Another quickie update

I spent this past weekend at a knitting retreat in Gettysburg, PA. The retreat was organized by a group of knitting and stiching retail stores in Washington DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. It was a quiet, relaxing weekend. There were more cross-stitchers and needlepointers than knitters but we had a good time anyway. I took some classes and learned some new techniques in Norwegian knitting with Continental knitting holding both colors in your left hand. It was a little awkward at first but thanks to my crocheting knowledge I was able to pull through. The instructor said holding both yarns in one hand will give you more even tension. That has been my problem in holding yarns in both hands with Fair Isle -- uneven tension. I need to practice some more with the both-yarn-in-left-hand method to see if I really get better, more even tension before I attempt the Alice Starmore kit I bought last year.

In the meantime I finished the first entrelac sock.

I am very happy with it. No holes! The Trekking XXL is wonderful. I will cast on the mate later today. I want to finish the first pair so I can cast on a second pair! This is a little too big for me so it will go into the gift chest. The next pair will have 5-stich rectangles instead of six so it will fit me.

I also knitted a swatch of Cotton-ease.

Very nice. I really like how the fabric looks and feels. This swatch was done on #seven needles at 17 stiches for four inches. I am going to give the Central Park Hoodie another try. I really want it in cotton. I will eventually knit it in wool. Probably in the fall, but will use this Viking version that I found on Ravelry. It is really neat! I even have Dream in Color Classy yarn in Night Watch blue for it.

This weekend is the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I am looking forward to it. I got back to spinning again and am hoping to get some merino and cormo roving or even some fleece. Last year the Fold had kits of the Socks that Rock roving that you could spin into your own sock yarn. I hope they will have them again this year. You never have enough sock yarns. And sock yarns do not count as stash.

Back to work. See you later.