Has cabin fever infected you? Do you pine for the arrival of spring? A fresh layer of pristine snow graces the rural landscape this morning as the sun rises, yet the grip of winter seems to be loosening as the days lengthen. The promise of spring and warmer days ahead is vital now as most of us have had all we can take of cold, crisp and white! The best antidote for me is to begin a summer sweater just after the holiday decorations are stowed away. Perhaps you'll enjoy the journey of my progress with this design.

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On My Needles Now
My current project is from the March 2009 ussue of Creative Knitting, page 18. Called Top With Flair, it was designed by Lois S. Young. The sweater features small gussets at the short-sleeve and lower-edge hems. The pattern is written to be knitted flat, and that's how I made the sleeves. By working the sleeves first, I made certain I had the gauge and the details of the pattern stitch done correctly. Lois makes her patterns easy to follow, and you'll have no trouble making it exactly as the pattern is written. Since I make a few adjustments to any garment I knit, I thought I'd tell you about them.

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Long Two-Tail Cast-On
I am following my frequent method of knitting the body seamlessly, using a circular needle and working in rounds until I reach the armholes. I combine the stitches for the front and back, and cast on. I like a long-tail cast-on, but don't like to guess the length of the tail for so many stitches, so I use yarn from two balls to start. In place of a slip knot, I tie an overhand knot in the tails, and loop the yarn over the needle just after the knot for the first stitch. The cast-on is normal from that point. I place a marker every 25 or 50 stitches, so counting the 300+ stitches is not endless. When I have reached the correct number, I snip one yarn, leaving enough of a tail to sew up the short seam later.

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A Seamless Complication

Because of the large number of stitches needed, there is a complication which can happen too easily: a dreaded twisted join. Anyone who has knit circularly has done it at least once, and wants to avoid it like the plague! A Mobius ring, or never-closing loop, will form if there is just one little twist in the stitches on a circular needle. You'll have to rip back to the cast-on row to correct this condition.

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An Ounce of Prevention

This pattern begins with even more stitches than usual as the gusset stitches decrease while the work progresses upward. There is a simple solution, and it completely prevents the problem: Work a few rows back and forth, and then join to work in rounds. Working an even number of rows is critical so that you join at the beginning of a right-side row. After four rows were worked, I could easily see that there were no twists, and began to knit the top in the round.

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Faux Seams

A refinement of circular knitting is making faux seams at the sides. After marking the first and middle stitch of the entire round, I slip the stitch just past the marker every other round. When the sweater is complete, the faux seams help the garment hang nice and straight. It may sound as if I can't make up my mind whether to knit in rows or rounds, but it's a head game I like to play with myself!

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Mindless Knitting
The project is at the point where I have inches of plain knitting to work, even more than the pattern indicates. For a person of medium height, my neck-to-waist measurement is longer than the norm. Thus I added two inches to the waist-to-bust part of the pattern. My hands tell me when the marked stitches require a moment of attention, but otherwise, they are on autopilot. I just knit.

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The Switch
When I reach the underarm shaping, I'll switch to knitting in rows, working first the back, then the front. I anticipate making a change in the front neckline of this design, from a scooped neck to the V-neck I prefer. A few inches past the armhole shaping, I'll mark the center of the front and divide it into left and right sides, decreasing to form the gradual V. The finish of the neckline eludes me at the moment, but I want to keep the seed-stitch pattern at the hems in the picture, so I'll need to account for the eventual conclusion as I work up the fronts.

When the sweater is completed, I'll show you the results and let you know if my modifications are satisfactory.

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Village Yarn Shop

Last night, I knitted while attending a meeting of the Northside Knitting Guild. Harriett McNabb, owner of Village Yarn Shop in Zionsville, Ind., welcomed the 40 or so women, most of whom were knitting during the meeting. Nestled among sensational art galleries, boutiques filled with stunning fashions and restaurants aplenty, the shop opened nearly a year ago, and caters to the knitting needs of many fiber artists in the area. The high ceilings and overstuffed chairs evoke the charm of the village setting and beckon you to sit and knit a while.

Black cubbies provide a quiet background for the yarns she carries and allow the colors to predominate. Beautiful wools and blends abound, with cottons, sock yarns and tidbits of glittering yarns also in evidence. Garment models provide inspiration in spades, with some shown in progress to illustrate a critical point or two. A separate room provides space for classes. Petting the yarn is encouraged, but drooling is frowned upon! You can learn more by phoning (317) 873-0004, or visit VillageYarnShop.net. If you come to Zionsville, just northwest of Indianapolis, stop in at 40 N. Main St. You'll also see Creative Knitting featured there!

Instructor Peg Alexander, left, and owner Harriett McNabb display the shop's knitting bag.

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Free Pattern
If afghans are your cup of tea, here is another design by Lois S. Young: The Guy's Guernsey Afghan. I hope you'll enjoy it!

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Reader Letters

Leigh, via the Internet, offers a suggestion:

In response to the lady who wrote in about her circular needles kinking up as she knitted on her project, I would like to offer her a storage solution that I found a couple of years ago. It is called "The Circular Solution." I enjoy using circular needles, but do not like the constant curling up as you knit. I used your hot-water method before I put them in The Circular Solution. Now I do not have to sort through all my needles to find the size I need, and they do not kink as I knit. At that same time, I also purchased "Sticks" (for straight needles) and "Double-points" to store all of my needles. I have really enjoyed having a place for all of my needles to be stored in an organized way.

"A place for everything and everything in its place" is a maxim you seem to have taken to heart, at least for your knitting tools! These are great options for storing needles of all styles.

Diane McIntyre suggests:

Yarn isn't the only item to be cautious with around our pets. Needles, especially wooden and "quick silver," are what my Lab Bubba loves. He strips the "quick silver" coating off the metal needle, and so do our cats, who like to use them for toothbrushes. All needles, including hand-sewing, metal, plastic and wooden, are items which must be kept away from pets. Knitted and crocheted pieces, such as sleeves, fronts and backs, need to be kept out of reach of our pets too. Our pets are forever two-year-olds, and pet-proofing your house is important. Who would have thought our sweet but eat-everything Lab would eat a 6-foot leash? Almost $1000 later, we knew. Film star canine Marley's antics are nothing compared to our Bubba. Now three, he's settled down a bit, but a good skein of yarn is a desired chewy. I believe he thinks it is canine dental floss!

Linda Murray reports:

On a recent Oprah broadcast, she interviewed Meryl Streep via satellite from New York City. When Oprah asked how she stayed in character for her part in the movie Doubt, she said she knit between scenes. It kept her calm and serene! I thought you'd like to know.

I recall that while making The Bridges of Madison County years ago with Clint Eastwood, she knit during that filming as well. At the conclusion of the on-location filming, she presented Clint with a beautiful Aran afghan she had made. There's a photo of her working on the project in a book I have about the making of the movie, which is one of my favorites. Wouldn't that be a nice reminder of the months spent making one of his first directorial hits?

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Dear knit friends, that's enough for today. In my crystal ball, I see spring coming your way soon and a summer sweater in your future!

Barb Bettegnies
editor, Creative Knitting magazine

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