Here is the Tasseled Ski Cap from the first VK Caps & Hats book done in Peruvian Highland Wool. You can see the ladder in the center from where I went from one dpn to the next but that should block out. I hope. I really have to stop using my Pony Pearl dpns because I notice more tension problems with them than with my favorite metal Bernat Aero dpns.

These colors look great in full sunlight and hideous in artificial lighting. Go figure. Anyway, it is a nice warm hat to send to the mission.

Judy emailed me about working in the ends on her Dale sweater. First I determine which side of the end of the row the yarn tails are coming from and separate the ends accordingly.

Next I thread each end on a tapestry needle and work each yarn tail

in reverse duplicate stitch ACROSS the end of the row to the other

side. This helps strengthen the end of the row and can eliminate

the pattern jog you usually see at the end of the row. (It also helps if you do not carry the unused yarns up too many rows.) I generally do 3-4 reverse duplicate stitches then cut the yarn.



It would be impossible to see on the above hat so here is a photo of reverse duplicate stitch from Stranded Color Knitting.









I'm aware of only 3 sources that discuss doing reverse duplicate stitch on the yarn ends. You can check out Janet Szabo's excellent The "I Hate To Finish Sweaters" Guide to Finishing Sweaters, Stranded Color Knitting (ordering info to your right), or the Spring 2003 issue of Cast On, "On Your Way to the Masters: Those Pesky Yarn Tails" by Arenda Holladay. I put a tutorial on working in yarn ends with photos up on my blog on March 15, 2004.



Tomorrow I'll have photos of two lovely Dale of Norway children's sweaters knit by the talented Wanda and by Sunday I should have a fun Christmas knitting project to display here.



I'm not sure what is next but both Michelle and Stephanie are doing projects that I'm considering. Michelle is finished up a beautiful pair of Sanquhar gloves and I have some wonderful patterns Lisa sent me so I certainly could do another pair. Stephanie just knit a wonderful pair of Maimu's Mittens from Folk Knitting in Estonia and I'm working my way through all the designs in that book so that is also a possibility.