moonfrog –

Mirroring a design makes it pleasing to the eye.

This has been quite a month for doing fun things, which is fitting since it will end with my birthday. Who said you can’t celebrate all month long?! This weekend’s fun was two classes with Cat Bordhi put on by the Northcoast Knittery. Anyone who has taken a class with Cat before knows that she is curious and enthusiastic about her knitting and about life.

A really interesting thing she taught us about designing is that if you mirror an image, it will make it pleasing to the eye. She did one design that turned into a bird when mirrored, which delighted her.

This was during the Insouciant Sock class on Saturday, which was the main class I signed up to take. I had already taken the New Pathways Sock class three years ago, so was looking forward to this one, thinking it would build on the first one. This way of making socks is nothing like the other one! I love this method. It suits me.

Completed foot and second toe.

We started our socks in class and I finished the foot of mine that night. I just couldn’t put it down for long. Now I’m working on the second foot so I can do the cuffs together. This amazing, care-free construction involves knitting a closed foot, then opening a spot like you do with an afterthought heel, only this spot is for the leg. The leg!!

I’ve actually opened the hole on the first sock — it wasn’t too painful opening that hole — and knit a few rows on the cuff. Then I popped them on the stitch holders and got busy on the next toe. The fit is great with the help of a cardboard foot tracing that serves as a map of the knitting. No pattern is necessary for the basic construction; it is all recorded on the cardboard footprint. These will have my usual 2×2 ribbed cuff, nothing fancy. I’m actually thinking my next pair of these will incorporate the Swedish Fish sock design, which has been waiting patiently in my pattern stash. It think my sock-drought has ended!

Cat wearing Hermione's Rings Cowl.

My schedule opened up and I was able to add on Cat’s Moebius class for Sunday. It was fun and easy learning the moebius cast-on in class. Once I got that under my belt, I started making Harmione’s Rings Cowl. Cat was wearing one on Thursday, when she attended our Sip-n-Knit. (Did I forget to mention that she joined our knit night group? She really does dive right in!)  I asked her about the cowl she was wearing and was very happy that it was an option for the moebius class. Mine is a practice version only, so I will start it in another yarn when I have time.

We talked more about mirror images in designs and more about the  moebius than I thought was possible. The creative muses could be felt in the room as knitters’ brains worked overtime thinking of designs and possibilities. Each class was seven hours long, with a mandatory hour time-out for lunch, so there were also some very tired knitters when the weekend was over.

Harry Wells with Cat Bordhi.

Thanks go out to the shop owner, Laura, who is working hard to bring top-name knitters to our small town area. (The picture of her and Cat sadly did not turn out.)  More thanks to Jo, who works in the shop and did not get to attend so that the shop could stay open. And special thanks to Harry, the shop manager, who works very hard to keep all his knitters happily knitting along.

Now I’m going back to knitting my socks. No matter that I have a sweater and gloves on the needles and designs to create for the shop contest. Today it is all about the socks!