Slipped Stitches, Mystery Mittens, determining yarn weight

show notes at www.knittingpipeline.com

The folks at Quince & Co believe that businesses can be good citizens—should be good citizens—without making too much a fuss about it. So, they have created a line of thoughtfully conceived yarns spun from American wool or sourced from earth friendly overseas suppliers. Find them at www.quinceandco.com and while you are there, sign up for their free e-newsletter.

I enjoy your feedback, comments on the blog, and questions. Feel free to write to me at [email protected] or on Ravelry as PrairiePiper. My business site is longaberger.com/paula

Nature Notes: Shepherd’s Purse is the flower/weed of the week. Botanical: Capsella bursa-pastoris

The Flowers by Robert Louis Stevenson

All the names I know from nurse:Gardener's garters, Shepherd's purse...

Needle Notes  Mystery Mittens for Me by Laura Linneman

Shetland wool fingering weight fromSchoolhouse Press.

Knit Stitch is like the good well behaved child. Purl is rather like the black sheep of the family, in some circles anyway. The Slip Stitch is like the forgotten wall flower or perhaps the one we wouldn’t miss until it was gone.

I talk about some of the ways that the slip stitch is used in knitting. Edges, SSK and other decreases, colorwork patterns, texture patterns, slipped stitch heel flap, brioche, and mosaic knitting are some of the occasions when slipped stitches are essential.  Barbara Walker is probably the Queen of Slipped Stitches with her invention of Mosaic Knitting. If you are doing stripes you can decide to slip a stitch at regular intervals and it looks a bit like stranded work. On the next round, try purling your slipped stitch for a completely different effect. It is fun to play around with color and slipped stitches.

The Blethering Room  Story about neglected wildflowers Bastard Toadflax and Hoary Puccoon

In the Pipeline  Watching  Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables

Reading Maisie Dobbs #3 and #4 Pardonable Lies and Messenger of Truth

Listening Louise Penny Still Life

Knitting Socks, Cardigan (in the planning stages)

Music Lydia McCauley, Hawthorn from Quieting  www.magnatune.com

Haste ye back!