sock porn for knitting voyeurs.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Canadian mail call, and a new stocking...

The neighbors are going to start talking about me and my mailman.

Check out what arrived from Canada, by way of Make 1 Yarn Studio-- the result of winning a gift certificate donated by Cynthia's brother from the Warming Grace project...

diamussee120
Diakeito DiamuseeFINE
40 gm, 239 yd
100% wool
colorway 120

This is some neat yarn, check out Dancing Fibers site to see the (PDF!!) striping action... I found a half sock picture in Diamusee fine from Marilyn at The Knitting Curmudgeon, and another Diamuseefine sock from Indigirl (Amy), proprietress of Make1Yarns. I've seen the Diakeito offered up as a "substitution" for Noro (in worsted weights) because of the coloring/striping but don't see it pretty much anywhere and also haven't seen much socks of it. Its the perfect weight though, and though its not superwash, I think I'll still love it equally :) I chose the lighter color cos I'm thinking some textured toe up socks, and don't want the deep colors to fight with any design.

ultramerino4-112
Artyarns Ultramerino 4
191 yd/50 gm, 100% wool
colorway 112

Another yarn I don't see much of and was thrilled to be able to try. It has such an unusual feeling; it has the crisp feel of cotton but in wool (kinda like Socks that Rock), but isn't plied as far as I can tell... almost looks chained but isn't. I have no idea about its construction, even after staring at it, but it is fabulous. And their colors are beautiful! I saw my favorite at Stitches West this year (color 101) but they only had one there... but this pink is great! There's even a little orange in there!! I'm not a pink girl (hehe, I think I remember saying I'm not a purple girl too...), but this could definitely swing me. It'll also swing me to handwashing, as its not superwash either.

schaeferannebluegrey
Schaefer Anne
Mainly blues, with grey and green
560 yd/4 oz
60% superwash merino, 25% mohair, 15% nylon

Ah, Anne. Enough said.

llsportaslan
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport
Aslan colorway
100% superwash, 70 gm/200 yd

I think this is a great deal, where they give you 70 gm instead of 50. Super soft (no nylon like its sister, Shepherd Sock), this will make some great quicker-knit socks. I keep looking for fab dk weight sock patterns but don't find nearly as many as I'd like to find...

My shoe looks so little in the picture! :)

::phew::

I also finished my second Dream Swatch Headwrap...

dreamredux

Dream Swatch headwrap (PDF!)
Started: ?
Finished: May 19, 2006
Koigu premium painters palette merino
colorway p326
US 4 dpns, 2
30 gm total

(It's too hard taking a picture of your own head!)

I like this one more than my last one (color, lighter weight), but I think I like the IK one the best because of its i-cord ties-- makes it easy for me to tie it on easily (my hair is too long and gets everywhere!) But I *love* this colorway, still trying to not order it from Patternworks... :)

I used the US 4's to try and allow for some extra "give" to the fabric, and don't think its too open. I was also stretching the 30 gm of Koigu I had, since it was one of the mini-skeins and the rest I had left. I've never used Koigu/Cherry Tree Hill at a larger gauge but it actually makes a nice fabric; US 4 would be too open for a garment, but it kinda opened my eyes about how this yarn can change by simply changing the needles.

Finally, my new muse...

evening

Evening Stockings for a Young Lady
from Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks"
Schaefer Anne colorway 7af
US 0 (2mm), 2 socks on 2 circular needles
Started: May 20, 2006

Yeow. Told you I was bit by the lace bug :) I realize I am insane for knitting knee-high(-ish) lace socks on US 0's, I do. But they are fabulous! :)

evening2

It's a really simple lace pattern, and I'd get bored if it weren't for the staggered decreases against the lack of the leg (you can see the "seam"/stockinette panel that is against the back of the leg and holds the decreases on the right hand sock, under my stitch marker), and because I love this yarn. Ever fall in love with something and you don't know right then why, and figure it out later and decide you were right all along? (Uh, yeah... only me again.) That's this yarn for me. I am enchanted, enraptured... in flagrante delicto with this yarn. Its soft, fine... but its strong-- when tensioning it I was worried it would snap, being so fine, but there's no chance of that. I love the evenness, the color, the weight. It *feels* strong, tough, solid, complete in iteself... but isn't hard or rough (actually the opposite). It doesn't have the "poof" factor of lofty, 100% merino yarn but I actually find that a plus in its favor-- looking at the yarn itself, I can easily guess the gauge without having to simulate pulling it taut as in knitting, and the stitches are even to begin with. It has give, but its actual shape doesn't change much when knitting with it. I worry that I love the solid too much-- the rest of my Anne stash (barring the other red hank I have) are all high-contrast colors (blue/grey/tan, orange/black/brown, blue/green/grey) and I wonder how it will look worked up into socks and how much of any pattern will be obscured by the color... I am 98.6% sure I am going to run out of yarn for this project, but we'll see... I'll embrace their wabi sabi beauty and add on another closebutnocigar red Anne I have if needed towards the foot...)

I think I could be using US 1 (2.25mm) with the yarn as well, but my US 1.5 (2.5mm) Addi circs give too large a fabric for my taste/gauge, and there was no way I was knitting these one at a time-- I know me, I'd have one long, lovely red stocking and no second in sight. I think I may need to pick up some western sized 24" circulars (2.25mm & 2.75mm)... any suggestions comparable to Addis? (I love their slide and the join, like everyone else I guess!)

I am a bit worried though. This is my 1st long stocking, and while it fits/stretches across even the widest part of my leg (gasp!), it stretches *a lot* horizontally. Like, a lot-a lot. The top cuff of just ribbing you see in the pics? 3"... when on, stretches to 2"... and the lace stretches horizontally as well. I'm hoping that as I gain length in the leg I'll be able to see more of a vertical pull in the lace (I'm more worried about the lace panel not being seen than the length of the actual stocking being shortened... though a long stocking is what I want!) This may be a case where I block the ever loving ^@&%! out of the leg to illuminate the lace, and let the foot alone... we'll see :)

13 comments:

Elspeth said...

The socks look great! And I love that Anne color. We have tons of ArtYarns around here: San Mateo, Los Altos and San Jose, to name a few, and I love it! (Oh, and ImagiKnit, but then again they have everything ...)

Dave said...

Nice stash additions -- love the colours in that Anne :-)

Re DK sock patterns: there used to be a ton of Wool-Ease patterns on the net. Pretty well any of them should work with DK weight yarn. Or, you could design your own :-)

Alyssa said...

Those are going to be some gorgeous socks...maybe I need some Schaefer Anne ... :)

Stacey said...

I've been wanting to try some of the Diakeito yarn! I remember seeing it eons ago and it reminded me of trekking in how it is spun. Can't wait to see socks out of it! The Anne and Artyarns are also beautiful....sigh...stash envy...

The only other's I've used are the Inox Express needles - join not quite as good as Addi's, but pretty good overall....

Chris said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous stash additions...

Thanks for the link to the headband pattern - I missed that before!

Jenny Raye said...

I literally lost my breath when I saw the Artyarns Merino color! Love the Anne~~my lys just started stocking Anne. So far I haven't succumbed, but it won't be too long now, I fear. It seems finer than other sock yarn~~what size needle will you use?

Knittypants said...

The stockings are so pretty, what a beautiful pattern. And your new yarn is gorgeous, too.

lexa said...

I'm watching some Schaefer Anne on eBay now. If hubby sees what I've spent in the last week on sock yarn he'll kill me anyways! (He got satellite radio in his big rig - I get the equivalent value in sock yarn. He'd never understand.)

HPNY KNITS said...

OMG! I adore Diakeito!! I made a hat with it and i am hooked.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92606576@N00/145565785/
the rest are super delicious. you are brave to do knee highs on 0. wow!! Craftoholic made some, but I believe she used a tapered leg.
http://static.flickr.com/43/75256176_244adb1bf0.jpg

Annie said...

Love love LOVE that Schaefer Anne yarn. Watcha gonna make?!? Can't wait to see what comes flying off those smokin' needles. :-)

Heide said...

What beautiful yarn! I ask you, is there anything else in the world like smelling and fondeling new yarn? The headband is really pretty, I'm going to do a search for a pattern and try making one myself. Can't wait to see the finished socks too!

Anonymous said...

Every time I come here I get sock-yarn-stash envy (in a good way). I'm dying over the asian LL, been wanting some of that for a while. And another pair of beautiful socks started, the envy!

Anonymous said...

ooh, lovely stash enhancement. Great job on the Hedera socks too!!

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