Summer was crazy busy, filled with family and travel.  I’m sorry to see it go, but I’m loving the beauty that is autumn.  The kids are finally settled into a school routine, and I’m looking ahead to the knitting I need to get done before the end of December.  (Insert mild panic and the theme from Jaws…)  To assist with that gifting, I just posted several class projects that would make excellent Christmas gifts.

There is also the monthly Knit Gathering where we can all work on the projects that may still be on needles with an IOU on Christmas morning while we hang out with our favorite people.

I also posted the new Skills Scarf class.  This class has been a long time in the making and I’m really excited to finally be able to offer it.

Four years ago, I stumbled across a skills course that was pretty awesome.  Knitters who had been stuck knitting just washcloths and hats were tackling sweaters and complex projects.  The only problem is that the course took fourteen sessions to complete and the attrition rate was high. Anything that takes half a year or more to finish often loses its shine and life takes over.   I also felt some skills should be covered in the course but weren’t. There had to be a better way.

So when I finally had time to think about what I felt the most helpful skills were, I set about to create a project that would teach the skills that were most often used and why they were used.  Why use a kfb instead of a M1L or M1R and what kind of Greek is that anyway?  When you come across a pattern that says, “increase” which do you use?  I eliminated skills that are not commonly used (no more bobbles!) and added in some that I felt were.

Then came the decision of what kind of project should it be.  I wanted it to be useful but also something that could be beautiful.  I settled on a scarf.  Actually, I settled on two pieces of a scarf that are grafted together with the kitchener stitch, which I realize is yet more Greek for some of you.  I believe it contains sufficient practice that the skills learned are solidified without the knitting becoming boring.  Most classes often teach more than one skill, so there is a challenge without it being overwhelming.

Skills Scarf

The ladies who tested it for me (Bridget, Denise, and Shirley…you rock!) were amazingly patient while I worked out the flaws in a couple of designs.  Their scarves are just about finished and they’re beautiful.