Contest winner, and minus a foot...

Guess what came in the mail? :)



My Knit Picks prize from winning Heide's contest :)

No guesses on the nose, (though lots of good ones!) so random.org says they'd like to be the first to congratulate Melissa for winning my little contest! Congrats! LMK your mailing particulars (I'll shoot off an email later too) and I'll get the Kona superwash fingering and dyes in the mail to you.

Speaking of contests, we made the "choka on it" wall of fame, week 12 for our sheer volume of additions to the world's longest poem during my Lisa Souza sock yarn contest... while katrina grace and deborah *and* kerrie - Big Sis both all earned singular mentions for their rad couplets! So go choka on it again sometime (perhaps another contest? or is that too boring?)



As for knitting progress, my kingdom for a foot*...



My pictures of lace are always wobbly.

Almost there, just need a few more inches on the foot for the "evening stockings for a young lady..." The closer sock is the more accurate color. I still haven't tired of it, even though its creeping up on almost 2 weeks straight of just this project.



Well, not "just"...



I started Devan from Knitty Spring 2004 on Friday (5/26/06), in Patons Kroy 4 ply for a little "easy" knitting for car trips and such. As for my cable and rib toddler sweater with hood, I'm knitting the 1 year old size but the 2 year old length for my 2+ year old... still a shocker that I somehow had a hand in having a tall, skinny kid.

I'm knitting both front panels at the same time, just because and because I'll know the length will be the same (I'm not so good with the details you know...) I'll do the same with the sleeves.

Not sold on the color... the Kroy jacquard has thinner stripes that other faux fair isle sock yarns, so the bands of color vary from 2-4 rows wide-- noticeable difference in such a small area. Not bad, but I'd not use this colorway again for this pattern because of it. I'm also nervous about the stockinette curling at the edges... here's hoping a good blocking will cure it.

I'm also in a quandry... I was going to use trekking 100 for the trek along with me trekking KAL, knitting pomatomus again, but poking around the stash I think that the Lisa Souza Sock! in bird of paradise is going to make a spectacular pair of pomatomii for my next project, instead. So I don't know what pattern to work the trekking in... I'm thinking of waiting til the new summer Knitty comes out and hope for a pattern there. I wanted something fun to take with me to knit at world wide knit in public day (June 10)... I am going to the San Francisco meet (I think); Berkeley is technically closer but union square by BART is easier for me.

Back to put some toes on my evening stockings... :)



*shakespeare forgives me since I still keep my complete works and class notes from uni on a high enough shelf so munchkin can't "read" (read: dance) them yet...

Batting cleanup; stockinette panels and comment dreams

Happy long weekend to all you usa'ers... off for a long walk myself, just wanted to do cleanup before I go :)

For rene and knittingspaz...



Pic of the back stockinette panel on the "evening stockings for a young lady" from "Knitting Vintage Socks." Color is a bit off b/c of my super white calf and super red couch, but you get the idea of the panel... how the panel decreases on down to nothing, after starting @ the widest part of my calf. I was thinking, if you wanted to make the socks longer, you could just follow the written directions but keep the panel undecreased until just where the calf is at its widest point (as it is here) and then continue. It would look more like a spear tip instead of a "V", though. Like I said, these aren't really knee highs but super long socks, but I do like them a lot :) And the word super, apparently!!

The pic shows my progress so far-- I am just about to start fiddling with the heel (going to do some needle balancing to do so, since these are on 2 circs instead of dpns... shouldn't be too messy though.) The long bit of yarn hanging from the cuff is from my cast on-- the pattern has you casting on with the yarn doubled. I haven't done this before, so I don't know if its correct... bu I cast on as if both ends of the working yarn were doubled, so there are effectively 4 strands of yarn in the cast on edge. In my previous pics of these socks, you can see how the edge is puffy, even more so than in the pic from the book, so perhaps it should have only been 3 strands... No matter though, it doesn't roll, its not loose, and isn't binding at all. Very happy with this! :)

I also meant to ask if anyone knows, how I can respond to questions in comments via email? Or do you think its better to do it in subsequent posts? I always mean to via email, but when I check my comment email blogger never gives me return addresses of those who use blogger (weird, eh) and by the time I think to write back I forget... (something to do with the fact babybear gives me about a barney episode's length of computer time a day!) ;) I do really appreciate all of the kind words and hints yall send me thru the comments.

Anyhow, for responding via email, do yall use another comment host, like Haloscan? What do you think? I don't want to ignore questions, cos I learn a lot from other ppl's blogs :) ... I also use an app via Firefox that stops all javascript unless I allow it (No Script link here) so I would have to allow Haloscan's javascript to run in order to use my own comments... hm. (An aside! Even though this was supposed to be a short post!... Best firefox extension EVER? Super drag and go... highlight any text on a webpage, drag it to a "blank" space and let go-- it opens a new tab with a google search or the webpage's address...)

So quick comment question answering from my previous post ahoy...

Rachel asked if I needed to rinse the dyed yarn in vinegar, or washed any easter egg dyed yarn yet? ... I didn't have much experience with the easter egg dyes other than my previous attempt, so my methods are kinda fly by the seat of my pants. I used vinegar to the dye (actually dissolved the dye in vinegar), and also soaked the yarn pre dying in some warm water with vinegar, but I didn't rinse it in vinegar to set it. I actually rinsed the dyed yarn before putting it to steam set, and didn't have any bleed that i could tell. I think the superwash yarn is just very thirsty for the dye; all of the containers of dye were exausted into the yarn-- leaving only clearish-water, and I really wasn't worried it wasn't set as there was no leeching of dye or bleeding in the quick rinse before steaming or the good wash I gave it after it came from the steamer.

I have washed & dried my basketcase socks, which I dyed using Kona Superwash dk and easter egg dyes (same method for my dyeorama pal, pretty much-- down to the self striping) and didn't have any bleed or fade in the wash yet. I haven't rinsed my dyed yarn in vinegar before (used koolaid for the wyvern and river rapids socks, too), and their color has held well thru washing & drying (in a washing machine/dryer) since, I think :)

Jennyraye wanted to know how I skeined the yarn for dying... Its mindnumbing, but I placed 2 chairs 330" apart (actually, 300" apart, as the chair backs are 15" across apiece), tied the starter end of the yarn (wound into a ball to help prevent tangling) to a chair back, and walked back and forth winding the yarn in a super long hank that you can see in here. It took forever! :) And forever and a day to wind it into a smaller skein when it was dyed!

There *is* a better way-- scout has a spec for a "warping board" you can use to section off long bits of yarn, and I saw a *fab* update on scout's board on Almost Random where amy! uses a peg board and removable dowels/pieces so you can easily change stripe sizes (she has a great series on dying stripes going on as well, from about May 4, 2006 to current). I think the peg board is the way I'll go if I ever go for a board for stripes, I like its adaptability and the fact I don't have to break out power tools (not that I can't, but the kid gets way too excited at the noise, like lord of the flies "kill the piggy" excited, and its just too much for me to not laugh when sporting a power drill.)

After the undyed yarn was wound into the long hank, I measured off 220" sections and marked them with easily removable waste yarn... (I also tied the yarn in places to prevent knotting of the skein-- very easy to do with this length-- using a different color waste yarn than the one I used to make off the 220" sections). I then "gathered" the 220" sections together (in half) and tied them at the demarcation yarns, so I had 3 110" lengths (the 220" was doubled over) to dye. It kinda looked like a banana peel, 3 long sections connected by a nexus. I immersed the sections in the dye mix-- dye, vinegar & hot water (using either pyrex glass casserole or clear glass mason jars; "painting" or squirting the yarn isn't really an option in my tiny kitchen) and let the dye exaust in the long sections of yarn. I then rinsed, steam set, and rinsed/washed the yarn... wound it in as loose a formation I could across a wide plastic hanger (there's no way I could let it dry in the long hank across 2 chairs, kiddo would... well, yeah. not possible.) I let it drip dry (another plus for superwash, I could squeeze the excess water out of the long ends of the yarn where it would accumulate, to help it dry more quickly) til it was pretty dry. I then moved the yarn in front of a small fan and let the air circulation take care of the rest-- it was dry by the time I woke up in the morning.

And Elspeth is right, no one has guessed my knit picks order for the contest yet :) I think random.org is going to be picking our winner!

Have a great weekend, long or not :)

(edit... Rachel is a super genius (see comments). in order to email commenters back via email, on blogger, they have to have the "show email address" box checked on their blogger profile. at least i know its possible and i'm not nuts... everyone should enable their email address to be shown, just for sanity's sake :)...) happy weekend x 2 !!

Dye o rama swap yarn :)

I finished dying my dyeorama buddy's yarn, and finally have it skeined up and ready to go!

A few pics, and then I'll write about how... (for mine and my buddy's sake mainly, in case s/he wants to repeat it or wonders wtf I did :))


After drying. Colors are a bit darker than real life.


I dyed the yarn in long, self striping repeats-- 220" for each of the 3 colors (purple, light purple & pink.) I estimated the length by knitting up a swatch in the round (thanks to Eunny's tip)... 64 st CO on US 1's, and the stripes should be about 2/3-3/4" wide apiece. I wanted to make them wide enough so if my pal wants to go down a needle size, they'd still be discernable stripes-- and if s/he wanted to go up a size, well they're still stripes!

This is only about 1/2 of the skein :) Winding it into a manageable hank was almost murder! I also thought about buying a swift with every pass I made :)


All skeined up, communing with nature.


This yarn must like nature or something.

I used the Henry's Attic Kona Superwash fingering lightweight yarn, 4 oz/560 yd. You can see that the yarn "puffed" up after being dyed, rinsed (I washed it in kookaburra) and dried. It will knit up much more evenly now (esp. more than my initial gauge swatching of this yarn direct from the untreated hank), but I would *guess* that the gauge will stay the same, or be increased just a bit... I meant to swatch it up again, but forgot just until I was taking the pics, and there's no way I was unwinding this sucker again :)

Dying, I used easter egg dyes... after winding that 660" hank (!!!) and sectioning it (and letting it soak in warm water with a bit of vinegar), I made up the dye-- 2 tabs of purple and 1/2 tab of pink for the light purple stripe, 4 tabs of purple and 1/2 tab of pink for the purple stripe, and 2 tabs of pink for the last stripe, all dissolved in vinegar. I then added boiling water to the vinegar dye, and dyed each section. I used mason jars and a pyrex casserole dish; both worked okay. I then quick-rinsed the yarn with warm water, pressed it to remove excess water, and wrapped it in saran wrap. I tried keeping the sections together to avoid bleed, but the yarn pretty much took almost all of the dye for all sections and with my rinse, I didn't think it was anything to really worry about (it wasn't, no bleed in the steamer.) I set the saran wrapped yarn up in a steamer, and steamed it for 15-20 minutes. Let it cool down a bit, then washed it in a little kookaburra, rinsed a final time and pressed the water out as best I could. I was pleased to see no dye bleeding when I washed/rinsed the yarn, nor any discernable vinegar smell.

I let it hang to dry and then rewound it into the monster hank size... wrapped it around a large box top for a smaller skein size (that resulted more of a "bump" of yarn instead of a wound hank), and then celebrated by naming it! Half the fun of dying yarn is coming up with a colorway name, no?

Introducing the *bonanza jellybean* colorway!
...and the most accurate to color pic...



Hehe. Dorkamatic here.

I'll be sending off my pal's yarn with the bag I swapped for with trek... (I'm getting another for myself, after having one of those aha! moments when reading Bliss' blog about using Trek's bags-- they can be worn around the wrist when standing so you can stand and knit at the same time, the bag holding the yarn! Genius! Not that I go anywhere, stand to knit, much less leave the house... but hey! Stand and knit!!) ... along with a little yarn from the stash, a goody too particular to my buddy to name (on the off-off-OFF chance s/he reads here), some easter egg dye tabs, and some local (Chinatown) candies and treats...

Yay! :)

In other non-dyed-fingers news-- progress creeps along on "evening stockings for a young lady..."



I've finished the decreases and have about 20 rounds before starting the heels (I'll have to do some fidgeting to get the heels aligned on my circular needles, no worries though.) I overestimated the length of the leg on the pattern; on me it comes up about 3" shy of my knee bend, at the widest part of my calf. The decreases for this length are perfect, I can see the size shifting as my leg gets narrower towards the ankle. I also thought that the stockinette panel at the back of the leg looked inelegant but when tried on, it looks *much* better and makes sense, too. The double-stranded cast on called for in the pattern is essential, imo (even more so on the US 0's I'm using)... the cuff/cast on edge is not binding AT ALL, shocking for as high up on my leg (and how wide that leg is!).



Pic of the leg "on". I am still trying to wrap my mind around how to block the lace on the leg, still having a problem with the horizontal pull of the lace (need to block it open vertically; not as bad as when the leg was shorter though)... if a custom made (wire hanger!) leg-only blocker would be better than pinning it out. No se, but I'm pretty happy with the progress so far :)

...and I'm still taking guesses for my Kona Superwash fingering lightweight contest, still waiting for my Knit Picks order :)

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...


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.


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.


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

Ah, Anne. Enough said.


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...



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 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! :)



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 :)

Hedera finished!

Yay!



Hedera socks
Started: May 4, 2006
Finished: May 19, 2006
2 socks on 2 circs, Addi US 1.5 (2.5mm), 24"
Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, endlot millend from ebay
98 gm of yarn total

I actually blocked these socks (gasp!) to try and make the lace pop, but I think I stretched them out too much/my blockers were too big/wide (I made my own blockers from coated wire hangers-- they do look goofy on the blockers, eh?). No worries, they'll pop back when I wash them again; they fit perfectly before I got the notion to block them :) I won't be putting them into the washer/dryer for fear of having the cherry tree hill supersock fade on me (happened before)... maybe I'll make a bunch of blockers and start handwashing all of my socks (I need to figure out how wide to make them, any suggestions? I just need the blockers to help them dry... there's no good place to dry the socks around here.)

More pics...









If you look super closely, you can see the k tbl twist at the heel flap... Actually, when picking up gusset stitches, I always pick the back loop up with a seperate needle and knit that thru tbl-- so on the next round, I knit the subsequent stitch tbl as the pattern calls for. Other than that and knitting them on 2 circular needles, I followed the pattern exactly.

I knit the smaller size, and knitting them on 2 circulars gives you a chance to fit the sizing as you go(the sizing only differs in how many decreases are made). I have a 8.25" foot circumference at the widest part of my foot.

An aside, I measured the finished socks weight and used 98 grams of yarn total (with my size 9-9.5 women's feet)-- so you could knit this pattern with 2 skeins of Koigu (same base yarn as the cherry tree hill), if you're brave enough to cut it that close :) Shortening the length of the leg is also a possibility, but lately I've been drawn to longer leg socks myself.

I like the long heel... I don't know why, but I like the length of a "long" (3") heel over a short one. I usually wear my socks in high top Cons, so its not an aesthetic big deal to have a long heel poking out the back of low slung shoes, at least for me. It also *feels* good, the double thick fabric reaching from the actual top of the heel all the way to the floor.

I also really like the purl sts on the sides of the lace (and the twisted knit stitches delineating the panels, they almost don't intrude on the purl sts)-- purl stitches on socks really seem to make any pattern stand out (have you seen Monica's Hansel and Gretal socks for her Sockapaloooza pal? More what I mean...) It seems rare to see purl sts on socks, but I do dig it... Something to keep bobbing in the back of my head I think :)

Lovely, I think! I think green is great for this pattern... I rarely use green but I think I like it a lot here. Actually I still have about 4 oz of this same color left (!!!)... the only problem with buying huge lots of supersock on ebay is that you've got to knit lots of the same color socks :) I think I prolly won't use it for a while, perhaps even swap it (I read there's going to be a leftover sock yarn exchange going on over at Knitter's Review forums...)

I think I may have been a little bitten by the lace bug, since I started some new lace socks (pics in next post, maybe!)...

Leaving you with a botched *action* shot (as action as can be, at least!)



10 seconds not being enough to put on socks, pull up pants, and stand up straight... :)

...and I'm still taking guesses for my Henry's Attic Kona Superwash lightweight/easter egg dye mini-contest :) Its helping me justify stalking my mailman for my Knit Picks order, even though I just placed the order on Thursday :)

Knitting mail call, and a teeny contest...

I love my mailman!

I gave him some blue squares for Justin... (click the link! Cynthia needs more squares! :))



...and he gave me...


Schaefer Anne in orange, black, grey, brown... (yay!). Picked up from a stash reduction. I keep hoarding Schaefer Anne and haven't knit a single thing from it yet, but I'm just drawn to it. I think I should actually use it one of these days.


8 balls of Rowan Cork in Delight (orange).

I am *so* thrilled with this... I have been eyeing this yarn on ebay for forever (discontinued yarn), for this...


(Robin Hood Jacket from Adorable Knits for Tots by Zoe Mellor)

but I just couldn't bring myself to pay that much for it, and I didn't really think a sub was that great of an idea since the yarn is unique in weight/composition/gauge. I was able to swap for it though, *and* in the color I wanted!! :) Thanks Mandy for a great swap, she made my year with this stuff. I won't be able to knit it up til the next cold season, but there's more than enough yarn there for even the biggest size of the pattern if boogerbear hits a growth spurt. And, did you notice? Orange!!! :)

My poor kid.

And the coup de grâce? Also known as, I am the luckiest blogger around lately?


I won a $20 gift certificate to Knit Picks from Heide! Crazy is as crazy does, she won one of the Lisa Souza sock yarns I gave away in my last contest :)

I love the blog contests... so here's a little, tiny one for yall. The prize?



4 oz, about 560 yards, of Henry's Attic Kona Superwash lightweight fingering yarn that I reviewed in my last post; the half left from what I'll use for my dyeorama buddy. Also, 4 paas easter egg dye packets, and one of those wire eggy bobber things. (I used a wire thing to pull solid skeins from the dye last time I used the easter egg dye on yarn, surprisingly helpful!) This is a new one of course :) You'll just need some white vinegar to dye up a storm! Or, sock yarn!

Told you it was little! :)

So, to win you ask?

Guess what I ordered from Knit Picks with my GC from Heide, of course :) Contest ends when I receive the item(s), most specifically correct guess wins. You can guess quantities, colors, etc. One entry/guess per person-- leave all guesses in the comments of this post please, and no broad/non-descriptive $1 price is right hedge bets ("yarn," "needle," "book," "bag...") please :)

Hints...
1) I paid for shipping.
2) I bought one item-- one or multiples of the same item. (So, 7 Butterfly Kisses *or* 1 row counter, but not 1 Sparkles *and* 1 Port a Pocket).

Winner is the one who gets the closest, color/quantity etc first... If no one surmises the nose, everyone who hazards a guess will be entered into a random number generator for the prize. Sound fun? (Kinda?)

Happy weekend!

Henry's Attic Kona Superwash lightweight fingering specs

Henry's Attic Kona Superwash fingering lightweight
(new weight!)
2,240 yd/lb -- 100% merino superwash

Pics of yarn are of 8 oz hanks, *unscoured*





I recieved my kona superwash lightweight order from wool2dye4 and am pleasantly surprised :) First, wool2dye4 is really a good seller-- couldn't be happier with communication, product, shipping, service. Even sent me a free magnet! I'm such a sucker, really.

The kona lightweight does have a somewhat looser twist at first glance, but I remembered how much the original henry's attic kona superwash (dk weight) changed once it was washed-- it bloomed quite a bit in the wash. (It doesn't have that super twist of koigu/cherry tree hill). The cone is usually much "thinner" feeling than the hanks, but even the dk yarn on the hanks have bloomed for me-- so I figured I'd swatch and block...

Please excuse weird foggy text!

Before (about 3am under floros, after watching Iron Chef Michiba retirement battle) :



After:




Blocked, US 1 on left US 0 on right:



Blocked, US 2 on left US 1 on right:


My gauge was as follows, both blocked and unblocked:

US 0 = 9 sts/inch, 12 sts/column inch
US 1 = 8.25 sts/inch, 11 sts/column inch
US 2 = 7.5 sts/inch, 10 sts/column inch

This is my back & forth gauge, not in the round. Yours may be different, esp. in the round!! Mine is generally the same (round/back & forth)... I don't consider myself a loose or a tight knitter, fwiw.

Though the gauge didn't change, you can see how the yarn filled out after a quick rinse in kookaburra and being laid flat to dry. I admit I was a little hard on the swatch when washing (just to see)-- I rubbed the fabric on itself, and also squeezed it unceremonially dry a few times. The regular kona hasn't felted on me, but does get this fuzzy halo-- same with this yarn. I think it will probably be similar in the wash (a good thing in my book, I enjoy putting my kona superwash socks in the dryer as they always come out puffy and soft and halo-y.)

I only pressed the swatch flat to dry, I didn't pin/block/stretch it. There is quite a difference after blocking though, all my stitches evened up nicely and I can't "see thru" the fabric the same way I did when it was unblocked. (I put it on the black background to try and accentuate how unblocked you can see thru it...)

IMO, I'd use a US 1 with this yarn to be middle of the road... the US 2 is too loose for my taste. The US 0 is also quite nice as well, it may be too tight for some people though (I like it and would use it). As a middle of the road though, I'd prolly reach for my US 1's when using this yarn or thinking about subbing it in a pattern. I imagine using a US 1.5 (2.5mm) would render a gauge of 8.5 8 sts/inch, just a guess though! It may also been too loose for my taste, not certain. I'll take a closeup once I've dyed the yarn, I'd expect to see a change in the look of the yarn once washed/dyed as I did when it was knitted & blocked. My gauge stated above may also change once the yarn's dyed... I'll let yall know.

I like it, definitely. It's a heck of a deal too-- $11/8 oz from wool2dye4 (they have the best price on this right now). So, $5.50 for 4 oz of superwash merino-- 560 yards. I think that kicks Knit Picks dye-your-own yarn's arse ($4 for 440 yd/100gm of merino, but not superwash).

A little comparison interlude, for my math geeks out there...
100 gm of the Kona lightweight fingering would be about 460yd, comparation-shopper wise, a bit more but not much.
100 gm of the Kona lightweight works out to be about $4.68 $4.58 (good reason I was an english major)... so you're paying an extra .68 .58/100 grams for the kona lightweight fingering versus the knit picks color your own 100% merino wool. *And* the kona price is from wool2dye4... if you were say, a business and could buy direct from Henry's Attic instead, it'd be even cheaper (for most of us, the wool2dye4 price is cheap enough and/or we don't have a tax id to buy from HA.) This doesn't figure in the shipping cost (free for +$40 from knitpicks) to the cost, to be fair.

I don't just enjoy the superwash for the machine washability, but also when dying it I don't have to fear felting or shrinkage. I'm not as detail oriented as I should be. I can see myself dying a big batch of this lighweight to make some of the Nancy Bush patterns that usually call for 3 skeins of a premium yarn (when I'm used to 2)... I've been holding off on several of her patterns since the yarn requirements are generally 1.5x what I have in my stash/can justify buying for a project :)

(edit, 5/28: You can see my dying of the kona superwash lightweight using easter egg dyes in this post.)

Speaking of dying, my swap pal said s/he would dig either variegated or self striping yarn... what do you think? I think I'd rather do stripes (I have a fun idea for colors), but I don't know, maybe s/he won't really like stripes? Would you want stripes or variegated yarn? Thick stripes? Thin stripes? (How thick? how thin? I'm in a quandry!) If variegated, I'm going to *try* and work short blips of color instead of longer stretches of yarn...

Oh! Dye pal stuff... I swapped with trek for one of her sock bags for my sock pal, s/he likes knitting socks too and I think this is kinda a cool idea...



Looks good! Exactly what I wanted... I saw the stars print trek made for stariel and thought it would suit... and red stars on the inside :) My kid thinks it makes a great hat.

As for in progress stuff...



I'm working on a few blue squares for Cynthia (from the warming grace project)... she is asking for blue squares for a sweet boy who needs a blue blankie *asap*. Heartbreaking story, and I had to set down my other projects to start on some squares when I read it.

I was working on Hedera (looks the same! so no pics) and...



Dream Swatch headwrap redux in koigu premium painters palette merino, color p326. It'll look better blocked.

I think this is my favorite color of koigu... weird since its not really anything that I typically like-- its just the mix of colors-- teal/blue, black, pink, gold. I'm so not a pink girl, but this one really gets me. I just found out patternworks carries this color and I've been trying to avoid thinking about buying 2-3 hanks there :) This was one of those mini skeins I bought from foxyknits at Stitches West, and the thing wrapped around my shrinking ball? Hoopty diy chinatown yarnbra-- the stretchy buffers they wrap around asian pears to avoid bruising.

Just a few more pics and I'll be out of your hair...

Wool2dye4 also sent their sample card to me; the henry's attic kona superwash fingering lightweight isn't represented-- too new...



A closeup...



left to right,
Wool2dye4 supersock
monty 3/9
silk & ivory (merino/silk)
kona superwash (dk, regular weight)

I am lusting over the silk & merino. Like, trying to justify a $60/lb cone lust. Check out Grumperina's Leaf Lace shawl in it... Merino and silk socks!!! That'd be, 4 oz/$15... hm. Maybe I'll go with a 1/3 lb skein and make some super long Nancy Bush socks, you know-- to try it out first :)

Ergh, enough rambling!! :)

The 'tides that bind (whiplash entry)

Whiplash entry ahead!
(I really want that One Skein book!) ;) ...



Theme: Yarn.

Starting with that theme, when I think of the epitome of yarn, I think handspun-- yarn that has passed from sheep thru human hands and mind into this unique form chosen by the artist... the weight, the color, the composition all chosen and varied as seen fit by the individual at the wheel.





But as I don't spin, and my addiction to yarn leans into shaping it into something else...



Socks. A sock. A weekend sock.

My obsession for socks springs from several places, one of which was my utter fascination that erupted in realizing that a sock was made from one single, unbroken length of yarn. A simple spiral down the leg, curving at the heel and whispering down to the toes was this one bit of yarn-- wreathing and winding and all the way down in the shape I made to fit me, that I guided into form and function...



Though the yarn and the sock are interesting on their own, I tried to put my finger on another way to express the yarn theme into the sock...



The (nucleo)'Tides that Bind :)

I've dug this cable (PDF!) for forever and think it fits in well both literally and figuratively to the yarn theme-- using literal yarn for the project, and taking the figurative idea of composition, of the elemental strands (singular bits of yarn, if you please) that make us up (as Grace's badass yarn makes up this sock), and representing it physically within the project. The color bands of the yarn are also reminiscent of the quaternary sequencing (a c t g) of DNA... not quite ordered but ordered enough within themselves. I think it fits.



I also think I'm a super cheeseball.

*and* I think it looks cool enough to sport more pics of... :)




PGR's short row heel, no wrap and turn = no holes (for me anyway!)

For my sock loving geek viewers out there--

Handspun sock weight yarn by SantaCruzHandspun (deliciously addictive, shockingly affordable)
Borealis-- 100% romney wool. 3 oz/150 yd
US 2 (2.75mm) for foot and 1st cable repeat; US 3 for 2nd cable repeat; US 4 for rest of leg and cuff -- dpns, set of 4
Started: May 11, 2006
Finished (one sock): May 14, 2006
6.5 sts/inch for foot on US 2; 6 sts/inch on US 3; 5.5 sts/inch on US 4
Foot circumference: 8.25" (there is definitely negative ease figured in!)

CO 24 sts (1/2 total sts) and work your favorite short row toe to 48 sts total for foot circumference (mine is Priscilla Gibson-Roberts', I hear the new magic cast on in Knitty is pretty cool, too). Work in stst until length reaches 8" (or the length from the ankle bone to the tips of the toes, measured with foot resting on floor.)

Commence short row heel, placing markers to denote the center 10 sts of the heel.

As the increases for the heel begin, work the center panel of the double helix cable (starting with row 3, sts 5-15) and increase cable pattern as more sts become available as short row heel is completed. The cable pattern is a 20 st pattern, the heel needle will carry 24-- so note there are 2 extra sts on each side of the cable to keep it centered.

Work one repeat of cable, modifying it to maintain a stockinette background (no purl sts on the outside of the helix when working with the cable needle, etc.). Switch to US 3 needle, work 1 repeat of pattern. Switch to US 4 needle.

Still maintaining stockinette border around cable, increase 2 sts every other row for 6 rows (6 sts total increased)-- work 1" as set, then increase 2 sts every other row for 4 rows (4 sts total increased). I used a m1r/m1l on the opposite sides of the cable for increases. Continue knitting cable repeat, ending on row 40.

Knit 2x2 knit/purl ribbing for approx. 2" and use stretchy bind off-- I used the one in Simple Socks that grafts the ribs together.

***

The sock is definitely a tight fit with negative ease representing the east side; keeping it all in stockinette and with no ribbing or shaping of a gusseted flap heel, I wanted to make sure it was very fit to my foot. This is the longest sock I've knit, and makes me want a pair to hit under my knees now-- true knee highs :) There is a bit of tightness in getting the sock on over the heel (jaywalkers, anyone?) simply b/c the cable (where I pull my heel against when putting it on) is not stretchy at all, and the foot portion is already designed with negative ease. The cable also acts to help keep the plain stockinette conformed to the leg, but is not as stretchy as a "normal" cable or ribbing.

I've used the stretchy bind off from Simple Socks before, but need to remember not to pull the grafts tight-- it defeats the purpose. As it is, the cuff isn't binding at all.

I am going to make its pair up soon (but not right away), I have Hedera to finish and other odds and ends-- I want to start Devan from Knitty, and knit a new dream swatch headwrap (PDF!!) in koigu. Its too warm to wear this substantial sock right now as well-- but will be pretty cool when it cools off again.

Yay! What a fun time I had making this sock :)

Somebody buy me a lottery ticket! (y dyeorama memeorama)

Somebody buy me a lotto ticket... first with winning a GC to Make1YarnStudio, and now-- I got an email from knitty today, and I'll have a pattern in the summer 2006 extremities issue!

I should go for chinese food tonite just to read my fortune. (I live within a few blocks of like, 6 fortune cookie companies... they sell broken ones by the bag!)

Yowsa.

***

Back to reality... went to Imagiknit today for their annual sale! What a fun store, and full of staff who didn't growl at my son (who had a blast flirting with a crazy pretty employee and "picking out yarns..." His favorite? Mango Moon recycled silk (or was it banana silk?) in bright orange. He is my son, you know :)

While I didn't pick out any silk, I did bring some sock yarns home (none were on sale, or I could have done some real damage!)


Koigu premium painters palette merino
175 yd/50 gm, 100% merino wool
colorway p450, dyelot 87

One skein is less blue than the other, but both are the same colorway/dyelot number.


Trekking xxl
100 gm/420yd, 75% superwash wool 25% nylon
colorway 100, dyelot 4202

The koigu is for, well who knows :) and the trekking? For Margene's Trekking Along KAL, natch! It doesn't start til June 1, which is good for me since I have odds and ends to finish before then, but since I have drooled over this colorway for forever and scored the last ball at imagiknit, I thought it was meant to be. (I often have these delusions when surrounded by so much yarn.)

Also picked up...



Folk Socks, since I've wanted it forever and had never actually seen it in person til today. I don't think I'm up to the colorwork (yet?), but with all of the Henry's Attic Kona Superwash lightweight I have on order, I may try my hand at it soon. Maybe :)

As delightful as Imagiknit is, I think my favorite LYS remains the one closest to me, Article Pract in Oakland... lots of koigu, louet gems, lorna's laces, susanne's and lantern moon ebony needles (ebony needles are still on my wishlist; every time I look at them I can imagine snapping them... I noticed one of my aluminum US 2 dpns has a bend in it). I guess you have to leave home to appreciate it :)

In other acquisition news, I had another great knittyboard swap... trading the purple/pink/gold henry's attic kona superwash I dyed with easter egg dyes for some Paton's Kroy in regatta blue...



I've had 4 skeins of that hip hop (the jacquard in the middle) in my stash for forever, to make Devan from Knitty Spring 2004 for the bean. I decided on a whim to post an ISO for the regatta blue, thinking it would match well with the hip hop-- and hey! it worked :)

I love the interweb.

The kroy is nice yarn-- baby bear has several socks in the patons kroy, and it has washed up unbelievably well, kept its color, held up to repeated batterings on the playground, softened up nicely and is super inexpensive (relative to say, uh -- stuff I bought today!)

I think I'm going to put Starsky away til the weather cools, to make space in my knitting in-box... its too warm for now, and I think I could knit the kroy cardi as a "big" project instead. I also have my shimmer shrug from Knitty Winter 2003 to finish too, its getting warm enough for it :)

***

Dye o rama memorama ahead (feel free to tune out!)

I am waiting for my yarn from Wool2Dye4 (the henry's attic kona superwash fingering) for my pal... I think I'll go with the easter egg dyes since I have so many! I did place an order for some acid dyes from the yarn coop on yahoo groups, but I don't think it'll get here in time...

Onward y upwards!

Questions specific to this swap:

Your favorite colors?
orange, blue, white, black, purple, red

Preferred yarn weight (Fingering, Sport, DK, maybe even Worsted)?
fingering, sport/dk (anything from us 0-2 needles)

Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn?
multicolored, but i do dig those multi-tonal/"almost solid" colors too, especially for some reason in red

If your buddy is able to do so, would you like a variegated, self-striping, or self-patterning yarn?
sure!

Would you be interested in a wool blend sock yarn (nylon, tencel, silk, acrylic, alpaca, etc.)?
sure, again!

Imagine the perfect colorway. What would you name it?
Oy, have to think about this one! Next post! :)

What was the biggest appeal to you for joining this dye-along?
I've never joined a secret pal thing, and this is a small enough scale for me to really have fun with and not be too taxed about the timeline and requirements. I also wanted to try out more dyeing since I've had fun with koolaid and easter egg dyes, and get requests to dye colors that aren't normally within my *ooh* range.


General yarn/fiber questions:

Have you dyed yarn/fiber before?
Yes, koolaid and easter egg dyes using superwash yarn.

If so, what’s your favorite dye and method?
I liked both the koolaid & easter egg dyes, since I'm a klutz and have a 2+ year old-- so food grade appeals to me. I am going to try acid dyes sometime, though!

Do you spin?
No, but truly admire those who do and drool over their creations :)

Have you knit socks before?
Yup.

Do you use sock yarn for just socks or in other patterns too?
Mainly socks.

What are some of your favorite yarns?
Uh, equal oppotrunity yarn hoarder, as long as I can knit it into socks. :)

What yarn do you totally covet?
Schaefer Anne, Socks That Rock... (I could go on but its embarrassing how much I like sock yarn)

Favorite patterns?
I really like stitch patterns to design socks around.

Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object?
Barbara Walker's learn to knit afghan, and "the great american aran afghan"

Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)?
Addi circs (but I own pretty much an entire set). I covet ebony dpns in sock sizes, and have been on the lookout for metric sized dpns (2.5mm & 3.0mm) for socks. I love my simple metal sock dpns too and can never have enough of them :)

If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be?
Superwash! Machine wash and dry, definitely.
Some crazy ugly colorway only a mother could love, too :)

A dream (swatch headwrap) deferred, whip up y handspun yarn

Dream Swatch headwrap (PDF!!)
Started: May 10, 2006
Finished: May 11, 2006
Cherry Tree Hill Superglitz (endlot millend from ebay)
US 5 dpn's, 2
Used 50 gm total




(unblocked)


(unblocked)

I'm in love with my IK headband, and thought I'd ride high with a new head thing when I saw Wendy's blog post and free (PDF!!) pattern... I picked the wrong yarn :) I don't have anything super luxe in the stash as this sort of thing deserves, and I think it must have been a fog in my brain that said that yellow brown purple red green and glitter would come together and look great on me... :)

Needless to say I hate it, but eh, what can you do. I'll try the pattern out again when I have a great yarn to do it in... I don't like the color(s), basically; the yellow really makes my own yellow (1/2 japanese) undertones cry for mercy. The superwash is a little much too, I'm thinking it'd be warm if it ever made it outside.

The Cherry Tree Hill Super Glitz is a sneezing cousin of the CTH Supersock... seems like they only have a granduncle superwash in common. I found it splitty, which is a shame since the pattern can be eyes-free-- and the hand, while not scratchy or hard, left something to be desired (could be cos I set down Hedera to work on this, could be that a strand of glitter isn't the softest thing in the world!) It did wash/block into a softer fabric than the pre-blocked fabric, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it for socks. I have a lot more of the super glitz that I'll eventually work into socks, and don't have a real complaint about it except the splittiness.

I started the whip up whiplash project I blurbed about-- while its in progress I don't have any real shots, but I did want to show off a few...





The yarn is from SantaCruzHandspun ... and I love it. :) Isn't it beautiful? I think I'm going to be super pleased with the result, and gosh darn it if I don't visit Grace's retail site daily to see if there is any more new yarn...

Speaking of new yarn, heading off to Imagiknit in SF this weekend for their annual sale, 200 yarns at up to 30% off... haven't been before, but it seems like I could do some serious damage there. So much so that I am going to abstain from joining the Sundara sock yarn club, the Posh Yarks UK sock yarn club (cashmere/merino! eek!!) and even the re-opened Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock club (that gets you one less skein than the members who signed up for the annual plan get, but you pay the same price they did)... To tell the truth, I'm waiting for BMFA to launch their "real" site and then I'll go shopping there-- I want to see their colorways, and don't want to google around trying to find them all. I know, I can (a few favorites from blog browsing-- banded agate; hard rock; azurite... plus all the eye candy from The Fold-- seal rock, amber waves, mesa, sedona, seastone, lucy in the sky... and even a few listed on BMFA-- carbon dating, alina...) but I'm one of those have-to-see-it-all-to-decide truly irritating shoppers who can't make a decision and has to see everything that's possibly available before finding peace in my choices... (I'm going to be a terror @ imagiknit, I know...)

Off to my whipup project. I hope I'm not the only knitter who enters :)

Yarn contest winners :)

Sorry to make yall wait, got caught up watching killbillvol1... (last time i saw this, i was mucho preggo. when she clutches her empty stomach and cries, i bawled in the theatre...)

Please congratulate the winners, picked with the help of random.org--

Sock! by Lisa Souza for Heide (#14)

Sock! Merino by Lisa Souza for Dave (#3)

Yay! I'll shoot off an email to yall later tonite, or email me at oscillateATEgmailD0Tcom -- let me know your color choice and address and I'll usps them out right away :)

Congrats, this was super fun for me. I need to think of another contest now!

***

A real post later (not much content), but I will say I'm working on an entry for whipup's whiplash project, where they issue a crafty call to the online void looking for a weekend submission to dominate that week's theme.

Theme this week?

YARN.

Yup. Yarn.

You know you wanna!!!

Hedera, handspun, happy yarn serendipity!

(Looking for the sock yarn contest?)

***

Shut. UP.

(My seriously embarrassing "catch phrase"...)

I am the lucky, lucky winner of a $100 gift certificate to Make 1 Yarn Studio, from the draw for Warming Grace! omigoshomigoshomigosh. I don't even know where to start, looking over their in stock list, I am just, yeah. I have no idea. For like 10 minutes I was convinced I needed a drop spindle, but I think that will be a bad choice around these parts, at least until baby boy decides to "learn some decency." :)

And almost as cool as an unexpected $100 yarn spree... (not as cool cos I was waiting for it so hard!)-- handspun sock yarn. Yup.


Borealis sock yarn
from SantaCruzHandspun.com
100% romney wool
150 yd/3 oz, US 2-4

And cos I've been hoarding it, waiting for the perfect pattern...


Waratah yarn
also from SantaCruzHandspun.com
85% merino wool, 15% tussah silk
115 yd/2 oz, US 7-9

Gratutious pic, hoping they're breed into more handspun...



The sock yarn will be toe up, devising a simple stockinette pattern using Simple Socks: Plain and Fancy by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts... I want to go toe up to get as much of a sock out of this yarn as I can :) ... and stockinette to really let the yarn show off. I think I'll echo the socks Alison did for her sockapaloooza pal and work a cable up the back of the leg... have to break out the stitch pattern books to find *the one* :)

The Waratah yarn was going to be a hat, but... I really suck at hats. Really really. And it is soooo soft, it needs to be a scarf or something I can cuddle-- I was thinking a DNA scarf, (no neck ribbing, just working the cable)... though I don't have a lot and I'm not sure it will be enough. Really though, I may be content to just let it sit here in my knitting in-box and drag it out every once in a while to let sit on my shoulder and rub my cheek :) (It smells good, too!)

I'm pretty hard up to be talking this way about yarn. Almost as bad as food network... (allez cuisine!)

Man, after all that, my Hedera's aren't nearly as thrilling, eh?

Well, yeah they are!


Hedera from Spring Knitty 2006
Started: May 4, 2006
Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, millend from eBay
2 socks on 2 circs-- US 1.5 (2.5mm), 24"Addis

I can't get a non-shaky shot to save my life today, it seems!

I'm at the gusset decreases, and have worked the pattern as written except for picking up the stitches at the sides of the heels-- now, I always pick up the back loop of the slipped stitch with a seperate needle and then knit that loop tbl. So I've done that, *and* I've knit the following stitch round tbl as Cookie directs in her pattern, makes a cool twist at the side (I'll post a pic of that next time, easier when I've gotten further on the foot).

This is a really neat pattern. The twisted rib stitch really makes the delineation between the lace panels stand out, without becoming part of the pattern itself...



I love how its used in both this pattern and Pomatomus; it always is so tight looking, and really stands out (literally).

Also, I think its cool how the heel is worked:

Next Row [WS]: Sl 1, [p1, sl 1] to end.
Next Row [RS]: K all sts.

It creates a slipped stitch on the beginning and the end of the WS, instead of staggering the slipped stitches like most heel flaps are worked. I was reminded of Jason's post about the different placements of heel flap selvages when working the heel... I have always worked the staggering slips on heels, and don't really notice a difference, but its something *novel* which I love. (Can anyone can tell me a practical, non-aesthetic reason a non-staggered heel is best? I could imagine there is a tiny twist and non-evenness, but I've never noticed anything...)

I've used the CTH Supersock before, this yarn too (I bought an endlot from ebay ages ago)... but I don't remember having the pooling. I don't mind, but there you go-- Cherry Tree Hill supersock pooling (I like to say, "spiraling") at a 60 stitch cast on when using US 1.5's :)

A few corrections from my last post are in order, too...

I spoke too soon about the twist of the Henry's Attic Kona lightweight... I received an email from the retailer today & they're out of stock of their house brand Supersock. Sheila said that the Henry's Attic Kona Superwash lightweight actually has a *tighter* twist than the Wool2dye4 supersock, so I'm hoping it will be okay for socks (since I switched my order from 2 - 8 oz skeins of Wool2Dye4 supersock for 3 - 8 oz skeins of Henry's Attic Kona Superwash Lightweight...) If not, I've been looking for a good fingering weight yarn for the heirloom baby aran set pattern from Interweave Knits Summer Spring 2004 (also available from Lisa Lloyd Designs)... but I really want it to work out for Dye O Rama!! Fingers crossed...

Also, I *still* haven't looked over the PGR bazaar sock pattern (PDF!!) from Summer 2006's Interweave Knits-- but I saw that its sized for a women's 7-8, but with a 7.5" foot circumference. Eh? Pic shows kids wearing the socks... dunno, weird. My foot is too wide for the pattern, and baby bear's is too slight (I think the circ is more appropriate for kids feet, right?) When I get it printed out I've got to figure out if there's a way to up or downsize it for one of us :)

Anywho. Back to Hedera and trying to decide what serendipity awaits at Make 1 Yarns for me... :)

Molly's Headband finished

(Sock yarn contest?! Look here...)

***

Molly's Headband (PDF!!)
(available for free download from Interweave Knits Summer 2006)
Started & finished: May 7, 2006
Crystal Palace Creme (50% wool, 50% silk, dk weight)
US 6 dpns, 2
Used 20 gm of 50 gm hank


Hard to take a pic of your own top of the head.



Quickie FO... Cast on last night/early AM watching Kung Fu Hustle (I love movies like this! In the same vein as Gabriel Garcia Marquez love... why do American movies with CGI use their graphics only to extend the world of super reality-realism? I liked Shaolin Soccer better though...). I only used 20 gm, so I have enough to make another :) Though I only have one head :(

This is pretty cool of Interweave Knits to offer so many online patterns for free, and not just for subscribers-- though it chimes in perfectly with the editor's letter from last issue about the Sunrise Circle jacket (PDF!!) being online and the competition the print mag necessarily faces in regards to space and what it can offer (specifically in reference to online knitting mags like Knitty or MagKnits that have "unlimited" space to offer patterns, etc.)

Sorta segue... Amy (knitty's editor) is asking for your choice of the top 5 knitty patterns of all time... what a chore! I picked mariah, clapotis, obey/andre, pomatomus and anouk... and a special wow shoutout to the hoover blanket article. They're all that kinda wowed me when I saw them... I couldn't decide btw mariah & starsky, but the rest were ones I just was like-- yeah, *that* one. Its interesting poking thru the knitty archives, lots of stuff I'd seen before but hadn't considered, but now am-- and others I loved before but don't do much for me now. Eh, as life.

Back to the free IK stuff, I haven't looked closely at the Priscilla Gibson-Roberts bazaar kids socks (PDF!!) *yet*, but I'm hoping they include a version of her short row heel & toe (which is my favorite short row heel/toe-- short row + wrap shudders into looseygooseyness and holey purl pickups when it comes within 5 feet of me...), I think everyone who hates short row heels/toes should look at PGR's method and try it out (I learned from her book Simple Socks: Plain and Fancy). The kids bazaar socks are so cute too, I'm thinking I'll dye some small bits of yarn in solids and make mini me a pair-- I ordered some superwash from Wool2Dye4 for the Dye O Rama swap, *and* I've heard from my swap buddy (hi! if you're out there!) too... too fun. I think its pretty rad that the person I'm dying for asked for pretty much the opposite of what I wanted... kinda the point perhaps, stretch our limits?

I was going to buy the new Kona Superwash in lightweight from Henry's Attic for the swap, but after talking to Stacey and with the Wool2Dye4 peoples (who are great sellers, btw-- super communication)... it doesn't sound like tis great for socks-- too loose a twist. Bummer since the price is great ($11/8 oz) and I do so like the "regular" Kona Superwash... Oh well.

I've been meaning to post this too, Stacey asked about the Openwork Slip Stitch pattern from my Warming Grace squares-- almost all of the stitch patterns were from Mon Tricot's 1500 patterns book, June 1985 edition.

Openwork slip stitch:
Mult of 4 + selv.

Row 1: K
Row 2: *P4, wrn to m 1*
Row 3: *Letting the "made" st of the previous row drop, wl.fwd to m1, sl1, k3, psso*
Row 4: P

wrn= wool or yarn round needle
wl.fwd= wool forward or yarn forward

To make this a totally non sequitur post... I started knitting Hedera in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock... now at the heels and what a fun pattern! :) More pics and talk of Hedera later/tomorrow?, the sun is shining and it will be a long rest of the day ahead...

Basketcase Socks finished, come welcome the twins...

(Sock yarn contest? Look here...)

***

Basketcase socks
Started April 28, 2006
Finished May 3, 2006
Henry's Attic Kona Superwash, dyed with easter egg dyes
US 2 dpns (2.75mm), set of 4
120 gm yarn total

The one on the left is Belial, the one on the right-- Duane.









I dig the pattern, and as always love the Kona Superwash... though I'm not sold on the color combination here. (I outlined what I did to get these colors and stripes in this post.) The stripes didn't get too lost in the pattern stitch, either.

I followed the pattern exactly, except continued the pattern across all 30 sts on the instep where Dave used 18. (I meant to follow the pattern...!) My 30 st instep pattern worked out like this:

row 1 & 2: k2, p2, (k10, p2) twice, k2
row 3 & 4: k2, p2, (k2, p6, k2, p2) twice, k2
row 5 & 6: k2, p2, (k10, p2) twice, k2
row 7 & 8: k8, p2, k10, p2, k8
row 9 & 10: (p6, k2, p2, k2) twice, p6
row 11 & 12: k8, p2, k 10, p2, k8

The socks weighed in at 120 grams exactly, cutting it super close except that I dyed this batch in 4.5oz increments-- given my ability to cut it way too close (or not at all) with the Kona. The cuff is about 7" long (including the 2" k2, p2 rib at the top)... you can keep the cuff shorter by cutting the ribbing at the top down if you're worried about running out of yarn-- the pattern is stretchy enough to keep the sock up on the leg no problem. (Fwiw, I have a 9-9.5 women's foot). I like the look of the 2" rib at the top though, its unusual.

I did wonder if I really *did* use less yarn using combined knitting for the purl stitches... a cheapskate way to save yarn? :) I am happy with the result though, and will defintely use it again for ribbing-- either in the round or not.

I'm trying to convince myself to pick up the entrelac socks again... I realize I didn't cast on the top loosely enough and since its a long cuff, its a bit tight at the calf. I'd really hate to frog them for all the work that has gone into them already... Ergh.

I really really like the look of the the Broken Cable Rib socks from the Interweave Knits subscriber section... they didn't really stand out to me til I saw them knit up on Knitting the Blues and was super impressed how they turned out in the lighter yarn-- the broken cable pattern really stands out. If I knit them, it'll be on 2 circs to combat second sock syndrome... I'm thinking cherry tree hill supersock or nature's palette-- don't know if I have enough NP to make it though-- the pattern calls for Regia Fadig 4 ply, 230yd/50 gm... the Hand Jive Nature's Palette yarn is 185 yd/50gm... I think they'd look great in the light purple NP I brought back from the Knit and Crochet Show, though... maybe I'll push it or work a short row heel (I've been wondering if they do use much less yarn than flap heels do?)... don't really want a contrasting heel/toe though.

I also want to knit Hedera, but the yarn I'll use (Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in a green colorway) still has beads on it... I frogged the beaded Glad Ragg sock from the Yahoo Six Sox Knitalong group, and for some reason I haaate dragging the beads across the yarn so just haven't done it. Cara said she beaded her amazing Diamond Fantasy Shawl using a crochet hook instead of prestringing... which would open up like a world of possibilties, don't you think?

New socks, or old socks... next time :)