The Saturday WrapUp! McMaster University, knitting woes & more

Hello everyone!

This week has been a busy one for me. I attended an orientation day at the University, getting ready to attend this fall. All very exciting! :) My first class will be Introduction to Anthropology, food, sex and death What a title! If nothing, it certainly will be interesting.

I'm only taking one class as I want to make sure I can handle it with my various health issues. I'd rather have energy left over than finding myself overwhelmed and having to drop a class. I have to go back again this week, once to meet with a counsellor for adaptive services and back next Saturday for a full day of training on 'effective note-taking', etc... I've been out of school way too long to remember how to do any of it, so might as well take advantage of the free classes being offered.

The photo shows one of the many halls and buildings that grace the campus. I especially love this one because of the archway, the gargoyles, the vines and the beautiful stonework. I love walking through the coach way now converted into a walkway. It's a cool, echoing walk into history every time I take that route.

Ogre Babies knit hat

 

This week I was pointed to a free pattern for a super cute Shrek hat called Ogre Babies found on Ravelry. I immediately downloaded the pattern with the intent of knitting this hat. While stash diving, I found some pretty green yarn, Loops & Threads Impeccable worsted in the grass colourway. It is a lovely soft yarn for baby things that wears well with use. 

Ogre Baby modelled by sleeping Gambit

The pattern calls for using US 3 - 3.25 mm and US 1 - 2.25 mm. I knit fairly tight so moved up to a US 4 - 3.50 mm for the body of the hat. Knitting the body of the hat was a breeze. Everything went very well until it came time to add the ear stalks. That is when the s*it hit the proverbial fan. I quickly realized that using a US 1 needle would not work. So I moved up to my US 3 bamboo sock needles with the carbonized tips and figured I'd be fine. Knitting the stalk section went well, but when it came to the bulbous part, where I had to increase in between each stitch, the knitting became much tighter and that's when my favourite needles snapped! One snapped mid stitch and the other snapped as I was transferring stitches to a set of plastic needles! I could have cried.

As for knitting the bulbous part at the end of the stalk, I moved up to a US 4, same size I used for the body. Do not attempt to M1 between each stitch but instead knit on a stitch between each stitch. It's fiddly, but can be done with patience. I really love the finished hat and look forward to giving it to a wee little lad that will open his eyes to a brand new world in October :)

Craftsy - freebie !!!

Carol Feller

This lovely site with tons of patterns, classes, tips and ideas is now offering a taste of a full length class with this free 45 minute class on short rows. Well worth it! I've signed up for it and I love the easy calm way the instructor, Carol Feller, goes through the various methods of making short rows and what their uses are. I would highly recommend this class to anyone who's thought that short row knitting and shaping is too difficult and leaves holes in your knitting. Her methods show you exactly how to hide your wraps and turns and best of all it's easy!

There is more I've done this week, but I've run out of time. I'll cover more next week! Hope you are staying out of the heat and enjoying your knitting and crocheting in air conditioned comfort. Until next time!

TTFN!