I have started Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise too many times to mention.  Everyone I know has knitted the sweater and has told me repeatedly, once you get the first one completed, you won’t be able to stop creating them. I have written about my attempts at this sweater, in a variety of different yarns, but there is always a point where I am stuck and just give up.

 

Well, before my best friend’s granddaughter is too old to fit into a baby surprise, I decided to invest in the DVD, which I am told will arrive any day.  Hopefully, this will get me through the sweater, step by step.

 

If I have to, I’ll sequester myself away in my dining room with the computer and sit at the table and do this until I get it right.  Hopefully, I will be able to post my progress shortly.

In the meantime, I have only 4 or 5 inches to the next armhole of my sweater shawl.  It is looking promising that I will be able to wear it while at Stitches.

 

Last night at our knitting group, the topic of the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival came up, which led to a discussion of drop spindles.  I purchased mine while watching a demonstration at Stitches a few years ago. It is a beautiful spindle. I clearly remember standing there while the woman showed me how to work with it.  I thought, I can do this, until a few days later at home standing there with my roving and drop spindle becoming rapidly frustrated. It was a disaster. A local yarn shop, KnitKnack had given classes in the past so maybe after Stitches, we will mention it to the owner to see if she would be willing to start a class again so we can all master the drop spindle technique.

 

As for Rhinebeck, I would love to go up there this weekend.  The weather should be beautiful.  Maybe I’ll just leave the house cleaning for another week and just get in the car and drive.