Wednesday Stitch and Chat

Lois hadn't knit in a while so I helped her find her place on her Holy Cowl.  The yarn is Road to China (Aran: 65% Alpaca, 15% Silk, 10% Camel, 10% Cashmere, 69 yards). 

 Michelle found this pattern, Seaside Stripes Blanket. 

Not surprisingly, she wants to modify it to be smaller (it's what we do).  She knit enough rows for me to get a rough idea of her row gauge.  Then I set about doing the math to make the pattern work for 30" x 36" baby blanket.

6 rows = 1"
36" - 3" (border) = 33"
33" x 6 = 198 rows


From there we worked the stripe pattern to fit with the rows she had left. It took a little jiggery-pokery with the math, but we got there.

Since I'm writing this post a few days after Stitch and Chat, I can share her progress. As you can see, she added a contrast color.

The Westport Yarns Stash Amnesty program has been a great motivator. Michelle sorted through her yarns and found more than a few with ample yardage to knit a vest or shell.  We sorted through the yardage and weights to come up with a plan.

Mary started a block for her Outer Block Blanket.  She was concerned that the size of the block was too big.  It was actually right on gauge.  It's just a super bulky yarn/blanket.

 

Mary knit a couple of rows past the armhole of the left front of her Kersti Baby Cardigan; knit with Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe (DK: 100% Merino, 114 yards). We ripped back the couple of rows.

While looking for stash to donate to Westport Yarns, Mary found three projects that have been hibernating in long-term parking for years.  One is the Sasha Linen Skirt.  This has many layers of different lace patterns with sport weight linen yarn on small needles.  It went back into long-term parking again. The second is Summer Flies.

The third project was going to be a sweater coat.  Mary has lost so much weight that to continue to make this coat as is would be ridiculous.  However, we had the brilliant idea that she could knit a rectangular poncho and thus keep knitting till the length measured 56" or she ran out of yarn.  The yarn is Ironstone Island Cotton (Super Bulky: 69% Cotton, 31% Rayon, 150 yards).

Most of Elizabeth's yarn is in storage while her house is being rebuilt (Hurricane Sandy) and hopes we will do the Stash Amnesty again next year.  I'm pretty sure we will.