Knitting Guild November

Last night was the November knitting guild meeting, I should have brought my camera. During show and tell two knitters told the story of the sweater that ate Manhattan. Priscilla, I think this sweater was larger than your poncho would have been if the design had not been changed 1/2 through. It was massive, it could fit four people. How did this occur? Did they swatch? Yes they swatched and noticed that their swatches grew after steam blocking. So they adjusted and cast on fewer stitches (close to 1/2). The jacket just ate up all the yarn, they bought more yarn. There is $200 of yarn in this giant unwearable coat.

The guest speaker was Denise Powell who spoke about the history of fulled knitting (commonly called felted) and the process she goes through when designing with this technique in mind. One of things that I learned from her is to use smaller needles then what I have taught. The common thing is to use much larger needles then you would normally for the pattern. She uses needles only slightly larger, the fabric maintains straight sides if it is an unconstrained side, and the fabric retains drape. If you are making a purse or something stiff you may want something stiff but for a hat or gloves then something with drape is useful. She also told us the story of when she knit a beaver ..... the animal, and since it was for a book needed to make it for Jamieson Smith yarn. The yarn after two trips through the washer had not felted but had grown in size. It took a total of 6 times through to get it too felt. The yarn is spun tight, and didn't want to felt however once it started to go it went. Just to keep in mind if a wool doesn't felt and you know it should (not superwash, not bleached) it will succumb if given enough time.

I still have one more month for the one ball challenge and I got a great idea last night at the meeting. Stay tuned while I figure it out exactly.


Stashed with: guild