But I really did finish stuff on Friday.

I managed to be productive this week! I have been plugging away on my Spring, Sprang, Sprung Cowl (and formatting the pattern as I go to save time on the backend). I finished writting/formatting the pattern for the crochet triangular shawl for my class tomorrow; I have a couple of pictures I want to take of the three samples together (which I’ll do when I go in to teach a different class today). Yesterday I also finished seaming and weaving in the ends of my 2019 block-a-month KAL throw. We have the wrap-up class today (Jan 25), no time like the last minute!

Teaching 13 classes (12 blocks plus the stitch up) for a single project was fun. Over the course of the year I had some student rotation, but the same core of people for most of the year. As a teacher, it was particularly rewarding to see my student’s confidence in knitting grow right along with their skills! There were even a couple techniques that I had never bothered to try before: namely fisherman’s rib, bubble stitch, and faux cables. These new techniques were fun and easy. As a moderately experienced cable knitter, I still prefer the use of a cable needle to the faux cables!

My students produced some incredible blankets! Every one was different and beautiful. One student chose to work her’s in a single colorway- it is INCREDIBLE and inspired me to work my 2020 block-a-month KAL and CAL blankets in single colorways. Another student worked her’s in a muted neutral palette. Another worked her’s with mixed tweeds in slightly smaller yarn at a smaller gauge. All of my students work their blankets at a larger size than the 12-square size of 36″ x 48″- which I how I worked mine.

The patterns weren’t perfect: there were a number of typos and ambiguous instruction, some of the blocks don’t really fit cohesively into the whole of the blanket. I modified one of the KAL blocks to be easier to work AND have a pattern we could actually see with straight edges. These are some of the drawbacks to working patterns distributed by the corporate department of a big box craft store.

Today is our final 2019 wrap-up class. I’m bringing my ladies rosemary butter cookies, chocolates, and sparkling grape juice. Sticking through a 13 part project deserves a party!
I’m looking forward to seeing how the 2020 KAL shakes out, we started last week and I have a great group.