And

Then it hit me.  I have a google (gmail) account and a webcam.  That is all I need!  See, gmail is free, and they have recently added a video portion to their chat (gtalk) window.  It works great and best of all, is free!!!

So, here is the idea…

I would like to set a date and time that some of us could get “together” on video chat and visit.  All those who participate will be able to see everyone else who is participating.  We will be able to knit (or whatever) while visiting because we won’t have to be typing, like in regular chat.  Everyone will have access to their own knitting stuff, their own coffee, food, etc…

If it works out, then we could “meet” at regular intervals (to be determined later).

I know there are several other ways of doing this same thing.  There are several sites that you can log in to in order to accomplish this same type of thing.  But, I thought I would try it through gtalk first to see how many of you are interested and then we can go from there.

All you need is a computer, a webcam, and a willingness to have some fun and try something new.  If you are interested, let me know via email at: nautical.knitter@gmail.com.  I think I will probably limit the group to about 5 or so at first to see how it goes.  Come on, you know you wanna…

He is warm!!

On the Dog’s on Thursday front, here is a photo of the progress that Blazer has made in accepting Elf this week.  Not the greatest view of Blazer, but I took what I could get while they were cooperating.  I can’t believe we have had her a week and a half already!

Please excuse the ocean background, we did not get a chance to do a separate audio recording so we didn’t have a way to reduce the background ocean noise. Be sure to check out the video on chart reading for all those who have not yet taken the plunge and used a knitting chart to complete your pattern.

To view the video just click below. Happy Knitting!

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This video was submitted to KWU by Stefanie. In the video she is holding her yarn in a traditional Continental fashion. The stitches she is producing are the same as traditional knit and purl stitches, however the method she is using is quite new to me.

Notice the knit stitch she is doing appears to be through the back loop. The difference is that she is wrapping her yarn around the working needle opposite of the way that you normally would if you were knitting through the back loop. This produces the same fabric as knitting through the front loop.

The Purl Stitch is being done in the same “opposite” manner. The purl stitch is done through the back loop, but the yarn is wrapped around the working needle in the opposite direction than it normally would be if purling through the back loop.The Ribbing portion shows the two stitches together for you so you can see the motion with both the knit and purl stitches being worked.

You can find the video here:  Yarns of the Heart

Conclusion

It appears to me that, in these videos, the knitting and purling is basically being done as if in a mirror. I tried it and my wrists did not want to cooperate in the action of working through the “back loops” continuously, probably due to my tendency to knit tightly. Since I hold my yarn English style I cannot attest to the benefits of this knitting style, but if you are interested in the challenge, give it a try and let me know how it works for you. The stitch combination in these videos looks like it would be quite fast to do, which is a plus.

Remember, the way you hold your yarn is not nearly as important as the end result you obtain. Consistency is what really matters in the end. Drop us a line and let us know your favorite style of knitting.

The chart we are using in this video can be found in the files section of the Secret of the Stole II KAL yahoo group. This group is currently closed for new membership, but will reopen on March 21, 2008 for new members. The swatch chart will continue to be available on the site after that time.

Enjoy, DK

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To understand more about how this technique is done you can click on the video below. The video was created by Ivy Kehinde of Knitting Step by Step and she does a good job of showing how to place beads using a crochet hook on the knit stitches throughout your knitted piece.