It’s spring! We’ve had a cool start to spring this year. But the bushes and the trees are now budding and the grass is beginning to turn green. The threat of snow has gone and now we only have rain and thunderstorms in our forecast. Daytime temperatures are now between 55 and 60.
I wish for everyone to have a Happy Easter this Sunday. I will be enjoying dinner with my family and giving a prayer of thanks for the blessing of being able to do so.
Winter has definitely arrived in Nebraska. It started snowing yesterday morning and continued throughout the day — we ended up with around 10 inches — and then, the wind kicked in. This means blizzard conditions — blowing snow, major snow drifts, limited visibility and extremely hazardous driving conditions.
All the schools were closed yesterday and many businesses closed early and sent staff home. DH arrived home around 12:30 PM. Schools still closed today — sun is out, but it is bitterly cold and there is a large drift covering our entire driveway. No sign of a snow plow, so for now — we are snowed in.
I spent most of my time yesterday afternoon finishing the Chevron Hat — I frogged it back to the beginning of the crown because I did not like the way it was turning out. Found another beret pattern that has you decreasing stitches by half every so many rows — tried that, keeping to the alternating of colors every 4 rows. Much better. Hat is now done and awaiting blocking along with the scarf. I will post pictures tomorrow.
Have a fresh loaf of bread going in the bread machine — didn’t make it to the grocery store before the big storm. Fresh homemade bread and a hot pot of soup sounds good — off to make the soup.
This is the first post about Cast Ons. There have been several books written about different cast on methods as well as many chapters in general knitting references and YouTube videos. What I know now as a long time, more experienced knitter is that there a lots and lots of different ways to accomplish the task of putting the first stitches on your needles so that you can begin to knit. But when I first started knitting, I only knew one way to cast on. That’s because, as I believe is the case for most beginners, I was only taught one way to cast on. And I suspect that my knitting teacher taught me that cast on because it was the method that she knew.
While visiting my older sister, I learned to knit from a woman who sold yarn kits and gave knitting lessons in her apartment. So, my first knitting project was a slipper pattern kit that came with the yarn, a set of needles and an easy beginner level pattern. I think I had maybe two lessons from her and I was off to knit on my own. My teacher taught me the “Knitted Cast On” method. I used this method for a long time before discovering another cast on method – the “Backwards Loop (or E-wrap)” cast on.
The first time I encountered the notion that there were other ways to cast on was when I was knitting my very first sweater and I ran into an issue and needed some help with my project. Now, I lived in a very small town and there weren’t many people who knew how to knit. My mother located a neighbor who did and was willing to help me, so I went over to her house with my sweater. The neighbor did help me get my problem fixed – but what I remember most clearly about this session was what she said about my cast on: “Oh, you cast on wrong.”
My 11 year old self didn’t comment on that statement, but I was doing a slow burn because “I DID Cast on the right way.” I had used the knitted cast on that I knew. A lot of time passed between this incident and my learning that there are many ways to accomplish the same thing in knitting. And – I am still learning different ways to cast on!
So, in this series of posts about cast ons, I will discuss the cast ons that I currently know how to do and when and with what projects I use them. Since it was the first one I learned, I’m starting with the Knitted Cast On.
The knitted cast on is an easy cast on to learn as a beginner. Essentially, you create your first stitch on your needle by making a slip knot, placing it on the needle and start the cast on by knitting a stitch through the loop using your other needle. Once you have the stitch on the right hand needle, you slip it back onto the left hand needle and tighten it up a little, then knit into that stitch and repeat the process until you have the desired number of stitches.
Where I use this cast on:
Here’s a YouTube video on this cast on: Knitting Help – Knitted Cast On
Next Post: e-Wrap (Backwards Loop) and Cable Cast On Methods
I just finished reading Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This is a must read book for anyone who is concerned about the lack of equality for women worldwide, as well as lack of decent health care and education for women and children throughout the developing countries of our world.
The book is very factual, yet filled with actual stories about real people and how they have been able to overcome extreme hardship with some small amount of help — in the form of microloans or sponsorships for education. There are stories that will make you weep and stories that will make you smile — but they all show a better way for those of us who have much more to help those who don’t.
The authors will challenge your thinking about large government funded aid programs and the role our government(s) should play in the developing countries of the world — especially Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. They make a very strong case for approaching problems on a more personal and direct way.
Check out the book and check out the website:
www.halftheskymovement.org — it’s worth a look.
