It Was A Wicked Time

A "Wicked" time was had by all. As most of you know, if you read my blog regularly, Saturday we headed up to Cincinnati to see the touring Wicked. It was as awesome as ever. The girl that played Elphaba was the same one we saw in Chicago. It was amazing. Ya gotta go see it!!!!! Here are a couple pictures. My little Elphaba's (Emma Belle) fingers got smashed in the window on the way up. Her makeup isn't waterproof so there was some green lost in the tears. :( This picture is from left to right: Sara, Tabitha (Emma Belle's Mommy) and Emma Belle.










And my Elphie outside the theater.

Now the question is.....Where am I going to go to see it next?

I've been working on the projects for A Loose Knit Group. I've finished one of Jordan's gloves and one of the mitts using the Fetching pattern. I'm behind in my Spring Shawl Surprice KAL because I just want to do gloves/mittens. I'm spending today only knitting on the KAL though.












As many of you know, I'm big into lace shawl/stole KALs. I am no professional by any means. However, I have gained some experience and I thought I'd share with you how I approach lace knitting and charts. It takes a little more time, but I color code the chart with colored pencils. Typically what I do is color each set of ten squares on the chart in vertical columns. I also use a metal sheet, mine originated from my old cross stitch days, and magnetic strips. With these I mark the row I am presently on with a piece of the strip and I mark the column I'm on with another piece. With this particular chart shown in the photo below I color coded the 7 stitches on the right and left hand border, the next 14 stitches are coded to mark an inside border and from there it has been marked to signify the pattern repeats. As the pattern changes these have to be adjusted but it is a good way to keep track of the pattern and the number of stitches which helps me know if I've missed a yo or whatever immediately instead of getting all the way to the end and having to tink back.

Once I have successfully completed a row I use a highlighter to mark the completed row. As you see in the photo I place markers along the knitting to mark the columns as well. Another tool, pain in the butt, but important is lifelines. You can put a lifeline in at any point but I usually just put one in at the end of each clue. A lifeline is waste yarn that I pull through the row with a darning needle. These have truly saved the life of my shawl/stole many times. If you just really flub up you can frog back to the lifeline, which holds the stitches and start over at that point instead of having to start all over. Hmmmmmmm, I hope this helps. It is probably as clear as mud.