Blog posts of '2011' 'March'

I just received an email containing information about Stitches Midwest - 2011.  Remember, we are planning a bus trip to Stitches Midwest from Ludington on FRIDAY, August 26, 2011 returning SATURDAY, August 27, 2011.
Here is a synopsis of the information received so far.

1. Download Stitches Midwest 2011 Brochure
2. Online information and Registration about Stitches (Be aware that certain classes fill up quickly, so if you are interested in taking a class, register soon.
   
3. Conference Center and Hotel information
   (The Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL)

If you have any questions about the trip, please contact Carole at 231-845-9868 OR read details HERE.

I used Sublime Baby Silk and Bamboo DK for this simple little summer shrug.  I used the LK-150 Knitting Machine to knit a rectangular piece of lace fabric.  Then, the 4 1/2 seams were sewn under each arm and VOILE! the shrug was done in no time at all.

I had a lot of fun making a little dress for baby Hannah to wear this spring.  I used SMILEY STRIPES for the skirt of the dress and Merino Kind for the hot pink and green ruffle, straps and pinafore top.


Hannah is just one-year old and I think she will look adorable in this little dress.


I adjusted the pattern and added a little, floucy ruffle at the bottom.  I bound off using the Picot bind-off method (it took a long time).

We had our second "Support Group" meeting on Saturday morning, March 12th.  We critiqued each other's swatches and discussed techniques for improvement and sources and references we had found. 

Everyone agreed that we are all learning a great deal as we CAREFULLY examine our swatches.  Some of us found that our purl stitches are too loose.  Some found that the second knit stitch in a k2, p2 rib is looser than the first knit stitch.  Some of us had a few "holes" in our seed stitch swatches.  We discussed the pros and cons of different methods for increasing in the last row of ribbing.

We all were using the same yarn (Cascade 220) and either size 7 or 8 needles, but both the size of the swatches and the tension were different for each knitter.

Even though this time spent together might not seem interesting to a non-knitter, we all had a very enjoyable morning!

Here are a couple of files for your review.  Remember, these are just examples.  Please customize for your own use.

• Swatch Information Sheet
  
• Swatch Labels