The volunteer position of teaching knitting, aka my ‘found’ knitting group, includes teaching basic skills. The hope is that this art will serve these ladies well in some capacity in their future. The classes are offered in semesters so the size of the group of ladies varies. And so does the skill level of the participants. With that in mind, I offer a variety of patterns,

all free from Ravelry, from very simple to a bit more complex. Complex in that some patterns may include cables, may have increase and decrease steps, or expect the knitter to read a chart. It is with great effort that I am knitting samples of these patterns so the ladies can see and feel exactly what they are embarking upon.

One lady in particular was zooming right along on her projects. She was a great knitter and expressed a desire to learn how to read charts. So, I found this muffler pattern, a hooded scarf, that I thought would serve well. One could make just the scarf or the entire muffler, has a chart to follow with simple cables and I knew I loved the pattern. So by making it, I would have this great item in my wardrobe as well as serve as the sample of this pattern. 

I call the project ‘transition’ as you will see how, as the weather transitions, so does this fun piece. I knitted it in Lion Brand’s Wool-Ease, worsted weight

wanting to utilize the exact yarn the ladies knit with. (A large collection of this particular yarn was donated for this volunteer position.)

Here I am along Erie Basin Marina’s inner break wall modeling the hooded scarf as single layer.

then, jacket over . . . (an added bonus, no bulk!)

Finally, I added a second scarf, another sample from teaching, wondering how it would work.  Just a girl having fun . . .

Knitting tip: I did not like the lack of an edge along the hood. It felt unfinished to me. So, I wondered what I could do about that. I picked up stitches around the hood and knitted 7 rows of straight stitch which curls naturally. To me, it looks very much like a faux i-cord and frames the hood perfectly.

Another example. Here I used the same technique when the pattern called for i-cord. I was very unhappy with the misshapen neckline when the i-cord was knitted so I, again chose straight stitch for that natural curl filling in an otherwise lop-sided neckline. This sweater is just terrific, knitted in finger weight wool and would have sat on a shelf with an unhappy neckline had this technique not been used. To match, I knitted the hem in the same fashion.

Here are the projects the ladies finished this semester. What I hold onto more than anything else is how one lady expressed how it was the first time she ever finished anything in her life. She gave me a big hug and asked if I would model her project with her.

This lady, below has design in her future. She made this slouch hat but altered the hem.  Rather than sewing down a hem for the brim, she wanted a curled edge. That curled edge, again!  You just gotta love when someone has a vision of their own. It fits her perfectly.

You’re possibly wondering . . . did any of the ladies join me in the knitting of this muffler? Unfortunately, no. At least not in this last semester. However, there is always the next.

Transition as seen on my Ravelry Project Page