Holes Wrapped in Yarn

I blithely packed up my yarn, needles and a stitch dictionary with a vague idea of what I might do with them while on vacation. I shopped for lace panels in the dictionary, and fell in love with this one:

Then for no real reason at all, I decided to work it in the round. Which is really lucky for me, because look what happens on row/round 4! This pattern calls for increases and decreases to happen on consecutive rows, which means that if I were working flat, I would have to do those maneuvers from the wrong side! Which I have never done before! And is scary! 

I've been bitten in the arse by the old "Lace Knitting vs. Knitted Lace" distinction. For those who don't know; Lace Knitting is when you make all the increases and decreases on the front/knit side of the work, and just work even on the back/purl side.  Knitted Lace is when the action happens on the back/purl rows as well. So as long as I'm knitting this circularly, things are really normal, because I'm always on the front/purl side of the piece. But when I separate at the armholes and start working back and forth, I'm going to have to learn a whole pile of new sexy party tricks. Knitting is so ceaselessly amazing: There is always something you've never done before. 

Dreams of Spring

Well, it's finally Spring Vacation for the Family Von Huff. We're heading to the coast for a little break, during which I want to be knitting something new. After all this winter with literally miles of yarn in my lap, I'm ready for something a little lighter. Something with maybe a little lace in it...

I've been hoarding these beauties since a dear friend bought them for me for my birthday. No, I will not tell you which birthday, because you're far to polite to ask. Isn't it gorgeous? Dream in Color Smooshy, in "Plum Paisley".  I have about 900 yds, so whatever I come up with, it won't be very big, no matter what.

I'm leaning toward something camisole-y. Some sort of pretty, vest/tank-like item that looks and feels feminine and hints of warmer days.

What are your favorite sleeveless patterns? Happy Solstice!

Finally! Just like I promised...

For those of you who haven't (yet) attended my "Stars and Stripes" class: Good News! You can now download the 20-page workbook on Ravelry!  CLICK HERE to get yours.

The companion text to my three-hour class, this e-book will guide you through the process of making your own Norwegian Fana sweater, in any size.

From understanding the elements of Historical, Traditional and Modern Fana, to taking accurate body measurements, through all the calculations you'll need, this workbook covers the Fana Formula comprehensively. At the end, you'll find detailed steeking diagrams, and notes on further reading.

Included are the special star and stripe charts I designed for you: their stitch counts fit easily into Fana of all different sizes. Feeling more adventurous? You can design your own motifs, using the custom gauge-friendly graph paper.

Want more? CLICK HERE to review all my Fana-related blog posts and follow my journey.

I love it when a plan comes together.