Oh dear…
…it’s been a month again since I last posted, and I’m sorry to say that sporadic updates are going to be the norm for a while (if they ever weren’t the norm). Mostly because the distinct lack of free time since I got back to school has meant that knitting time has been scarce and time to even think about blogging has been even scarcer. Anyway, lets jump into the knitting update.
Some of my swatches and yarn from the last post have moved onto WIPs in varying states of completeness.
First up the mittens, first one’s almost one. While I really loved the first green & blue pair (FO post about those coming soon, I finally washed them), I’m absolutely in love with this pair. I think the blue & black really make the pattern pop, they fit better into my everyday wardrobe, and I’m much happier with my fair isle. The knitting on the last pair was much too sloppy for my taste.
Fire breathing shawl anyone? I’m completely in love with this pattern, the yarn, the color, everything about it. Even though I don’t get much of a chance to work on it, it sits on my desk and I look at it longingly. Hopefully I’ll get some time to work on it soon.
The pile of Cascade Greenland is quickly turning into a sweater. Maybe a Rheinbeck sweater. Rheinbeck sweater? Rheinbeck sweater, yep, I’ll be at Rheinbeck on the Saturday. I don’t know if I’ll have time to finish the sweater, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I’m almost done with the decreases to the waist (about 7 more rows) at which point I’ll start increasing for the hips and introducing white stripes in a to be determined pattern. At this point I’m planning a turned hem, cap sleeves, with i-cord around the neck and arms, and a substantial metal zipper to top it all off. We’ll see what happens.
The black eyelet shawl is off the needles, but still very much unblocked. I’m planning on blocking this week, photos and pattern finished up and put together next week, then to the tech editor, and published by the end of October. I know there’s a lot of space in that time line, but with the way knitting/designing things have been going the past month, I’m trying not to push it.
And finally…
I got a new bag. It’s the Namaste Hermosa (scroll down), and it’s become my everyday bag, replacing my beloved but falling apart owl covered Strand bag. I’m planning on writing up an in-depth review eventually because most of the reviews I could find were kind of pathetic, but over all I like it, and most importantly it can carry everything.
That’s all I’ve got for now. I’m going to try to post more frequently, but at this point I’ve learned not to promise when it comes to blogging.
Stocking Up
I don’t think I’ve mentioned this on the blog yet (though at this point I’m quite sure what I have/haven’t told anyone so don’t feel left out), but I’m moving on Saturday.
And then again on Wednesday.
Basically, I’m headed back up to school with a pit stop at my parents for a few days of sleep, laundry and repacking.
But all of this moving and packing and repacking and leaving, is giving me the feeling like I need to hoard things. Things like yarn and knitting projects of course. But also things like ideas and feelings and possibilities, mostly in the form of sketches and charts and swatches. I sort of feel like I’m stock piling these ideas and this yarn for later. For a time when I’m out of yarn (ha!), or out of ideas, or both.
Whatever the motivation, these feelings have led to yarn buying, and yarn swatching. And we all know that yarn obtaining, means a post with lots of pictures, and who doesn’t love that. So, onwards to pictures and yarn!
Piles of washed and blocking swatches. I always get a warm, fuzzy feeling when I see a pile of swatches (or any pile of knitting really). There’s something about a large quantity of knitting all in one place that somehow simply makes my day better.
One skein of Madelintosh Prairie in the colorway Chamomile. This skein is 840 yards of a heavy single ply lace weight, and is destined to become something bright and cheerful in the middle of December or February, when everything is grey and drab, and knitting a lacy little thing in bright yellow will feel fantastic.
Two skeins of Cascade Heritage Silk, in black and an electric blue to be knit into mittens. A second sample of the not quite argyle mittens. Speaking of the not quite argyle mittens.
They’re done!
(they’ll get their own post once I wash them and weave in the ends, but they are done)
Part of a skein of Wollmeise Lace-Garn, won (awhile ago) in a blog giveaway from Wendy Knits. I’ve never used or even seen Wollmeise before and I’m super excited to get the chance to work with it. I’ve got about 500 yards that will become a shawl/wrap of some sort. This swatch was worked on a US 5 (3.75mm) needle, but I’ll probably go down to a US 4 (3.5mm) or even a 3 (3.25mm) for the actual piece.
Another ball of new to me yarn that I’ve been eying for a month or so, and finally picked up. It’s from Alisha Goes Around, in the Riches (of Martens) Fingering base. I don’t know the colorway, but it’s stunning shades of purple, and I simply can’t wait to work with it.
Three skeins (one is hidden under the swatches) of Madelinetosh DK in the colorway hearth, that is destined to become a large cushy, comfy, not quite lace, sort of circular shawl, perfect for fall.
Some beautiful yarn that will be worked up into a pair of cushy, warm fair isle mittens. I don’t have the name or colors of the yarn with me (sorry!).
And finally a small sweaters worth of Cascade Greenland. It’ll become a simple stockinette, top down, hip length, short sleeved sweater, with skinny white stripes starting at the waist and finishing at the hem. Finished off with an i-cord cast on around the neck, and ether i-cord or a hem around the sleeves, and a need finished hem. Closed with a large metal statement of a zipper.
I’m also making good progress on my sanity keeping garter stitch shawl, and I’ll try to get those mittens washed, blocked and posted this weekend (can’t promise though). Either way I think that’s enough for this morning. Until next time.
Avoiding Second Sock Syndrome
Or in this case second sock, and second mitten syndrome.
I generally don’t knit socks anymore. There was a period of a year or two where I only wore hand knit socks, and consequently I knit a lot of socks, but not anymore. However as part of stash dash (still need to post that latest shawl) I had a ball of sock yarn hanging around that I decided to knit up. It wasn’t quite right for a lacy scarf, which was my first idea, so I figured I’d give socks one more go.
Unfortunately I decided to knit these socks while on vacation, and the only set of DPNs with me were the ones I was using for the No-Longer-Springy Mitts. So I very quickly finished up the first mitten and slipped it onto an extra circular I had laying around, promptly cast on the first sock, and then I remembered why I don’t knit socks anymore.
I think they’re boring.
Now, this is mostly because of my own sock wearing preferences, and because I didn’t want to knit socks I wouldn’t wear. Personally I wear two types of socks, either black or white ankle socks, or crazy knee highs, not much in between. Needless to say, these socks I cast on during vacation were not knee highs, they were basically-black ankle socks with a two inch ribbed cuff (which I think is almost too tall).
Anyway, I powered through most of these socks while on vacation because they made great knitting while reading knitting, but then vacation was over and I didn’t touch them again. Until the other night.
Remember when I used the needles from the mittens to knit the socks? It turns out that I don’t have another set of DPNs in that same size, and the other night I really wanted to knit on the mittens. Mostly, because it’s really easy to see progress on them after an hour or two of work, and everything else I’m working on is lace, and a shawl, and not easy to see an hour or two of progress on.
So I reluctantly pulled the sock out of it’s bag, stuck it on my foot, realized it was slightly too wide for me, decided they would be a Christmas present, and that it was time to start the toe. In less than an hour I was done with the toe, had slipped the sock onto the circular also holding the first mitten, and was happily working away on the cuff of the second mitten.
Until about an inch into the colorwork of the mitten, when I realized I had written down nothing about how I knit the first sock, and if I want the two to match enough to give as a gift, I should really knit that second sock before I forget all the numbers. And with that realization, I’ve been knitting like a maniac on that second mitten, hampered only by the fact that the two shawls on the needles both have deadlines.
So now I have one mostly done sock, one mostly done mitten, one half done mitten, and a sense of urgency, which seems to be kicking second sock (mitten) syndrome in the butt.
(yes the big black blob, is really a sock)
