Another Inch

Yes, just an inch since I last posted. An inch and 3^rd button hole. It doesn't seem like much, but the stitch count has doubled since the cast on—so each row now is equal to 2 last week—so inch is steady progress. 

And it is going to get worse (more increases!) before it gets better! There will be increases right on up till I have 7.5 inches of yoke (and now its 4.5) By the end, each row will be 4 times longer than the cast on row..

Then, a good third of the stitches will be set aside for the sleeves, and the body will be worked in stocking knit, with a very simple knit and purl pattern.

Secondly, it is pretty easy to see now the different skeins have different percentages of darker pink—the first skein was the very palest--and later skeins will have a greater percent of the darker pinks. I think this will be quite attractive. It will be as if the dark color is falling.

To take a break—I cast on, and did a few rows of Slippers #1—More garter stitch, but worked in worsted weight wool, on size 10.5 needles. Lion Brand Wool –in a dark grey. Working with the larger needles works different muscles. The fabric is soft and loose and open-- it will be fulled. Fulling is the proper term to use when changing fabric—Felting is done to fibers. Of course, fulling is changing the fibers just the same as felting.. But different—by knitting the fabric into a shape not just molding the fiber.

So the slippers are knit loose (10.5 needle—for worsted!) and large (they look like slippers for giants!) and then sewn into shape, and fulled. The fabric tightens up, and gets thicker, and shrinks a good deal too. The result is a nice dense fabric that makes a nice slipper.