Visual Aids

Last week, I got together with my FB friend, Cindy, and attempted to show her how to knit Frankie Brown's Ten Stitch Blanket.  This is a really easy, straightforward pattern once you understand what you're doing.  It took me a whole afternoon to understand what I was doing, and I've been zipping slowly along ever since (slowly because I decided to double the size of the blanket - I actually think I'm knitting a tent...or a cover for the house).

The most confusing thing about this pattern for me was wrapping the stitches.  And when I started to show Cindy how to do this, it was also the most confusing thing for her.  There's something just inherently intimidating about all those "wyifs" and "ybs" until you realize that - DOH! - all you're doing is wrapping the yarn around a stitch, turning your work and going back.  Let me tell you, when that dawned on me, it was a headslapping revelation!  This is a step that's really easy to do...and really hard to explain.  I know...I tried to re-explain for Cindy.

After we had a good laugh and decided to schedule another lesson, I went home and tried to figure out the best way to make this easier.  I figured it would help to break down the instructions into individual rows.  And then I got the nifty idea of creating visual aids -  little swatches to show Cindy what her work should look like.  Whaddya think?

I used the peach yarn to represent work that had already been done, and the green to show the next step.  The little stitch marker is to show where she should pick up the stitches when she starts working around .  All in all, a fun way to spend a Wednesday afternoon.

And since Wednesday was also WIP/UFO Day, I will report in that I've completed another triangle on the Jiffy Scarf (now 50% complete) and 3/4 of another wedge of the Christmas Tree Skirt (about 60% complete).

It's cold again here in Ohio.  I'm glad I finished Shalom so quickly, since I'll have several days of chances to enjoy it.  However, knitting Shalom gave me the "dreaded wool thumb" syndrome.  Ugh...  How to describe this politely (and NO...I'm NOT posting a picture!)...when I knit with worsted weight or heavier wool, regardless of how soft it is...the skin peels off the top of my right thumb.  Ick...ouch...  I've been limping along with my knitting while wearing a bandaid, which is fine for that Jiffy scarf and tree skirt,  but lace knitting is pretty much out of the question.  I did four rows of Evenstar yesterday and stopped because the yarn kept getting snagged.

I'll also continue to brag about my success in getting Wilbur's tummy troubles under control.  Limiting his availability of water to 100-150ml every couple hours has eliminated the urps and, as a result of that, his energy level has returned.  See?  Is this a dynamo of doggieboy energy or what?

Just kidding...he's having his "after breakfast nap" right now.  Should perk up in, oh, about an hour...

The weekend is shaping up to be fun!  I'm volunteering at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank in the morning, then we're meeting a friend (Hi, Mark!) tomorrow night to take in a Columbus Clippers game.  Woo-hooooo!  Baseball!  Life is good!

What are your plans for the weekend?