"we're fools whether we knit or not, so we may's well knit"

- old southern saying


Saturday, August 25, 2007

e c r for k t c & s k s k a l progress

Progress ecr sock

e c r progress showing nice pooling

After a strong start knitting the leg in an evening, night before last, I picked up this little beauty yesterday afternoon looking forward to turning the heel. However, I found that I had dropped 4 stitches. An entire rib. In my night blindness, I managed to lose a couple of YOs. Well the slidey schaefer anne didn't exactly lend itself to unknitting. My booboo was 3/4 of an inch up the leg. After a good deal of cussing, I ended up frogging the sock back to the cuff. Cripes.

So, last night, determined to regain my footing, I reknit the leg, turned the heel, and got through the gusset. This is going to be one yummy sock. Next time I knit with Anne, though, I think I'll make the heel flap a bit shorter or go with smaller needles. My 36 row slip stitch heel flap fit the formula, but my gauge is off enough to screw up the mezh.

So...after the barn dance tonight, I'll be finishing off sock no. 1. Feeling very good about this yarn. Almost as nice as mine! Whoo Hoo!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

schaefer anne o t n

schaeferannestart

elongated corded rib in schaefer anne

Just started. No elongated corded ribs yet...just 2x2 cuff ribbing. However...I'd like to report that this handpainted yarn is marvy. 60% merino wool superwash, 25% mohair, 15% nylon; 560 yds/4 oz. Schaefer Anne is sold in a big fat hank. It's just impossible for me to figure out what a yarn will look like until I make a pull ball and start to knit.

Soooooo, I was a little bit surprised when this yarn showed itself to make a simple striped pattern. The shades of rust and peach and brown, indigo and slate...are so wonderfully subtle, I imagined that the pattern would be a little more freeform. Then again, this seems to have been painted on a small warp board. When I paint a hank, I spread it out over a greater length...still end up with stripes of a fashion, but much less defined.

I'll be using a Sensational Knitted Socks "idear" (thank you Charlene Schurch) - a 4 stitch rib, in this case, the elongated corded rib, an 8 row repeat. The sample I knit featured nice definition, and good openwork when stretched. Cast on was 144 stitches (to equal 72 st after k2 k2 p2 p2 first row - I really like a stretchy cuff) using size 1 dpns.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

ganseys complete

Ellen's shetland ILGs
shetland handspun ilgs

Thoroughly entertaining to knit, these socks were easy in the late night, quick, and very economical. They fit great. And if it hadn't been 108 degrees in the middle of the day, I just might have been wearing them today. This pattern came from the six sox kal. Progress and final pics were posted on that site.

Next up: Shaefer Anne rusts and blues in a SKS elongated corded rib. Mmmmm.

Monday, August 13, 2007

20 grams of handspun shetland

ilg 20g crop
gansey sock in progress

This is how far 20g of handspun singles goes. After getting this far, I spun another spindlefull of shetland...yep, another 20 grams. That should take me well into the second sock. Once the leg is knit, the foot flies...only two skinny cables and some seed stitch to think about. I can tell that these are going to be favorite cold weather gig socks.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Handspun Shetland Gansey Sock

iloveganseystart
I love gansey

This is the current sock pattern for the Six Sox KAL - I Love Gansey. I'm using my handspun singles - Shetland wool (roving) I won in last year's Tour de Fleece.

I love the softnesss and the economy of this yarn. The little ball shown was only 20g, and I'm into the heel! With quite a bit of yarn to spare! I can tell that these are going to be comfort socks. Mmmm.

Pattern: I Love Gansey - Six Sox K A L Aug/Sept 2007
Yarn: Dove's Roost Handspun Shetland Singles - natural silver grey
Needles: susan bates silvalume dpns size 1 (2.25mm)

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Embossed Leaves Complete

completed embossed leaves

embossed leaves

Here they are. I just can't get a good picture. Regia bamboo picks up the light, bounces it around, and just doesn't want to be photogenic. In person, you have to trust me, these socks are lovely. And Mona Schmidt's pattern shows. Yummily so.

These were the perfect socks for late night bleary eyed knitting. Easy pattern. Easy to work with fiber. What can I say about the pattern? It seems made for me. I love a 64 stitch pattern. I had my doubts about the toe, but you know, it's neat and easy. I'm a kitchenerer. I admit it. I like grafting. My father taught me to graft when I was about 5. I just don't know why people are intimidated. It's E A S Y. And so is this toe. And this toe fits like a...like a...glove? Nah...like a sock.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Wildfell Coin Cozy

Here's my completed project for this month's Knit the Classics challenge. The book: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte.

Here's to the garden, the gardens, the flowers, the hedges...all that nature that pulses off the page. This little purse, little coin cozy if you will, was knit from longwool handspun, from sheep like those who might have grazed right there, and dyed with flowers, leaves, and twigs that could have been picked in the gardens. Darkness banished when carried. A gift from Gilbert perhaps?

tenant purse
wildfell coin cozy

Yarn: handspun from border leicester, shetland, and mohair
Dyes: natural dyes including black tea - tan, marjoram - green, marigold - yellow, pokeberry - red, coreopsis - orange
Pattern: my own
Needles: susan bates silvalume dpns size 5

Thursday, August 2, 2007

embossed leaves half done

One foot down, the other on the needles. This pattern is terrific. Exactly exactly fits my foot. Course, my foot is not in the picture below. I've yet to figure out how to get a good shot of my foot in a sock. Ah well. This is just a progress shot.

embossed leaves 1 complete
embossed leaves foot no. 1

Next up? Well, I'm spindling right now. Not Right Now, but...in my spare moments. Spinning some silver grey Shetland that I won in last year's Tour de Fleece. You see, the Six Sox KAL posted the August/September sock yesterday, and it's a beauty. Called I Love Gansey, it just screams for soft definition. I think this Shetland is just the ticket.

With all the rain we've been having this week, I'm getting some serious fiber time!