RUNNER GIRL KNITS: Yet another MMKP. With bobbles!

Friday night's Magical Mystery Knitting Party started off the usual way - with a glass of wine. The MMKP is at knit-one-one and is described as:

Party time! You arrive with your needles and yarn in hand. We serve you food and the beverage of your choice. Then abracadabra, the fun begins. Kate tells you how many stitches to cast on. She gives you each subsequent instruction as needed. You and your friends are literally in stitches as you try to figure out what on earth you are knitting. The mystery is revealed at the end of the party.

Included in the cost is a light dinner, wine and shortbread. Homemade shortbread. Delicious shortbread, and I don't even normally like shortbread! Anita and I have decided that it's more fun to go to the MMKP than to go out for dinner and drinks. This is my 4th (??) MMKP; in the past we've learned colorwork while knitting a skull and crossbones pattern, made a felted jellyfish (seriously), and did lots of i-cord for a felted scarf with flowers.

This time we were instructed to bring about 100 yards of worsted weight yarn from stash, straight and double pointed needles to match, a cable needle and various and assorted knitting supplies. I piled many different leftover balls of yarn and several sizes of needles into my bag, not knowing which would be the most appropriate. When I arrived I asked speedy needle Kate which she thought would be best and she picked out my mint green Malabrigo. I sipped my wine while the incredible Sile greeted all the students and when all arrived, we began.

Cast on, join in the round, knit while increasing, cable, increase more. Kate instructed us line by line, stitch by stitch. I consider myself an intermediate knitter and didn't have problems, but I guess some people are visual and do better with written instructions. There were mistakes, unknitting and ripping, catching up, and counting out loud. Shhh! Counting out loud might help you, but that just confuses the rest of us! Continuing with increases and cables, but not much in the way of guessing. I was throwing out guesses, ridiculous guesses, just to be guessing.

Our light dinner was a great salad, and a delicious quiche from Sweet Adeline Bakeshop down the block. Most of us trying to eat in a healthy manner stay away from food made with lots of butter or cream; this quiche made no such attempts. It was so tasty I wanted to lick my plate. Since I was in public I restrained myself. Of course I never lick a plate in private either. No, I don't. You'll never get me to admit something like that.

After we finished eating Kate passed around the pattern but that didn't give away the mystery, even if we read ahead. I got a little beyond the group and then had to unknit my last row because I didn't follow directions right. It was time for a bobble. For something so involved, a bobble is really simple once you've bobbled. We finished that bobble row, 6 bobbles, and I just knew: it was a turtle cover.

Head, front legs, back legs, tail. Each bobble would hold one extremity. What?? Not a turtle cover?? Ok, how about an ornament? Someone else guessed something like a wardrobe malfunction. Not many other guesses. We knit until we had run out of time, only at round 12 of the 30 row pattern. I still thought it was an ornament.

And I was right! Sile and Kate brought out a finished version and it was very cute. They gave us all stuffing for when we finished our own and we all left. A great evening with good people and a fun project and wonderful food. And bobbles! Best of all, another chance to spend some time with Anita.

turtle covers, right?

I didn't have a chance to knit again until last night and then I just whipped the rest of it out. It really was an easy pattern to follow. After I stuffed the ornament I braided a cord to use to hang it. It's hanging in my office now.