Kat with a K: Rainy Wednesday Randoms

August 13, 2008

Rainy Wednesday Randoms

Note: As I realized after posting this, it was not in fact raining today. I started this post on Tuesday, and just assumed that it would rain on Wednesday, because it has been raining ALL. THE. TIME. But Wednesday was the one day when it didn't. Figures.

1. I am concerned for the fate of my fall Interweave issue. I forgot to change my address with them until after it had theoretically shipped, and I think it should be forwarded, but it hasn't found its way here yet. I'm trying to decide how long to give it before I go buy one at a store.

2. My Google Reader seems to be having some sort of issue. Things are disappearing from the "unread" counts when they are less than a month old. Any ideas, anyone?

3. Ooooh: want! I especially like Natalia, Sophie, Hillary, and Margo.

4. Does anyone know of any good resources to learn that mythical "knitting backwards" concept? I started my entrelac shawl (mentioned a few posts ago) tonight, and I can tell that this "turn work every 3 stitches" thing might get old quickly.

4b. Entrelac still scares me. I'm trying to do that thing where you just knit and trust the pattern adn don't think about it too much, because I'm having trouble seeing how it will all come together. But it will, right?

5. I've been watching lots of Olympics, and really, the TiVo makes it SO much nicer. I can record practically everything and fast forward through to the things I want to watch. (For reasons I can't quite pin down, I seem to be thoroughly uninterested in beach volleyball, and they seem to show lots and lots of it.)

6. Review coming soon, but I have to ask - did anyone else like Breaking Dawn? Because I completely loved it, and I'm feeling very alone.

Posted by Kat at August 13, 2008 10:00 PM

Comments

Have faith, the entrelac thing will work. It's one of those projects that can look like garbage on the needles, but improves immensely when you block it.

Knitting backwards is pretty essential for entrelac, for exactly the reason you mention - turning the work every few stitches makes you crazy. I don't know of any online resources for it, though I'm sure they're out there.

What Bea and I did was just take it slowly. We worked on it together, visualizing where the needle had to go to form the stitch. It wasn't hard, really.

Since "knitting backward" is just another way of purling, but from the knit side of the stockinette, all you have to do is place the tip of your left hand needle into the back leg of the stitch on the right. Wrap your yarn as usual, and pull the stitch through.

It can be helpful as you begin practicing this to put the needle in place and turn the work around, so you can see that it's really placed as if you were purling on the reverse.

As with anything, it takes time and practice. I've done enough entrelac that the backwards knitting comes pretty naturally to me now, and I'm almost as fast in reverse as I am going forward.

I hope that helps! I'm not sure how good at explaining it I am.

Posted by: Crafting Jen at August 14, 2008 11:54 AM

I wouldn't worry too much--I just got my Interweave yesterday or the day before.

I'm almost finished New Moon and I'm really looking forward to Breaking Dawn. I really like her style so I will probably like whatever she does with the characters.

Did you hear they are postponing the next Harry Potter movie??? Till NEXT SUMMER because it's "more profitable."

Posted by: Caitlin at August 14, 2008 07:57 PM