Kassie's Vacation Knitting

   I'm about to head out on vacation! And of course, I have more than one knitting project planned. I'll be flying on a plane, so I thought I would share some tips for traveling with your knitting, as well as the projects I'll hopefully finish!

   Knitting and crocheting are ideal for long flights. But there's always the fear of your needles being taken away! These are a few of my traveling rules:

Colorful Skies by Jessica Bolof,
using Zauberball #1505

• Bamboo! I always use bamboo, I find it breezes through the security scanner. Sometimes they tend to linger on the metal needles. 

Outlander Cowl by Andee Fagan,
using Schmutzerella Yarns Mondo in "Expelliarmus".

• Regardless if I am knitting in the round or flat, I always try to have at least 1" of the project knitted before I pack it. Then the (bizarre to some) needle and cord has a purpose, instead of a potentially suspicious object.

Stripes Hat, Ribby or Slouchy by Barbara French,
using samplers for my Dyeing Yarn 101 class (coming in August)!

• I always try to travel with circulars. They look less like sticks of doom and more like sticks of wibbly wobbly. I also keep my cord length between 16"-24". If I do travel with double-points, I put them in with pencils or makeup brushes! So sneaky!

Snip-its, Yarn Cutting Pendant, or Addi Mini Scissors may all make "the cut" at security!
The cute notion case is by local artist ChubbyCloud Designs.
I've taken home the toadstool one. :)

• But how do you travel with certain tools? A needle gauge, crochet hooks, fix-a-stitches and tapestry needles are travel essentials. I've never had a problem with blunt tapestry needles or crochet hooks. Scissors are a risk though. Blunt-tipped scissors with a blade 4" or shorter are technically allowed, but a security agent can still take them away.

   Sad to say, your knitting is not guaranteed, even if you use my tips. But I've also heard of knitters having no problems at all, with metal needles or even their interchangeable Addi Click sets!

   Do you have a fun trip planned? What tried-and-true travel methods do you use?

Custom Fit

Custom Fit

Many of you have heard of Custom Fit by Amy Herzog. For those of you that are not familiar with Custom Fit, it is a program to create a pattern to fit YOUR body!!!  It's like having a custom tailor for all of your sweater needs! I am doing a test drive to see how it works.

First comes measuring yourself. We are not talking bust, waist, and hips. Amy has you take 22 different measurements from your body!!! Yes…you heard correct 22!! I highly recommend wearing exercise clothes or something close to the body to get accurate measurements.  I also recommend a friend to assist you. As a Custom Fit yarn shop, we would provide this service to you, to help you get the most accurate measurements and ensure the best fit. 

Secondly, SWATCHING!!  I know most knitters like to skip this step, but the key to a well-fitting garment is knowing the exact final measurements. Amy not only needs you to knit a swatch, it needs to be not 2”, not 4”, but a whopping 6” swatch in the pattern stitch of your choice. 

My Custom Fit dashboard for Swatches!

I chose to knit a swatch out of Zitron’s Patina, a shiny, versatile, single-ply blend of merino and rayon:

I chose classic stockinette stitch plus a garter stitch border around, but you can choose literally any stitch pattern that catches your fancy!

Third, BLOCKING. Amy suggests blocking the swatch the way you are going to care for your sweater.  This is also a critical step to gauge and fit. I put my swatch in my washing machine under the hand wash cycle then pinned it out to dry.

Fourth, designing your very own, custom fit sweater!! I input all my numbers and answer questions about what type of sweater I would like to knit up. Magically a Custom Fit pattern is created for YOUR BODY!!!

My Custom Fit dashboard for Patterns!

So we would like to know if this is a program you would like to see us offer to you, our customer?  Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

I have started my Custom Fit sweater and I will update you on the progress!

Happy Knitting

Liz