What Would EZ Think?!
I picked up the most recent copy of the "O" magazine and while leafing through it, I happened upon this sweater. It is not exactly the Rib Warmer with sleeves, but I am sure that the wonderful vest that Elizabeth Zimmermann designed influenced this pattern. This little sweater/vest sells for $475.00 at Barney's in New York City. I will not be ordering one, but I just thought how the fashion folks must look and see what is popular among knitters and then put their own touch on it!! I will perhaps think about sleeves on a Rib Warmer, but not in a bulky short sleeved sweater. Have I done everything correctly here, so as not to have some form of police call at the door?

I just completed a Comfort Shawlette from a pattern that came from Daily Knitting. If you are not aware of this little email newsletter, it is through Interweave Knits and has some wonderful hints, news in the knitting world and free patterns! There were two shawlette patterns and I made one with some Ultra Silk from Berroco which I had left over from another project. I learned something from this project. I started out with a circular needle - size 6 mm and once I got several stitches into the project, I noticed that it was difficult to slide the stitches from the filament back onto the needles. It was as if the stitches became smaller. I think the problem is the softness of the yarn and also the weight of the shawl. Once it got any size, the weight pulled the knitting 'down' and made the stitches 'smaller' on the filament. I ended up putting them on a straight pair of birch needles. The circular would have been quicker, but not when you had to struggle with moving the stitches along. Once I get a photo of the shawlette, I will post it to the blog!

I think this proves that with each project we learn something new. In this project, I also learned another new cast off! The edges of the shawl are in seed stitch, so at the beginning of each row, I slipped the first stitch in the 'purl' way and then proceeded on with the knitting. This made that wonderful 'chain' edge. Now how to get that along the bottom on the cast off. You k2tog through the back loops of the first 2 st., then put the remaining stitch back on the left needle and go through the back loop of the 'new' stitch and the next stitch and continue on. It gives that lovely chain look to the bottom of the shawl! This was a great project, and I can see myself knitting this shawlette again!

I have cast on some Silk Rumple from Handmaiden Yarn to make a simple scarf/shawl in a simple pattern - 1 row knit and the 2nd row k1, yo, k2tog to the end. You need an odd number of stitches on the needle. I am very fond of the tunic shirts, especially in winter, and these scarves tied in a loose knot in front or just left to hang make a nice 'fashion' statement. Like I know much about fashion. I do know at my age what I like and what I think looks good on me, so that is all that matters. I do have a DD and a DIL and I have told them both to please let me know if I was dressing too old or young for my age. So far, I seem to be okay!

Oh yes, for the Silk Rumple scarf, I am using a pair of Rosewood needles. What a joy to hold in my hands. They were not inexpensive, but well worth the cost. They are a 6mm needle, not overly long - like about 12 inches/30 cm and they are perfect for loose scarves. I bought them last year at Fun Knits as a souvenir of my knitting retreat. What a wonderful souvenir.

Gail of Gail's Good Yarn commented on my blog about the Elizabeth Zimmermann knitting camp that is a continuation of the camp EZ started and now continued on by her daughter Meg Swenson. That has truly peaked my interest, and I must look into it for next year. Imagine being able to wear, even if only for an hour, something that EZ herself knit! Heaven!