For some reason I really enjoy figuring out how to work decreases and increases into stitch patterns: witness all of my hats (Beaufort, Maple Seed, Rose of Sharo

To be quite honest, the Hearts of Oak pattern is not the speediest knit around, especially when worked on US #3 needles.  The unblocked fabric is fun to look at in different lights, and its almost crunchy texture invites you to grasp a handful and squeeze-- but even so, it seemed to me that I knitted endlessly on Selva before finally reaching the point where it was time to start the waist decreases. I had swatched the "ribbon" stitch pattern I used for the top of the skirt, and measured the swatch stretched to determine whether a zipper was necessary:  I decided no.  As I progressed toward the waistband, decreasing steadily in the plain purl sections at the sides, I instead started to worry that the waistband would stretch out of shape:  the "ribbons" weren't quite as firm as I had hoped, and of course the reverse stockinette wasn't firm at all.  That's why I decided to add the elastic to the waistband. In the case of this pattern, the sizing was dictated by the stitch pattern:  the difference between sizes is two repeats or 20 stitches (or 2 1/2 inches) at the hips.  Having said that, it is easy to change the frequency and number of waist decreases to customize the fit for a larger or smaller waist in relation to hips. Filatura di Crosa "Zara" is a great choice of yarn for this skirt; it has tight twist, lots of resilience, and seems to be fairly durable (standing up well to frogging).  It also comes in an extensive palette of colors.  If another yarn is substituted, I would encourage using something with similar characteristics.  A quick glance at yarndex suggested these as possibilities (note that I have no personal experience with any of them):  Jaeger Matchmaker Merino DK or Extrafine Merino DK; Dale of Norway Falk; Classic Elite Classic 150; Debbie Bliss Rialto DK; Louet Gems Opal; or Knit Picks Merino Style.  Note that for most of these (as for Zara), the suggested needle size is larger than US #3, and the gauge thus looser than the 6 sts to the inch I got in stockinette stitch with #3s.  SWATCH!

I stopped by my LYS today to pick up a set of US size 6 dpns, and the only ones on their wall display were 12 inches long!  I mean, is there really anyone who would rather use 12-inch-long dpns than, say, a 24 or 32 inch circular needle?  Someone who works as a security guard and can use them as weapons in a pinch, perhaps?  Luckily, a helpful saleslady found a set of normal-length Brittany birch dpns tucked into a basket on the floor.  I know I had a set of #6s, but they seem to have disappeared, and I need to complete a sample of a special edition of /patterns/beaufort-hat">Beaufort I'm creating for sale at a certain LYS (not the one I just visited); the owner requested a version using a thinner yarn.  I feel somewhat awkward about offering a pattern for sale that is gratis on the web, but I am rewriting for a different gauge, in a larger range of sizes, and I plan to use a new photograph, and reformat the whole thing to make it more suitable for display in a bricks'n'mortar store (and more portable for the on-the-go knitter). After I got home, I realized that I had a pair of metal 14-inch-long dpns that look to be about a US size 8.  I have no memory of ever having used them for anything, and why do I only have two?  Did I use the others to stake tomatoes or hang curtains?   Hmmm. P.S.  Thanks for the well-wishes concerning the sailing accident; the victim is mending, and gives his assurances that that particular mishap will never happen again!     

I've been so busy, what with trying to finish my project for Big Girl Knits 2 and planning for our family's pending move to Italy*, that I almost forgot:  the fall Knitty will contain one of my patterns, for a pullover.  Woohoo!  Of course, I can't say much more than that, but I offer this photo as a hint. *Travel bulletin:  I've been on a dozen flights in the last 3 months, both transatlantic and within Europe, with both metal dpns and circs, and with not a peep from a single security checkpoint.

After numerous fits and starts, here at last:  Chinese Lace, back.  I like the way the ribs and lace meld, I think the fit will be fine after blocking, I think I will like the mitering of the ribs at the raglan seams (unless, of course, I decide to go with the full