k2,YO, Rocketship, YO, K3

Another wonderful week in Cheryl Oberle's studio at the Spring 2013 Knitaway.  This year we learned about the Shetland knitters, about open and closed lace, about knitting lace borders on to the body of a shawl, and so much more.  I think my big take away from the Knitaway is that my fellow knitters are the best people I could ever hope to meet.  The women at this Knitwaway were executives, lawyers, social workers, artists, housewives, volunteers, artists, but more than anything people I am thrilled to say I know!!!   And friendships forged here that I hope to have for my life.

Now you may ask about the title of this post...  Our first two days at the Knitaway were about learning technique, learning to knit a triangular shawl, then picking up and adding an inner lace border, and then knitting on an outer border - a very traditional Shetland technique (and please refer to Cheryl's marvelous Folk Shawls to understand more about this incredible tradition).  Let me tell you starting a shawl in the corner and working out is no mean feat, the pattern shifts every row, and so the rhythm  that you get knitting lace in a sqaure is shot.  Anyway we all worked very hard at our small sample shawls and I think Cheryl was happy that we all tried!  But we were all eager to start on Arachne's Bower, the project shawl for the class.

The third evening my mom and I returned to her home and we sat down to knit.  I was repeating in my head,"knit, knit, YO, knit, slip two as if to knit, knit one, pass slipped stitches over, knit, Yo, knit, knit."  Kind of a mouthful and I lost my place several times - too much verbiage....  Then I heard  mom, sitting a few feet away, "dum, dum, YO, rocketship, YO, dum, dum."  She had a rhythm going, and it was marvelous.  It works.  Rocketship is a double decrease "pass two as if to knit, knit one, pass slipped stitches over".  I am now a convert to the rocketship.

The first half of this shawl has a Rocketship decrease, the second half has a different double decrease that looks like a pitchfork, and I know that I will be knitting "dum, dum, YO, pitchfork, YO, dum, dum."  Who says knitting has to sound serious, I am on a knitting rocketship!

This is my first repeat of Arachne's Bower!  I am so proud.


I asked Cheryl about the name of the shawl.  I have always been interested in Greek mythology, and the story of Arachne is one of my favorites.  I will share more about Arachne and my love of her in my next post.  Two of my favorite authors have written about her AS Byatt, and Roberto Calasso!  Can't wait to share.