Vests & Free Form, 2

Teri brought these lovely metal knitting needle earrings that are for sale. Prices are very reasonable. Click on any photo for a larger image.
Noelle received this cute bank from a friend. It says, "I'm savin' up for knitting lessons." I found a site that sells it at http://www.dabble-on.com/category_listing.html?id=28
Candi made the Denise needle bag and the spotted puppy hat; the free pattern for the hat can be found on knitting.about.com. The backgammon set was made by Julie.
Diana plans to turn this beautiful shawl into a poncho. Irene decided to make her backgammon board into a bag. Karen knitted this soft pastel baby blanket.
Linda brought the Free Form book for our perusal; front and back covers are shown. It is not necessary to buy the book, but in case you are wondering, the price is $37. Oops, the author's name was cut off the photo. Save all scraps for this project; crochet skills will help.

No kidding--our class is huge! Having missed last week, I imagined a large class, but you just have to be there to experience it. It's exciting! It's nice to meet new students and see continuing students again. Linda was busy every minute answering our questions. A great big "thank you" to Linda for taking all of us; we appreciate you.

Check Gauge and Help Jane
There were two sheets of exercises to complete in class on calculating gauge and needle sizes. These exercises were so helpful in figuring out how many stitches or rows are needed for knitting a garment to fit perfectly.

One Class
A small group signed up for the Friday class, so it has been cancelled. We will meet altogether on Thursday evening. Linda reminded us that we are welcome to come on Monday and/or Tuesday evenings to knit in the "side gallery."

Next Fall
Already thinking ahead, Linda is putting together projects for the Fall class. Bea suggested having an easy to intermediate level, so it looks like more fun will come our way.

Extension
Again, thinking ahead, Linda announced that projects for this Spring's extension may include socks, more free form and, by popular demand, the modular purse.

Wool
In defense of wool, Linda took time to explain that one may not be allergic to wool, but just using the wrong kind on the skin. Merino wool is soft and can be worn next to one's skin, whereas a #9 wool is not meant to be worn next to the skin but used as an outer garment such as a vest. The bigger the number of the wool, the farther it should be from one's skin. So, don't be afraid of wool.

Homework
Purchasing yarn and gauging should be completed this week, and we should start working on our vests. Please don't quit the class if you feel overwhelmed; take your time and ask a lot of questions.

Have a pleasant week. Knit on, ladies!