This week has been all about a sock. I'm using the skein of Woolarina Yarn that I got from MDSW to make a pair of Celebrate Socks (by SockPixie). This yarn is some wonderful comfort knitting-- it has the elasticity and warmth of wool with the softness and sheen of bamboo. It's squishy and featherlight and all I seem to want to do is knit with it.
I made this first sock about 6" in the leg. I'm always afraid that I will run out of yarn because of my pontoon feet, but I think that once again I underestimated the distance that a skein of yarn will actually go. I'm nearly done with the first sock, and I've only used one of the three (unequal) cakes that I wound. I suspect that I'll be trying to come up with a pattern for some tiny amount of leftover yarn.
Maybe I'll knit a flower. Or a cupcake.
I'm waiting on (yet another) Knitpicks order. This represents the last of my summer knitting projects. I have a faculty ten-month contrast at MPOW which means I'm off work from June 15 to August 15. Unfortunately, it also means I don't get paid in July or August, so I have to stock up now. I bought enough cotton yarn to make the Imprint Tank from the Summer Interweave Knits. I changed up the colours, since I'm not a fan of the blue, and will be working this tank in Lilac and Blackberry on Honeydew (two purples on light green). They're springy colours, but I think they will carry well into early fall. I'm thinking pairing it with a black suit, or a black skirt and a light cardigan.
Like a lot of other people, I wasn't overly impressed with this issue of IK, but not for the reasons most gave. I like the look of colourwork. I don't think the patterns are frumpy or dowdy or outdated. I just don't bother with summer knitting. It's too humid in Northern Virginia to wear handknits, so any pattern I look at between now and about October had better be well-served with a wintery yarn substituted. Sadly, that doesn't describe most of the patterns.
However, I did pick up a couple of new knitting books that promise better things. First, I nabbed a copy of Knit so Fine by Myers, Sulcoski, and Grutzek. Most of the patterns are not really my style, but the tips and tricks for working with finer gauge yarn look like they'll be invaluable.
I also snagged the last in-store copy of Sensual Knits by Yahaira Ferreira (AKA bitter purl). I want one of everything in he book. Seriously. These are some majorly gorgeous patterns. I haven't wanted one of everything since I grabbed Fitted Knits. I see lots of knitting ahead of me.
And a quick note for folks who read me via Ravelry: I have made a pretty severe pruning of my project notebook on Rav. I took out every single thing that I've given up on, including multiple pairs of socks and at least one sweater. This summer, there will be a frog pond party. Hey, reclaimed yarn is almost as good as new yarn, right?
I lost my knitting groove for a while there. Knitting, and writing, and lots of other things fell by the wayside while I settled into a new routine, a new job, etc. Well, we're at the end of the school year, I'm off from June 15 to August 15, and in even bigger news, I'm getting married on Saturday!
So that's the Real Life news. As for knitting, I've been doing a lot but not finishing much. Since the spats, I've finished one of a pair of opera gloves (also in the bamboo wool), most of a Minimalist Cardigan in Carbon Twit Wool of the Andes, and started about fifty thousand other things. I'm halfway through a vest from Fitted Knits, and am on the third rip-out of both the Hexacomb Cardigan from the Spring Interweave Knits and the Honeycomb vest from the current issue of Knitty.
I've set that all aside, though. Yes. I have been seduced away from complex projects by the simple beauty of a pair of socks. Actually, it's not the sock pattern-- "Celebrate" by SockPixie-- so much as the yarn. You see, I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool last weekend, and much yarn carnage ensued. I came home with three skeins of naturally-dyed Wensleydale fingering weight yarn for 16th century stockings, a skein of "Cherry Bomb" handpainted fingering yarn from CloverHill Yarn Shop in Baltimore, and a skein of Woolarina Handpaint superwash merino/bamboo/nylon sock yarn in "Shimmer."
And it's that last yarn that has sucked my attention away. It's so soft and squishy and pettable, and it knits up so very beautifully, that I just want to knit and knit and knit. Nevermind that it takes most of a movie to do a repeat of the sock pattern.
I did wrangle a couple of good bargains at MDSW. I nabbed a copy of Richard Rutt's A History of Handknitting at long last, from a merchant who I have seen at local SCA events. I took the opportunity to snap up another baggie of grains of paradise while I was there. I also found a jar of hand salve in a honey-almond scent. Happily, the lovely stuff has no lanolin or other allergens in it.
And then I had my grand moment of weakness. I was examining the skeins of yarn at one of the mill-ends shops and I ran into a fellow Raveler. Jessica and I were both eyeing up two huge hanks of a mystery wool-- a pound of wool for under $20 each. We both sort of hemmed and hummed and prodded and squished. . . and somehow ended up daring each other to buy a skein, make a project, and keep up with each other on Ravelry. So now I have a project buddy and a pound of what almost looks like handspun wool (in a barberpole-style ply) in a colourway that shades from a plummy purple to brown/green/gold/tan.
Jessica, I think I'm going to make the Cozy V-Neck Pullover Sweater from Fitted Knits. If I'm right, there should be about 1300 yards in the hank I grabbed. As soon as this wedding thingie is over, I'm going to swatch up a bit and see what it looks like.
Pictures imminent.
Steampunk Spatterdashes
Kate Grice
Materials:
Moda Dea Bamboo Wool (133m/145yd) or equivalent: 2 skeins
US 7 (4.5mm) straight needles
US F (3.75 mm) crochet hook
2 1” (25mm) buttons
Gauge:
20 stitches x 25 rows to 4 inches on US 7.
Size:
Women's Large (9-12)
Cast on 44 stitches.
Row 1-20: 2x2 rib [k2, p2]
Row 21: Bind off 6 stitches, continue in pattern to end of row
Row 22: Bind off 6 stitches, continue in pattern to end of row
Row 23- 43: 2x2 rib [p2, k2]
Row 44: Cast on 6 stitches, 2x2 rib in pattern to end of row
Row 45: Cast on 6 stitches, 2x2 rib in pattern to end of row
Row 46- 78: 2x2 rib (Add or subtract rows for length)
Row 79-85 : Garter stitch.
Bind off stitches.
Pick up and knit seven stitches immediately below the garter stitch cuff. These will form the base of the button strap.
Row 1: (k1, p1)* to end of row.
Row 2: (k1, p1)* to end of row.
Repeat these two rows until strap measures 7 in.
Shape buttonhole and strap end:
Row 1: k1, p1, k2tog, YO, k2tog, p1
Row 2: k1,p1,YO, k2tog, p1, k1
Row 3: k2tog, p1,k1, p2tog
Row 3: (k2tog) twice.
Break yarn and pass through last two remaining stitches. Pull end firm, then weave in.
Make up back and instep seam.
Work a row of single crochet along instep and toe edges.
Sew button to side of spat. Weave in ends.Smaller sizes coming soon!
