He who is afraid of asking is ashamed of learning.
[Danish Proverb]

I have designed a collection of almost 20 sweaters and vests in the past several years. The main thing that holds me back from publishing the patterns is resizing. The prototype for each garment fits a U.S. size 12 or 14 woman (me). My cousin Marilyn generously loaned me several books that help with stitch count and sizing. I can add, subtract, and figure gauge, but the complexity of this process is outside my realm of ability. Is there someone who could suggest something that would help me put the final polish on these patterns?

To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.
[Mother Teresa]

The Fort Wayne Knitters Guild held its first meeting of the 2007-2008 year at the new main-branch building of the Allen County Public Library last Monday. They meet at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month.

Those are the facts. Here is the rest of the story. It warmed my heart to be included in that gathering. I think it is a basic life need for people, no matter how different they might be in other ways, to gather with a focus on an interest that nurtures them. It puts oil in our lamps. It is a point of contact whereby we can nurture each other.

The point isn’t the knitting, it is the interest. Writers gather with writers. Antique tractor collectors gather with other antique tractor enthusiasts. Genealogists with genealogists. Etc. The result is more than a new book, refurbished tractor, or a family tree. The result is inspiration, encouragement, learning, and friendships that spread out into the rest of our lives.

There is no such thing as a failed experiment,
only experiments with unexpected outcomes.
[Richard Buckminster Fuller]

The most useful skill I have for knitting is unraveling without remorse. It frees me up to experiment. I’ve unraveled six experiments from this huge cone of cotton yarn. I won this cone at a knitting retreat several years ago and have been cogitating over it ever since. Now I’m trying a sweater with a texture design that I hope will look like argyle.

There’s always room for improvement, you know—
it’s the biggest room in the house.
[Louise Heath Leber]

I’m still experimenting with the replaceable sole. This is a photo of an anklet/bed sock that is my latest attempt. Notice the line along the join between the sole and the upper in the photo in the post below compared with the join in this photo. Instead of making the join by knitting together the edge stitches on the right side, I purled them together on this anklet. That puts the line on the inside of the sock.

Language is the means of getting an idea
from my brain into yours without surgery.
[Mark Amidon]

There is a photo of a two-tone, green sock several blog posts ago. It evolved when I realized I was going too run out of the light green yarn. This photo shows experiments I’ve done since then. These socks progressed so fast that I did the little one in an evening and the large one in a day (I even did client work that same day). Here are some features if someone else wants to experiment as well:

• The sole for the small sock is knit using stranded knitting (Fair Isle style)
• The toe decreases are worked in with the sole
• The sole for the large sock is knit using reinforcement yarn along with the regular yarn
• The toe decreases for the top of the foot is worked separately from those used for the sole
• The leg is knitted in the round as for any sock
• The gusset is worked as shown in the pattern for the Simple Sock
• The stitches for the heel is left on two needles while the top of the foot (grey part) is knit
• The top of the foot stitches are knit back and forth
• IMPORTANT: The edge stitch on each side is slipped (there are two rows for every edge stitch)
• When the top of the sock is the desired length return to working on the heel
• Shape the heel as shown in the pattern for the Simple Sock working back and forth using a short-row technique
• Continue working back and forth joining the sole to the upper by knitting the edge sole stitch together with the slipped edge stitch on the upper
• Finish the toe with Kitchner stitches
• If the sole wears out, unravel it and knit a new one.

I’m working on more specific instructions that I will offer as a PDF file.

If a person gives you his time, he can give you no more precious gift.
[Frank Tyger]

Last week, I knit this child’s size 8 Wonderful Wallaby. This is a hooded sweater with a front pouch. The pattern is designed by Carol Anderson at Cottage Creations. This pattern is such fun to knit. There are no seams and just a little bit of Kitchner stitch joining under the arms and at the top of the hood. Construction begins at the bottom and the pouch is knit as you work your way up to the underarms. Then the sleeves are knit in the round from the cuffs to the underarms. The yoke is knit across sleeve and body stitches with raglan decreases. The hood continues on from the neck stitches, knitting back and forth. The pattern book includes directions for sizes from infant through very large adult. Just Google Carol Anderson+Cottage Creations to find sources where the pattern can be purchased.