July 2021

CrazyShot! • More mitts • Permalinks • Time off

CrazyShot!
Creative Overshot Weaving on the Rigid Heddle Loom

Do you have a rigid heddle loom? If not, you might want to hurry up and get one.

Myra Wood is releasing her newest book later this month, and it’s full chock-full of jaw-dropping patterns for overshot weaving.

Naturally, you’ll find clear instructions in the book too. So if you’re at all inclined to give this eye-catching technique a try, follow Myra on Facebook to be among the first to know when the book is available.

More mitts

I’m still exploring variations of Sybil R’s Hexagon Mitts, seeing where the thumb-out construction will lead. This time around, I wanted to focus on the purl ridges – so I started the thumb with a purled version of the long-tail cast-on, and replaced the original ribbing with yet more purl ridges.

The resulting thumb looks like something out of a Dr. Suess book. (It’s not just me, right? You see it too, don’t you?)

Continuing with the ridged theme, I joined the side seam with a 3-needle bind-off, holding the wrong sides together to put the bulk of the bind-off on the right side.

Alas, this ridge is too hefty for my tastes. Next time I knit mitts like these, I’d go back to grafting. And I’d probably add half-fingers, as bikewi did for her Circle Mitts with Fingers.

But before knitting more mitts, I’m toying with the idea of trying one of Sybil’s other designs. Top contenders include:

• U-Turn Hat and U-Turn Mitts. DH has expressed an interest in a matched set, to wear next winter at our local farmer’s market.

• Garter Stitch Bias Top. But I’d like to try knitting from the bottom up, so I can join the sections without picking up stitches, kind of like my multi-directional scarves.

• Jolly Waves Cowl. Check out the color combos other knitters have used. Doesn’t that look like it would be a great way to use up a set of gradient mini skeins??

Hmm... it may be time to go stash-diving...

Permalinks

Since getting Stitch-Maps.com up and running in its new home, I’ve been making small tweaks under the hood – mostly invisible stuff, like fine-tuning the site’s firewall and dealing with weird database errors. But in case you missed it, I wanted to mention the one visible change I’ve made: permalinks, for both stitch patterns and collections.

For example, via the  link icon next to the name of a stitch pattern, you can now access the pattern’s permalink. That’s a link that won’t change, even if the pattern’s name changes in the future.

Why’s this helpful? Because using permalinks – on Ravelry, or Pinterest, or whatever – is the best way to prevent link rot and the dreaded “Page not found” error.

So. Not a huge new feature, but still kinda useful, yes?

Time off

This would normally be the point in the newsletter where I’d be telling you about my next big project. Spoiler alert: it isn’t.

After getting Stitch-Maps.com settled into its new home, I couldn’t get fired up about any other projects. Not designing, not writing, not developing new classes, none of it. I tried reading books on perseverance and avoiding distraction, but the self-motivation – so necessary for being self-employed – had run out.

So. On the advice of some excellent friends (y’all know who you are), I’m taking a break. For the time being, I’m not stressing out about choosing and making progress on some big project. I’m not stressing out about “being productive.” I’m going to take some time to wander and see what catches my interest.

Maybe, after the past stressful year, you’re also feeling a lack of motivation, or a smidge of burnout. Maybe you’re also looking for the courage to step back and take care of yourself. If so, may I suggest following Liz and Mollie?

I love the way they share insights every so gently on their Instagram feed. And I thoroughly enjoyed their book No Hard Feelings. Maybe you will too.