The Knitting Guild's Master Hand Knitting Program Level 1 Part Two

Somebody stop me, will you??

I fear this could actually happen to me! (well, if aliens were real.) My Husband would be happy, though! He is always hoping our 2 cats will go outside at night and not come home! Isn't he mean?



Anyway...

This program is way too "up my alley"!!! I am having a VERY hard time putting my knitting down!!

At night...I dream swatches. During the day... I knit when I should be folding laundry. The Master Hand Knitting Program is TAKING OVER MY LIFE!!!!

I'm glad I am a relaxed homeschooling Mama and that my kids do lots of work on their own! Look at what my 7 year old daughter, Lilli, did the other day for "fun" ;-) I love it!!



Well, as of today, I have had my Master's instructions since the 7th... so that makes a little over a week. Out of the 16 swatches that we need to knit up, I have done 14 and am almost done #15! Woo! (although I think I may end up reworking a couple!) I am having a lot of fun with #15 because you have to choose a cable of your own and write the pattern up so others could follow it! It was nice to be able to get away from TKGA's patterns and do something I picked out! And I am all about writing patterns, so it has made it even more fun!

Here are a couple swatches that I've done that are blocked. (I'm not posting all of them until I know I've passed because I don't want to embarrass myself haha)

I have tagged these since I took this photo, but you can see how I have placed a marker so I'd know for sure where to put the tag! (and the contrasting colored yarn is something that is required for measuring gauge on the first 3 swatches)...

K2P2 Ribbing and Garter Stitch...



Seed Stitch...



This is how I chose to tag my swatches.

I bought these shipping tags at Staples, printed off pages of information I made in OpenOffice, got out my paper cutter & double sided stickies and got to work!! You have to put your name and other personal info on the back, so I made an OpenOffice document for those too!



This is where I block my swatches. I have taken possession over the ironing board and am thankful we are not bit ironers. (Is that a word?) This blue towel stays put and always has a swatch (or 2) (or 3) blocking on it!!!



I use these little pins and block all the swatches wrong side out! I personally don't like blocking, but since I am in love with this program, I will do anything and everything it asks!!! I swear, I am a Master Hand Knitting Program robot and wish I had a robot of my own to do all my work around here!!!



The other day I got color cards in from O-wool that I drooled over as I was blocking. (I made sure not to drool on my swatches though!) I LOVE their colors and really miss working with their yummy organic wool!! I am ordering some soon to make some special longies for my sweet littlest daughter.



And speaking of my little squeaker... here she is last night. We were watching The Duggar's and eating ice cream cones! Yes, I am a daring Mama to let her eat ice cream in her woolies, but they haven't been washed in a while, so I didn't fear the ice cream drips!! haha (oh, and the old little rocker was just given to us by my oldest son's Grandmother! It was her oldest son's (oldest of 8 kids!), who is now in his 50's, so I feel so blessed to have such a treasured heirloom! She had new rockers put on... so it should last JUST fine!)

Hi, Punky!



OK... back to the program!! This is how I decided to do my Cover Letter, which I slid into the front of my binder. I am thinkin' I'll probably have to buy a 2" binder though, because this is already almost filled to capacity and I am still have swatches to add AND the hat project!!



Well, the only other things I have done, besides knitting, is research for answering the questions!! I have started a document on my computer and have answered a couple, but really have to get on the ball with catching up on questions! I also have to get my report typed up. I have lots of info. jotted down, but need to find some quiet time to write! And I've kept close track of all my references for my bibliography page!

Well, for anyone who cares... (which probably isn't anyone since I never get phone calls asking me haha)...



...to be continued.

The Knitting Guild's Master Hand Knitting Program Level 1 Part One

"The Knitting Guild's Master Hand Knitter Level 1" ~ my new obsession!!!



Yes...that's right. Another thing for me to get addicted to in the knitting world!!!!

This time, I am humbled. Here and there through my little knitting career over at "Squeakin' Cheeks", I have heard things like, "your knitting is flawless" and have been called things like, "the Queen of Knit" haha but this program is knocking me down a few pegs. (Maybe more than a few!!)

Before I ramble on too long, I'll get right to the program and where I'm at.

First, I went to TKGA online and purchased the Level 1 instructions for the Master Hand Knitter program. It was $90 plus I became a member of TKGA for $30 (a year membership). So, a grand total of $120 for that part.

Then, once I got my email that contained a pdf of the instructions, I got all of my supplies together...



I got a 1.5" binder, page protectors, a pair of size 7 bamboo straight needles, some Paton's Classic Wool (on sale at A.C.Moore for $3.99 a skein!) and some little shipping tags with strings to attach to my swatches. I've been keeping my current swatch in a ziplock with a measuring tape and my little purple case of knitting doo-dads.

So far, I have researched the report topic, about blocking, and I've knit up the first 3 swatches and am on my 4th!

Today I did the weaving of the ends (and learned a new way to do it that I love MUCH better than the way I HAVE been doing it!) and blocked them.

I'm nervous. I've always been a "nervous knitter", but this is a different edgy feel. I have always been such a perfectionist with my knitting (and have dealt with the sin of being a knitting snob on the prideful side lol) that I am afraid I'll be humbled BIG TIME when I find out I have to re-work a bunch of swatches!!! But... I'm dealing with it. Nothing that an extra cup of coffee can't... uh... MAKE THE NERVOUSNESS EVEN WORSE!! Oh well...I'm NOT giving up the coffee!

Swatches. My enemy, the swatch. Really... who wouldn't be a rebel against having to knit a bunch of work that isn't actually part of the project you are working on?? ME!!!! THAT is who!!!!

But... I need to be a good student and since there are 16 swatches and they are the most important part of this program, I need to behave.

I'm risking looking like a failure, but I am going to post my first 3 swatches as they are blocking. They will hopefully look much better when they are all blocked and tagged, but if not, I will have to do them over again. We'll see!

Here is Swatch #1:



Swatch #2:



And the dreaded "Seed Stitch" Swatch #3:



Being a nervous knitter can have it's benefits, especially when you are knitting something like seed stitch which needs to be dense and NO HOLES. I think I did pretty good on my first try. I'll have to really inspect it though, after blocking.

Well... so far...



Stay tuned...