Revolations...
Intarsia...
I recieved the Summer 2002 Class List from The Weaving Works yesterday. Oh so tempting, but I'm just not willing to spend $50 on a one day class. The Intarsia Class caught my eye...

"Intarsia is a technique where color changes are local, rather than carrying the colors for the full width of the work. This technique enables more color in your project, but those charts, ends, and maintaining tension can be the death of you."

I love working with color! I made two little sweaters for two little people from this book...



Actually, I made the sweater on the front, but changed the colors around so it wasn't so green and orange.

I loved the projects, but I always felt uneasy about wasting all that yarn, by carrying it in the back. Intarsia knitting would solve all my problems! And I wouldn't have to spend money on yarn that you can't even see.

So with a little search in Google I found Learning to Knit Intarsia. Ima gonna figure it out!

Picking instead of throwing...
My mom's been carrying around this skinny practice swatch. A wonder, since she's been knitting since she was a young girl and never needs to practice. Here's the story...She saw this lady flying through here knitting while waiting at the Dr.'s office. Intrigued by her technique, my mom watches her and then asks for intrstructions.

My mom both crochets and knits. She learned to knit in the Philippines. Straight garter stitch by picking, just like crochet.(I've heard some people call this "Filipino Way") She later taught herself how to knit the "American Way". throwing with knit and pearl.

She often uses the picking method because its faster, but only on things that are straight knit stiches, like knitting in the round or garter stitch. She never figured out how to pick and pearl.

So the lady at the Dr.'s office showed my mom how to do it. And now she's practicing... and now I've been practicing. It's hard to change your ways, but I'll do anything to knit faster! To bad, I have no way to explain picking and pearling in words or else I'd tell you how to do it. I have no idea if I'm doing it correctly anyway.

-g