Groundhog Day

I guess you’ve seen our preview of No 52 - I think it looks pretty good. And, I got my subscription copy in the mail yesterday, already! nah, nah, nah-na! So you shouldn’t have to wait too long - I always send myself a copy in the bulk mailing - the Canadian subscriptions are sent out from Winnipeg via Canada Post, and the US subscriptions go out from a tiny place in North Dakota just across the border, via the United States Postal Service, 4th class mail. I always mark the date I receive my subscription copy just to keep track and this is the earliest ever - Feb 2, Groundhog Day! It is usually around the 7th to the 9th that mine comes, so, although I didn’t hear the official Groundhog Day ruling, I’m going to take this as a sign of an early Spring - might as well be positive!
After the dust has settled, my favourite garment is ‘Purple Purls’, After the dust has settled, my favourite garment is ‘Purple Purls’, After the dust has settled, my favourite garment is ‘Purple Purls’ - (I couldn’t resist - I can’t think of ‘Groundhog Day’ without thinking of that movie - Bill Murray wakes up and every thing is repeated over & over...guess you had to see it) - even though it is not exactly my favourite colour, it’s a great cardigan and I’m sure I will come to enjoy the colour because of the garment. The drape of this yarn - it’s Yeoman’s Cannelé - and the sheen of it, combined with the stitch pattern makes a really nice fabric and there is a ton of good techniques. On one of the mk-chat lists recently, they were talking about lace and shortrowing and a lot of misinformation was going around - reading this pattern should clear up some of those misconceptions, but the key is (at least) reading.
Actually my thoughts are already focussing on the next issue which is Summer and what do I think of? Lace and lacy fabrics and crochet-look things. I’ve spent the past week or so brainstorming, planning and plotting out the next year of KNITWORDS. I think it’s finally time we have a series on the yarn changer, so you can look for seasonal things, starting with single bed yarn changer, maybe a lightweight shawl or wrap in a mohair and rayon bouclé along with a lesson on getting started with the yarn changer - following issues will take you through projects showing the various techniques and types of double bed jacquard.
Another idea I have is for a series called W5 (or something - that’s my working title so far) - which will be say, 3 or 4 methods of doing one thing (What) and then, When, Where, Why and Why not? to help you decide how to apply it to your knitting - what do you think? any ideas for topics? I got a couple, but I’d like to hear what you think/want to see...so email me if you don’t want to respond here.
This is the start of our 14th year of publication. Today, I’m beginning the knitting on a knee-length lace duster in a light tan-coloured, mercerised cotton on the standard gauge machine - loose and airy with a vertical, viney-looking stitch pattern I’m hoping will add inches to my vertically-challenged frame...