Dear Knitters and Crocheters,

My Fred is the best cat I have ever had. He loves it when I knit for hours in my Corbusier chaise. The peaceful rhythm of his purring is in perfect harmony with my clickity click and it puts me in a very happy place. To me, knitting is like silent music. A personal visual rhythm is superimposed over time and space, involving all my senses. I have knit my way through happy, sad and trying times and it's in the knitting that my sense memories are preserved.

On the coldest, darkest February day when winter seems endless, all I want to do is curl up with a good book under my very first crocheted wave stitch afghan and reminisce about the days I made it, when my son was a baby. I remember him wanting me to read him yet another story and I would say, yes, Max, just let me finish this row. Max's passions are writing and reading and real music; mine is the quiet, unspoken alternative - knitting. We coexisted in a home full of love and inspiration, he creating a world of literary make believe while I dressed the set with costumes and decorations. We shared our rich fantasies. Some people keep scrapbooks, others keep photographs and trophies. My memories are alive and well and living in my knitted pieces. I am eternally young when my favorite knitted things can make time stand still.

My assistant Deana's dog Watson loves to get dressed up, so I thought it would be great fun to knit him a winter outfit. This perfectly beautiful black Pekingese looks great in red. His own shiny long fur will act as the trim on a fine Lavish coat and hat.

This week's free pattern is June, a roomy shirt/sweater knit in Suede. I think I will knit one in black and add a contrasting yoke and trim it with some fringe. Maybe I can find some cowboy pearl snaps to use instead of buttons. And then, I am on a quest for some great cowboy boots. This is how I have always approached a printed pattern. For me it is simply an inspiration, a departure point from which I can create another costume.

Lynette from Baton Rouge asks,
Many yarn labels advise handwashing for care instructions. I have a front loader washing machine that tumbles instead of agitates and I wash my fine lingerie and fine gauge machine knit sweaters in a bag with mild soap and cold water. Is there any reason why I cannot do the same with a hand knit sweater when the ball band recommends handwash?

Lynette, here is my best advice. To be absolutely certain, I recommend that you test wash a good size swatch in the sweater bag and in the machine before washing your entire sweater in this manner. If there is no problem with the swatch, you should have no problem with the sweater. If you are using a machine with an agitator and/or you use hot water or there is a change in the temperature of the water during the cycle, you may have shrinkage and felting or fulling. These days many knitters are eager to find yarns that will felt. I was raised to believe that felting is something that we try to avoid at all cost. Of course I always like to lay my precious knits flat to dry and out of the direct sunlight. I really don't like to dry clean anything that I could wash.

We've heard from those of you who are knitting the Suede Bethany Booties featured in the last KnitBits #71. There was an error in the pattern. Dec Row 1 should be: (P2 TOG) 10 times. Thank you to everyone who wrote us.

Enjoy yours.


Margery Winter
Creative Director

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