Lessons Learned on Day 1

I decided to take 5 classes at Purl Jam 2008. On Day One B & I took in Annie Modesitt's "Color Combination" class bright & early... well for most the 9 o'clock hour was early, but I once again woke at the wonderful hour of 5:00 AM...that's truly early. I found class pretty straightforward & fairly easy which I was surprised about...figured that I had been doing it "wrong".

I had only done a small bit of colorwork on a blanket square in the shape of the Hokie Bird. It turned out okay, not great...a bit tight across the floats, but I was pleased that it made it into one of the blankets. The only other time had been on DH's and T's blankets...huge squares which were done as color blocks with each color wrapped around as I came to the changes. In Annie's class I discovered that I had been doing it correct for the most part. She had a few tricks to make things appear a bit smoother and easier as you knit along...as in fewer tangles of the various yarns which I loved learning. I will be trying out these techniques in a handbag and a scarf in the next several weeks.

After lunch it was on to Cornelia Tuttle-Hamilton's "Fear of Finishing" class. At the party the night before we had learned from her that we only needed 2 squares for our homework, not the 6 that had been listed. I figured we would learn different ways of joining seams of various stitch patterns...my OCD kicking in....but it was really just the mattress stitch on anything & everything. I played around with each of my squares during class & discovered that if the edge stitch can be figured out, then yes mattress stitch works well.

As Cornelia said I must think ahead about the edges of my work in order to have a nice finish. I'll really need to check my Nicole Jacket pattern to see if the designer took into account the need for an extra stitch to compensate for the basketweave patterning & the fact that during the seam joining I'll loose a stitch at each end.

I must admit to being a bit disappointed that mattress stitch was the only technique shown because I had assumed there would be other methods. In the long run it was fine because I was able to see that mattress stitch will work on anything...even my Shaped Edge Sweater. I had taken that as my UFO so I could see how to seam up those ribbed diagonal edges. Cornelia took it over to figure it out since she found it "unusual" then she passed it off to S, to stitch up the seam a bit. It bothered B that Cornelia didn't bring it back over to me & show me what was going on, but she has never seamed anything & was sorta lost with what was happening. I found nothing wrong with it...all I need to do is spread apart the seaming & see exactly how & what was done. S did a wonderful job as did Cornelia so why be upset?

Cornelia approached me the next morning to appologize about passing it off...not sure why she felt the need to say anything, but I told her it was fine & that now I had less seaming and could tell everyone that I had a "real" designer do some "finishing" on the sweater. Pretty coool I'd say! So thanks Cornelia & S for putting your creative touches to my sweater!