Spot Check Socks

First month of my Self Imposed Sock Club is almost complete and so is my first sock...Spot Check.  Love the end result even if the sock turned out a bit more green than I would have preferred.  I was afraid that may happen since the greens in the variegated yarn looked to be very similar in color to the greens found in my skein of Jitterbug.  It was somewhat difficult to know how close these colors would be until I was actual knitting in pattern.  Sometimes the patterning didn't show much contrast between the two yarns very well...and sometimes that was due to me picking up the wrong skein as I knit.   Oops.  I ended up loving the overall effect of the socks though...perfect pairing of pattern and yarn.

The pattern did have a couple of errors...at least that's what I'm calling it since I duplicated the same issue on sock 2.  Overall it was a simple pattern to remember and produced a stunning sock.  I did not make any modifications to the pattern and the fit is excellent.

Details:

Spot Check Socks

Pattern:  Spot Check Sock by Beth Parrott found in Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Carol J. Sulcoski.

Yarn:  Colinette Jitterbug's Velvet Leaves, Fingering / 4 ply, 100% Merino, 318 yards / 110 gram.  I used 63 grams/184 yards of yarn.  Unplanned Peacock's Superwash Merino Fingering , 4 ply, 100% Wool, 490 yards / 100 grams in Whippoorwill.  I used only 17 grams/83 yards of yarn so I still have more than enough for another pair of socks.

       Needles:  Knit Picks Harmony, US 2 and Lantern Moon Rosewood DPN, US 1

       Gauge:  17 stitches and 22 rows= 2"

Side detail

Don't you just love the little details...check out the green line down the side of the sock.  It started at the gusset and continued all the way down the sock until the decreases for the toe.  So cool!

The pattern I chose for February will be Herringbone Rib Socks by Kristi Schueler also out of  Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn.   The yarn I selected for this pattern will be be either Austermann Step which is one of my oldest stashed yarns or possibly Trekking Pro Natura.  This one had been gifted to my Mom for Christmas a few years ago, but when she became ill and could no longer knit she returned it to me.  One problem with the Trekking is that she evidently used some of the skein so I'm concerned about running out before completing the sock.

I'm still leaning towards the Trekking though to honor Mom.  February happens to be both her birth month (Feb . 4th) and the month in which she passed one year ago on February 21, 2010.

Startitis...Is that a Real Word?

I don't think you'll find 'startitis' in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, but maybe they'll add it.  Every knitter I know has suffered from it from time to time.  It only has one cure that I know of and that requires you to throw all caution to the wind and get busy.  Which I have been...busy looking through ALL my books, magazines, Ravelry and whatever else I can get my hands on to try and scratch that itch known as startitis.  Not to mention I've been looking through the stash and deciding that I maybe I don't have the proper yarn.  Why oh why is that always the case!

At the moment I have pitifully little on the needles and have been fighting against starting 10 other things.  I keep hoping that it will pass and I'll maintain some order.  I only have 2 inches left on my Sock Club January sock...good thing too since I only have until the 31st to finish it.  All that's left is a Hokie Hat that has languished on my needles for way too long and a Josephine Shawl.  That's it until I start my next sock on February 1st.  It's why I'm having a terrible case of itchy fingers to cast on something interesting.  I keep pulling out my sweater patterns, but cannot for the life of me figure out which one to start...maybe I should just go ahead and cast on all of them.  Wouldn't that be a trip...maintain my sanity and keep straight each sweater.

How would you choose between  Peabody by Leila Raabe which was in BrooklynTweed (Jared Flood) Fall 2011 collections of patterns.  I'm in love with the front lace panel of this sweater...not to mention the lovely orange color.  The next sweater on the list is  Velynda by Bonnie Marie Burns of Chicknits.  I adore anything cabled and my dear husband always compliments anything I knit that has lots of cables.  One that I've dreamed about since the magazine showed up is the Leif Slipover by Adrienne Lawson.  Maybe dreaming about it should give this one the edge.  The last one is Eadon by Susanna IC.  I have had this in the queue for a while and still have not actually bought the pattern which intrigues me. 

How would you whittle it down to one?  Anyone?

If You Spun Your Own Yarn...

BFL and Merino

Well over a year ago I decided that I really wanted to learn how to spin my very own yarn.  Yeah, like I already don't have enough fiber in the house I wanted to add to the collection.  Not to mention the tools that would need to be bought...good grief I'm getting itchy thinking about it!  My dear husband even mentioned that I should take up spinning...'it would be cheaper'! Hahaha, that got me laughing because he has NO IDEA what trouble I could get into if spinning takes over my mind.

My first drop spin

Anyway my dear brother-in-law just happened to mention while visiting that he'd love to make a spinning wheel...oh be still my heart.  Problem was I had no idea what I wanted or for that matter what I needed in a spinning wheel, not to mention I had no idea if I even liked spinning.  I bought a drop spindle and a small bag of merino roving and started playing.  I figured that I taught myself to knit so why couldn't I teach myself to spin on a drop spindle.  I did find great book/dvd Respect the Spindle by Abbie Franquemont to help the process along. Not to mention all the videos and information I found online that proved very helpful.

BFL

silk hankie

first handspun yarn

My first 'spun yarn' was definitely not much to look at...thick and thin with 'slubs' all along it, but it was my first spun yarn.  Of course things got busy I lost focus and stopped playing with the spindle until a few months ago.   In December I managed to take a beginning drop spindle class at a local shop, Holly Spring Homespun taught by Daryll Sneden.  It really helped jump start the spinning bug again.   She showed us how to spin all kinds of fibers, even silk hankies.   I had never plied yarn before and she showed us how to do that as well.  I started practicing everyday until I was out of roving.   By the time I had finished spinning the singles and plying everything I ended up with a whole 55 ounces!  Not a huge amount, but each spindle full of fiber looked better than the previous one.  Wow!  It's true that practice does make perfect!  I even used some of my yarn in knitting some miniature sweater ornaments for a few special friends and family. 

Christmas has replenished the supply and now I really need to set aside time to spin.  I'd love a wheel, but still no idea what type. Yet. 

mini handspun sweater ornament

Plaid

A few weeks ago my youngest asked about the possibility of knitting him a scarf.  You cannot imagine my excitement at the request.  He did say that he was 'picky'...imagine a 24 year old guy that is very particular about his clothes kind of picky.   Game on!

I started the process immediately by searching Ravelry for an appropriate pattern to suit him.  His request was fairly simple- he wanted something plaid, in fact one similar to the 'fake cashmere' one he bought for himself.  Definitely did not want argyle or stripes or 'fancy' cables...so off I went on a search for the perfect plaid.   Ran into a few problems, the largest one being my youngest not liking any of the patterns that I found.

After a few days I did discover a pattern that I thought would work...maybe a bit weird, but the faux plaid was very similar to the scarf my youngest liked.  It was weird in that it was a pattern for a plaid mini skirt!   After a trip to the library for the book and a few calculations I decided against it.  The skirt was knit using bulky yarn and after changing the gauges and playing around with the pattern it just wasn't quite right.  I ended up finding a pattern just as weird though...how about a bolster pillow as my inspiration?  You bet & it worked out perfectly for a plaid scarf.  Hopefully my youngest likes it as much as I do.

Details
Pattern:  Family Pillows (modified)

Yarn:  Stonehedge Fiber Mill Shepherd's Wool, Worsted / 10 ply, 100% Wool, 250 yards / 113 grams in denin (~150 yards) & black (~100 yards); Berroco Ultra Alpaca, Worsted / 10 pl, 50% Alpaca, 50% Wool, 215 yards / 100 grams in a light gray (~22 yards) and a very small amount of Patons Classic Wool Merino,

Worsted / 10 pl, 100% Wool, 223 yards / 100 grams in cream

Needle:  US 7, Addi's

Gauge:  really did not measure nor did it matter

Size:  Post Blocking 7' x 72"

Modifications:  CO enough stitches to get a full pattern repeat and knit flat rather than in the round.  Continued the pattern until I reached a nice length.  I stopped the pattern halfway through in order for the pattern to match the cast on edge when worn. 

Once dried after blocking I measured and cut an appropriate length of gray fleece to line the scarf.   I sewed the 2 layers together using an overcast or whip stitch so that there would be a bit of give & take between the two.  It worked terrifically and covers up the knitted back which wasn't all that attractive.  Also solved the huge problem of rolling that stockinette loves to do.  I love the end product...it's warm & cozy.  It's been mailed & now waiting to hear if the youngest actually likes it.  Time will tell.

Well heard from the youngest and I failed expectations...he doesn't like the "stiffness and style", but does like that it was "soft".  Oh well I gave it a shot.  On the other hand he liked the vest that I sent along with the scarf...so I'm 1 for 2.  At some point I'll try again with a skein of cashmere...what's not to like about cashmere!

First Half Done

I'm half way done with my first sock of the My Personal Self Imposed Sock Club 2012 adventure. First sock is complete and I really love the pattern. It's such a great way of breaking up a variegated colorway. Hopefully, the second sock will move along quickly since I'm 'supposed' to be done by the 31st.

I got sidetracked by a special request from my youngest for a plaid scarf...who could turn that down. The scarf is on it's way to him and hopefully he'll love it as much as I do. Tomorrow I'll track down the info and post some pics...really got to get knitting on Spot #2!

Happy New Year 2012

It's the beginning of a new year and wonders of wonders I'm actually going to post something. Lately I've been thinking about decluttering and that has led me to a self imposed sock club for 2012.

I have a significant stash of sock yarn that's been languishing in it's drawers & bags for quite a while. I know that some has been around since 2006...it was a free skein given to me by a fellow knitter who was guilty about her stash. Seems to be a fitting way to start the New Year. I've picked my first pattern for January...Spot Check. out of Knitting Socks out of Handpainted Yarns As for the yarns I'll be using Jitterbug's Velvet Leaf and Unplanned Peacock's Whippoorwill. The Jitterbug has been in the stash a long time...the yarn shop were I bought it recently became a closed shop. The Whippoorwill hasn't marinated in the stash (joined in June 2010) nearly as long so why not pair the two together.

I'm hopeful that this will be fun and I'll have 12 pairs of socks by the end of 2012. My rules are simple:

Pick patterns that will either:
1- show off the yarn in the case of the variegated skeins
2-spice it up with more complicated patterns for single colorways

New patterns only
New Techniques- toe up, magic loop and 2 circs are planned

By the end of the year I'll be down at least 13 skeins of yarn...if I can maintain not adding to the sock yarn one goal for the year will be obtained. Now if I can make myself post regularly...

Maybe I"ll Update...Some Day

Once again I've been nonexistent on the updating. I'll keep it short...still knitting although nothing big. I did finish a new tank top from Chicknits. One poor sock is on the needles to finish up so I have a matched set, but otherwise I have nothing. I did frog a couple of old projects that weren't working with the chosen yarn...both were socks.

I really want to start a sweater, but should choose something in the baby line for a couple of baby gifts. What to do? Think about another day or maybe 10...

What a Year it's Been

Yes, I have not posted to the old blog in quite some time have I? Not sure where the time went, but went it did. I've been way too busy dealing with other things going on in the real world to post about the knitting. Good news is that I'm still knitting...bad news not much to show. Not sure if I can remember much about the details of what got done over the last 12 months so I'm figuring that I'll start fresh for 2011...maybe I'll post as I finish things.

I was fortunate enough to knit a couple of new projects for Bonnie Marie Burns...the Cerisara and the V-neck cardigan. Both were fairly quick to knit and really nice additions to my wardrobe. At some point I'd like to knit Cerisara again in a different yarn choice. The Silky Wool I used was a good choice, but I'd like to use something softer.

My biggest accomplishment was finishing the Eco Urban...complete with a zipper. Love this sweater! The zipper installation actually wasn't nearly as hard as my head thought it would be. The only "problem" with the sweater is that I lost a good bit of weight after I had knitted all the components so it's not as fitted as I'd like. It's wonderfully warm though so I keep wearing it.

Other projects included finishing up 5 pairs of various socks for my Mom...she was unable to finish these due to her illness so I finished up a couple of Tidal socks, Jaywalkers and a good ole plain sock. Now she has one she knitted and one I knitted to wear which makes her happy. Now I'm off to finish up a scarf for one of her friends. It's very sad when a knitter can no longer knit...very sad.

Three Weeks Late

Just realized that I have yet to post anything in the New Year. You could call it lazy, lack of effort or forgetfulness...more like a combination of all three. Still knitting although nothing much to show for it. I finished up another "Capitals" hat for my nephew, K. Report from the teenager was something along the likes of "thanks, I like them." Man of few words. Of course his mom said the most fav response amongst the kid set, "oh good they'll keep him warm." I'm sure he may NEVER wear them when the weather is actually cold...most teens seem to wear their beanies when it's 90 degrees or better. Why is that?

As for the details:
Pattern: Used a hat calculator from earthguild. It a nifty way of knitting up a simple hat.

Yarn: Loops & Threads Impeccable Solids (100% acrylic, worsted weight), 277 yds/4.5 oz, in the colors navy, claret & white. I still have way more yarn left over than I care to have after knitting 3 hats...

Needles: Knit Picks Options, US 6 & 8, 24" circular, US 8 DPN.

Gauge: 4.5 sts/inch

Size: 20" head circumference



The best part was the addition of a couple of pins from the teen's favorite hockey team...the Washington Capitals. As for the rest of my knitting...not much to say. I'm still plugging away on a couple of things I started way back in November. The Lacy Baktus scarf and the Beaumont tam seem to never progress...could be the lack of serious knitting on either. I also started knitting these bitty socks for a sock blocker key chain. I did a few of these back for Christmas presents to be used as ornaments. Now I think I need one for every pair of socks so I'm 'coordinated'...weird, but true.

I did finish a birthday present that I can now post about since the gift has been received. My friend C, mentioned a pair of mittens she picked up at a Church Bazaar & asked if the cuffs could be lengthened. I figured I could do that, but rather than pull those apart I'd cast on a new set in something warmer & softer. These were wonderfully simple & quick to knit in just a couple of days. She liked the softness & the cuffs were plenty long enough. My only fear is the dreaded pilling which may occur...or not. I have used the yarn for scarves, sweaters, etc. and have yet to see any problems with anything. Others have not been so lucky so we'll see how these wear overtime.

As for the details:
Pattern: Very Cabley Mittens by Kelly Porpiglia. To date there have been done on Ravelry.

Yarn: Malabrigo (kettle dyed pure merino wool, worsted), 216 yards/3.5 oz. I used about 1 skein to complete these mittens.

Needles: Knit Picks DPN Harmony's, US 5 & US 8.

Gauge: 20 sts/29 rows = 4 inches in stockinette

Size: woman's small

Modifications: I used US 5's for the cuff so that I could be sure that it was a snug fit. I also lengthened the cuff by adding an extra pattern repeat. The only other change was to shorten these up a bit to fit smaller hands...ended up needing to stop after 5 full pattern repeats.

The simple cable pattern really makes these a bit more special than stockinette all the way. I should cast on a pair for myself...not that I wear mittens, but I could. I have some of the Malabrigo Twist leftover from a cap that's dying to be knit into something worn next to the skin.

What Got Done

About a month or so ago I decided that I was not going to have one of those stressful holiday knitting episodes of the past. In fact I wasn't planning on knitting anything for anyone. Yes it seemed a bit 'Grinchy' at the time, but I just had no desire to knit for everyone. Of course I changed my mind and only knitted a few small items for much fewer people than I would normally feel compelled to gift a hand knit.

My list of items: keychain sock blocker socks (5), Cassidy cap, super cupcake cowl, Capitals cap, felted handbag, Christmas Tree Lot face cloth & rib's & ruffles scarf were all so quick to complete it hardly counted as true Christmas knitting. Some could be called 'cheating' since it happened to be a test knitted item, but I had decided when I cast it on that I knew who I'd gift it to...otherwise I would not have decided to add that particular item to my test knitting obligation.

My favorite items were the sock blocker socks...so neat & fast that ideas ran through my head as I knit these up for a friend. I used 5 different sock yarn leftovers. Perfect solution to that problem and the extra perk of remembering those yarns. Each sock used really very little yarn of the following: Brown Sheep's Wildfoot, Wisdom Yarns Chicago, Pagewood Sock, Fleece Artist Merino Sock, & Mountain Colors Bearfoot. Next year I'm planning to have an entire garland out of these little cuties using up left over sock yarn and attaching them to i-cord for our tree.

The Cassidy Cap was a dream to knit if for no reason other than the yarn, Malabrigo Twist felt so wonderful in my hands. The cables popped and the softness of this yarn was unlike anything I've knit with lately...100% baby merino wool. The color was called green gray, but I would say it's more in line with teal in shades of lights & darks.

I've decided that I must make one for myself out of my left overs from my Cassidy cardigan.

I mentioned the test knitting for the Super Cupcake Cowl...or you could call this one a "tube top" which was the recipient's first thought upon opening it. My youngest asked me to provide her "directions" on it's use...and I thought I was the one slightly behind at being modern & chic. She'll get a chance in a few days to check out it's warmth when we head off skiing. No, I don't think it'll be seeing use as a tube top, but then again you never know.

I knitted up another rib's & ruffles scarf out of some Ironstone yarn that I happened across at a winter sale for my Aunt. She always enjoys something warm around her neck...for a 50/50 blend the yarn felt pretty soft & nice against the skin so I'm hoping she'll enjoy this one.

Last winter I ended up knitting 3 of these bags...my mom tried to knit herself one, but had a good deal of trouble keeping her floats loose across the bag. When she felted the finished bag it pulled in so much that she tossed it in the closet. I decided to knit her one out of some Patons Classic wool in colors to match her sweater. I did have a bit of tightness in the back corner, but overall the bag turned out well & she was both surprised & pleased with the gift. It's a take off of Little Slip of a Thing...once again a heavily modified version. Along with making it much wider and not as tall I added the flap closure and used one of my bone buttons I bought last winter from Camas Creek Yarn Shop. A perfect choice for the bag.


The last two items that I finished for the Holiday were a nice face cloth out of some cotton/acrylic yarn (Lion Brand Cotton Ease in lime) and a hat for my nephew out of colors to match the Washington Capitals. I have a ton of it left so I'm thinking I'll make him another in a more solid pattern. According to my dear husband I need to make it larger...seems guys wear their hats over the eyes? Mmmm...

All the details...needles, yarn & such are listed on my Ravelry Project Page.

What Christmas Knitting

I always start out saying that "no I'm knitting for Christmas" then I change my mind...again. Over the last week or so I figured I'd do a wee bit of knitting for those who seem to appreciate a warm "something." My list is smaller...much smaller in fact. It may only include 5 or so items of which half are already done. I'll share photos after the gift giving has been done...must maintain secrecy.

The only thing I can really mention is a hat for my nephew (no way would he or his mom read this blog)...at almost 15 years old I'm not 100% sure he'll "like" it, but I'm planning on appealing to his "hocky side" by knitting his favorite team's hat...the Washington Capital's. I was even able to score their emblem to attach to the hat to make it "more authentic." It's hard to please the teenage boy, but maybe I'll get a smile from him in a couple of weeks.

The rest must remain mum as some may be still following the goings on around here...there's going to be a few surprises to come.

Twofer...in One

I figured I'm up super super early today so I may as well post another FO...make that two finished items. Before Thanksgiving I had the opportunity to test knit a couple of accessories for Bonnie Marie Burns at Chick Knits. Figuring that I would have a good bit of knitting time (football) over the holiday I cast on for the hat first.

The pattern was simple enough to watch football and knit along without having to pay too much attention to it. I used up a yarn I've had for quite a bit of time...Rowan Cashsoft Aran. Talk about soft and scrumptious against the skin. Wow! The knitting only took two evenings so instant gratification...good item for quick Christmas knitting for those that are desperate.

I like the final outcome which is always pretty exciting when you don't really know what to expect when knitting something new. I must admit that it was weird not knowing exactly what it would look like since there were no actual pictures. A bit funky or trendy...whatever the phrase it's one of those kind of hats that most people would love to have as their own.

Details:
Pattern: Super Cupcake Hat by Bonnie Marie Burns at Chick Knits with knit on Ravelry.

Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft Aran, (57% extra fine merino, 33% acrylic microfiber, 10% cashmere), 95 yards/50 gram ball, 2 balls with only 1/4 oz left.

Needle: Addi Turbo ,US 7, 16" circular

Gauge: 20 sts/4 inches

Size: head circumference 21" to 23"


Almost forgot the second finished item...to go with the hat Bonnie Marie also has a large cowl. So I decided to stash bust again and use some Cascade 220 Heathers for it. Although this one wasn't as quick as the hat it was just as easy...could have made it longer, but stopped when I hit the magic number of 13.5 inches as required in the pattern. After all I was 'test knitting' and agreed to abide by the written instructions. If it were left to me I may have stopped sooner if only because I was getting bored with it...the yarn not the pattern. The cowl is pretty large and could go up over the head and protected more of my neck had I continued knitting a few more inches.

Details:
Pattern: Super Cupcake by Bonnie Marie Burns at Chick Knits with knit on Ravelry...cowl.

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers, 100% Peruvian Highland Merino Wool, 220 yds/100 grams, almost 1.5 balls used, in blue colorway.

Needle: Addi Turbo ,US 7, 24" circular

Gauge: 20 sts/4 inches

Size: 15" wide, 13.5" length...unblocked

Miss BB

Another project is off my needles & blocking board. In fact it is all sewed up including the buttons! I must be on a roll around here lately with my knitting...the blogging of the knitting is a totally different story. My Miss BB turned out to be very coat like in it's appearance. It falls pretty far down on the hips which may not be the most ideal length for a sweater. It looks nice though and I'm pleased with the outcome. Love the softness of the yarn & hope that it will hold up well to wearing.

As for the button choice...mmm not so much. I do love the silver metal buttons that are currently on the sweater, but after wearing it out and about a few times I'm thinking that they weigh the button band down a good bit. I haven't totally decided what to do about it. A couple of things pop into my mind...maybe some reinforcement on the band itself to make it firmer or change out the buttons for something lighter. I guess I'll stew on it a few more days...weeks.... probably months. Who knows, but for now the sweater is complete.

Project Details: Pattern: Miss BB by Bonnie Marie Burns of Chick Knits, Raverly has in progress

Yarn: Classic Elite Waterlily, 100% extra fine merino, 100 yards/50 grams, in azalea (purple), a bit less than 14 skeins

Needles: Addi Turbo ,US 6 & US 8, circular 40"

Gauge: 18 sts/4"

Size: 40"



I noticed after the pictures were taken...my thanks to Stewart at The Yarn Lounge for taking the photos....that the cable on the back of my collar was a bit off. After a blast of steam from my trusty iron it looks & lays much better.

One Day

One day that's all it took to knit up a very quick project...Ribs & Ruffles Scarf. I don't usually knit scarves using bulky yarns, but what do you knit when you only have one ball of bulky. The yarn was Katia Studio that I received in a goody bag over 2 years ago. I don't have any good things to say about this yarn...not soft, only 106 yards, variegated both in colors & dimensions. The only good was I didn't pay any $$ for the ball...

I do like the pattern though and would happily knit it again in something softer & possibly variegated. Simple to memorize & mindless to knit which is the perfect combo for TV knitting while watching Hokie Football...

Details:
Pattern: Ribs & Ruffles by Nancy Kleiber (Ravelry Link), quite popular have been knit to date.

Yarn: Katia Studio (42% nylon, 30% wool, 22% acrylic, 6% viscose), made in Spain, 106 yards/3.5 oz, variegated.

Needles: hand crafted straight oak needles, size 13

Size: 4.5 " wide and 45" length unblocked

No modifications to the pattern.

Eco Urban

Another project starting up on the needles is an exciting & exhilarating moment...usually. There have been times that I've been rather nervous about a project...Mermaid would fall into that category. Thankfully I'm usually happy to cast on new projects and prefer to have a few on the needles at the same time. For my next "big" project I decided that I must have yet another cabled sweater. Funny after I just finished one, but I do love cables. It doesn't hurt that my DH also likes my latest cabled sweater so it wasn't too hard to choose my next project...the Urban Aran from Paton's Street Smart that Jared Flood modified as a cardigan.

I'm also changing it to a zippered cardigan rather than the designed pullover. No surprise there since I really prefer something I can button/unbutton or zip/unzip as needed. Slow going at the moment due to a few other distractions...blocking Miss BB which will then need to be seamed together, casting on a new hat, & doing the last triangle of a multidiagnoal scarf for my mom who had some trouble with the last set of directions.

I'm sure I could think up a few more things to cast on...should be thinking about Christmas knitting which I have decided that I'll be doing very little. More about that later.

Uh Oh...

Oops, I only have ONE thing on needles. How on Earth did that happen? Suddenly I realized as I finished the collar on Miss BB that I don't have anything on the needles except for a Zauberball Baktus Lacy Scarf...mmm.

Must get cracking & come up with something before tonight. I cannot watch the Hokies calmly without the needles in my hands.

Read & Remember

It pays to read the pattern doesn't it? Well that's not quite right because I did read the pattern just the entire sentence didn't stick in my brain while I was knitting the pattern. In other words there I go again getting excited to be almost done to find that I really messed up...way back over 15 inches to be precise.

I have been knitting the sleeves on my Miss BB. I was done with the increases and about to start to decrease for the sleeve caps...so close. At that moment I looked at my knitting and it certainly didn't appear that I had the required 60+ stitches that the pattern stated I should have at that point. I counted my increases on the needles and in my notes...match. At first I didn't know what was wrong...slowly it dawned on me that while knitting the increase section I left out the right side increases. All of them.

I pulled out my needles & frogged back to the 16th row of my knitting. Now I'm back on track & thankful I discovered this before I had reach the end of the sleeves and would be wondering why they were not fitting.

Old Skill is New Again

I have actually been forced to learn one of the oldest sewing/knitting skills...darning. One of my hand knit socks (Retro Ribs) finally developed the "dreaded hole in the heel". Funny how it wasn't even one of my oldest pairs...according to my Ravelry project page it was finished in February of 2008. Anyway I decided that since the hole was pretty small I should try fixing it. How hard could darning really be for goodness sake...turns out not too hard at all. It took me less than 30 minutes to repair the damage. If I do say so myself it looks pretty darn good.

Supplies
--blunt needle,
--yarn of the same thickness...I even had some Jitterbug left
--something hard & round (wooden egg) to weave against and that's it.

I turned the sock inside out, but it really doesn't matter too much although the "neater side" is away from you on. I just thought I'd prefer the neater appearance on the outside of the sock.

What I did:

1. Thread the needle with a fairly long piece of yarn...~2 yards so there's no break in the yarn.
2. Pick a starting point a few good stitches down & away from the hole & use a running stitch up to a few good stitches past the hole. You continue weaving the needle & yarn up & down the heel...over the hole the yarn should not be tight. Once you run all the way across and continue past the hole until you've reached good stitches.
3. Turn the sock 90 degrees and weave the needle & yarn over & under your previous work. Continue until the entire hole area has been filled with the patchwork.

Cut both ends of yarn which should felt into place with wearing. Turn the sock right side out and there you have it a patch where a hole used to be...it's not perfect, but it's wearable.




Of course there's always videos of darning socks on the Internet...what I thought would be difficult really wasn't bad at all & I still have a pair of socks that I'll still be able to wear.

Another Knit from Chick

I have yet another of Ms. Bonnie Marie Burns's Chicknit Patterns on the needles. How many have I started? Well if you include the Mystery Hat KAL this would be number 3 in the last couple of months that I have cast on. My first was Cassidy, followed by that little side trip to knit up a Mondo Cable Cap then two weeks ago I cast on for Miss BB. I still have Twist & Mondo Cable Shell/Vest to go...I may have a problem.

Ravelry's Chicknit group has a KAL going on for Miss BB so I thought I'd go ahead and join in the fun...so far have been started. It's been going very quickly...the back's done as are both fronts. I've started knitting the sleeves. I'm doing both at once so that I have the increases/decreases & length all in the same place. Let's hope it ends up as planned...I keep getting tangled up in the many balls of yarn I have going. Why so many? Unfortunately the Classic Elite's Waterlily I'm using was bought 3-4 years ago for another project, Nicole...which ended up being knitted out of something else. Waterlily has since sat in the stash waiting to be something. I kept looking at patterns & tossing the Waterlily aside & hanging on to it until the "perfect pattern" could be found.

About a year or so ago I was afraid that the original 12 balls wouldn't be quite enough for anything else so I bought 4 more balls..."just in case". I always figured that I could use the off lot for the sleeves...so now I have multiple balls being knitted in order to keep the differences minimal. I have not noticed any garish differences & the "watercolor" effect of Waterlily is beautiful. The yarn has great stitch definition, a very soft touch & the 'watercolor effect' is making Miss BB look terrific...one draw back is the occasional yarn splitting, but it hasn't been affecting my enjoyment in the least.

I guess I don't have to say that I really enjoy knitting Chicknit patterns. I have knit quite a few (Ribby Shell, Cassidy, Mondo Cable Cap, Miss BB)...all have been well designed, the designer is very willing to address problems or questions along the way and so far everything I've knitted looks very sharp & stylish. What's not to like.

My Cassidy

I adore this sweater. Absolutely loved knitting it, especially the yarn chosen which I wrote about a few days ago. My only 'uh oooh' moments were with those darn button bands. I knitted them at least 4 times...may have been more 'cause I've blocked the number of times at this point. On my first attempt I picked up way more stitches than I really should have and paid the price. A really wonky looking button band that puckered & waved...so it was frogged.

The second time I attempted to use a little math to figure out how many stitches to pick up. The method was based on one of Knitty's articles about picking up stitches which I found very helpful. Funny that it worked out okay even though I didn't have enough info from the pattern to calculate it out perfectly. Not the fault of the designer it was all due to the changes I made to the pattern...not fond of hoods on my sweaters so I changed the designed hood to a cabled collar.

I had no idea how many stitches were to be be picked up for doing just the button bands. I decided to take the numbers provided for picking up for the hood and down each front & subtract out the stitches for the hood. This left me with a number I could use to plug into the formula. I played around with my stitch markers, measured the fronts & put all the info into Knitty's formula. All of this left me with a number to pick up...97 stitches.

Finally, I was back on track...well almost anyway. I had a small problem with the edge curving out at the buttons. I'd knit the band, but when I added the buttons I'd get a fairly dramatic curving outward, but only at the buttons & especially noticeable when buttoned. First I thought the problem had to do with how I knit the button holes so I frogged it & re-knit the button holes on the wrong side...still had a problem although it was somewhat better. At this point I was stymied as to what I need to do...started thinking about ditching my buttons for a zipper.

Since I was due for a trip to Blacksburg for a meeting with my Unraveled group I held off the decision so I could get their advice...everyone basically said I was nuts (no news there) to be worrying about the band. It made me feel better, but I was still not pleased that it wasn't looking the way I wanted. I must thank Sandy from Mosaic for bailing me out once again with another one of her tricks. She said that "there's always a way to fix it"...thank goodness she was willing to show me what I needed to do. All it involved was a crochet hook, a little yarn and a few minutes to add a slipped stitch edge to both bands. A perfect fix. The ends have now been woven in and Cassidy has been out & about in the cool weather...I'll say it again I love this sweater and the yarn's not half bad either.

Details:
Pattern: Cassidy by Bonnie Marie Burns (Chicknits). Ravelry has knit.

Yarn: 100% Montana grown Cormo Wool by Elsa Wool Company, spinning system: woolen, 2 ply, worsted, 237 yds/4 oz in a light gray. I used 5 skeins plus 2 3/4 oz of another skein.

Needles: Addi Turbo, 40" circular, sizes US 6 and US 7

Gauge: 19 stitches per 4 inches

Size: chest 40"

Modifications: Rather than do the shoulder shaping as designed I decided to rework the pattern to include short row shaping. It worked out well and did not disrupt the cable patterns as much as I feared. Three needle bind off at the shoulders in my opinion goes together so much smoother & easier than the 'stair step' results of binding off the fronts & backs.

Buttons: 7 mother of pearl "smoke" buttons, size 3/4" from The Yarn Lounge

**pics to follow once my camera returns**