next st, turn.
Sl1 wrapped st, P7, wrap next st, turn.
Sl1 wrapped st, K8, wrap next st, turn.
Sl1 wrapped st, P9, wrap next st, turn.
Sl1 wrapped st, K10, wrap next st, turn.
Sl1 wrapped st, P11, wrap next st, turn.
Knit across.
If using DPN's divide the 12 sts onto 2 needles.
Continuing around pick up stitches along side of heel flap, K12 sts, pick up the same number of stitiches on this side of the heel flap as on the first side, K6, this is the center back of stocking.
*K6, K2Tog, K around to 8sts before center back, SSK, K6.
*Knit even around.
Repeat 2 * rows until stitches number 24 once again.
Knit even until foot from heel measures 2 1/2 inches, begin toe decreases.
Starting at Center Back:
K4, K2Tog, SSK, K8, K2Tog, SSK, K4.
Knit even around.
K3, K2Tog, SSK, K6, K2Tog, SSK, K3.
Knit even around.
K2, K2Tog, SSK, K4, K2Tog, SSK, K2.
K1, K2Tog, SSK, K2, K2Tog, SSK, K1.
Kitchener st the remaining sts, weave in ends.


I did not give gauge. Use larger needles and heavier yarn for larger stockings...use smaller needles and use lighter weight yarn for tinier stockings. Play with this, one stocking can usually be completed in about an hour and a half. This is the perfect vehicle for trying new color combos, stitches, new yarns or unfamiliar needle sizes.

Have fun with this.
Hugs & Prayers
Serene Knitter

My hat phase....

I am going through a hat phase. For no reasonable reason that I can identify, I have had a blast knitting hats.
The first hat is knit in KnitPicks 100% Merino superwash, DK weight, in a deep red color, the beads are deep red with a gold inner barrel so they flash red or gold depending on how the light hits them. This hat is a down-sized variation of the Odessa hat designed by Grumperina. Just google Grumerina and the pattern is available on her blog. It is a beautiful pattern and super, super easy to make. So much so that I made a bunch of them.
My lovely granddaughter Miss Belle (age 6) agreed to model all my hats for me. She is just too adorable to resist so enjoy the show.

The next hat is another Odessa worked in white worsted weight with beads of various colors strung randomly on the yarn. Miss Belle really likes this one.

The third Odessa is done is lavender worsted weight with dark purple beads and is Miss Belle's personal favorite. Her favorite color is purple so this is no surprise.

The last Odessa is worked in peach colored Knitpicks 100% Merino Superwash, DK weight (does anyone see a trend developing here?). The peach color beads match the yarn so well it is hard to see them in a photo, but they sparkle nicely in the sunlight.

The lace hat knit in lavender worsted weight yarn is called Foliage and the pattern is a free download from Knitty.com. This is another lace pattern that looks like it might be challenging but is so very easy to make. Miss Belle likes the hat, but would love it if I added beads, she does like Bling!!!

Last, but not least, is a super simple hat knit from sock yarn, 75% wool superwash and 25% nylon. I just knit a few rows of ribbing, a lot of stockingette, decreased a bit at the top and pulled it all in, super simple, nothing fancy, the self-striping yarn did all the work. The hat was way too large for Miss Belle, so we just turned up the ribbing and adjusted it back a bit. She still looked adorable in it, once we found her face!

Hugs & Prayers

Serene Knitter

Ever Have a Knitting "Phase"?

Ever start to knit something and have so much fun, or enjoy it so much you just keep knitting more and more of them?

I get like that sometimes. In fact, I have recently gone through 2 really strong phases.

Recently, I kept hearing about the BSJ - Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman. The every popular baby sweater caught my interest and I wanted to try one out. So, I ordered the instructional DVD of Meg Swanson demonstration her mothers pattern. It contains the pattern right in the DvD case. Oh, and as an aside, Meg Swanson does a fabulous job demonstrating the construction of the sweater. Her presentation is relaxed, pleasant, precise and very easy to follow. I learned a lot from this video and I highly recommend it.

So, I made a BSJ. It was a lot of fun and I had no trouble with it at all. It is knit with KnitPicks 100% Merino superwash, DK weight in Cinnamon and Nutmeg. The buttons are natural wood and really suit this little sweater.

I had so much fun make this BSJ that I ordered more yarn and made another one!

This one is of KnitPick 100% Merino superwash, DK weight. The colors are Jade and White (go MSU!!) And the adorable little buttons are shiney red apples.

As you can see, I am somewhat fond of adding a collar to the sweater. I was really quite pleased with the way this turned out.

By the way, when I make a project and it is ready for the buttons, I take my daughter shopping with me. She has a marvelous eye for matching or combining colors. I don't leave home without her.

So, this went so well I just had do try another. But I was too impatient to wait for the LYS to open or for a KnitPicks order to arrive so I bought some yarn from the "big box store". It was a very soft acrylic in bulky weight with a bit of halo to it. Very soft to handle, but if you had to tink back even just a few stitches the fibers that made up the halo caught and tangled.

In addition, I opted to experiment with the pattern and made it in stockingette stitch. This creates a few problems (not insurmountable just bothersome), the number of stitches for the button band has to be adjusted so the front of the sweater does not pull up to much and the back sag a bit. I would not do it again, but I had to try it once.

I knit this with a bulky weight yarn, added a collar, the ribbed cuffs and a lot of buttons down the front. I like the way the colors pooled. The yarn was varigated white, yellow, pink, blue and turquoise. The button band did pull up a bit in the front, despite my efforts to adjust for it, but the little girl who got it really likes it and does not care in the least that it is not perfect by my standards. This knitted up in a size 6.

I also made a fourth BSJ, but it did not fit the recipient so it is being frogged and remade because my granddaughter loves the yarn and wants the sweater made from it. Perhaps I will upload the photo when it is finished.

I am sure there are more BSJ's in my future...right after I finish my Christmas knitting. I can usually knit one up in a weekend if I stick with it and it is a satisfying project.

Does anyone else find this a fun knit?

Hugs & Prayers

Serene Knitter

Free Vintage Pattern Link

While searching for a boys sweater pattern on the web I stumbled across the following site. www.redcross.org/museum/exhibits/knits.asp This site has about a dozen vintage patterns 1941-1942. Most do not have photos, a few do.

If you love the old patterns like I do (I have been knitting for almost 50 years) then you will be fascinated by this site. All the patterns are down-loadable free!

Have Fun!
Hugs & Prayers
Serene Knitter (also on Ravelry)

The Holidays Are Looming Closer Every Day!!!

I know, I know! It is July 15th and I am talking about holiday knitting. Time is flowing along at a steady speed and it is time to kick it into gear, my friends. No more putting it off, it is time to cast on for all our holiday projects.

My holiday projects list is as follows:

1. the Gryfindor House sweater from Charmed Knits for my nephew for Christmas (a must complete).

2. a log cabin squares afghan for the charity raffle for the pre-school at Real-Life Farms Christmas Pagent.

3. a pair of Boot Socks for my Dad (Size 15).

4. a pair Red, White and Blue socks for my Mom (size 7).

5. a pair of Ballerina Slippers socks in white and Pink for Annika for Channukah (from Knitted Sock Sensations)

6. a pair of Ballerina Slippers socks in white and Lavender for Eliana for Channukah (from Knitted Sock Sensations)

I will make a up a few hats and fingerless gloves as I am able once the Gift Projects are completed.

This is my list. What is yours? Leave a comment with your list of holiday projects. Please also leave your blog address or your email address if you want me to email you back to keep you encouraged and on track.

Lets Cheer each other on!

Whats on your list?

Hugs & Prayers
Serene Knitter