Thank you Janis!!! & Birthday Intarsia.

Well, this is it, here it is... TA DA!! My very first attempt at picture knitting, or as it is known better, intarsia. It is definitely a bit wonky, but overall I am pleased with the outcome. I intentionally chose a felting project that was knit in the round. I am hoping that the felting process will hide the wonky bits. This is also the first time I that I have knit anything from a chart. I knew it would be easier to read a chart in the round… Or will it be like learning to drive on an automatic, when you get behind the wheel of a stick you’re screwed because you have learned the easy way first!? ugh

I had been reading up on it, watching the knitting help videos, discussing it on various knitting forums, but for some reason this one technique had me choked up. Every other new technique & challenge I have been relatively fearless with. Socks… I just turned the heel, no big deal! But intarsia just grabbed me by the chi chis, and I surrendered.

I owe a big fat thank you and hug to Janis. Wednesday night at the knit together she ever so patiently showed me over and over and OVER again how to switch yarn colors, add a new color, and all of that. I would get it long enough to finish one round. But by the time I got to the next round, my brain and my hands had forgotten EVERYTHING. Janis was a dream though; she just kept showing me again & again. That woman has some serious patience! I left that night thinking I would never "get it"!! I was afraid that I would show up at Janis’ shop, strands of yarn tangled in my hair, talkig to myself, begging for more help.

SOOO… Fast forward to Thursday morning… I sat down with my morning cup of tea determined to "get it". Now, there are 28, rounds of intarsia in this project, & the pattern called for the skull on both sides of the tote. Ummmm… Screw that! After round 4 or 5, maybe 6, the wheels turned, something clicked, and that big bright light came on! My brain stopped interfering, and my hands just intuitively knew how to twist the yarns, and the more difficult part for me, carry the unused color along until it was time to use it again. By gum it all... I was intarsia-ing. Mind you, the first 4- 6 rounds have an obscene amount of yarn strands chaotically hanging from the inside, while rounds 7 & up are neatly (some a little too snug, I'm learning) carried along every 4 stitches or so.

This skull tote bag is a birthday gift for a very dear friend. She is not a knitter, but, boy oh boy... she had better love this damned bag!!!! :' )

I am a rooster gal, my Grandma had roosters all over her kitchen. Janis is a chicken lady, but I know she will appreciate this....