What I learned in knitting class last night . . . .

	Every time I go to my knitting class, I learn something new (which is a good thing, since it's a class). Last night I learned that I'm never buying hanks again. It's skeins for me from here on out. Daria (shown here with her WIP bag to-be-felted) suggested I drape the hank over my feet and wind it that way. Cathy, the instructor (nice action photo, Cathy) said the best solution was to buy a spinner-thingy (I can't remember the correct name for it, but Cathy didn't say "spinner-thingy"). I'm not that much into knitting and spinning yet to invest, so it's skeins for awhile. I'll try the feet thing, or DH, or wrapping the yarn around both arms and winding it that way (like the scottish woman Cathy described), but I'm now on a hank fast.
	On other fronts, Sonia learned how to pick up stitches along the neckline of the sweater she's knitting for her daughter. Sonia knitted years ago but put the needles down for awhile. But I'm inspired by her skill - she's proof that once you learn, you never forget. Her knitting is beautiful.
	Bonnie is knitting the cutest summer bag with a pretty lavender hued cotton yarn. We all - Cathy included - learned a "wonky" strap pattern that produces a very pretty braided look. CO 4 st, K3, YIF, slip the last stitch as if to P. Turn the knitting around to start the row again, and repeat the pattern. It is "wonky" at first, but after a bit you really get the hang of it. Held with double strands, it makes a nice sturdy strap.
	Maria, on the other hand, is knitting winter bags to be felted using Lamb's Pride (I love Lamb's Pride). She's going to become rich and famous selling them to her friends and dazzling her cowboy husband (when she meets him, that is). I'm anxious to try my own felted bag - Maria's and Daria's look so cool.
A couple of ladies aren't shown here: Virginia (who missed last night) and Jenny (who didn't want to be photographed). Jenny's also making a felted bag in lavender. Virginia is making a summer shawl using a pretty YO border. As for my WIP, here is the Honeymoon Companion. I *think* my preferred length from underarm to hip is about 12.5", so I started the neck and arm decreases much earlier than the pattern called for. I also (drum roll) added a seed stitch border along the neck and arm line. I have no idea if it will be pretty, and I'm willing to rip and reknit if necessary. With the seed stitch border along the bottom, I thought the border along with arms and nec would be pretty. Here's my technique - let me know if it's going to wonky: Seed st for 3 st, decrease, knit to last 5 st, decrease, seed st last 3 st. I'm basically knitting the border and THEN taking the decreases. The thing I have noticed so far is that the decreased edges are visible, and placed right next to the border, they actually widen the seed st border. But because they don't match the seed st, they do look a little odd. I've only knit a few rows for the first shaping, so I'll knit a few more and decide what to do. I thought about taking the decreases from WITHIN the seed st border, but I wasn't exactly sure how to maintain the seed st AND decrease at the same time. Finally, here's the baby kimono from Mason-Dixon knitting. This is a lovely fast knit, and I love the yarn (which I promise to post. Really. I promise.)