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Happy Birthday Mom!
My mom is absolutely awesome--I'd go on gushing about her for a while but I could write pages and still not express how loving, wonderful and amazing she is.
Also....Happy Halloween (my favorite ever holiday!!) from Petey (dressed up as the Munchkin this year):
So I'm nearing the finish of the Garter Rib Socks:
Only a few more rows of ribbing to finish up the second cuff and then I'm free!!
While my hands were a little crampy yesterday from knitting gung-ho on these for far too long, I decided to scout around for the next pattern. I wanted:
1. Something that would work well with a handpainted yarn
2. Something a little more interesting than the garter rib stitch but not so "interesting" it required constant care and feeding of a chart.
3. Something knit at a slightly larger gauge than the lorna's laces. I love you, lornas laces, but you make for slow sock knitting. To take the edge off, I require something a little larger. If I had any STR Heavyweight here, I'd probably whip out a superfast pair.
After getting side tracked in ravelry for a few, umm, hours, I finally found the Firestarter Pattern from Yarnissima. (link there is to the kit but the pattern is available for free. I can't remember where I downloaded it though--the link is on the Ravelry pattern page though.)
Despite the resurgence of one of the scariest movie memories of my childhood due to the name, I absolutely love this sock. It is exactly what I was looking for--great detail without too much going on.
Then came the great yarn decision. I swear I do this every time its time to cast on for a new pairs of socks. I get all the yarn of the gauge out and pile it all up to decide which colorway to use. I realize it is ridiculous to spend so much time deciding what yarn to use. Obviously I love it all or I wouldnt have bought it...
Last night, I had a pile of about 10 skeins left after some weeding out. I turned to ask Mr. Fruitychick (who hates when I ask him yarn advice because he never knows the "right" answer). After glancing at the yarns for half a second, he said "the pink, black and gray one."
At first, I was shocked. How could anyone take such a decision so lightly? No thought, no squishing the skeins or agonizing over them for an hour wondering how each would work up. I wanted to ignore his choice (this is why he never wants to weigh in, I'm sure) but then I realized: it is just yarn. Sure, it may be Yarn Pirate Pretty Pirate but it is still just yarn. What am I agonizing about? If I hate it, I can always rip it out.
So I grabbed the skein and started winding....
I'm ready.
Today, I am another step closer to being 30. Crap! How did this happen? I still have a little ways to go (I turn 27 today) but its weird to be in my "late" twenties when it seems like I was just in my early twenties a few weeks ago.
Today is going to be pretty low key for me. Mr. Fruitychick is off at work to attend the annual board meeting. Unfortunately, that also includes dinner, so he wont be home until well after 9, which leaves me pretty much alone with the Munchkin for my birthday but at least I didnt get a decapitated rabbit from the dogs this morning, so thats something.
We are going to go out tomorrow for an early dinner and I'll probably spend a decent amount of time perusing for the most AWESOME BIRTHDAY PRESENTS:
(a) a house. obviously not only for my birthday but we will make an offer on a new house here in the next day or two, so its kind of like a birthday present.
(b) a DRUM CARDER!! woohoo! I'm thinking of the Strauch Petite. So do I need the extra brush? Is there another one I should also consider? I dont know a ton about drum carders so any advice is appreciated!
Am I the only person who is getting really tired of Vogue Knitting? Out of the last few issues, I dont think there has been a thing I've been interesting in knitting... It seems like the only things I've stopped flipping for have, sadly, been advertisements.
I think I'm done with Vogue. My subscription is up this issue and I'm not renewing. I'd rather buy a few independent patterns online.
Knitting has been slow around here--a few more rows on the Rogue and the Garter Rib socks are halfway through a heel.
My main distraction:
yummy. Superfine laceweight yarn. Roving is the Maldives colorway from the Hello Yarn Fiber Club. It is absolutely delicious--super soft and is spinning up beautifully.
This is, by far, the thinnest yarn I've spun and I'm surprised at how evenly its turning out. I'm thinking I'll do a simple 2-ply to let the color chunks meld a little so the ultimate lace project doesnt have a pooling/striping problem.
I love being surprised. Not that I always should be, sometimes I just forget and then something (perhaps something I even planned) turns out to be a surprise.
This weekend, Mr. Fruitychick took Friday and Monday off from work to spend a long weekend together. I knew this planned time off existed but I didnt know it was going to exist this weekend--until, oh I think thursday night. Anyway, it was a lovely surprise. Mainly we just vegged around here and caught up on sleep (as an aside--how long does it really take to "catch up on sleep" after you've had a baby? Munchkin is nearly a year and a half and I still feel like I could sleep for weeks...then again, she is still getting up in the middle of the night so maybe I'm not making as much catching up progress as I thought). We also journeyed out and went to the library where Munchkin had an absolute ball. She will sit and flip through books by herself for an hour if left to her own devices and will listen to you read her a book all day. Needless to say, she was absolutely amazed by the library. We went on Friday and again yesterday because one trip to the library is not nearly enough....
While the munchkin napped and Mr. Fruitychick played on his finally-received-back-from-the-microsoft-repair-department-Xbox, I started a little knitting:
I bet we can all guess what that is, right? I've started Rogue now several times but just never really loved it before--mainly because I seemed to start it when the weather was starting to turn warm again. Not this time, baby. It was 51 yesterday and I'm in full sweater knitting mode. I will finish this thing.
Of course, I might get distracted by this:
(French Girl Patterns--Desiree)
I'm usually not a bulky knit kind of girl but this sweater just calls to me. I heard my LYS was having a 50% off sale on Gedifra this week, so I trudged over there to see if they had enough Gigante to fit the bill....they didnt and I almost caved and bought the full price Rowan called for in the pattern but I didn't. I did come home to do a little browsing and found the Rowan Big Wool in the Garage Sale over at Webs. Woohoo! The sweater will be mine!
There will also have to be distraction from Rogue long enough to knit the Chicken Viking Hat. Munchkin and Mr. FC are heading up to visit his family around Thanksgiving and Munchkin absolutely has to have a brown roasted turkey butt hat for the occassion. Yarn already purchased (cascade 220 from The Woolie Ewe).
I think those are the only distractions I'm aware of now but I'm making no promises.
In the old knits I never blogged about/photographed category this week, we have the Thrummed Socks:
A Fleece Artist kit purchased from Colorsong Yarns, I believe. Knit up during the Great Power Outage of the Winter of 06. It was sooo bitterly cold in the house we could see our breaths. It wasn't until the third day I remembered I had a pair of thrummed socks 80% done in the knitting pile. I picked them up, finished them, grafted the toe and, like magic, the power came on 20 seconds later.
I love these socks though I dont get an opportunity to wear them that often. They aren't really "walking around" socks and it is rarely that cold in our house during the night to wear them. They sure are delicious when I get the chance though. I'm even thinking of making another pair with Merino thrums instead of the kid mohair that came with my kit but I'm not sure what will hold up the best.
Have you made thrummed socks? What thrum fiber did you use? Did they hold up well?
Oh--keep your fingers crossed today. We close on our old house in Georgia this afternoon and as soon as that happens, we can make an offer on the new house we found here! The closing was already pushed back from yesterday and I'm really hoping there aren't any other problems.
Its Done!!!
This has been wallowing away in my knitting bag. I just needed to knit up the braids and assemble it--which I finally did during one of munchkin's cartoons today!
Its ADORABLE!!!
and hey--shes not even screaming in the picture.
(this is just a quickie photo taken with my camera phone--I'll do a proper photo shoot in the pretty morning light tomorrow).
Specs:
Baby Viking Hat from Bella Knitting
available here: Baby Viking Hat Kit
Modifications: I knit a few more rows of garter stitch before starting the braids so I would have a little more surface area to attach the braids to the inside of the hat.
Pattern: Well written with very clear instructions. Sizing is good (despite my worries the hat would be too small). This hat is even a little big for the munch now--I bet it will fit her all winter!
Leftovers: The kit includes just enough pink to do the ties around the braids and some embroidery on the wings if you'd like but I used it all on the braids. You also get a small ball of white--maybe 1/3 of a ball and I have about half left. I have, oh, maybe 15 yards of the full ball of gray and probably 2/3rds, if not more of the full ball of yellow left--enough to do generous swatching for another project before committing to buying a ball for the project.
Final verdict: I LOVE IT!! I would totally knit another one.
Some other views:
Thanks, everyone for the feedback on the Magknits tutorial I did a while back. Its slid down the page by now so I whipped up a little PDF version for the sidebar.
You can also just click here: Rainbow Sock Tutorial
One day I might actually get around to finishing up that second sock and posting an FO picture :)
Progress on other things is slow and I'm starting to have a little bit of startitis. I really want to get working on a sweater for myself. I have a little bit of yarn here with me but its all my silky or cotton yarn and the changing weather is screaming for a wooly warm sweater.... I think a trip to the Woolie Ewe is in order...
Ugh. I hate making mistakes. Especially stupid ones that I could have avoided with about five minutes of preparation/checking.
Like spending quite a while online finding the perfect tutorial for the tubular bind off for my Garter Rib Socks. I printed, I prepped, I was totally ready as soon as the Munchkin took a nap.
Doh! that would be 2x2 rib on that sock....not the 1x1 thats necessary for the tubular bind off. grr...I did my usual stretch bind off (with a larger needle:k1, *slip stitch back to left needle, k2tog* repeat) instead:
Notice the crappy join there on the bind off? Whats up with that?
Then I immediately cast on for the second sock to avoid the dreaded second sock syndrome.
Looking good, right? WRONG! thar be 72 stitches in the new sock and a mere 64 in the original.
RRRRRIIIIIIPPPPP......
Oh well. at least I hadn't gotten too far before I realized the yarn wasn't striping quite the same. I ripped back to where the toe ended and I'll restart the garter rib foot tomorrow.
So heres a question I often ponder:
Do you "improve" your second sock? Say you realize you could have centered the pattern better on the top of the foot or your short row heel didn't need to be so pointy? I'm not talking disasterous mistakes....just improvements.
The garter rib socks have both of these problems...they aren't enough for me to rip them out but they could be better. Of course, any improvement I make will make the socks not quite match. I'm sure no one else would ever notice but.....you know....they wouldn't exactly match....
So, do I improve the second sock or leave them to wallow in their imperfectness together? misery does love company, after all...
I've been chugging along on the garter rib socks whenever I get a few minutes to spare and they are coming along nicely...I think another inch or so then I'll start the regular ribbing at the cuff.
You can kind of see the change in stripe sequence where I changed needle size. I usually go up a size an inch or so into the leg of the sock. It is my personal pet peeve when ribs/patterns aren't evenly stretched down the sock so I change needle sizes to make myself happy...
I've also been doing a little spinning....still working on that Celebration from Spunky Eclectic. I get a double helping of each month's yarn because I like to have enough to complete a (somewhat) substantial project with the yarn I make. Of course, I haven't actually knit with my handspun....but I'm about to change that.
I've been swatching...and I'm in love.
This is a little design I've had in my head while I've been spinning up this yarn. Its super simple but I think it highlights the handspun's long color changes quite nicely (and also disguises the few thick and thin spots in the yarn).
I still haven't decided on the final design. Either a v-neck pullover or a zipped cardigan. Either way, it will have deep corrugated ribbing at the bottom and at the cuffs. The other yarn is Rowan Yorkshire Aran Tweed, which I like ok. I have a skein of Debbie Bliss tweed I might also swatch up if the mood strikes.
Theres also a little project I've been working up...dyeing some of my own yarns. I get a lot of inspiration from munchkin's kiddo books. They are full of such amazing color combinations--here is my first skein:
The colors come from the Dr. Seuss books and the base yarn is a really soft Merino-Tencel Blend (from Paradise Fibers). I can't wait to start knitting it up!
I also caved and signed up for the Sumptuous Sock Yarn Club by Zen Yarn Garden. I just couldnt resist the potential of silk and cashmere sock yarn. yum!
I'm furiously trying to finish the Secret of the Stole clue 1. This whole knitting under a deadline is weird--I feel like I'm making great progress on the Stole but my other knits are languishing...
Here is how I'm guessing things will go:
1. I will stay up too late trying to finish the first clue.
2. I will barely finish and drag myself to bed only to be awoken 25 minutes later by the munchkin
3. As soon as we get up in the morning, I'll print out clue 2, adore it for a while. I might even make some notes on it.
4. I'll knit a few rows
5. I'll lose interest and knit/spin other things until--oh, Wednesday of next week at which point I'll realize its almost time for the next clue to come out and I have limited time to finish clue 2.
rinse, lather, repeat.
I'll post pictures when I finish clue 1. (notice how I didn't "tomorrow"--I'm leaving myself some outs here people.)
The weather here in Texas is riding that ridge between air conditioning and no air conditioning. Its necessary during the day but during the night, its usually a little chilly with the fan blowing on me.
Sounds like perfect nighttime sock wearing weather!
Last night, I wore my Cotton Socks...knit what seems like ages ago but was really somewhere around the beginning of 2006. Honestly, I really dislike these socks--I dont know what I was thinking knitting cotton socks. They feel great for the first 3 minutes and then their give just gives out and they start to fall down. I dont think it was a matter of my knitting or my gauge (though I dont rule that out), I think its just a matter of cotton sock yarn's general suckiness. Just my opinion...I know there are others out there that like it but not this little chickie.
Here they are, pulled up to within an inch of their lives so they could at least look pretty in the photo.
Yikes! Look at that AWFUL kitchener stitch.
It actually looks a little better in the picture than it does in person, where it looks like I just gnawed the fibers into a knot.
At least my sock knitting skills have improved somewhat...I turned the heel o nthe garter stitch socks yesterday and I'm headed up the leg:
I can't claim all the credit though...I did have some help:
I think I might need to join some type of support group or something. I've become totally addicted to Ravelry...
I spent the morning taking photos of the (sadly) small amount of stash I have here with me in le crappy apartment. Its amazing--even with this small amount here, I've realized just how much I had forgotten. Like this:
I love this KPPPM. Its so colorful. I ordered it from an online yarnshop and, by mistake, got two different dyelots but, you know, I think I like them just the way they are: matching but not exact.
I also fell back in love with this tilli tomas sweater kit:
The yarn is for the Simple Knitted Bodice. I bought it quite a while ago and it got buried in the depths of the stash where it was quickly forgotten. I even have a second tilli tomas sweater kit as well..
I think I am really going to enjoy doing some stash digging when I'm reunited with it in (hopefully) a few weeks once we get moved...
until then...all I have is some pictures of the old tubs-o-yarn.
On the left is the sock yarn and on the right is the rest of the yarn stash (both as of Februarish). My fiber stash isnt pictured but its about an additional 4ish tubs. I can't wait to go digging in there and find all the great yarns I know I already have!
Doesnt it look great?
Well, it didnt feel great. After a period of fierce denial and repeated counting, I finally realized the problem: I knit an odd number of short row sections on the leg portion, which made the whole thing off kilter. I had to rip back an entire naptime's worth of work. GRR!!! I'm back to working the leg now....its going to be longer than I had wanted but it will all be ok.
Secret of the Stole starts today! I printed out my instructions and chart already and now, I'm just hoping Webs will come through and actually deliver my yarn today so I can knit the clue up over the weekend. I dont know why I always expect webs to have speedy processing and delivery--I guess because most places do. Bella knitting, for example, shipped my order within 2 HOURS of my order. Webs took fourish days. I realize they are busy but four days? how long does it take a person to walk to a shelf, take two cones of yarn off of it, throw them in a box and stick a mailing label to it?
I do have some back up yarn (Lornas Laces Helen's Lace in a lovely burgundy color); however, since my swift is in storage, I am not relishing winding 1250 yards of laceweight by hand since I will most likely end up with a 52 dollar silk/wool knot rather than a stole.
After doing a few repeats of the Rainbow Sock from the new Magknits, I've realized the pattern could be significantly less awkward if worked on a circular needle (or two). I also thought the pattern was a little difficult to visualize when you are first starting out. I felt like I did the first time I ever tried to turn a heel--like there seriously must be at least four steps missing here because this is not making a bit of sense...
So....heres a little tutorial with some hints for working with the magic loop. the same method could be used for working with two circulars if you are up to modifying things a bit more.
All of the pictures that follow have notes in my flickr account that add a lot to the explanation! Click on them-they dont bite!
First, lets look at what is going on with the overall sock. The picture on the pattern page is great but its actually a shot of what the pattern is going to look like from the side.
See the diamond shapes? thats what each short row section of the pattern ends up making. Its an elongated diamond that is at its widest point where you begin and at its points around the other side. Looking at the flickr notes, sections 1, 3 and 5 have a starting point on the other side of the sock (you can see the thing parts of the diamonds almost meeting on the near side) and the even diamonds start where the needles are currently positioned.
As you finish the first section, you'll find yourself magically starting the next short row section on the opposite side of the sock. Every two short row sections gives you an even sock--if you do an odd number, your sock wont be straight!
Ok...so thats enough of the overview. The magknits directions have you work the beginning of the first short row section at the intersection of needles 1 and 4 if you were using DPNs. The best way to position your magic loop/2 circulars is like this:
In any other sock, you would place the stitches of DPN 1 (15 stitches) and DPN 2 (15 stitches) on one side of the circular and the stitches of DPN 3 and 4 together (30 stitches) on the other side. However, because you are working over the DPN 1 and DPN 4 gap in this sock, you want to have those stitches together on one side.
You will need to place two stitch markers--one at each of the starting places for the short row sections. These will be where the tips of the needles in the pictures are crossing in the picture and in the middle of the stitches that are living on the cord on the other side.
This means that the "beginnings" of the short row sections will fall in a place where you have stitches on both needles of the circular. This kind of stinks because it makes the only good stopping point in the pattern (between short row sections) kind of awkward. The best resting point will now be during the "k2 rows straight" between the short row sections. You can knit almost all the way around the second time and leave that last 1/4 of the way around to the beginning of the short row section until you pick up the knitting the next time.
or you could just leave the needles dangling. I live in a house with a nosey baby and two dogs, so I like to keep my knitting as firmly on the needles as possible.
Ok, so lets start on the actual pattern. I'm working short row section 5 here but just pretend its section 1...
First, k2. Simple enough..
then, turn (remember to work the turning stitch!) and purl 3. You should have two purls to the left of the center stitch marker.
turn (remember the turning stitch) and knit to the turned stitch on the left side of the stitch marker. Knit it together with its yarn over and then knit 4 more:
Turn, (work that turning stitch) and purl across to the turned stitch on the left of the stitch marker:
See! you can already see the diamond starting to take shape!
Thats it! continue turning, working the turning stitch and knitting or purling across to the turned stitch on the left side of the stitch marker and knit or purl 4 more after that. Eventually, you will jump the gap and have to work on the stitches that are currently living on the cord. Just keep doing the same method though! When you get to the point where there are only four knit and purl stitches left before stitch marker 2 (the one you place in the middle of the stitches on the cord), the direction will change just a bit and then you'll get to knit two glorious rounds of straight knitting! You'll end up with stitch marker 2 in front of you and you are ready to repeat the short row section!
I hope this helps. I know I screwed up the pattern once before I got it right and I spent quite a while starting a tthe directions before I finally got it! Hopefully these pictures will help whether you are working with DPNs or circulars!
If you have any questions, just leave me a comment here or in Ravelry (my username is fruitychick). I'll answer as best I can!
Another few repeats done! These socks are so addicting!
A closeup of my favorite ever caston for top down socks, the German Twisted Caston:
Wasnt I just blabbering on about how I want to have fewer projects going at a time? Please avert your eyes while I unapologetically go back on that little statement.
I saw the new magknits...and the Rainbow Socks.
I nearly sprained an ankle digging through the stash to find the perfect yarn. I didnt even swatch. While the munchkin napped, I got through one of the short row repeats:
Specs:
Yarn: White Oak Studio TVYarn in Sex and the City
Needles: 2.5 mm knitpicks DPNs
Mods: none
They are a pain in the butt to knit, what with all the turning and such, but they sure are prettiful. This certainly isnt a knit you can pick up and put down easily because its easy to lose your place but it might also get easier once you do a few repeats. I've gotten another half a repeat done since I took this picture and I'm really loving the color combo!
I had a fantabulous weekend! First, we got a contract on our house! We are probably going to start looking for a new house here this weekend and we should hopefully be moved in to something within 4 to 6 weeks! I am so excited at the prospect of getting all of our stuff back and getting into a place with a little more breathing room than the small apartment we are in now. Its not that it is a bad apartment--we are just all used to a little more space--especially in the kitchen!
Second, I went to the Dallas Knit Out and met some of the locals. I had a great time but I wish I could have stayed longer--Munch and Mr. Fruitychick came with me and wandered about the giant half price books but Munch could only last so long. I did meet some lovely ladies there and I'm still trying to track them all down on Ravelry!
Speaking of Ravelry--I've been spending a heck of a lot of my free time obsessing over Ravelry. Since a lot of my stuff is (sadly) still in storage from the move (but we did get a contract on the house over the weekend--yay!!), I dont have access to the complete stash for photos. I did go through Picassa and see what projects I already had photos for and I've added a lot of them to my projects there. I've been finding tons of new patterns I'd like to try out! Its amazing how many great patterns were out there that I just never knew about!
Like this:
Its the Baby Girl Viking Hat from Bella Knitting. Its adorable. I'd never worked with Karabella Aurora 8 before and I must say, I really love it. Its nice and soft and amazingly squishy. The pattern is well written though I should have trusted it more. I was suspect of the 15.5 inch finished diameter of the hat since Munch's head is 17.5 inches around. I made my modifications only to find that the pattern was indeed better--my modifications stretched to fit my head!
I ripped out the version I was knitting and restarted--its a quick knit so I'm thinking I'll be done in the next few days!
I've also been spinning a bit--after seen so many fabulous photos of great spinning on flickr, I'm determined to improve the eveness of my singles and finished yarn. I've been playing with different ratios and tensions and I've produced some truly ugly yarn but I'm learning a lot!
I'm still awaiting my yarn for the Secret of the Stole along that starts in a few days! At first I ordered some Helen's lace but then I realized my swift and ball winder are still in storage. Sigh...I'm not about to hand-wind 1400 yards of laceweight, so I ordered a cone of alpaca laceweight from webs.
I've also been cooking a bit...I revamped one of our favorite recipes--breaded zucchini slices. This version is significantly faster to make and is just as tasty as the original. Its a frequent side dish at our house and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes zucchini!
recipe in the description over on flickr!