Erica’s Blog

First things first:  I read a chart and successfully followed it and knit something!  Woot!  I know, doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is. This is the first time I’ve been able to sit down and figure out a chart.  In the past, they just scared me too much (too much like maps, you know).  Oh, Zib will be so proud of me! 

Anyhow, the reason I was using a chart was that for one of the projects for MEY (see yesterday’s Lame-O Yarnos post), I wanted to use Flame Ribbing.  In the Barbara Walker book I was using as reference, the instructions are not provided in words, just in a chart.  Ack!  OK, I realize now that it’s a really simple chart.  I’m terribly proud of myself for successfully following it to do a sample swatch (also known as a dish cloth).

My question is this:  How does one do a “central (centered) double increase”?  Don’t tell me to look it up online b/c I have, and I’ve seen a couple of different ones.  First, I tried the one that made the most sense to me:  m1, k1, m1.  That didn’t look right. It was definitely not what was used for the sample in the book.  Next, I tried kfbf, but that also was too obtrusive and clearly not the one used in the book. What do YOU knitting goddesses out there use?  Help, please!  I intended to go get the book from the library today to look it up (I’ve read that the 4th Barbara Walker book has great instructions, and since that’s the book where this came from, it would be a good source), but the library was closed.  I’m dying to get rolling on this project!  Help!

For pictures of the not-quite-right swatch, click on “Read More”.

MarkyMark popped into our class this morning (we’re back teaching the 4-K’s again) to give me an update from Bobcat.  Basically, it looks like Mrs. G is probably going to pass away this week.  She wasn’t ever really awake yesterday, and she’s still having the uncontrollable fevers, etc. 

Please keep Bobcat, MarkyMark, Andrei, and Bobcat’s brother and sister and their families in your prayers.  Bobcat starts a three-month family leave tomorrow.  Looks like this is going to be a really hard couple of weeks coming up.

I’m hardly a yarnographer, but I had to share the goodies I scored today at Nine Rubies’ customer appreciation day sale.  None of them are for me; they’re all commissions for MEY’s Christmas presents.