’m going to show you some lovely finished projects in a minute, but while I was thinking about finished projects, I started thinking about UN-finished projects. This is the time of year when the first really nice day may put a stop to the woolly mammoth of a sweater or afghan you’ve been working on. You want to be outside, you want something light to knit, you want a little travel project, you want…something different!!
We can help with all that – it’s what we love to do – and another thing we love to do is make sure that big woolly project can be finished correctly when fall rolls around. This is what we sometimes hear when the first cool weather comes in the fall: ”Can you figure out what row I was on?” ”I forget which size I was making.” and the ultimate: ”WHAT WAS I MAKING???!!”
So, to avoid providing us with a lot of fun at your expense, here are some tips for putting away a project temporarily.
1. Make notes! Pattern name, who it’s for, what size you’re making, what needles you’re using (including type if you change from bamboo to metal to whatever). Did you change the gauge? Are you making any adjustment (adding length, skipping waist decreases, making longer sleeves, etc.)? These decisions are often made before you even start the project and it’s important that if you stop in the middle, all this basic information is written down.
2. Where did you stop? Crucial to being able to pick up the project again, be sure you note what section, repeat, row, you completed.
3. If you use straight needles, take them out before you store your project. Otherwise you’ll end up with one distorted row that has spent months being stretched on your needles. If you use circulars, you can leave the project on the cord, just be sure all stitches are pushed off the tips. If you need the needle for something else – and luck being what it is, you will – thread your stitches onto a nice smooth yarn that is a little smaller than the needle size you’re using but not so small that it will be torture to find the stitches later. Important: Leave markers in place!
4. Be ready. When the nice weather comes, you won’t want to search out a secure place to keep your project, and it may end up behind the sofa for the rest of the summer (yes, this is a storage place for at least one of my favorite customers). Find a zipper bag now (we also have them at the shop) and be ready to store project, yarn, pattern, and notes all in one secure place, safe from dust, dog and/or cat hair, and pests of any kind.
In the fall, you’ll be ready to go and the project will be finished in time to wear all season!
Now to those wonderful finished objects by our talented customers:
Marci Frey took a break from her Boxy (read: tiny yarn, a million stitches) to make this pretty scarf using two delicate shades of laceweight mohair:
She couldn’t decide which pin looked the best, so she bought them both:
I think this beautiful lace cowl was made by Karen Walter but if I’m wrong I’ll apologize profusely next time. Karen’s hot pink cell phone was in the same picture, so when memory fails, use any clue possible:
Janis Edwards chose the colors of her Downton Hat to match the scarf she’s wearing. The vest and tee were pure serendipity:
Barbara Kopf took Donna’s Zephyr Cove class and did a beautiful job. I love her colors:
Virginia Griffith finished her L’Enveloppe at the perfect time of year to wear it. Ditto for Brenda Makuch’s Easy Folded Poncho. Spring is perfect for these easy cover-ups.
Theresa Hill drove all the way from Wilmington to take Karen’s Mia Francesca class and she was the first to finish, despite just finishing up with chemo and starting radiation. Theresa has the most positive, can-do attitude in the world – and she nailed this sweater.
Cozy collar and cables:
Perfect fit:
Sleeve detail:
I can’t wait to see the others when they’re finished.
Sheila Yarus made this pretty and unusual pullover in (I think) Fino. Open and closed cables, an asymmetrical hemline, a unique funnel neck. It looks just great, which you can barely tell from my horrible photo:
Lory Fleischer made this cute cardigan for her grandson. The chickens hide pockets – because all babies need pockets!
Faith Adams wore this asymmetrical top-down jacket with a cowl that she also made:
I’m always impressed by our customers, such a range of beautiful things showing so much skill, perseverance, and great taste! Next time, I’m going to brag a bit about we at the store have been doing. See you soon!
