Knitting on the Road

Last weekend we had a 5 hour drive for Parent's Weekend. I (like many knitters/crocheters) spent far more time on what projects to bring than what clothing to bring. G-d forbid I run out of things to knit or run into technical difficulty on a project and don't have a back up project or a back up to the back up for that matter.

So, that being said I brought:
"Seeing Double Gauntlets" from the Knit One Below book by Elise Duvekot
Spiral Hat
Design project
Hibernating Sweater

I figured that would hold me for the weekend. I also brought yarn/needles to teach one of my daughter's friends who we were bringing along. He's wanted to learn how to knit for a while and this was a perfect opportunity.

Given that I badly sprained my ankle just as we were beginning our visit, I spent the first part of the weekend at the hospital. Thankfully I had my Spiral Hat project in my bag.

So the weekend knitting results were:

I worked up the pattern as it's written and didn't like the ruffle and how the thumb turned out. (picture on left)

Then I modified the pattern to a garter cuff, a full thumb, further into the hand and garter on the thumb and hand to match the wrist. I also changed the colors, I really didn't like the first combination. Both times I was using Koigu. (picture on left)






I finished another Spiral Hat, this hat is fast becoming a favorite of mine to knit. It's a great mindless knit. Seems to fit everyone well. AND, it passed the finicky teenage test. I'll be adding 2 more Spiral Hats to my holiday knitting now. If the colors of the hat and the second fingerless glove look similar, it's because they are the same. I split the yardage and had enough for 2 projects.
Here is a sweater I pulled out of the long term parking lot from last winter. It's the lace cardigan pattern from S. Charles Collezione, Fall/Winter 2008. I'm knitting it in Kamelsoft and Ritratto. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had left all the materials in the same bag, complete with what row I was on. Of course, when I went back to work on it, I selectively read the pattern and knit the wrong row and had to take it out. Ah well, at least it's back in the running.

Richie who was traveling with us was surprised at all the places I would take my knitting out. He'd look at me and say, "You're knitting (insert name of any random place here)?
My daughter, who hasn't knit in years and is more of a crocheter, took it upon herself to teach him how to knit. She remembered very well. I contributed the knitting nursery rhyme and a few tips and he was on his way. He knit the whole way home! Now he says he was born to knit!
My daughter was inspired by the moment and borrowed a hook to play with yarn too. Would you believe she said that "it was nice to have someone to knit/crochet with and wished he could come on other trips with us". I mean, come on, what am I? chopped liver? She said I didn't count because I work on complicated things. There you have it, a mother's quandry, I don't count!

It was a pleasure to look in the back and see them working away.