kind labor?

Tiny robot calculates that these socks are done

2011-01-30T16:50:00.000-08:00

Another pair of socks from the great sock startup of 2010. I finished these in December and I must confess that I picked them out of the dirty sock pile to take these photos, gross! Though I think they look quite nice:

Pattern: Child's Sock in Miranda Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, color Poppy
Needles: size 0 bamboo

Full Disclosure: I made these socks a couple of years ago. With the very same yarn. I had thought I was quite clever by changing the way the leg part decreased so that there was no weird ankle bulge. But then I discovered that the %&*#ing socks would not stay up and instead puddled around my ankles in an even bigger bulge. Consequently, the socks did not get a lot of wear.

So after the sting of failure wore off, I decided to try again. This time, I made the leg shorter with only a slight decrease in the ankle.

Here are my notes: I cast on 68 stitches (holding 2 needles together for a slightly looser cast on). Followed directions until it was time to work the chart. Started at row 45, without decreasing, and knit 6 plain rows instead of following charted pattern, decreasing as written. Work row 51 as written. Skip to row 58 and work through row 65. Repeat rows 52-65. Followed rest of pattern as written.

Cat fort hat

2011-01-21T16:21:00.000-08:00

Here's another finished project from last year, my Snapdragon Tam, proudly modeled by the kitties' g i a n t cat fort (last time it was modeled by a much smaller cat fort):

A better view of the tam:

It's kind of big and drapey, which at first I didn't like. But the extra fabric makes it quite cosy and warm, which is what I enjoy in a winter hat. The brim is a little loose, I would recommend knitting it with a smaller needle than the rest of the hat. I blocked it on a dinner plate as recommended.

Pattern: Snapdragon Tam by Isolda Teague
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy, color Grey Tabby
Needles: size 6

The yarn I was using was a little more than 3/4 of a skein of Dream in Color Classy, left over from another project, and I ended up running out of yarn right at the very top of the hat. Fortunately, I have some Dream in Color sock yarn in the same color, so I finished the tam by knitting with that doubled up.

How about some socks?

2011-01-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

I finished these socks last year while visiting southeastern North Carolina (Wilmington, to be exact) over Thanksgiving:

Please visit this previous post to learn of my knitting saga regarding them. Once I had all those decisions made, it was easy and quick knitting.

I've been knitting more than I've been blogging. . .

2011-01-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

And traveling, too. And being sick, boo.

I decided for the new year I would change my blog design, and have a new title to go with it. The title is a variation on the same theme (it's still an anagram).

I have some catching up to do, so get ready for some more regular posting! I'll leave you with this to ponder:

Number 9 Number 9 Number 9 Number 9

2010-10-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

I ran into some issues while knitting Socks No. 9. The leg part was turning out to be too long. If I wanted to make the foldover cuff like the pattern, I would need to rip out some knitting. Then I thought that maybe I should have used reinforcement thread in the heel. So if I was going to rip back part of the leg, perhaps I should go back and reknit the heel. Then I thought maybe I should have used some reinforcement thread in the toe as well. Which would mean I should just frog the whole thing and start over!?!

I decided to take a week off from Socks No. 9 and instead I knit most of a Snapdragon Tam:

(proudly displayed on the cardboard box cat fort that Jimmy made a few months ago and that Pistol and Inky have slowly been destroying)

And then this morning I put Sock No. 9 on my foot and realized that all I needed to do was bind off. So that's what I did, using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off:

So no foldover cuff. No reinforced heels or toes. I love it just the way it is. Now, on to the second Sock No. 9.

The Story of Sock #9

2010-09-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

After finishing my Eunice socks, I picked up one of the neglected socks from my unfinished group, Sock #9 (Pattern Empoissonee, Yarn Lisa Souza Hardtwist Merino Petite). To my surprise, the yarn that I thought would be great for the pattern was not so great. I didn't realize that Lisa Souza's Little Devil colorway would be such a self-striper. And when I started increasing for the gusset, I got a big field of red that I didn't like:

So I picked up a different ball of yarn and gave it a shot. That would be the sock on the right in the above pic. Much better. I had been wondering what to do with that yarn!

Thank you Cookie A, for yet another brilliant sock pattern

2010-09-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Eunice by Cookie A from Sock Innovation
Yarn: Crystal Palace Panda Cotton, colorway sprite
Needles: size 1 metal dpns, size 0 for heels
Mods: Other than using a different yarn, I pretty much followed the pattern as written. Oh yeah, I cast on holding 2 needles together to make the cuff a little stretchier.

Panda Cotton may not have been the best choice to use since it's not that stretchy for making cables. On the other hand, the finished product looks great and feels lovely and squishy on my feet. I had only a tiny amount of yarn left when I was done. So if you want to make these socks with Panda Cotton and your feet are larger than US size 5.5, I would recommend getting 3 balls of yarn.

I'm ready for cooler weather. . .

2010-09-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

. . . finished my Clapotis . . .

. . . too bad it's really hot here now.

Pattern: Clapotis from Knitty
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock, 2 skeins of colorway S245
Needles: size 3 bamboo staight
Modifications: I used a much thinner yarn and smaller needles. I knit until I ran out of yarn. Finished size is approximately 13" by 52".

I started this project last winter, but decided to set it aside since I knew I wouldn't want to wear it until this autumn. It was fun to knit, although I ended up doing bit of re-knitting since I wasn't sure when to start the decrease section, and I started it too soon at first and then realized I could do another repeat of the straight part before decreasing. The best part is getting to drop all those stitches, whee!

I did a little bit of cutting and splicing with the yarn to make the color stripes in a slightly different order. I don't know why I always have to do that with Noro, but I do.

I think the kitties would say this project was one of their favorites. The needles I used were often attacked:

And even the pattern was delicious:

Sock-A-Day Update

2010-08-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

People have stopped me in the street and demanded to know how my sock-a-day experiment from June has been going.

Okay, I exaggerate. Maybe one time Chloe asked me about it casually while we were knitting together at lunchtime. I could even be mistaken about that.

Anyway, here's the latest in pictorial form:

1. Bex - haven't touched it

2. Eunice - one done, one halfway to done

3. was Angee, now Marilinda by Cookie A. - using the same yarn. Angee was turning out too big so I'm trying a different pattern

4. Child's Sock in Miranda Pattern - no progress

5. Mingus (not pictured) - frogged. The yarn was obscuring the lacy pattern. I'm going to try Mingus with a different yarn.

6. Gentleman's Sock for Evening Wear - completely neglected

7. Livia - no work done

8. Canal du Midi - turned the heel on Sock #1

9. Empoisonee - needs love

10. Rainbow socks (not pictured at all) - DONE!!! blogged here.

I'm thinking maybe it's time to work on some of the neglected socks. Or maybe start some new ones?

Double Rainbow, oh my god!!!*

2010-08-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

I finished these a while ago, just haven't been in the blogging mood recently. . .

Pattern: Rainbow Socks by Susanne Kitzmann
Yarn: Socks that Rock Lightweight, color Rock Star
Needles: size US 1.5 and 1
Modifications: I knit 4 short row sections for the foot, then knit 3 rounds even. Switched to size 1 needles and knit 1 round, then followed toe instructions.

These socks were a lot of fun to knit and very quick. It's a great pattern for crazy loud variegated sock yarn.

The pattern's directions for doing short rows is different from the way I have usually done them, so I was a little confused at first. But it was cool to try something new.

*sorry, I couldn't resist

Beach yarn

2010-08-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

Last month Jimmy and I went back east for the yearly family vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Unfortunately this year I brought a sinus infection with me, so I was on antibiotics. This greatly cut down on my intake of Dark and Stormys. . . Still, I was able to rinse out my sinuses by going for a swim in the Atlantic.

I did some knitting but in the end I decided my project of choice (see Sock #5 from this post) was not turning out. It was the only knitting I brought with me, so what else could I do but go to Knitting Addiction, the local yarn store, and buy some yarn. . .

Spud and Chloe Fine traveled back with me across the country, sand dollars are from my local beach across the street from my apartment.

Rainbow Brite

2010-07-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a closer view of finished Sock number one of my Rainbow socks. Who knew that short rows could be so much fun?

(I know, how rude of me to show my chipped toenail polish! PS - I haven't shaved my legs in a couple of weeks either, ha!)

Sock-A-Day Challenge

2010-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

I decided I was sick of having so many sock yarns, needles, and patterns just lounging around so I wanted to get some new projects in the works. But I couldn't decide which project I wanted to start. To get things moving I created a little challenge for myself: how many days could I go if I started one new sock a day with the yarn, needles, and patterns I had on hand?

The answer was:

The details: date - yarn - pattern - needles used

1. June 20 - Panda Silk - Bex by Cookie A - size 1 circ

2. June 21 - Panda Cotton - Eunice by Cookie A - size 1 metal dpns

3. June 22 - Colinette Jitterbug - Angee by Cookie A - size 1.5 circ

4. June 23 - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock - Childs Sock in Miranda Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks - size 0 bamboo dpns

5. June 24 - Madelinetosh Sock - Mingus by Cookie A - size 1.5 and 1 circs (Note that the yarn isn't on any needles. I realized I will have to start these over because I cast on too many stitches. . .wtf, self?!!)

6. June 25 - Destination Sock Yarn - Gentleman's Sock for Evening Wear - size 1 bamboo dpns (modifying this to be for a "lady")

7. June 26 - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock - Livia by Stephanie van der Linden - size 1 bamboo dpns

8. June 27 - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock - Canal du Midi by Nancy Bush - size 0 metal dpns

9. June 28 - Lisa Souza Hardtwist Petite Merino - Empoisonnee by Yarnissima - size 1 bamboo dpns

10. June 29 - Socks that Rock Lightweight - Rainbow Socks by Susanne Kitzmann - size 1.5 and 1 circs

Most of them were started during the work week so I didn't get much done. Rainbow Sock #1 is finished thanks to my being at home sick for a couple days this week.

I still have one set of size 0 dpns, one set of size 2 dpns, and one size 2 40" circular needle; an internet's worth of patterns; and a storage tub of sock yarn yet to be used. Guess I'll have to do a round 2.

I have yet to decide if I'm going to make up a new challenge to get these all finished. Starting socks is easy, finishing them is a lot harder. . .

A pair of hats

2010-07-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

I really liked a stripey hat from Kim Hargreaves' pattern book Breeze, so I made two of them. The shape is pretty simple, what interested me the most were the colors used and the way they interacted. I found some Knitpicks yarn in similar colors that was much cheaper than the Rowan Milk Cotton that pattern calls for. I'm sure the Rowan yarn is great, but the Knitpicks yarn is very soft and drapey so it made a good substitute.

Pattern: Ash
Yarn: Knitpicks Comfy Fingering, in Sea Foam and Honeydew (blue and green)/Hollyberry and Blackberry (red and violet)
Needles: size 1 and 2

(Jimmy took this one for me. The part on the left is actually my reflection in a mirror.)

Here's Pistol reflected in the same mirror:

Finally finished

2010-07-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

It took a little longer than I thought to finish these gloves. Second glove syndrome, I guess. Also, using sportweight cotton and metal needles is kind of hard on the hands. I really like the end result though:

Pattern: Women's Lace Gloves by Bernhard Ulmann/Bear Brand/Botany/Bucilla/Fleisher via Free Vintage Knitting
Yarn: Filatura Di Crosa Millefili Fine
Needles: size 1 metal dpns
Mods: lots since my gauge was 7 sts/inch instead of 9 due to using sportweight rather than fingering weight yarn

thick and thin scarf in progress

2010-07-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

I saw this image on one of my favorite sewing blogs, Casey's Elegant Musings, and I was immediately compelled to make one.

I ordered some laceweight Malabrigo wool and frogged a cowl I made using some Betsyply handspun (I wore it a couple times but was never really in love with it) to get the yarn I needed.

There's a knitty pattern that is similar to the scarf linked above, and after a couple tweaks I had the result I wanted.

Another pair of socks

2010-05-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

Done.

Pattern: Vilai by Cookie A from Sock Innovation
Yarn: Tess Super Socks and Baby
Needles: size 1 circs + size 1.5 for ribbed cuffs
Mods: used slightly bigger needles for the cuffs, knit one extra round on the toes before grafting

The yarn seems pretty sturdy so I didn't reinforce the heels and toes. Plus, the part of the heel that I usually wear out is above the short-row heel. The dye came off on my fingers a little as I was knitting, just the grey color, though.

Springtime scarf

2010-05-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

The last time we saw this project it was being blocked. . .

And now a day later I shall model it for you in the gleam of the setting sun:

I found this vintage scrimshaw brooch on etsy. I thought it would be a nice way to keep my scarf ends secure.

Pattern: Haruha Scarf by Mari Muinonen (via Ravelry)
Yarn: Windy Valley Pima Cotton, 1 ball
Needles: US 5 metal

Since I only had one ball of this yarn, I knew it wouldn't be that long of a scarf. It's about 6 1/2" wide and 36" long.

Sunday blocking

2010-05-02T17:45:00.001-07:00

It's a lovely afternoon here in the Outer Sunset. A perfect day to block some lace.

A moment of silence. . .

2010-04-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

. . . for a former pair of socks:

I had worn a hole in one of the heels. Since the socks were kind of tight and a bit bumpy on the soles of my feet, I decided that I'd use the yarn for something else rather than mending them.

The yarn used to look like this.

I don't know how it happened

2010-04-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

Suddenly I have another sock in the works:

The pattern is Vilai from Cookie A's book Sock Innovation. Even though it looks complicated, it is a breeze. Probably using the magic loop technique speeds it up. And since it's a Cookie A pattern, it's well-written and easy to follow.

I made a short-row heel. Note to self: wrap and turn until there are 9 stitches left in the middle.

Green gloves

2010-04-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

I just need to sew in the ends on this one, and it's done. Glove #2 is already on the needles.

One time I went thrift shopping in Baltimore (didn't there used to be a thrift shop on St Paul and 21st? somewhere in lower Charles Village for sure) and found a pair of gloves that were about this shade of green. There was a whole box of dainty gloves to choose from, leftovers from the days when ladies wore gloves everywhere. For some reason the green ones really appealed to me so I bought them. I don't have them anymore, I probably donated them to Good Will before I moved to SF. So now I am compelled to recreate them?!? Well, not really. . . I think I just like green gloves.

I'm using a vintage knitting pattern from this site. Lots of great patterns there!

Synchronized box-ing?!?

2010-04-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday Mochas

2010-04-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

I feel like it's been a while since I took a photo like this:

Ta da! A new pair of socks!

Pattern: Oak Ribbed Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn: Phoenix Fiberworks Fetish Superwash, colorway Hot Cocoa
Needles: size US 1.5 for top 2", size US 1 for the rest
Modifications: I knit the first 2" of the sock with slighter larger needles so the top of the sock wouldn't be too tight. Reinforced the heels and toes with Lang Jawoll Reinforcement Thread.

I thought it was best to stay simple with such a high contrast colorway. I just let the yarn do its thing. The yarn is on the skinnier side, kind of the same weight as Lorna's Lace Shepherd Sock. It's a good match for the pattern. I once tried knitting the same pattern with Vesper Sock yarn and it came out way too big.

Another mocha, this one is from Sea Breeze Cafe. Mmmm.

A couple of lingering winter birds

2010-04-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

On the needles, a wool aran pullover and a cabled sock.

The sweater is yet another Kim Hargreaves pattern, Demi from Vintage Knits. I bought the yarn for super-cheap on eBay a couple years ago with this pattern in mind, I don't know why it's taken me so long to start this.

The sock is an even weirder story. I started making a pair of Spindle socks a few years ago. Then I unravelled them. Now I am knitting them again using the same yarn. I decided to make the heel flap longer this time.

Even though the weather has turned warm, there are still those chilly evenings when it's nice to have some fuzzy wool to knit.

Laces

2010-03-31T16:32:00.000-07:00

It's spring and I'm knitting a few lace projects:

The yellow is the peplum for another Kim Hargreaves cardigan. The darker green is going to be a scarf. The brighter green will be a pair of gloves.

Happy Spring, everyone!

Mocha socks

2010-03-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

One done.

One in progress.

The Battle of Cardigan

2010-03-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

My Ginny cardigan is finally finished, after a bit of a struggle.

First I had to block the crap out of it to get the "ridge pattern" stitches at the waist and shoulders to lie flat:

Once again I will declare my love for my blocking board.

Then after I had all the pieces sewn together, I realized I should have added short rows at the bust. The cardigan looked okay when I left it unbuttoned, but looked funny and too short in the front when buttoned. I wanted to button it. What to do? Add those f-ing short rows in kind of like an afterthought heel, I decided. Yikes!!! It took me a couple of nerve-wracking tries but I managed to make it work. Maybe if I feel like it I'll write a post about what I did. However, I advise everyone to add short rows as you are knitting the front like a sensible person would do.

Despite my trials and tribulations, I love this sweater and can't wait to wear it next fall!

Pattern: Ginny by Kim Hargreaves from Thrown Together
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed in Paisley
Needles: size 4 and size 1.5 Knitpicks metal
Modifications: Knit size 34 above waist and sleeves and 36 waist and hips. Made sleeves about 1" shorter. Added short rows at the bust.

I have to agree with other people who have made this, the torso is kind of short. Fortunately, so I am. If you are not leprechaun or fairy-sized, I recommend lengthening the body.

Here's a detail of the lovely distressed horn buttons I found at MJ Trim:

How To Train Your Dragon

2010-03-26T09:41:00.001-07:00

The movie opens this weekend. Go see it. In 3D.

(This the Japanese promotional poster, which of course is much cuter than the American one. . .)

Let's Cloche

2010-01-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

I have a weakness for wacky Japanese yarns. I couldn't resist buying some Olympus MakeMake from kpixie.com, even though I didn't know what I would do with it. It was my birthday so I figured I could indulge a little. I had to buy the yarn as a pack of 3 balls, which were wrapped in this weird clear plastic bag that feels slightly thicker and more rubbery than a regular plastic bag.

I decided to make a new hat for myself. I went with the Side Slip Cloche from Boutique Knits:

The pattern was pretty enjoyable to knit and clever as well. I think I like it. . .

So now the question is, what to make with these:

Yes, more Japanese yarn. It's supposed to be sock yarn, but like the Noro Silk Garden Sock, I don't think I want to put this on my feet.

Oh Noro. . .

2010-01-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

I tried to use some Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn to make some socks, but it didn't feel like something I'd want to wear on my feet. Too lumpy. So instead I'm knitting like it's 2004 and am making my first Clapotis.

First sweater of the year

2010-01-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, I actually finished this last year (meaning last week) but since I'm posting today, I'm calling it the first of the year.

Pattern: Kaari from Norah Gaughan Vol. 1
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in black, 12 balls
Needles: size 8 and 6

This sweater was easy to make and is easy to wear also. Due to the front utility pockets and slightly weird neck, it has that 1960's futuristic space-sweater feeling that I quite enjoy. It is also very cosy. Probably the Cashmerino Aran is going to pill, but oh well, it's so soft and pretty, I will forgive it.

More Saturday sewing

2009-11-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

With some help from my sewing buddy,

I successfully made the buttonholes for my shirt:

It is done!

(thanks to Jimmy for being my fashion photographer for this pic)

I like it a lot, and I will definitely use the pattern (Simplicity 4077) again.

I wanted the inside of the garment to look nice. I really hate zigzagged seams, so I did French seams for the side seams and darts. For the shoulders and cuffs I used Hong Kong finishes. I made my own bias strips from a light-weight yellow cotton fabric. It was more work, but very satisfying.

Some Saturday sewing

2009-11-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

I've been spending the past few Saturdays working on a sewing project. It's a shirt, or blouse, if you will. I'm using Simplicity pattern 4077, which is the most complicated thing I've ever sewn that I think I will actually wear. This one is a test so I'm using some fabric that I found at JoAnn Fabrics for cheap. It's not quite done yet, but I have only one more thing to do, which is to make the buttonholes and sew on the buttons. I'm kind of scared about making the buttonholes. . .

These are the buttons I'm going to use. They are waxed cherry wood, made from tree branches by The Hickory Tree. I wanted something rustic.

I'll show more details when I'm completely done. Even if the buttonholes don't work out (though I'm hoping they will), I feel like a had a sewing breakthrough. This is the first time I made a full bust adjustment to a pattern, so that the shirt will fit properly in the bust but not be too large in other places. Here's my modified front pattern piece, on art-school tracing paper (good thing I saved that stuff after all these years. . .)

A few weeks ago I hardly knew what a full bust adjustment was! Thanks again, you people of the internets!

My Evening Stockings. . .

2009-11-06T16:47:00.000-08:00

. . .are not quite done yet. They used to look like this, but now they look like this:

Yes, they have reverted to a more primitive state. But I still consider them "in progress." I am going to try again, this time with only 1" of rib at the top, and then switch to size 2 needles for the calf, then switch back to size 1 needles for the ankle and foot. Why did I feel the need to unravel them all the way back to nothing? Not exactly sure.

Tweed Madness

2009-11-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

I had a touch of the Tweed Madness about a month ago, which resulted in my purchasing some pink and red tweed yarn:

Some Rowan Felted Tweed and Rowan Scottish Tweed 4ply.

I'm using the Felted Tweed for a cardigan, it's Ginny by Kim Hargreaves.

This is the back. I have one front finished as well, and now I have stalled out on the second front part. . .My tweed madness needs to return if I want to get this all done in time to wear this season!

Shiny black cats like shiny black yarn

2009-11-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

Still chugging away on my Kaari pullover. I have the front, back, and sleeves done and am currently working on the pocket piece that goes on the front. Here's a terrifying view of some ends:

Really, though, it's not bad at all. Other than some horrible felted tangles in a couple balls of the Cashmerino Aran (grrrr), which Betsy was kind enough to help me untangle when she was visiting me, and the time when I was knitting from one end of the yarn and my black cat Inky was eating the other end. I had to pull about 5 inches of slimy yarn out of his mouth. . .

Inky dreaming of delicious yarn?!?

Zombie Beach

2009-11-01T16:13:00.001-08:00

It looked pretty spooky at Ocean Beach yesterday:

Hope everyone had a fun Halloween!

This one skein of wool as big as our kittens!!!

2009-09-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the blurriness, kittens are kind of wiggly (and so am I). . .

It's Cascade Ecological Wool, a whole lot of it.

Elf Toe Surprise

2009-09-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

When I looked at the picture of the Gentleman's Fancy Sock in Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush, I had no idea that I would be soon knitting socks with pointy elf toes. I thought about changing them to a good old flat toe, but I decided I would keep them as is. So here they are, all finished:

Pattern: Gentleman's Fancy Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks (made for a lady, that is, me)
Yarn: Schaefer Anne, color Butternut
Needles: size 0 metal dpns

Although I kept the toes as written (I kind of love the way the Kitchener stitch is worked sideways at the end, instead of straight across the top like on a flat toe), I did stray from the pattern in a few places. First of all, I didn't do any calf shaping. I cast on 72 stitches, with my yarn doubled, and worked the ribbed cuff and 6 repeats straight. I increased to 73 sts for the heel and worked that as written. I did 6 more pattern repeats for the foot. A half of a repeat looked weird, so I did 10 rounds of stockinette instead of 6 rounds before starting to decrease for the elf toe shaping.

As you might have guessed, I added some orange reinforcement thread to the toes. There is yellow reinforcement thread in the heels, but I ran out of it and couldn't find any more. So I used some orange that I had. Schaefer Anne feels kind of thin on its own.

Sweater time

2009-09-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to use up my stash yarn (because I want to buy more yarn, of course). I bought a bunch of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in black a while ago and never got around to knitting it up.

I've read that black is the worst color to knit with, but I have to disagree, especially when it's Cashmerino Aran. This stuff is soft and springy, and knits up really fast. I think I make myself slightly motion-sick when I work on this project, due to the speed of my stitching, ha ha ha.

Kaari from Berroco/Norah Gaughan Volume 1

That's the back piece of the pullover. A big blob of black stockinette is not the most exciting thing to photograph, so I added the picture of the finished product in the background for you to enjoy.

"Hosiery" is not one of my favorite words

2009-08-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

(although it is fun to say with a Baltimore accent)

I feel like I'm definitely making some hosiery here:

I decided to elongate the Evening Stockings for a Young Lady from Knitting Vintage Socks so that they will be knee high socks. I'm at that point now where I keep trying them on to see if they're long enough, even though I know I still have a ways to go.

Not for kittens!!

2009-08-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

I started my Garden Gate socks a while ago, but found that they are very difficult to knit when there are two kittens nearby, since two tempting balls of yarn are involved. My solution was to go on vacation to the opposite side of the country from the kittens, find a comfortable spot in a crazy old beach house with way too many doors, and then knit away.

Unfortunately I still have a lot to knit on these socks, so I'll have to figure out something else now that I'm home.

Between the pizza and the cake. . .

2009-08-04T16:57:00.001-07:00

. . . a sock was finished. It's a Gentleman's Fancy Sock (for a Lady) from Knitting Vintage Socks. I'm hanging out in a somewhat spooky beach house in Nags Head, NC. A good place to catch up on my knitting.

A top

2009-07-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

I broke out my sewing machine and made myself something to wear for the summer:

The pattern is the Anna Tunic by Amy Butler, size Medium. It was very well-written and not too tricky technique-wise to make. It was exactly what I wanted since I hadn't done any sewing in a few years.

The fabric is some cotton I bought at the World's Worst JoAnn Fabrics. I'm not super in love with it, but I think it works well for this pattern. The lining is just some unbleached muslin I had lying around.

I found some cute vintage buttons on etsy for the back:

I'm happy that my half-assed method of modifying the pattern actually worked. I cut out the front and back pieces, pinned them together, and put them on to see where the waistline fell on my body. It was about 2" below my actual waist (you know, 'cause I'm short), so I cut the pattern at the waistline, brought the waist up so that it was where I wanted it to be, and taped the pattern back together. The rest I left as is.

I took me two Saturdays and a few short sessions during the week to make this. Much faster than knitting!

Well-traveled yarn

2009-07-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

I just realized that the yarn I used to make these socks has been across the USA five times. I bought it at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in May of last year and brought it back to San Francisco. Then it came with me to Brooklyn this April when I was visiting Betsy. And finally it was my knitting project on my trip last week to Maryland and Pennsylvania to see friends and family. Travel broadens the mind and makes a great pair of socks:

Pattern: Marlene by Cookie A., from knit.1 magazine
Yarn: Brooklyn Handspun Soft Spun Plus, colorway Smooth Sailing
Needles: size 2 bamboo dpns

Another great Cookie A pattern. Lots of fun and easy to knit, even when you're stuck on a plane for 5 1/2 hours and the person in front of you has just spilled their water all over your carry-on bag.

Modifications? Why, yes. I only did 6 repeats for the ankle. 26 rows for the heel flap were all I needed. And I kept the ribbing on the toes, which is what the photo in knit.1 shows, but the written instructions are for a stockinette toe. Oh, and I cast on with 2 needles held together so that the top would be nice and stretchy.

One

2009-05-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

One Marlene sock by itself looks a little lonely:

One Marlene sock with some feet is much better:

One sock is still on the needles, not pictured.

In an amazing turn of events, I found some Wooly Nylon thread on sale at the Joann Fabrics near my work (which, to be honest, is one of the worst Joann Fabrics in the world), in exactly the shade of blue-green I needed. So the heels and toes are reinforced with that.

fini finito finished

2009-05-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

After I won the battle of the sleeves, ma Pluie Pullover turned out pretty well:

Pattern: Pluie Pullover by Teva Durham from Knitscene Winter/Spring 2009, mostly followed the directions for the 38 1/2" bust size
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Tape in Electric, approx 7 50g balls
Needles: size 15 Knitpicks Options wood 40" circ, size 17 to bind off

The yarn was resurrected from a sweater that I knit a couple years ago and never wore. I learned from that fail that Cotton Tape stretches out really fast. I think this pullover can handle it, though.

Other than my yarn substitution, my biggest change was in the sleeves, worked out through a great deal of trial and error and quite a few episodes of the original Star Trek series. . . To start each sleeve, I ended up picking up and knitting 12 stitches for the underarm instead of 6. Then, I did not do any increases and just knit until I got to the length I wanted. I only made three eyelets per sleeve and ended with 4 rounds in stockinette.

the virus told me to do it

2009-05-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was home sick on Monday and started knitting another sock. The pattern is from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush, but I'm tweaking it a little since the sock is for a "gentleman," and I would like it to fit on my feet.

How about some old socks for a change?

2009-05-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

An ice cream truck just drove down my street playing the beginning of Fur Elise repeatedly, which has to be the most melancholy ice cream truck song I've ever heard. It's the perfect soundtrack for my knitting time this weekend. I have been knitting the same sleeve of my Pluie pullover again and again, and it still isn't turning out the way I want it to. Sigh. . .

Anyways, is this cheating? I don't really have any new topics to post about other than my sleeve failure, so . . . I made these socks back before I had a blog (sometime in the year 2006), and I thought I'd share them with you today:

It's Pomatomus from Knitty, the very second pair of Cookie A socks I ever knit. (The first pair shall remain a mystery for now. . .) The yarn I used was Fleece Artist Merino, I think the color is called Blue Lagoon. I reinforced the heels and toes with regular old sewing thread because I didn't know what else to use. Even so, they've held up nicely and are probably one of my most favorite pairs of socks I have made.

Yay me! I can't knit a sleeve but I can make a sweet pair of socks!

no longer in progress

2009-05-02T15:07:00.001-07:00

I haven't attempted blocking this yet (I don't usually block hats), so other than that, this hat is done:

To block or not to block. . .

Pattern: Relm by b r o o k l y n t w e e d, from Knit.1 magazine, Fall/Winter 2008
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Squirrel Heather
Needles: size 5 circ and dpns for main part, size 4 for ribbing

I wanted an understated hat for a change. I wasn't planning to use this yarn for the hat, but then it clicked. The yarn is really soft though I found it a bit splitty. The pattern is fun to knit. It has a nice rhythm.

If you're planning on knitting this hat, check the errata page so that when you start decreasing, everything turns out pretty.

more in progress

2009-05-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

1. Loving this pattern from Cookie A, the Marlene Sock from Knit.1 magazine in Brooklyn Handspun Soft Spun Plus
2. Experimenting with Pluie Pullover by Teva Durham from Knitscene magazine in Rowan Cotton Tape
3. Yikes!!!

The story so far

2009-04-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

My current crop of knits-in-progress, randomly arranged. Clockwise from the top left, there's a hat (Relm by b r o o k l y n t w e e d in Knitpicks Swish Worsted), a sock (Evening Stockings from Knitting Vintage Socks in Panda Silk), a sweater (knittingschooldropout's Garter Yoke Cardigan in Skye Tweed), and another sock (Garden Gate by Emily Johnson in Socks that Rock Lightweight & Dream in Color Smooshy Sock).

Perhaps you spotted my new favorite stitch marker:

It's actually a zipper pull that someone sweet bought for me at Kid Robot!

30 years ago

2009-03-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

I used to wear this shirt. It's a children's size medium.

On March 28, 1979, I remember sitting in Mrs. Behel's second grade class, learning stuff with the other kids, when the principal starting making announcements over the school's intercom. Kids were getting called out of class to go meet their parents in the school lobby. No one knew why. I wondered if my name would be called. In a few minutes I heard my name and my brother's announced. When we got to the lobby, my mom was waiting for us. She told us we were going home to get some things and then we would be driving to north to stay with her cousin's family in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area. She explained there had been an accident at the nuclear power plant called Three Mile Island.

I don't remember what I packed at all. I wonder now what I decided were the most important things to take. I just remember riding in the car with my mom and brother, following my dad, who was driving in another car ahead of us with our cat and more of our stuff. I wanted to ride in the car with the cat but I wasn't allowed to.

We stayed in Wilkes-Barre for a week, I think. I remember playing with my mom's cousin's kids. One of them pretended he was the Incredible Hulk and would pick us up and go "RRARRR!" They had a bathroom with the biggest bathtub I had ever seen. I think there was a phone next to the tub. It was 1979, after all.

When we returned home, I was glad to see my grandparents again, who also lived in the area near Three Mile Island, and who had decided to stay put when the accident happened. Probably the weeping cherry tree in the front of our house was in bloom when we got home, always one of my favorite sights of spring. I'm sure the cat was glad to be back in her own territory.

About a year or so later my brother's class went on a field trip to tour Three Mile Island. I guess they were inviting school kids to visit to show how safe it was.

For many years after the incident, even after I had moved out of my parents' house, I would have nightmares about needing to get my things together and leave home due to another nuclear accident.

Do you have a Three Mile Island story?

"A stitch to wear"

2009-03-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

Finished up my rpm socks this morning. In an homage to Aija Goto's image from Knitty. . .

. . .pictured with my Smiths 12" singles that I've had since high school.

Pattern: rpm from Knitty
Yarn: Socks that Rock Lightweight, color Carbon
Needles: size 1 40" circular, magically-looped
Modifications: I followed the directions for the large size but used smaller needles and a finer yarn. I made short-row heels using my usual method rather than following the pattern's directions.

I went with grafted rather than round toes, which apparently smell interesting

These turned out pretty great!

You know that spring is on its way. . .

2009-03-12T21:43:00.001-07:00

. . .when the squid return to the trees:

Li'l Squid ended up as a cyclops, inspired by the squid in the movie Coraline. The yarn is bits and pieces of Noro Kureyon color 92. Like my other tentacled creations I didn't follow a pattern, I just started knitting until I had what I liked.

The funny thing is that the yarn used to be in the form of a hat, and it's been on three of the world's continents. I wore it when I visited Japan, Scotland, and Italy a few years ago. I decided I didn't really like the hat very much, so I unraveled it. That's one of the great things about knitting.

Squid vs. Kitten

2009-03-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Poor little squid doesn't have much of a chance against a crazy kitten, especially not with all those yarn ends still hanging out!

Around and around

2009-03-07T15:43:00.000-08:00

One rpm sock done:

Speaking of rpm's, these crocheted and embroidered records make me really happy.

I went to Stitches West and only bought one thing

2009-03-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

A skein of Dream in Color Classy, to make these mitts for my kick-ass supervisor, who is leaving my department:

Pattern: Evangeline via free Ravelry download
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy, color Gray Tabby
Needles: size 6 bamboo dpns

These were fast and fun to make. I love the yarn! (Stay classy, Dream in Color!) I still have enough left to make a hat, probably.

same yarn, different day

2009-02-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

It didn't take long for me to figure out what to do with the yarn from my Ugliest Knit Ever. I decided to give rpm a whirl, and I think it's turning out quite nicely:

(here the sock is doing its best imitation of a triggerfish)

It took me a couple of attempts to make the short row heel. I like how the stripes kind of match up, though don't really. I knit the heel over 32 stitches, 10 wrapped stitches per side. On the first round after completing the heel, I did m1 increases at the beginning and end of the instep stitches, and then decreased back again on the next round, to avoid any big holes between the heel stitches and the instep stitches.

Cuteness!

2009-02-11T16:18:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd post something sweet to counteract the ugliness of my previous post. . .

Ha ha ha, this is freaking ugly!

2009-02-05T14:53:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share with you perhaps the ugliest thing I have ever knit.

This is what happens when you knit Bartholomew's Tantalizing Sock from New Pathways for Sock Knitters with Socks that Rock Lightweight in colorway Carbon. (As usual, I don't blame either the pattern or the yarn, the fault lies in me for putting the two together.)

the front

the back

The whole time I was knitting this, I felt like I was playing a game of chicken with myself. How long could I keep knitting this, as I watched the yarn and pattern collide in such a sickening way? I must admit that I was strangely fascinated by the process.

So, let's see, what have I learned from this latest mistake?

1. Magic Loop rocks! This was the first time I tried it, and I loved it. It's really fast, easy, and the cheapskate in me loves that I only needed one needle that was $5 from knitpicks.com.

2. I like the way the yarn was looking when I was knitting 63 stitches per round in stockinette. I'm thinking maybe the yarn would work well with rpm. . .

3. Even though the pattern is written for STR Mediumweight, STR Lightweight will work, using the 68 st cast-on size and size 1 (2.25mm) needles.

4. Maybe I should avoid multi-colored yarns? I don't seem to have much skill with them.

In progress

2009-02-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

The brilliant Garden Gate from Knitty:

I'm using Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn in Petal Shower and Socks that Rock Lightweight in Rauen. Size 1 bamboo dpns.

Meet Pistol and Inky

2009-01-31T16:55:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the month, Jimmy and I adopted two kittens that were born in the bushes in front of our work building.

Pistol is on the left and her brother Inky is on the right.

They are both very sweet and playful, and eager to help me with all my knitting projects.

I'm feeling a little loopy today

2009-01-31T16:26:00.000-08:00

1. I have a head cold.

2. Nasty exhaust fumes from the landlord's old truck made it up to our apartment when he was moving it out of the garage.

3. I tried out the Magic Loop technique:

Glass and cacti go great together

2009-01-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

I created a flickr set of the pictures I took while visiting the Desert Botanical Garden in Tempe, Arizona at the beginning of the month. There was a Dale Chihuly sculpture exhibit on display there. I highly recommend checking it out if you can!

Click here to see them all.

Enjoy!

Catching up

2009-01-11T15:10:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

Not much knitting news to report. . .

I finished my Firestarter socks and have already worn them:

Tiny feet (for scale, I guess) provided by Jimmy's nephew Noel.

I ended up knitting the second sock twice, somehow it ended up too long in the foot the first time. I think my tension got looser, and maybe I added an extra round in the pre-gusset stage. Anyway, it was quick to reknit and now they fit perfectly.

Sadly, the rest of my knitting projects have gone awry. I started a pair of mittens and ran out of yarn. I made a sock and decided it was too pink. I tried 3 different sock patterns with a lovely red yarn, but none of them seemed right.

Oh well, I have a lot of yarn and a lot of other patterns and ideas I'd like to try out. I'm sure I'll be back to juggling too many socks and sweaters and squids in no time.

Noro-Maki

2008-12-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

I have to keep telling myself, "Not to eat!!"

Adventures in Tweed

2008-12-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

I finished my Tweedy Aran Cardigan last weekend, after a slight hiccup. . .maybe more than slight since I ended up re-knitting both sleeves. . .Here's what happened:

I was knitting away on the collar when I realized that I was going to run out of yarn. I considered making the collar smaller, but I decided against this because the size, although large enough to feel at home in the 1970's, seemed a good proportion for this sweater.

My next thought was the sleeves. I could probably take a half an inch off their length and not miss it. As I further inspected my sleeves, I noticed that they didn't really match the shape of the pattern's schematic drawing. My sleeves got wider much sooner than the drawing indicated.

I figured out that my gauge had changed, and I was knitting more rows to the inch than the pattern called for. So I decided to try re-knitting the sleeves, this time making increases every 8 rows instead of every 6 rows, and then also going with the half-inch shorter plan once I was done with the increases. Two days later I had sleeves that looked much better and more than enough yarn to finish the collar and use to sew all the seams. Hurray!

This sweater is like a warm hug.

Pattern: Tweedy Aran Cardigan by Norah Gaughan for Interweave Knits
Yarn: Beaverslide Fisherman Weight, color is called Swift Current (thanks to Pam and Amber!!)
Needles: size 7 and 5 addi turbos
Buttons: 1" mongoy wood from M&J Trimming

Basking in the glow of an Outer Sunset sunset

2008-11-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

The start of a Snicket sock.

I'm knitting this with Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn, which I think is, well, dreamy. The color is almost too sweet for me. . .

Maybe next weekend I can wear this without sweating

2008-11-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

I took a little break from knitting my Tweedy Aran Cardigan to play with some lovely handspun yarn I got from Betsyply. The yarn was telling me that it wanted to be worn around my neck and involve lacey holes. So I surfed Ravelry for a little while, and found a pattern that looked promising, Fawn Pea's Quickie Cowl. (I guess I could have made something up myself, but Quickie Cowl fit the bill perfectly.)

It's always a little tricky working with handspun since you only have a limited quantity to work with. I found that if I cast on 28 stitches instead of 38, and did a little blocking, I would have a cozy finished product:

It's like wearing a scarf, but you don't have to worry about the ends trailing into your mocha when you're sitting outside at your favorite cafe on a cold day.

Of course this weekend in San Francisco it's about 80 degrees F and the sun's like a laser. . .

I'm a blocker

2008-11-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

I am really glad I bought a nice blocking board kit a few years ago when I first started knitting. It was kind of expensive but worth it. My Tweedy Aran Cardigan pieces definitely needed to be blocked, especially the back piece:

The pattern comes with detailed schematics, so pinning everything to the correct dimensions was easy. I sprayed the wool with water and now the whole room smells like a wet dog.

I'm knitting the second sleeve now. I hope to have this project done in time for winter. Jimmy and I are going back east for Christmas, and then we're going to the Grand Canyon for New Year's, so I will actually be somewhere cold!

mmmm, gusset-y

2008-10-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest on my Firestarter sock:

As you can see I finished the gusset and heel on Sock #1. The construction is very interesting. First you knit in the round and increase to make the gusset, then you knit some short-rows to turn the heel, and then you knit back and forth until all the gusset stitches have been decreased. That's where I am now, ready to start knitting in the round again.

I've never knit a sock this way before, and it was lots of fun!

I'm confused (but determined)

2008-10-05T15:44:00.001-07:00

Pattern: Firestarter by Yarnissima
Yarn: Socks that Rock Light in Bleeding Hearts

Such a lovely pattern, such a lovely yarn. They look like they'll be happy together. The problem is, I have to figure out what's going on with the directions. . .

I was fine until I hit the chart. It's not clear to me which rows you should knit to make the medallion pattern on the side of the foot. The chart has 16 rows, but the last row has an increase, which I know I don't want to do. (I think Row 16 is just for the top of the sock, although that's not clear either.) After doing some internet research, it seems like I should try repeating Rows 2-8 until my desired length.

Probably the best thing to do is to not over-think this. Me knit sock.

Who knew?

2008-10-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

Of all the new projects I've started recently, only one has really stuck. Was it Joy or RPM? Nope. What can I say, they just didn't do it for me. My fingers must have been itching for more twisted stitches. . .

Instead, here is the back of Interweave Knits' Tweedy Aran Cardigan by Norah Gaughan:

I'm knitting it with Beaverslide Dry Goods 2-ply fisherman's weight yarn. The color is Swift Current, which is a heathered blue-green with white flecks. There are some really beautiful cobalt blue flecks in the yarn as well.

My gauge was way larger width-wise, but about the same length-wise, so I'm following the directions for the next size down from what I want. I wanted some positive ease in the fit, so the finished bust size should be 42 1/2", but I'm knitting according to the size 38" bust directions. So far it's working.

I also rearranged the pattern a little bit. To set up the back, I did this:
10 sts of fancy rib, 10 sts of twisted rib (ending with a purl st), Chart A, Chart B, 8 sts of fancy rib (starting and ending with crossed sts), Chart B, Chart A, 10 sts of twisted rib (starting with a purl st), 10 sts of fancy rib.

The extra purl stitch in each twisted rib sections help the Chart A sections stand out a little more.

It's a pretty fast knit although those fancy ribs are killers on the fingers! The little finger on my left hand is probably the strongest it has ever been. I'm ready for Olympic little-finger wrestling, rarr!

finally, pictures for you

2008-09-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Computer troubles are getting me down. To be more specific, stupid router troubles. Grr. It's been putting a damper on my posting for about a month now. Anyway, if you're seeing this post, then the router is playing nice.

There they are, my done done done Bayerische socks, ready for a pumpkin patch:

Pattern: Bayerische Socks by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Lang Jawoll
Needles: size 0 golden Susan Bates metal

These were my longest socks-in-progress and definitely the hardest things I have ever knit. By the time I got to Sock #2, though, I could twist stitches and cable without a cable needle like a pro (okay, without cursing, let's say). In the end, I would even say it was really fun to knit.

I did 4 repeats of Chart D for the ankle and 4 repeats for the foot (to fit size US 5.5 feet). I think I was too scared to modify the pattern at all. Just joking, I didn't need to, it was really well written.

It was getting dark as I took this shot, but here's a side view, so you can see Chart D's design better:

Though the pattern is a winner, I don't think I like Lang Jawoll very much. It gets fuzzy and splitty rather quickly, and I could definitely feel the nylon in it. It's kind of rough. I hope that means it's sturdy and long lasting.

Finished pair

2008-09-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here they are, straight from the back porch in Nags Head, NC:

Pattern: bmp by Aija Goto from Knitty
Yarn: Crystal Palace Panda Cotton
Needles: size 1 Susan Bates metal dpns, size 0 dpns for heels & toes

As noted in previous posts, I made a few modifications to accommodate a thicker yarn and a smaller size than the pattern. As you can see, I decided to make the Invaders again instead of using the High Score pattern chart. I just liked them a lot, plus I have no idea what my Space Invaders high score is. I only put the shooter on one sock, though.

Making these socks made me grumble a bit. I know I've already bitched about having to do a lot of criss-crossing to avoid long floats on the inside of the sock. I've also already documented the trouble that the heel gave me. And I wasn't too thrilled with grafting so many stitches, in black yarn, at the end. I'm thinking that my decision to use Panda Cotton made things a bit more annoying as well. The yarn has elastic in it, and that makes it kind of grabby and uncooperative. It was hard to do duplicate stitch - the shooter design - with it because the yarn kept curling up.

But when I put the socks on my feet, I forgot about all of the above. They are so cute!

Outer Banks knitting factory

2008-09-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a week at the Outer Banks in North Carolina with Jimmy's family. I had hoped to do some blogging while I was there, but then I came to my senses and realized that I was on vacation. Usually my time is spent swimming in the warm Atlantic waters, reading books on the beach, and eating enormous quantities of Utz potato chips and blue crabs. The ocean was a bit rough due to Tropical Storm Hanna, so there wasn't a lot of swimming this time. I decided that knitting was a better option, and so I set myself up on the porch of our rented beach cottage:

I had decided it was high time to finish a couple of socks:

Bayerische

bmp

This was my very serene view from the porch. The ocean is on the other side of the sand dune:

I'm happy to say that I was able to achieve my knitting goals, as well as eating tons of potato chips and crabs. I'll post more info and pics soon. I think I'm still on East Coast time, I'm feeling sleepy even though it's only 9 pm here. . .

Auditions

2008-08-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Since I'm down to only 2 works in progress, I decided to start a couple new projects. They're both at that fragile stage where I could easily rip them out without much regret, since I haven't invested a lot of time or energy into either of them.

First, we have a possible sweater. It is Joy from Rowan's Vintage Knits book:

I'm using Rowanspun 4 ply. I love the name of the colorway. It's called Sludge.

I'm having doubts about this one already. The pattern calls for beads, but I don't like the combination of tweed and bead. So, like many other knitters who've made this, I decided to substitute the beads with purls. Unfortunately, the purls don't really read very well:

They are in the smoother section right below the knitting needle, and they form broken diagonal lines.

So. Do I continue, and see if the pattern shows up better once I've knit more? Or do I try out a different idea with this yarn. Hmm. Can't decide. . .

NEXT!

I wanted to have a simpler sock in the works to contrast with bmp and Bayerische, which are both a bit more challenging to knit. So here is the beginning of RPM, knit with sKNITches Bebop Sock yarn, colorway Chalkboard:

I have a better feeling about this one. I just need to keep on knitting to see how the pattern and the changing colors of the yarn work together.

It's not like I won 8 gold medals, but still. . .

2008-08-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a pretty big sense of achievement at the moment. Yesterday afternoon I made myself some coffee, put on a bunch of records, and finished my oldest work-in-progress. Woo hoo! Cargo is DONE:

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. Okay, maybe I'm ecstatic! And relieved. I think this will be getting a lot of wear.

I love the styling and the fit (go Kim Hargreaves and Rowan!), and Rowan Denim, though not my favorite yarn, was enjoyable to work with and is not too floppy when it's knit up and shrunk down. It doesn't feel like it's going to stretch out a lot, either. If it does, I guess I can just throw it in the washer and dryer to shrink it back up a little.

The major downsides with this were that there was a lot of boring stockinette to knit and a lot of seams to sew. It took me a while to figure out the best placement of the pocket flaps and the chest pocket, too. I ended up sewing on all the other buttons first and then attaching the pocket and pocket flaps.

And as a bonus, I discovered an LP by The Fall in my record collection that I didn't realize I had (Domesday Pay-Off):

More Wool Socks for the Summertime

2008-08-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

I'm a sock-knitting fiend these days! I finished this pair, which I like to call my Kicky Socks, almost a week ago. It's been a little hard to take pics because it's been really foggy and dark at home. I wanted some summer surroundings for Kicky Socks, too, because of their fun colors. So I ended up taking these socks to work and finding a nice spot in the grass (fortunately I did not have to explain myself to any curious co-workers):

Here's an on-the-feet shot, when there was a little bit of pearly light glowing through the windows at home:

demure pose

ready to kick!

Kicky Socks were knit toe-up using a figure-8 cast on. I cast on 14 stitches per needle (so 28 total) with the black yarn and increased to 60 stitches total. Then I switched to the stripey yarn and knit in stockinette until I was about 1 1/2" from my heel. I made a short-row heel, which I turned when there were 14 unwrapped stitches left.

Then I switched back to the stripey yarn and zoomed up to my desired length. I I switched to the black yarn and knit one round in stockinette before starting the ribbed cuff, to make a smoother black line (if I had just started doing the ribbed part, I would have gotten little black dots where the purl stitches were, and I didn't want that). Then I finished off with a knit 3, purl 1 rib for 1 1/2" and bound off using Elizabeth Zimmermann's sewn bind off.

I started these socks about a month ago, but really it probably took only about 2 or 3 knitting sessions per sock to finish them.

Bayerische Rides Again

2008-08-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to pick up a project that had been languishing for months. It's not as old as Cargo, which is still not quiiite done (just need to sew on the 18 buttons, 3 pocket flaps, and 1 breast pocket on that one, not that I'm counting. . .), but it was my oldest unfinished sock. And now I have one finished sock:

Pattern: Bayerische Sock by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Lang Jawoll
Needles: size 0 metal dpns

As you can see, with all those fancy stitches, it's a pretty time-consuming knit. Not something that can be done without paying attention, although I am a lot faster at working crossed stitches than I used to be.

I want to wear these in October. They look like they'd be good socks to wear in a pumpkin patch.

Second Sock Same as the First?

2008-08-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

Just today, I (almost) finished the first of my bmp socks:

I still need to weave in a bunch of ends, but that is it. Actually, there are a LOT of ends to weave in, although you can only see one loose thread in the picture.

Now I need to decide what I want to do for the second sock of the pair. The pattern calls for an entirely different charted design, but I am considering using the same chart I used for Sock #1. The Space Invaders are just so cute! Plus, Chart #2 doesn't look very fun to knit, and it doesn't look as easy to modify as Chart #1 was (I repeated the pattern 6 times instead of 7 to make a smaller sock).

I still need to play some vintage Space Invaders, for reference purposes, of course!

Good socks, good!

2008-07-20T14:18:00.001-07:00

My Trystero socks are done. What a well-behaved pair! No pattern modifications, no technical problems, no second sock fatigue. Just pure love.

Pattern: Trystero by Cookie A.
Yarn: Madelinetosh Sock in Jade
Needles: size 1 bamboo dpns

Kicky socks!

2008-07-19T16:12:00.001-07:00

What to do when several of your projects just seem to be dragging on and on (hello Cargo and bmp). . .Start something new, of course!

The black makes me happy. Suddenly the sock has more kick! The heels and the top of the sock will also be black.

Yarns: Knitpicks Felici in Coney Island plus Lang Jawoll in Black
Needles: size 1 bamboo dpns
Gauge: 9 sts/inch

I started with a figure-8 cast on, 14 sts per needle (28 total), increased to 60 stitches, and then zoomed around and around until it was time for the heel. I can't face doing another short-row heel yet, not after the whole bmp heel business. . .

I think this sock is laughing at me

2008-07-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

"HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAA!"

I was moving along so nicely on my bmp sock, and then I reached the tiny spot of concentrated evilness known as the heel.

The heel you see here is version 3.5, which I arrived at after discovering the following adjustments were necessary. First, I ended up switching from size 1 to size 0 needles (the pattern calls for size 0's, but I had been using 1's due to the thickness of Panda Cotton). Then, I found that when I used SSK3togethers or SSP3togethers like the pattern said, I got holes. So I used K3tog and P3tog instead and got no holes. Finally, I turned the heel when there were 14 active stitches left instead of 16.

I am hoping that 3.5 times is the charm!

Renegade Wrap-Up in Words Only

2008-07-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

I am the worst blogger in the world. I forgot to bring my camera with me on Sunday when I went to the SF Renegade Craft Fair. Let's hope that Betsy or Beverly can provide some images. If I had brought it, I would have taken pics of Betsy's table full of beautiful yarn and kimono fabric pillows and drawings and the tiny bowl of chocolate covered espresso beans. And the crazy marching band that stormed through the fair with megaphones on their heads. Maybe I would have tried to sneak a pic of the punk-rock kids hanging out in the front of the pavillion.

It was a fun time, even though I'm feeling a bit cash-poor right now so I didn't do much shopping. Always good to hang out with Betsy and be surrounded by yarn. I liked watching other people get excited by the yarn, it made me feel a little less crazy!

I'm sending out a special Thank You to the vegan ice cream girl who appeared at Betsy's table at the end of the day offering Betsy and me 2 red cups full of free delicious chocolate and vanilla cucumber ice cream, yum yum! We must have looked the most tired of all the crafters or something.

San Francisco Renegade Craft Fair this weekend

2008-07-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm throwing all subtlety to the wind - if you're in the SF Bay Area this weekend, get yourself to the Renegade Craft Fair!

Betsy will be there to sell some of her wonderful handspun and hand-dyed yarns, drawings, pillows, and other finely made items. If you liked how my brioche hat from my last post turned out, you can get some fabulous Betsyply yarn and make your own! I'll be helping her out on Sunday, so stop on by!

The incredibly lovely yarn that I stopped knitting into a scarf and became a brioche watchcap!!?

2008-07-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Betsy kindly gave me some fabulous handspun yarn a little while ago in exchange for a ride to the airport or something like that. I figured I would make it into a scarf. After several different attempts, over the span of several months, though, I realized that what this yarn really wanted to be was a hat. And in a day or so, there it was:

(that's our fridge in the background, so now you know what we have stuck on it!)

I used Elizabeth Zimmermann's brioche stitch watchcap pattern from Knitting Without Tears, and modified it slightly since my yarn was less chunky than what the pattern called for. I can't remember how many stitches I actually ended up casting on, maybe it was 48? I'm too tired right now to figure it out. I know I used size 10.5 needles. Other than that, I pretty much followed the pattern. I ended up with 12 stitches to thread the yarn through at the top.

More RAWR!!

2008-06-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

Jimmy and I just can't get enough of the BABY TIGERS!!!!!
We went to the SF Zoo last Sunday and again yesterday. Here are some more pics:

practicing his crouching tiger move

playing with Mom

she's had enough

Sweater Knitting in Slow Motion

2008-06-22T15:45:00.001-07:00

I have a new knitting goal, to finish Cargo, a pattern by Kim Hargreaves for Rowan, which I started about 2 years ago. (I had to go back to earlier posts and look that up. I thought it had been even longer than 2 years!) I still like the sweater, but the knitting is just kind of boring. Lots of stockinette, and now that I'm working on the collar, lots of 2x2 ribbing. Plus, you have to knit everything longer than you normally would because the yarn, Rowan Denim, shrinks up lengthwise when you wash it. The advantage of this is that you can just machine wash and dry the sweater with regular clothes.

So, just last week I got the buttons for it, thinking that this would inspire me to dig old Cargo out and get knitting. I liked the Rowan buttons from the pattern, but at over $4 per button, they are expensive, especially since you need 18 of them. I would be spending more on buttons than on the yarn, which just doesn't seem right to me. Fortunately, I found similar buttons here, for much much less. Go Internets!

Cargo is actually a good project for nasty hot weather since I'm knitting with cotton on cool metal needles. Yesterday I seamed the shoulders together and started the collar:

The buttons are on there just for show. There's still some knitting (all those fiddly pocket flaps and epaulettes) and seaming to be done. I hope this thing turns out all right!

Invaders are knit

2008-06-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

They make me want to play Space Invaders, even though I'm more of a pinball kind of girl. Well, I am also a reformed Animal Crossing addict.

Too hot for wool

2008-06-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

It's really hot here today, even at the beach! That's why I'm blogging instead of knitting. Although I have a few non-wooly projects that I could probably work on. . .Anyway, before the heat wave struck, I finished this sock. It's sock #1 of a pair of Trystero socks, pattern by the ingenious Cookie A, yarn by Madelinetosh.

Not much to say about this project. I followed the pattern and all was well. Lots of fun cabling, but I didn't have to concentrate too hard to follow the charts. The sock fits great and the yarn, which is 100% superwash merino, is really squishy. I reinforced the heels and toes like I usually do when I'm knitting with 100% wool sock yarn. Now, on to Sock #2. When it cools down, that is.

RAWRR!

2008-06-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

Not much knitting happened this weekend, since I had to work on Saturday (boo!) and then on Sunday Jimmy and I went to the SF Zoo to check out the 3 Sumatran tiger cubs there (yay!).

Here are 2 of the cubs playing:

(those weird colored parts are the glare on the glass that separated us from the tigers)

one of the cubs is chewing on a bone or something kind of meaty

double chomp!

Space Invaders!

2008-05-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I started working on bmp from Knitty:

I made a few changes to the pattern. First, I am working it slightly smaller, only 6 repeats instead of 7. Second, I'm using Panda Cotton instead of wool. It's making the sock very thick, but I think it will still be wearable. It's very squishy, which I like. I also like how crisp the Space Invaders look. Panda Cotton was too thick for size 0 needles, so I stepped up my needle size to 1's.

I hope these will turn out all right because they are kind of a pain in the ass to knit. There are lots of times where I have to criss-cross the non-working yarn to avoid long floats on the inside of the sock. Stranded knitting is fun except for the criss-crossing business.

Can't stop the sock

2008-05-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

Another pair done:

Pattern: Charade by Sandra of I May Be Knitting A Ranch House
Yarn: Madelinetosh Sock, colorway Robin's Nest
Needles: size 1 bamboo dpns

I modified the pattern slightly by knitting the socks toe-up, with 56 stitches in total and short-row heels. I didn't center the herringbone rib pattern on the instep of the first sock, but I did on the second. I can't tell which is which in the photo above. That's fine with me.

Here's a side view so you can see the heel better:

(I am doing some kind of weird yoga pose for this picture. Let's call it the Sideways Sock.)

Is it silly to finish a scarf at the end of May?

2008-05-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

Not when you live right by the ocean in San Francisco. I'm sure I'll be wearing it in no time.

Pattern: Jyri, from Norah Gaughan Vol. 1
Yarn: Tess Designer Cultivated Silk and Wool
Needles: size 9 addi turbo 32" circs

I bought one skein of the yarn at Stitches West, and then later decided to make the scarf, which meant I needed to get another skein. Rather than brave the Tess Designer Yarn website ordering process, I waited a few months, traveled across the country, and with Jimmy "SquirtPants" as my patient companion, bought another skein at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. The Sheep and Wool skein was more purple than the Stitches skein, so I alternated skeins every 2 rows as I knit the scarf.

I would categorize this project as Lots of Fun.

shibori

2008-05-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

I've been working on Jyri, a scarf pattern by Norah Gaughan:

It's a really interesting pattern. As you might be able to figure out from the photo above, the scarf is knit longways. Also, the finished fabric, instead of lying flat, has little peaks in it.

I immediately recognized that the "mountain pattern" used to make the scarf's bumpy texture echoes the shape of fabric that has been wrapped to be dyed following the traditional Japanese resist-dye technique called shibori. If you want to learn more, this is a great book about traditional shibori techniques.

I discovered shibori when I was in art school back in the early 1990's. I still love the effect it can create, kind of underwater, kind of ghostly. Here are a couple of my experiments, using a variety of shibori techniques:

They are hand-dyed silk, dunked in a vat of indigo dye that we made from scatch. Our studio's indigo vat was just a big plastic trash can filled with dye that had to be stirred every day. The cool thing about indigo is that it's green at first and then it turns blue as the dye reacts with air.

Wow, I made those fifteen years ago. . .

It's already hot today

2008-05-16T10:08:00.001-07:00

My way to beat the heat involves playing Black Sabbath really loud and downloading mitten patterns.

Octopus waits

2008-05-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

It's Jimmy's turn now. Let's all urge him to figure out how to make the octopus go squeak squeal buzz buzz. . .