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 :)
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 :)
