Knitting Machines galore since one is never enough, photo tutorials, and knits gone wild

The Seattle Knitters Guild is the largest group of clicking needles I have ever attended. Even in the heat of summer, I’ve never been to a meeting with fewer than fifty members.

The volunteers who chair the various committees have organized cruise ship luncheons, bus trips to the lavender fields, local yarn store hops, Fiber Frenzy for members to sell each other their knitting stuff, and stitch and pitch nights at the Seattle Mariners baseball games.

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It’s time to thread your knitting machine.

Place the yarn behind the yarn tension unit.

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Dear Daughter,

Thank you so much for taking driver’s ed. I had no idea I was such a horrible driver. To think that after 27 years behind the wheel, I’m still so inept. Apparently, it’s a miracle I haven’t killed anyone or lost a limb.
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I’ve been experimenting with how changing needle size impacts the appearance of variegated yarn. Case in point, my Jaywalker socks.

Remember how the colors were stacking in unwanted vertical bands when knitted with a 2.50 mm needle? Well after some success on the second ball of Koigu with 2.75 mm needles, I ripped back the first sock to the ribbed cuff and decided to see what would happen with 3.00 mm double points.
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Each morning the son comes downstairs, moves the dial on the Christmas countdown mail box, and announces with a big grin of anticipation…

25 days until Christmas
22 days until Christmas
18 days until Christmas

God help me.

Between choir concerts, field trips, kid ½ days, kid snow days, holiday planning, and a yard overgrown with chickweed, I can’t possibly run any faster. So with a to-do list a mile long you have three guesses what I’ll accomplish today.

• A blog entry
• Yarn thrifting at the Goodwill
• Escaping to knit group

At least my priorities are in order.

It’s time to pull that neglected knitting machine out from under the bed, dust it off, and set it up. That’s all we are going to do today so there is no reason to panic. Actual knitting will be another day.

The first thing to do is set the machine on the table where it will be used.

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The good news – I’ve started the second sock with larger needles below the ribbed cuff. Using 2.75 mm instead of 2.50 mm helps the Koigu have fewer pooling colors. The obnoxious vertical stripes are history. The sock also fits much better and the fabric isn’t cardboard. You can see how the fabric is more relaxed with fewer puckers, especially at the vertical "seams"

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I’ve rounded the heel and there is no getting around the fact that it is too snug. I keep putting it on and off, hoping the sizing fairy will take pity on me and permanently stretch the darn thing. No luck.

I need to frog it. I really do. But I can’t. I’ve invested too much time. The problem is so frustrating that I haven’t knit anything in almost two weeks. I’m completely frozen.

The only approach that works for me is to start the second sock early with either more stitches or larger needles. When it fits fine, I usually have enough emotional distance from the first sock to deal with ripping it out.

Who knows, maybe it will give the sizing fairy more time to work her magic.