My new guilty pleasure happens to be The Knitty Gritty on the DIY network. Thanks to TiVo and late night nursing my son Jay, I get to sit, bleary-eyed and learn how to use doublepointed needles, make i-cord, and best of all catch a glimpse of real-life designers. I know Erika Knight and Candi Jensen through their patterns, but it’s great to see what they look like, watch them knit, and find out about their creative process and how they work.
Of course, it’s also good inspiration–just like I find inspiration in non-vegetarian recipes for food I’d like to make, I can get ideas for crochet projects from others’ knitted items.
I do knit from time to time, it’s a nice break for my wrists from crochet–and the change in tactile experience is good–I like the sound of the needles brushing together and they different way that the fabric grows. I’m sort of stuck on stockinette stitch–I just love the way it looks.
My daughter Selma wanted a pair of legwarmers, so I bought two skeins of Bernat Solo, and the legwarmers took less than one. Since I didn’t want the rest to sit around in my stash, I made a halter top to match. The top edging and straps are crocheted on. It’s my first try at a cable (also something I learned from the Knitty Gritty), and I like the result. I hope this all still fits her in the fall!
