Since I am still only spinning the lace yarn for the shawlette I’d like to design, I have been lying awake in the dark thinking of how to execute said design. Some things have been hard to figure out just in my head and will need to be put on paper to see how the mechanics will actually work out. Some things I think of then forget as I drift off to sleep, leaving me only to wake up in the morning knowing I had a solution and it’s gone.
One of the mathematical things I’ve been working on is the fact that the lace pattern I have chosen is an even stitch number stitch pattern. Most shawls started at the top, as I want to start this one, tend to have an odd number of stitches in between the edge stitches and the center stitch. Last night, I believe I worked out how to jigger it, now I just need to find out if it’ll look alright.
Meanwhile, the sock design I began working on in June is slowly making progress. I finished the first sock only to discover that even though I had gotten gauge in my swatch, I lost a whole stitch per inch when knitting the sock. Eight stitches per inch is quite a bit different that 9 stitches per inch, especially in stretchy 2×2 ribbing. So, I’m working the second sock on needles that are half a millimeter smaller. The unfortunate part is I really liked how the color of the yarn worked out in the larger gauge, and in the smaller gauge it’s spiraling. The little bit of fancy stitch patterning it has is an 11 stitch repeat, so not much I can do there to play with fit. Just have to live with the change in color patterning.
I apologize right up front to anyone who visited my bog in the last month and found it redirecting them to some stupid, fake “anti-virus” site. My blog was somehow hijacked, and a script was inserted in every. single. frikken. post. Thankfully, my server host provided me with a SQL statement to run against my database to clean out the script. And I wasn’t affected by any of the other hijacking symptoms that were possible. I’ve backed up and upgraded, so hopefully, this won’t happen again. I have plans for backing up more often and keeping on top of making sure I upgrade in a timely manner.
In other circles, I completely failed at Tour de Fleece. I spun for the first three days, then I hurt my back and didn’t get my wheel out for the rest of the tour. On the upside, I did manage to get the singles for a 3-ply yarn spun, just need to find the time to ply it up and see if my experiment to try getting a specific type of yarn worked.
I’ve been knitting, working on a baby blanket for my niece, who should be joining us in October. I’m also working on designing a pair of socks. This isn’t the first time I’ve created my own pattern, but it is the first time I’ve done something more than just stockinette or ribbing. I’ve actually put some thought into it. It’s been fun enough that I’m already thinking of a second pattern for the first installment of the Mean Girls Yarn Club, Part Deux that I just received.
We’re taking a trip to Japan in a couple of months and my sister is graciously letting us stay with her. She’s also been great with suggestions of things to do. The best part is we’ll get to partake of her sushi equity and the sushi chef has even offered to take us with him to his fish market.
So, because she liked the other 2 pairs of socks I’ve knit for her, I thought another pair would serve as a good thank you gift. The last 2 pairs were just plain vanilla socks. This time I wanted to do something a little more exciting, and I settled on Cookie A.’s Monkey pattern. The yarn I’m using is ShubuiKnits Sock in the Rappongi colorway. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity when I found out they had a colorway called Rappongi as both my sister and the Husband have told me of drinking trips to the Rappongi district. I remember something about heading home on the trains as business people are heading into work. The colors are eye-searing pink and orange, and my sister told me she loves it.
I’m just glad that I’ve started well enough in advance that I shouldn’t be rushing to finish them before our trip.
The Rivendell socks were finished Friday night. I washed and blocked them overnight and put them in the mail to the Sock Museum Saturday afternoon. The USPS says they were delivered yesterday morning.
Basic stats
Yarn: Dream in Color Starry in Grey Tabby, used about 250 yds
Needles: 2 Hiyahiya circs, size US 2.5, 20″ long
Gauge: 7.5 sts/in in stockinette stitch, 9.5 sts/in in Ktbl, P2 ribbing
These were a pretty fast knit, and I probably would have been done with them way sooner if I had worked on them consistantly. The clustered stitches at the top were a new technique for me, but really interesting to do. I find the horizontal effect they make a nice addition to the pattern. However, it should be noted that they do make the cuff of the sock a little less stretchy than the rest of the ribbing. Some people might find this slight restriction annoying; it doesn’t bother me very much, although if I were to knit these again, I may try to find a way to combat it.
Unfortunately, neither of my photos picks up the silver thread in the yarn very well. When you can see it, it adds a nice little sparkle, which I thought would be a nice effect for socks named after Rivendell. The subtle shading of the colorway didn’t detract from the pattern at all. I did love how the yarn became nice and soft after washing it.
I hope my socks have tons of fun at the Sock Summit in my stead. And I hope that everyone who’s going get a chance to see my socks.
Just a quick post to show off a few finished items. They’ve been finished for awhile, but I had to get the photos off my camera, which took great effort. First up are the baby gifts I knit for my friend — a simple roll-brimmed hat and the Little Sky socks from New Pathways for Sock Knitters.
They were all knit out of Dream in Color Classy in the Happy Forest colorway. I really like the way the yarn softened up when I washed it. A sweater out of Classy would be really nice, and I’m remembering seeing one of the new semi-solids from DiC in a pretty, chocolaty brown.
Next up is the pair of socks I knit my mother for her birthday/Mother’s Day gift.
They are knit out of Jojoland Melody Superwash. They took 2 skeins, and I thought it was interesting just how different in striping the 2 skeins turned out to be.
The Rivendell socks progress steadily. The pattern looks nice in the semi-solid color. Unfortunately, in this photo, you can’t really see the sparkliness from the silver thread. The pattern has been easy to follow so far; the charts reall help with that. I was thrown slightly for a loop when working the cluster stitches, but it’s an interesting technique.
While the gauge (@ 7.5 sts/in) is a little looser than I would normally knit socks, it does seem to help the knitting go quickly when each round it only 63 stitches long.
The ribbing seems really stretchy, so I don’t think I’ll have to worry too much about fit issues. Although, I don’t believe there are any plans for anyone to wear the socks. The Sock Museum website does not actually say what will happen to the socks after Sock Summit 2009.
I just signed up to knit a pair of socks by July 25th for the Sock Museum. I will be knitting Rivendell socks by Janel Laidman. Now I just need to figure out what yarn will work best and get knitting. What color do you think of when you think of Rivendell?
Edited because I can’t spell today.
A pair of socks finally done. May I present the Sock Knitters Anonymous September Mystery sock. Very fun pattern; it was the first time I did a toe-up with a heel flap rather than a short row heel. The sock had to be knit in orange yarn, so this gave me a reason to use some orange wool/mohair sock yarn that had been languishing in my stash (orange isn’t anywhere near my favorite color). First time making socks out of a wool/mohair blend, and they are quite warm, fuzzy, and squishy.
The Sock Knitter’s Anonymous Sockdown! challenge gives you 2 months to finish a sock. I cast on my Mystery OJ Socks on Sept 1st. I have only now gotten to the gusset increases of the 2nd sock. I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on myself because I am on the 2nd sock and not the 1st. But, I’d like to get at least one pair done for September. (I was silly and cast on a pair of Cookie A’s Thelonious Socks as well, which are only on the gusset decreases of the 1st sock.) Thankfully, there aren’t that many plans for this weekend, so I hope to get a chance to sit and knit… perhaps even slot some spinning in as well.
Reminder
If you’re lurking around, don’t forget to post a comment on my Housewarming post by 5 pm PDT this Friday to be in the drawing for yummy yarn prizes.
In knitting news, I actually got quite a bit done this weekend. Only about 40 rounds left and I’ll be done with my Mystery OJ socks. Now to decide if I want to try casting on for the October challenge (I have until Friday), or to just go on to next month’s challenge (casting on Nov 1).