My New Best Friends - Bookwise

Since I have become my dad's primary caregiver, time is at a premium these days and I am still struggling to figure out how to complete the Master Level 1 handknitting program. Time is at a premium and my knitting is the mindless kind these days, the kind I can pick up and put down and not think too deeply about. Having said that, I have been indulging in some knitting retail therapy - book wise. 

Charles Gandy recommended Nancie M. Wiseman's The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques.  I have been knitting a child's cardigan and I was at the point of fitting the sleeves into the armholes.  This gave me the opportunity to practice the joining technique.  Was it a great job?  Not really.  In the Master's Handknit we submit swatches which are to be a reflection of "our best work".  It is easy to get fixated on that one small part of the program.  I think the real value of the Master's hand knit program is the ability to research, practice and expand one's knowledge.  This sweater is also helping me practice weaving in yarn ends.  As a side benefit I learned that the duplicate stitch method is a great way to 'fix' or reinforce sloppy, loose gauge on the sides.  Sloppy side gauge is a separate issue that I need to work on. 

I also picked up The Knitter's Handbook. Small, portable and spiral bound.

I am finding there is a lot of different information out there regarding knitting.  Knitting is a very slippery business with different definitions for many of the techniques.  I am knitting a simple cowl that has mobious in it's title.  It is not technically a mobious.  It is just circular knitting with the cast one row having a twist in it. This does create a twisted fabric, but a true mobious it is not.

I am surprised how my knitting is secretly improving.  I used to look at Vogue knitting magazine and think "Yea right, I will never be able to knit that stuff".  Now it doesn't seem so out of reach.

Just Shoot Me Now - A Masters Hand Knit Post

You would think that answering a series of questions regarding your knitting of the swatches would be pretty easy.  Basically Question #4  asks you to look at a couple of swatches and tell them whether you like the bumpy or the smooth side better in the cast-on and what you might want to do about those differences in a personal project.  Pffttt.....except the cast-on edge of the two swatches I'm looking at aren't looking different because I didn't do them as instructed!   As I said, just shoot me now - I get to do this swatch over (again) because I don't think they are going to buy into "let's pretend I really did it right".  I'm pretty sure they are going to want to see it done correctly.

And the question about bumpy and smooth, well heck the more I dug into the nature of this cast-on the more complex the answer.  Two hours later I know a whole lot more about this particular cast on and what options I have for manipulating bumpy and smooth cast-on edges.  Amazing what you can learn.

Now if I could just get the magic knitting fairy to show up and leave a whole new swatch under my pillow tonight that would be wonderful - hey, it could happen.