Thank You www.knittinghelp.com !!!

Yes Indeed-y!!! I have 10 books that tell me how to do the mattress stitch, but my real hero (heroine!!) is Amy Finlay of www.knittinghelp.com !!! Her 3-minute video tells me what I needed to know to have a beautiful "invisible" seam on the sides of "the shop sample" (as we've come to call it) of Plymouth's pattern C125 - Ladie's V-Neck Shell as done in Fantasy Naturale in color 2550 (known in these parts as "UK Blue" for the University of Kentucky's school colors).

Here's a final shot of the top now that it's done.


For your reference, please please please learn from my mistake and be sure to do a gauge swatch!!! I should have been using a size US 7 needle (or maybe even an US 8). As it was, I used the size US 6 called for (4 mm) and had to use an additional hank of the heavy cotton yarn.

I had to block it before I sewed it up, which put me off a couple of weeks (at least) and then I had to get the confidence to try the mattress stitch. It's not that the stitch is hard -- not at all -- it's just feeling ready to do it. And now I've done it and am ready to sew up anything I knit that needs it!!!

Sock # 2 has begun
Work has begun on sock # 2 on the circulars. I'm doing better at getting the pattern right, but today realized I had cast on 8 less stitches than I did for the other sock. My solution? Once I'm done with this one, I'm gonna re-do the first sock (maybe). I figure I'll have them on under pants or boots and no one will see them anyway, so they may stay just the same. :-) My perogative!!


The start of a beautiful friendship
We had brunch this afternoon at our friend's home after church. Here are two gals from the Bible study class -- we're all sittin' pretty awaiting the call to feast! (and feast we did -- thanks Dottie and all!!) As I prepared to leave I was asked what knitting I've been doing, and I showed the socks around. Then someone suggested a couple of us teach the class how to knit. Now there's a project! I'll let you know what becomes of that!


Samson Sez
"Breakfast? Breakfast? Breakfast?" No really, that's what he said most of the morning today -- even after I'd given him his breakfast. Silly birdie.