A New Skill

 

Link

Day 4 Topic:

Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? Maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colourwork? (Tag: knitcroblo4)

There is a skill very loosely related to knitting I don't just hope to learn, but plan to learn, Quilting. It is related to knitting in that fabric is involved as well as making something larger (the quilt) out of something smaller (the pieces). I seem to have an affinity for that kind of crafting.


Over the years I have collected just a few books on quilting-both how to's and patterns that I find fascinating. I have the tools because I've done a lot of sewing in my lifetime. I just need fabric and some time. I've set a 'goal' to start learning quilting when I turn 60 years old. I know myself too well. If I don't make it a goal, it will never happen.

The type of quilting I'm most interested in is Magic Stack-n-Whack Quilts I am always intrigued by kaleidoscopic patterns. That's what you get with Stack-n-Whack. It's done by stacking several layers of the quilting fabric a certain way, then cutting the pieces with a rotary cutter. You end up with stacks of pieces all with the same spot in the fabric print on them. It looks like fun. Wow, after thinking about it I wanna get some fabric!

~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been working on the Navy Textured sweater pretty frequently. It's coming along nicely. The issue about what size needle I made the swatch with kept bothering me so I did stop and make another swatch using the size 8 needle. Unfortunately I did do the original test swatch with the size 6. However, I calculated what the resulting size will be if I just leave things as they are (on size 8) and it will only be an inch wider which is within tolerable limits for the size ease on this particular design.


Since I was changing things, I decided to take out the garter sections and replace them with a different horizontal stripe texture. I'll get more into that when I've taken some pics.

Oh yes, and I threw the new swatch in the wash. The yarn feels like wool, it has bits of plant matter in it and even feels like there's a bit of lanolin in it, but when I did the burn test I got acrylic melt (a blob of plastic). It must be an acrylic/wool blend. I wish there was a label to tell me. I decided to find out what sort of care it's going to require. It washed up just fine in my washing machine and did very well in the dryer. It has softened up a bit too.  I'm very pleased with it. So I shall carry on with the sweater knitting.


Have a nice evening.