It’s so silly, but one of the highlights of my day has been getting an email from Paradise Fibers saying that my order is on its way. As I mentioned in earlier posts, I’ve been following Arne & Carlos’s Quarantine Knitting Mystery KAL to try to keep my mind off the coronavirus and to help manage my ever-growing anxiety.

This is one of my blocks so far. I love this green, but I’m craving red or pink!

I am truly amazed at how many people have joined this KAL (short for knit-along and my first one ever). The work that some of the knitters are sharing is just wonderful. Quite a few of them were lucky to have many different colors stored away in their homes to make each square different. Or, they had lovely palettes to choose from. Others, like me, had fewer color choices, but still, it’s fun to see all the possibilities.

I like the yarn I’m using, but as I kept knitting new pieces, I started longing for some red, pink, and orange, but I had none at home. So, I went online and ordered a few bright colors and that’s what will be arriving soon. 🚚

It feels good to support any small business during this time. Please consider ordering some yarn from your local yarn store if you are short on supplies.

Besides being able to enjoy beautiful work by other talented knitters from around the world through the KAL, I’ve also picked up some new tips! Here are a few things I’ve learned from fellow knitters in a short period of time:

APPS TO TRACK KNITTING PROGRESS — Cool!
As long as I’ve been knitting, I’ve mostly followed patterns from magazines or pamphlets. If I download a PDF, like the charts from this KAL, I usually print a copy and keep it close by to keep track of where I am on the pattern using a pen or pencil. But when patterns get more complicated, I sometimes need to resort to crazy ways to remind myself of where I left off, like creating my own code, like this! (blushing)

Anyway, someone in the Facebook group said that she didn’t print the charts. Instead, she recommended a knitting app you can download on your phone or iPad called Knitcompanion. This app allows you to upload your patterns, or link your Ravelry account to view patterns you have already saved. It includes a highlighter so you can easily follow knitting charts line by line (so helpful for those with bad/declining eyesight). It even counts for you! You can mark where you leave off in the app and be sure you’ll know exactly where to start next time you pick up your project again.

This has always been a problem for me. I’ll sometimes write a note on my paper pattern, like, “on 6,” but then when I return to it, I can’t remember if I meant, to start at 7 because I left off on row 6, or start at row 6 because I just completed row 5. (I know, confusing!) So, this app is a must-have for anyone who knits. And it’s also handy for other crafts, like cross-stitching or even working with beads. I’ve downloaded it to my phone and iPad and now I can follow along with the charts so much easier and I don’t need to waste ink or paper. Yay!

REVERSE KNITTING — knitting like a lefty has some added benefits
The second trick I learned that is super cool is reverse knitting. I have friends that are left-handed that have asked me for help with their knitting before, but since I’m right-handed, it’s nearly impossible for me to explain things to them. (I’m sorry!) I tried reverse knitting (knitting like a lefty) once, and could only do it if I went super slow. It felt extremely awkward. So I just gave up. But what I learned from the group, which totally makes sense, is that if you knit from left to right, as right-handed knitters do, and then at the end of the row, you don’t turn your work, but instead you knit from left to right, like left-handed knitters would, you never have to purl the back of a fair isle project! Isn’t that neat?

I don’t know if I’ll ever try this (too hard!) but it was a fun fact that made total sense. I found this video on left-handed knitting that I think can help anyone who is interested in learning more about this technique.

And finally…

DOUBLE KNITTING — you’ll look like a magician with this trick!
The third thing I learned is that you can knit two versions of the motifs we’ve been making simultaneously by doing what is called double-knitting. The results are super pretty! I haven’t had enough time to try the technique yet, but it’s something that I’ve been wanting to learn, and with Arne and Carlos’ video on the topic, I think I’m ready to give it a try. The resulting piece has the pattern you choose on one side and the reversed version of the pattern on the other side. Very neat!

The colors I’ll be getting remind me of the beautiful poppies that were everywhere during my mid-day walk with Estelle today.

I can’t wait to get them!