Combinations and Permutations

You may have heard it said that there are only two knitting stitches: knit and purl. That's true as far as it goes. So what's this about? There may be only two stitches, but they can be combined in a great variety of ways. Add a few different increases and decreases and mix well and you have an even bigger variety. Perhaps it would be less confusing if we spoke of a wide variety of fabrics or patterns formed by a limited number stitches.

Of course humans love to experiment and humans love to categorise. The result is Stitch dictionaries . . . I had no intention of picking up another knitting book when I went to my local library the other day, but when I saw the Vogue Stitchionary on display, it had to come home with me. So far I've just had a bit of a browse and smiled at it on my table. The "101 Stitches to Knit" was a birthday gift. I picked up the "Encyclopaedia of Knitting" at a book clearance and the "Harmony Guide" was an Op shop find. I love them all. Meanwhile, I've only done a couple more rows on the capelet I started last week--that's pretty much stocking stitch for the next little while. There's crochet and weaving waiting for my attention too and the house is even more of a mess than usual. I wonder how many combinations and permutations of procrastination and distraction there are in the universe . . .

Light and Transparency

First day of the Guild Spinning Certificate yesterday. I took a few minutes to browse in the library at lunchtime and came across this:
Doramay Keasbey, "Sheer Delight--Handwoven Transparencies"; Stellar Publishing House, Pettaluma, California, 1990.

It's a sort of anthology of Handwoven Transparencies, with some technical information and a Workshop section as well. I've hardly even skimmed the book, but the basic technique seems to be a combination of a stable, sheer plain weave, with decorative inlays. I'm keen to have a closer look.