More Netting Stitches

If the tornado's destructive path had been about a mile further north on Wednesday, this blog may not have been sent.  However, since it did not, you get this entry.

The last couple of weeks I have shown you some netting increase and decrease stitches.  What happens if you put an increase stitch and a decrease stitch together?

Come on over to Rita's Netting Nook and take a look at the video posted on Nook News to find the answer.

Decreases video finished for Netting, More or Less

Last week I gave you a sneak-peak at the introductory Increases video. I just finished another introductory video. It's about Decreases.

Why decreases?  Well, since last week covered the More in the class title, it seemed only fair to look at the Less portion of the title.

You don't see a video here?  That's because it's found at Nook News located on Rita's Netting Nook.  Come on over and take a look.

First Video Finished for "Netting, More or Less" class

Hurray!  The  first video for the new netting class is done!  I've still got over a dozen more to go, but this one is done.

"What's the video about?" you ask.

Increasing.  It explains the "More" in the title of the class.    It gives some background, discusses increasing in netting, explains some of my terms, and shows some of the stitches created by just increasing.

I was going to be mean, give you all this hype about it, and then say you had to take the class to see it.  I was. . . Say, why don't you come over to Nook News at Rita's Netting Nook and see what I decided to do?

Netting, More or Less: a class dealing with increases and decreases

Time seems to be flying by as usual.  My new netting class is beginning to take shape.

I did finally finish the Projects Page for my new netting class.  It took longer than I had planned, but is now up.  I also added a Supplies Page and a tentative list of the videos and handouts (otherwise known as the Syllabus) that will be included in the class.

Oh, yes, I did decide to include the snood pattern in the class.

Why do favorite authors have to die?

It's happened again.  One of my favorite authors, Diana Wynne Jones, recently died and there have been many blogs written in response.  Since I never personally knew her, I am grateful to those who were able to share some of their memories with us, like Patricia Wrede, Robin McKinley, Neil Gaiman, and Emma Bull. 

I began reading her books in the 1970.  Because I was a young mother, married to a college student, one of my favorite places to visit was the local public library. Since there was no inter-library loan in those days, I was stuck reading whatever the library had in their possession.  I do remember reading Dogsbody, Cart and Cwidder, Drowned Ammet, and The Spellcoats.  I think I also read Charmed Life, The Magicians of Caprona, The Homeward Bounders, Witch Week, Howl's Moving Castle, and Archer's Goon at this time.

Then we moved again to a town where the library did not have any of her books and no way to request them.  One day, while visiting a local bookstore I found the complete Dalemark series including the fourth one, which I had not read.  I decided to splurge and get it.

Once the library had free inter-library loan available I made sure to request all of her books that I could.  I made sure to introduce my children to this wonderful author.

Links to the past: Net hairnets and snoods

I just found a wonderful list of links to hairnets (snoods).  Some are net with embroidery; some have the design net into them; all are different and beautiful.  A special thanks to Alys for compiling the list and for Alwen for directing me to it.

Progress is being made toward the second beginning netting class in Rita's Netting Nook.  I think I've decided on the techniques that will be taught (increases, decreases, square mesh netting, and creating a net chain), finished the first time through the patterns that will be included (more rectangular bags, more headbands, dishcloths, and maybe a hairnet / snood), and photographed half the finished projects.  I am almost ready to start writing scripts and filming the videos.

If I do decide to include a pattern for a hairnet or snood, it would be this one.








I hope to have the photos up on a new Projects page posted on Rita's Netting Nook by the end of next week (if not earlier).

Oh, the weather outside . . .

The past few weeks have been filled with ice, snow, and schools closed because of ice and snow.  I just read that in the month of January alone we got 40.5" of snow.  So far in February we have had 15.7" and since November we have had a whopping 63.1" of snow.  The record for snowfall for this area was set at 107.7" back in 1996.


While I have been doing netting and knitting, some of my time (more than I'd like) has been spent shoveling the driveway with a snow shovel and the help of two sons who are still at home . . .

 . . . and moving the snow off the roof of the carport. We measured about 20" and figured we had better remove it before the next storm. 

The poor mailbox is almost hidden in the piles of snow that surround it.

This week is the first week since Christmas break that school has been held every day. I'm hoping the last part of February and the month of March will be easier on us than January and the first half of February have been.