Bond Buzz, Issue #36
May 2, 2007
Free from Bond America

Welcome to another issue of Bond Buzz!

While patches of snow still exist around here, I think that spring has finally arrived!  With sore muscles from all the gardening, I’m sure you will all be happy to sit down at your Sweater Machines and create something super-easy that you can use during the warm summer months – or, even better, give to Mom on Mother’s Day.  It uses Simply Soft yarn and needles in and out of work technique.

Our Free Pattern this month is the USM version of a popular shrug made with Caron's Simply Soft Shadows yarn.  Make it in an evening, no problem!

And for those of you who remember the early days of Bond (in the mid-80’s), you might recognize yourselves in the photo below, taken at one of our Bond Club meetings at Yarns ‘n Bonds, my yarn shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  Oh, yes, those days of padded shouldered sweaters…….

We received a notice from a Sweater Machine/Bond teacher in New Jersey and we said we’d publicize how to contact her.  So if any of you live in the area of Mt Holly, New Jersey and are interested in a Bond class, please contact Suzie Jenkins at www.woolbearers.com, woolbearers@verizon.net.  And if there are other Bond clubs, classes or workshops out there that would like to be publicized, please be in touch with us at web-editor@bond-america.com.

And before we get to our featured technique, I’d like to share with you the results of our online survey and ask you to take another.  This really helps us create patterns and techniques that focus on what YOU want! 

The survey was, again, a bit of a surprise with 30% of you making sweaters for yourself.  Afghans and throws came in second with nearly 21%, gift items third at 15% and knitting for your kids at 13%.  Sorry, guys, you came in last at just over 3%.  But we know this doesn’t include all the male knitters out there who make sweaters for themselves!

We invite you to take a moment to answer our new survey question "What are the most common sizes of sweaters you make?".

This is an ideal technique for an openwork beach cover-up or a summer shawl to give to mom on Mother’s Day.

The resulting fabric created by this technique is supple and airy – and can be done in any combination of needles in and out of work.  But it should be knitted relatively tightly (the sample was knitted on a #2 keyplate) to avoid the in-work stitches “drifting” into those out of work. 

You also need to knit projects made using this technique slowly, as it’s too easy to drop stitches when working quickly. Let the yarn run through your hand as you knit (but do not put tension on it) as this will help keep the yarn in the yarn guide as the carriage runs over the sections with the needles in NWP. You will need to steam the piece after knitting to get the look to lie flat, though the in-and-out fabric that results from the stitch (before steaming) is pretty interesting.

Also remember that if size is important, do a swatch first, as the needled in NWP cannot be considered stitches, which use a lot more yarn than the floats do.  My gauge (measured over 6 sts in WP and 4 ndls in NWP and 6 sts in WP) using a #2 keyplate and Simply Soft was 3 ¾”.  The row gauge is the same as usual for SS using a #2 KP:  23 sts = 4”.

1. Set up the needles with 5 in working position and 5 in non-working position.
2. At the ends, leave one needle in non-working and one in working position.  This should help to keep the ends from curling in very much.

1. Knit until you reach the desired length for the project. 

The ninth annual IwannaKnit ReTreat is being held June 8-10, 2007 and at the Farmstead Inn in Shipshewana, Indiana. Its a quaint Amish town with lots of shopping and a huge flea market on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Not that there will be a lot of time to get out and see the town, because we have seven instructors and attendees can choose from fifteen machine knitting classes, or eight hand knitting classes. The ReTreat is unique because it is hands-on where attendees bring their machines and actually practice techniques while enjoying feedback and instruction from the teachers. The other benefit is getting to meet people from all over the country who love knitting just as much as you do! The brochure can be downloaded from the Knitting Today website and anyone who wants to register can do so here. Questions can be addressed to: Lea-Ann McGregor by calling 800-426-5098 or e-mailing:
lea-ann@knittingtoday.com.

A hearty THANKS! to those of you who participated in the Rwanda Knits Online Auction.  It was a huge success with nearly every project featured purchased.  Watch for the “reeeeeeally big” one the end of October.

Happy Knitting!

Cari Clement
Bond America

P.S. As a subscriber to Bond-Buzz, I'd like to invite you to subscribe to the FREE e-mail newsletter—Caron Connections from Caron® International. Just visit the Caron site (http://www.caron.com) and enter your email address. It's that easy. As a subscriber to Caron Connections, you'll receive monthly emails filled with the latest inside scoop on Caron's new fashion yarns and free patterns.