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KnitBits®
#60
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The free e-mail newsletter from Berroco
http://www.berroco.com
#60, April 1, 2004
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Dear Knitters and Crocheters,
My sister Janie left a beautiful message on my answering machine
at home. Jane has just rediscovered knitting and the delight in
her voice was contagious. She's knitting Pamela Throw
from Book #225. She's striping it because she liked all the leather
shades and couldn't decide on one. Jane called to report that
she had knit 4 inches of garter stitch and she is having so much
fun. She loves it! It takes her back to her high school days.
These were the years when my sisters and I knit dozens of Shetland
Fairisle cardigans and V-neck cabled tennis sweaters. I continued
to knit, but my sister Janie stopped because she developed an
allergy to wool. In those days wool was the gold standard for
hand knitting. Today we can choose from soft and supple, elegant
yarns that are spun or woven of man made fibers.
Suede is a perfect example
of a modern microfiber nylon ribbon that knits beautifully and
makes a light and comfortable fabric with a good drape. Suede
is easy to care for, too. Because it is nylon you can wash it
like you would your fine lingerie.
I have found that keeping
my hands busy in a rhythmic knit pattern requires very little
use of my eyes. Our fingers seem to have their own intelligence,
their own sort of memory and are connected directly to the brain.
It is really a rest for the eyes and a meditative connection of
hand and brain. Jane is a computer person so she has found that
she can sit in front of her computer, reading text on screen as
she knits simple garter stitch. Ingrid, a Berroco sample knitter,
says she's been knitting our Oakley
shawls as a passenger in a car. She finds that she can even continue
to knit in the dark without dropping a stitch.
For those knitters who crave
something a bit more challenging, however rhythmic, I recommend
Pastiche. It's an easy
wave stitch pattern that requires concentration only on every
4th row. The rest is garter stitch.
Meanwhile, for knitters who want a smaller, less expensive project,
today's Web Exclusive Free Pattern is a scarf version of this
beautiful throw; called Pastiche
2. You need only one ball each of Optik,
Chinchilla, Zen
Colors and Quest. We have
posted swatches
and instructions for 8 color combinations.
THIS WEEK'S WINNER
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Speaking of Pastiche, congratulations to Denise from Moreno Valley,
CA. As our winner for KnitBits #59, Denise chose the throw for
her Free Sweater Kit. Happy knitting, Denise.
BEGINNER'S Q & A
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Brenda from Sarasota wrote:
"I want to knit a throw in garter stitch and I don't know
how much yarn to purchase."
Brenda, this is very easy
to figure out if you are willing to sacrifice a bit of knitting
time. Purchase one ball of desired yarn and cast on the number
of stitches per 4 inches using the needle size that is printed
on the ball band. Then knit till you use up the entire ball of
yarn. Measure the length in inches and multiply this number by
the width (4"). This will calculate the number of square
inches per one ball of yarn at the recommended gauge.
Next, measure the length and
width of a throw that is the size you want to knit. Multiply the
length by the width to determine number of square inches in the
throw and divide the number of square inches of the swatch into
the number of square inches of the throw. This is the total number
of balls you must purchase. I always purchase one extra ball,
just in case I run short or want to fringe the throw.
We have been getting lots
of email from crocheters, looking for great fashion patterns in
our yarns. We hear you and we intend to expand our crochet repertoire.
'Till next time, keep those
fingers flying.
Margery Winter
Creative Director
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