And back to knitting! tutmut joins the Olympians!

Well I dithered and I procrastinated and I dithered some more, then I decided at the penultimate moment (near as dammit) to join in YarnHarlot's Knitting Olympics . The deadline for late entries is tonight at midnight (in California I guess).

I have decided to finish what I've started. I promised my (ample) mother I would knit her a cardi. This is no mean thing - years ago I knit her a mohair polo neck tunic type jumper in k1p1 rib which took me AGES! I don't think she ever wore it before she left it in storage and then abandoned the stuff in storage. Took me a long while to forgive her that. So I'd started this TWO years ago (I kid you not) and adjusted the pattern so I thought - well, not only would the sleeve fit your average gorilla, but at that rate I'd run out of yarn. So I must frog the lot. and start again. So my challenge is to work out how to get this cardi to fit, and finish it in 16 days. Who am I trying to kid? This is a Herculean task! We'll see.

My socks are nearly finished - and I'm well pleased. They even fit. For only my second ever attempt at adult socks and first attempt at toe up I've done good. Enough bragging.

Here's another technical tip coming up. I was worried about using my usual cast off on the rib that would be trying to fit around my thick ankles, so I looked in 'The Encyclopedia of Knitting Techniques" by Debby Robinson, and lo, I found this - the 'elastic method for single rib' - it's worked out perfectly...

Holding the yarn on the left hand (LH) needle cut the yarn end so that it's four or five times the length of the row to be cast off. Thread up a blunt tapestry needle with this end and use it to cast off.

1. *Put tapestry needle thr0ugh the first stitch knit (K) wise and slip it off LH needle.
2. Ignoring the next purl (P) stitch, put the needle through the next K stitch purlwise. Return to the ignored P stitch and put needle into it P wise, draw the yarn through and slip it off the LH needle.
3. Take the yarn behind the stitch still on the needle and bring it through to the front of the work. Put needle into next P stitch, K wise. Pull yarn through, not too tightly, then start again from *.

Robinson says, "This method is not half as fiddly as it sounds and produces a neat, very elastic edge, once you get into the swing of it. It can be used whereever a really stretchy edge is required." eg polo necks, or SOCKS!