Episode Two: The Plot Thickens. Loved the wedding. Don't know if the Glenn's marriage is really in trouble, and the Clunes are still very LA. Staying home tomorrow night for the conclusion.

I finished the back of the current project and have decided I don't like the armhole decreases. Berroco has a tendency to overdo the fullfashion decrease. So I've got to figure out a new way to decrease two stitches at the beginning and end of every right side row. The way it's done now is just too home made looking for my tastes. Anyone have any ideas? I'm going to try consecutive SSK and K2tog and see how it looks.

Had to rip out the ribbing for the front of the orange Cotton Classic. I don't know how I did this but I cast on 103 stitches instead of the 116 I needed. I didn't notice this until I couldn't get the pattern repeat to work out. I've redone it and am ready to start the pattern. What's with all the problems lately?

Just finished watching "Frontier House". It was a lot like "The 1900 House" from a couple of years back but with a twist. I think the conflict motif is adding something new. I have recently done a lot of reading about pioneer life in Kansas in1870-80. This was a little like watching a video of the book. I'll probably cancel my Tuesday night knitting get-together so I can watch the next episode. I didn't think I would enjoy this. Surprised me.

I almost finished the back of the new sweater while watching.

This is the sweater I'm making. I finally remembered how to link. But I guess I was too impatient for the link to appear so I kept thinking it wasn't working. I hope I can remember how to do this the next time.

When I got home from Skein today I was so excited by all the knitting and teaching that I just couldn't wait to start a new project. What's one more broken promise? I had some Sugar and Cream that I bought a couple of weeks ago that I'm using to make a cap sleeve raglan top. I have about six inches done of the back.

I used some of my knitting credits to get some Berroco Linet. Pale lime. I think it's for a short sleeve cardigan I found in one of the Berroco pattern books. Sure with I knew how to get pictures up so you could see.

I've reached the armhole shaping on the orange sweater. I have to stop and refigure the pattern. The shaping interrupts the pattern sequence in such a way that I can't see where to start the pattern once I've bound off and shaped the armholes. Tonight I will chart it out. This morning I'm too groggy to focus.

I want to start something new. I have so many options that I can't pick one. I've been looking at stitch patterns in Barbara Walker's First Treasury of Knitting Patterns but I guess I'll have to select a yarn first.

Going to lunch with Bill and Ed and then to Skein for the afternoon. I have a new student coming in. She used to be at La Knitterie Parisienne but she wasn't happy with the teaching style. I worked there for a few weeks earlier this year. I understand what she's saying. Anyway, I'll try to get her remotivated. She's bringing a friend with her who wants to learn intarsia. It's been a while since I did any intarsia but I think I'll be okay. It is pretty simple to do, you just have to keep track of where you are and plan ahead a little so your yarn will be where you want it to be when go get to the motif. Bobbins can be irritating but they're pretty essential sometimes. Usually I just work with long strands that can be pulled through whenever I need them. I learned this from Kaffe Fassett.

I did my swatch for the orange Cotton Classic and it's really terrific. I used Sweater Wizard to create a schematic. And I've done one repeat and half of another. It's a 24 row repeat so that's pretty good progress. I really like the way it looks. As soon as I can figure out how to do it I will post some photos.

I'm working at Skein for the next three days so I doubt if I'll have much time to work on my blogging skills but I'll have lots of time to knit. That's what I like about working at Skein. I can knit non-stop unless I'm teaching someone or answering questions. I've made a sort of arbitrary decision to finish a sweater every two weeks. We'll see if that works out. I'll have to stay pretty focused and that's not easy for me. I'm usually ready to start something new by the time I have the back done. Sometimes sooner.

And the good news is I finished the wine colored, Spettacolo sweater, except for sewing up the side seams and underarm. I'll do that tomorrow when the light is better.

I found a stitch pattern that I like for the orange Cotton Classic. It's the Flame Chevron in Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. I hope I have time to test it out tomorrow. I also have to find the rest of the yarn. I know it's here somewhere.

Not a lot of progress today. I did get about a foot done on the scarf I'm making from some old Galway yarn. I'm taking apart a sweater I made about five years ago but didn't like. Most of the yarn is in fairly short pieces so I have to add new yarn about every two rows. I'm working it with two strands of different colors using size 13 needles. I think it will be about 8 feet long when I finish.

I spent most of the day on chores so I didn't work on the Spettacolo sweater. I might still have time for a few rows tonight.

Yesterday and today, while working at Skein, I made my first ever baby sweater. I used Tahki Viva, a very chunky yarn and a pattern from Plymouth Yarn Company. I made it as a shop sample and it has already generated two sales for the yarn and some interest from other shoppers.

Tonight I'm working on the wine colored Spettacolo sweater. I hope I can finish the sleeves and get it sewn up by tomorrow. I have three new pattern books that I want to play with.

Tonight we went to the L A Chamber Orchestra.

What a trip! I went to Alamitos Bay Yarn Company today. The store is almost right on the water in Long Beach. The harbor is jammed with sail boats of all kinds. And the weather was beautiful! Lots of sun but not very hot. But the store itself is even better, if you like incredible yarns. At first I just wandered around trying to take it all in. They had lots of colors that I had not seen in yarns that I was familiar with as well as yarns I had never seen. I didn't think the prices were any higher than comparable yarns I had seen else where. In fact, I've seen some of these yarns at one or two dollars higher. I got some Classic Elite Provence in a couple of colors and some Berroco Sprite in a bright orange, blue, magenta etc.

We stopped at a shop in Bellflower on the way back. This shop looks like it's been there for a very long time. They also carry a large selection of needlepoint, embroidery and crochet supplies. This shop is definitely not upscale. They do have some fun yarns, mostly from Adriafil. I think they're primarily mid to low end. I got 11 skeins of Cotton Classic from Tahki for only $3.25 each. I haven't seen this yarn at this price for a very long time. Maybe they're closing it out. I bought one skein of Noro's Kureyon to make a roll brim hat, $7.25, also the lowest price I've seen that yarn at. Then I found some Sugar 'n Cream in lavender with printed color dots for only $1.99 a skein, so I got all 9 of them. I guess this will be a summer shell for Lisa. She'll love the color. I don't know how well this yarn will hold up but it's used a lot for dishcloths so it should be pretty sturdy.

We stopped in Monrovia and had lunch at Jake's Roadhouse. Fantastic cheeseburgers and fries made with real potatoes. So all in all I had a great time. My friend Mary did too. She was shopping for a friend so she could buy whatever she wanted in the way knitting supplies. I discovered there are a couple more knit shops in the Long Beach area. Another trip is being planned.

I didn't get much knitting done today but a little progress on the current project. Will it be done by this weekend?

I went to the needlework group at Vroman's tonight. Small group but one of my favorite people was there. I told her about blogging and sent her my address so she could check it out. The store was so cold we all left early.

I'm going to finish the front of the Spettacolo sweater tonight and put the shoulders together using the three needle bind off. I love this bind off. It's so easy and so neat. I won't be able to work on the sleeves until Friday as I'm going to go yarn shop hopping tomorrow. A couple of shops in Long Beach and one in Bellflower. My friend, Mary, and I will terrorize them and have lunch somewhere on the water.

I fixed the cables and am now starting the decreases for the armholes. I want to have this finished by the weekend. I'm going to knit the sleeves from the top down so I won't have to sew them in. I can't decide what I'm going to make next. There are some good looking things in Knitter's Stash but they have long sleeves and I don't think they'll look right with short sleeves. So I'm going through some Berroco patterns and all the Rebecca books I have. These I can modify. I want to make something orange. I have at least three options here. Four, if you count the mohair, but I don't think I want to work with that right now. Try again in November.

I guess I can't watch TV and knit anymore. I used to do this all the time. Tonight I made a mistake in my current project and have to rip out at least 7 rows, maybe more. This yarn does not like to be ripped so I have to go one stitch at a time, undoing cables. I am so ticked.

I have finished the back of the new sweater and am pretty far along on the front. Lisa decided she wanted shorter sleeves so I'm going back to my original Sweater Wizard pattern and change the length. I'm really pleased with the way the Spettacolo looks. And Lisa liked the yarn a lot.

Last night we worked on getting my blog to look a little better and to be more functional. I'm not sure how much I retained from all the instructions. But Lisa is only an email away. After all the tech time Lisa left with a new sweater and a shawl. The sweater was from another Berroco pattern and the shawl was based on one in the book 24 Gorgerous Sweaters for New Knitters (or something like that).

Just started a new sweater. I'm using Stahl's Spettacolo in a wine color. I adapted a pattern from a Berocco book I have. I couldn't find anything in the gauge I'm getting with this yarn so I used my Sweater Wizard and made it up. I'm not sure how much I like this yarn. It seems very stretchy and the sweater looks large but I'm getting the gauge. So I'll just proceed until I finish the first ball. I'll measure again at that point to see if the stretchiness was because of the needles or if the gauge has actually changed. This yarn is a pain to rip out and it breaks some of the little fuzzy things in the yarn so I don't want to rip if I don't have to. I'm making a three quarter length sleeve for the very first time. There's a double braid cable up the front and a v-neck with 2x2 rib. I think it's going to be nice. I hope it fits.