"Ask Mac" - January 28, 2011

Today is Friday and that means it's all about Mac today. Several viewers have some terrific questions for him, so I'll let him take it from here.............

Hi everyone! Last night I was busy helping my mom with these socks. And you all thought that I really didn't know how to knit, right? Well, here's the proof!

So, let's jump right into our question and answer time, ok?


Sue: What am I doing wrong if the rectangle I am knitting is wider on one side than the other? Kind of like a misshapen triangle?

Mac: I used to do this too, when I was a new knitter. When you start, count the exact number of stitches that you have on your needle. Work a row, turn your work and then count again. If there's one more than you started with, it's probably happening at the end of the row when you switch the needle into your left hand. Lots of new knitters take the yarn over the needle at that point and this actually puts 2 threads over the top of the needle. Be sure to just let the yarn hang when you start a new row. It can also happen if you are knitting and purling within the row. Always take the yarn between the needles and treat it as a doorway - never take the yarn over the needle because it will make a yarn over which is the same as making a new stitch.

Heather J: Would you ask Mac if he 1) gets table treats and 2) which of your recipes is his favorite. One other thought - does Mac wear sweaters? Do you knit for him? I would like to knit for a friend's pup and wondered about his thoughts on sweaters.

Mac: I always put on my cute face at mealtime! I love, love, love table treats! My mom is careful tho and makes sure I get dog friendly goodies. My favorite treat is meat of course and steamed broccoli comes in next. Oh yes, I love wearing sweaters. It gets very cold in the California mountains in the winter. My mom made me a cowl and a bright red sweater out of wool. She promised me a new sweater for next winter. I also have a raincoat! Yes, you should definitely knit a sweater for your friend's puppy and be sure to throw in some treats - he'll love you for it.

Tracy: I must ask Mac this.....I'm a crocheter by heart, but is knitting much harder? Also, are there some projects that are just more knit-friendly vs crochet? Thank you in advance, Mac!

Mac: I always tell everyone the same thing with this question. If you can crochet you can knit. Crochet is much faster than knitting, but knitting has so many more patterns to spark your imagination. Both knit and crochet patterns are user friendly as long as they're written correctly. If you find that you prefer crocheting over knitting, that's absolutely fine. Knitting isn't for everyone - it's better to do what you enjoy most in life.

Ripples in Water: Will you ask Mac his thoughts on cats in the home? If you had one would he think of it as a pet for himself, a source of entertainment, a companion, or a usefull furball? I grew up with 2 large dogs, 3 cats and a rabbit that seemed to get along or at least tolerate each other. LOL Thank you!

Mac: I think if you love cats, you should definitely share your home with them. First of all, my mom said that I can't have one because my dad is allergic to them. If I could get a cat, he'd definitely be my best friend. Although, I think having a cat could be scary because Bo told me that cats like to hide and then jump out at you when you least expect it. That scares me!

Laura at Harvest Lane: Will you please tell on your momma? What is the name of the color of DK weight Happy Feet yarn she used in the top photo on Thursday's blog? Thanks Buddy!

Mac: I just looked at the color band and there wasn't a name just a number. It's #63. It was spun in Peru and is 90% superwash merino wool and 10% nylon. It has 262 yards and is 100 grams.

Tracey: Well Mac, I have a question for you: how hard is it to set up Doris to start knitting socks? I have become quite an admirer of Doris. Please don't take it personal Mac, I think you're great, too, but to turn a pair of socks in 3 hours is pretty awesome. It took me 3 weeks to knit just 1 pair.

Mac: My mom can set Doris up in no time when she starts a sock. Threading the machine takes just a minute and before I know it, she's already working on the ribbing. My mom also likes to run the same yarn type (but in different colors) because then she doesn't have to mess with the tension. You'd think that every fingering weight sock yarn would be the same, but it's not. Each one seems to have a slightly different thickness. There are Utube videos that you can watch that show the whole process of making socks. My mom lets me watch it whenever I want!

I sure enjoy getting "mail" and having my very own Friday "show." If you have more questions for next week, just leave them here and my mom will make sure that I get them. I think that I'll do a little giveaway every Friday for one lucky person who leaves me a question. (isn't that tricky of me to get you all to ask me something!)

So, today I put all the names in my dog dish (it was empty) and I pulled out one lucky name to win this mini key ring purse. Guess who it was? It was Tracey who has a wonderful blog called Clover. Congratulations Tracey! My mom will be sending you an email to let you know that you won. You can then send her your address and she'll put this little key ring purse in Monday's mail. (she'll be out of town tomorrow)


This was oodles of fun for me and I'll see you all again next Friday.


Knittingly,
Mac