Dear Followers

Friday, October 4, 2013

Don't Unravel Those Stitches!

     My mother taught me to knit when I was five years old! I worked all the stitches in the knit stitch on every row.  There may have been only a dozen stitches total and I sat and worked those needles.  I can remember how uneven the rows were and the holes in the small piece where I had dropped stitches. Needless to say, at five, my interest didn't last that long.  Years later though, I picked up some needles again and the first thing I made was a sweater.  Now, even more years later, I still enjoy knitting.  Not my favorite type of needlework, but I do enjoy it occasionally.
      Right now my friends and followers know that I've been working on a baby afghan for my first great grand, and it's very pink.  I have put up all my cross stitching until this afghan in done! Oh my!
     I was reading yesterday online about using a "lifeline" to rework stitches instead of unraveling row after row until you got to the bad stitches.  I had never heard of the lifeline before.  This morning, as I'm working on the afghan, I see six rows below the row I'm working on, about five stitches that were purled instead of knitted. Ugh! I'm trying to meet a deadline with this afghan and dreaded pulling it out.  Then I thought of that lifeline.  So here's how it works.  First picture shows you where the bad stitches were.


Here, I have used contrasting yarn in a yarn needle to pick up each stitch a couple of rows under the mistakes.


Now, I start by taking the first stitch off the hook above the mistakes and unravel that one stitch

Then with a crochet hook I pick up that stitch and work back to the top of the piece by grabbing the horizontal yarn of each row and pulling it through the loop.

Place the loop on the left hook and work it with your current row.  I started on the stitch to the far right and worked each stitch across in order.  Here is the end result and it took me only five minutes to fix all.  You can't tell where the bad stitches were.  I love this method, and am so glad I found out about it.  I hope this will help some of my friends as well.


     I posted a picture with my DH, Bill and our friend Dave, but didn't post one of Bill and I! So here we are and this picture even includes our fur baby, Riley.


     Bill had his 13th. radiation treatment today and all is going real well.  He didn't get in his afternoon nap today so it will be early to bed for him for sure. Thank you all once again for your thoughts and prayers.  All are appreciated.
     Until next post my friends.  Stay safe and well, and stop.  Take a look,,,,and "feel those colors".  Love you all and thanks for stopping by.

15 comments:

  1. That is a great picture of you and Bill. I am so glad to hear his treatments are going well. Have a great weekend.

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    1. Thank you so much Myra. He is over halfway with his treatments and is doing well.

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  2. This is truly a very sweet picture of you and bill..so happy to hear that his treatment is doing well
    Love and hugs x

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  3. I knit a small bit and can appreciate not having to rework so many rows. I will have to remember the "lifeline" when that kind of thing happens to me.
    Wonderful picture of you and Bill! Continuing to pray : )

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    1. Thank you so much for the prayers. We can see and feel each one of them at work. God is so faithful and He answers all.

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  4. What a great photo of you and your DH! Isn't that lifeline thing great?! I used it recently, as I'm a new knitter and mistakes abound, and I was in awe that the problem was fixed instead of having to rip out all my knitting back to the mistake! Whoever came up with this is simply brilliant and I thank them for it!!!
    I am glad to hear that Bill is doing well!
    Hugs to both of you...
    Beth P

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    1. Thank you so much Beth. I love using the lifeline. I thought it was so neat and I'm so glad I found it. Hugs right back at you Beth.

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  5. Very nice photograph of a very handsome couple. I am glad your husband's radiation treatments are going well.

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  6. Wow, what an attractive couple you are! And I am so glad your hubby's treatments are going well!! Riley is a cutie, too! :-)

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    1. Thank you so much Terri. Riley thinks he's as human as Bill and I are!

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  7. Great photo!! Glad to hear that Bill is doing well.

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  8. Beautiful photo of you and your hubby and fur baby .so glad to hear your hubby is doing well rest and take it easy. Been through this 10 years ago with my hubby who is fine now. Love your pink afghan, someone will enjoy being cuddled in it.

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    1. Thank you so much Bernice. Your comment was so encouraging. Bill has done so well and is over halfway through the radiation treatments. A couple of unpleasant things along the way, but both expected and being taken care of.

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Thank you to each and every one of my friends and followers for your comments. I read each and every one of them and try to answer all. Come back again soon. Love you!