Stitch markers

 I love the idea of stitch markers.  Over the years, I have bought, made, used, and lost hundreds of stitch markers.

 I just started the most complicated knitting that I have attempted in some time. The assembled knitting project kit, included a tray of stitch markers. (The yarn is navy blue worsted 3-ply, 1,680 ypp, that has been in my stash for 16 years, under the label, "Big, Blue, Lump".  I bought it as that Yorkshire wool mill was going out of business.  It is being knit on 12" long 1.5 mm steel knitting pins.  The knitting gauge is 12 spi  and 20 rpi. It will be wet finished.   Good stash should be treasured until you are ready. This object is the first step of an "evolution" that I planed to teach myself about "sock fabric".)

Half, of using a knitting sheath is getting it to stay in the right place. For this project, I am wearing my leather wood turning apron - buckling the nylon straps in front. The knitting sheath is tucked under the nylon belt, and counter balanced with a clew that holds the cake of the yarn as I knit. I find using counter-balanced knitting sheaths most useful with finer needles.  

The knitting will take a couple of days, but this is a first step toward learning real knitting.

However,  I find myself using strands and loops of yarns in various contrasting colors and grist for stitch markers.  As I said, this is an evolution.  Short strands are inserted into the knit fabric with a crochet hook to mark reference points. Loops of yarn are knotted and slipped onto the needles to remind me where panels start and end.  

As I return to my knitting, I will dump that tray of  metal and plastic stitch makers back into the tool chest in my office. 

As you may have guessed, the pattern is at :http://www.northfolk.org.uk/ganseys/shering.html 

Have fun.

ps, 8/23/2021 based on swatch results, that knitting has been ripped out, and restarted on 12" long 1.3 mm spring steel needles. It is an evolution, if I learned something - it was not a waste.