How to weave in ends while knitting (VERY PIC INTENSIVE)

Okay! Here is where I attempt to show you the coolest.thing.ever that I learned from Jennifer "JP" Pett-Ridge during my colorwork class at my LYS Article Pract. The heavy pics are a necessity, and if you want to "get it" I'd suggest starting up a swatch and following along (I know as I look at these pics, they don't make sense... but as you go with needles and yarn in your hand, its a revelation fo sho.) These instructions are written for an English/right hand knitter, since I'm biased that way ;) (Seriously though, I don't know how to knit Continental so I can't show how to do it left handed.)

(edit, 10/07: Jen in KS has unvented the continental answer for those of pickers who want to weave in ends while knitting continental! go jen!! :))

Also, please excuse my colorful hands... I fought the dye and the dye won. (Pics later, too many today!) :)


First, begin with a new color. Knit the first stitch with your new color (black) as you would normally. Hold the end of the old color (purple) in your left hand, and hold your working/new color in your right as normal. You will not let go of the end yarn in order to keep it taut/tensioned-- it may feel awkward at first, but you don't want to drop and pick up the yarn. (I'm not holding the end/purple yarn in my hand in this pic, my timer went off too soon :))


While holding the yarn as described above, insert your working needle into the 2nd stitch on the needle as if to knit it normally.


Take the end of the old color (purple) and lay it across the top of your working needle (counterclockwise fashion, the OPPOSITE of how you would wrap your working yarn to make a stitch.) You're just laying it on top of the needle and holding it there w/ your left hand.


Another view of laying the end yarn over the working needle. Notice its just draped across.


Now, while holding the end yarn in place as described above, knit a stitch with your new color (black). Note that the knit stitch is wrapped the OPPOSITE way that the end yarn is wrapped.


Another view of knitting the 2nd stitch on the needle with the end yarn draped over the working needle.


Pull the working yarn (black) thru as knitting a stitch normally. Note that the stitch is not only being knit, but the working yarn is "catching" the end yarn and going under it to create the stitch. Only the working (black) yarn will be pulled thru and made into a stitch.


This is what the 2nd stitch on the needle looks like, as the end yarn is woven in behind.


While still holding the end yarn in the left hand, knit a stitch with the working yarn normally. (You don't have to do anything "special" on this step except for retaining the end yarn in your left hand.) The working (black) yarn will go over the end yarn to "hold" it down and make it point downwards.


(Second view.) How the 3rd stitch on the needle looks, as the stitch is worked normally as described above.


What 3 stitches look like with the end woven behind the latter 2 stitches.

Now, that's it. :) What I mean is, all you have to do is lay the end yarn over the working needle and knit, and then not lay the end yarn over the working needle and knit. Weaving in ends is just that 2-step process-- weaving in the end yarn and locking it down. Only the first stitch is knit normally, until you have enough of the end woven in as you prefer. (an inch? two? six stitches? twelve? up to you.)

The following pics are a repeat of the process above as I work across the row.


Again, lay the end yarn over the working needle in a counterclockwise direction, and knit the stitch with the working yarn as normal.


The end is woven in as the working yarn makes its stitch.


The working yarn makes a stitch as normal, and in the process "locks down" the end yarn that's being held in the left hand (but isn't being draped across the needle now).


2nd locking stitch complete.


Here I've woven in the end of the yarn over 10 stitches + 1 (5 pairs of weaving & locking, plus the original 1st knit stitch). After the end is woven in to your desired length (and after a pair of weaving/locking stitches), you just drop the end and knit across as normal. This pic is of the WS after knitting/weaving across one row.

If you look *super* close, you may be able to see where the end yarn (purple) is doubled-- every other "purl" bump on the WS will have a "double" bump where the end yarn has been locked down after being woven in. Its easiest to see this where the purple end is hanging-- the bump above is a doubled bump with the end woven in, and every other stitch preceding it also is doubled.


Purl back as normal. All of the weaving happens on the wrong side (WS), so you have to have the right side (RS) facing you as you weave in your ends so that they end up on the WS. No work happens on the purl back/WS row.

Here you repeat the weaving steps, this time with the end of the new yarn (the black end that was left from when you added the new color).


New RS with new color. Note you can't see the purple end woven in thru the RS (and its pretty tough to see it on the WS, too!) :)


Knit 1st stitch on needle.


Holding end of yarn in left hand, lay it over the working needle in a counterclockwise dx.


Knit stitch with end yarn draped over (sliding the working yarn under and catching the end yarn).


Knit 2nd "locking" stitch as normal.


Proceed across row, alternating weaving & locking til end is woven in to your satisfaction. As above, drop end and knit across as normal. (WS after knitting across row & weaving in the end yarn.) Near to impossible to see the black yarn end woven in, but its there.


This is the RS after a few normal (non-locking/weaving) rows have been knit. Note that you can't see the purple yarn thru the RS where it has been woven in.


This is the WS after a few normal (non-locking/weaving rows). Again, you can't see the woven in ends, but you can tell where they are from where the ends hang. You can trim these to your heart's desire too.

****


I am super grateful to JP for allowing me to share this technique I learned from her. It has made a huge difference to me (and will in the future too!)... but my immediate gratification came from the Lizard Ridge project. I had been carrying up the working/alternating yarns up the side of the afghan as directed in the pattern. If I didn't, I would have to have 96 ends to weave in for each panel (not including the ends when starting a new ball, or the cast on/bind off rows-- there are 48 short rows to work and 2 ends each to weave in.) It would be mind numbing to weave in 384 ends over 4 panels, so I just carried the yarn up the side...


1st Lizard Ridge panel with stranded yarn up the side

I didn't care for the look, and was terrified of finishing the afghan with all of these strands to contend with (and, one end of the afghan may have strands off of the side edge!). Again though, there's no way I was going to weave in those ends after... but this new weaving in ends as you knit is just the best.thing.ever...


Nice, neat edge with ends woven in as I knit. Not sure how close I'll trim those ends once done.

It may feel awkward at first to do, but you really get a hang of it and it doesn't take that long (and doesn't make me recoil like a darning needle does). I can see this technique opening up worlds to me-- I won't be afraid of stripes anymore, and as I am letting my fear of colorwork go, it will make the process more enjoyable as I won't dread the finishing.

Good luck! Thanks again to JP for teaching me this AND allowing me to share it with yall... she teaches various knitting classes across the bay area-- jump at the chance to learn something from her! :)

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade zero.etsy.com

of carrots, horses, needles and yarn.

I am shocked at my devotion to Lizard Ridge over the past few weeks...


Lizard Ridge, 2nd panel
(about 3 squares, 1/2way thru)

...so I made a deal with myself that I could satiate myself on some selfish socks if I had finished up a few projects that woefully only needed finishing.

***click link for pics and details***
Baby sweater for Kristi's babies in waiting (via: Warm Up the Dutchicans triplets' virtual baby shower)
Started: September 25, 2006
Finished: October 21, 2006
more details re: yarn & needles on the flickr link
(keeping pics off in case its supposed ot be a secret :))

Its really silly, this sweater didn't need anything but seaming, blocking and buttons (still need buttons!) from the last (and only) time I posted about it, but its just sat here staring at me til this weekend and those babies aren't going to wait forever! (woohoo for +28 weeks, Kristi! :))

The babies and the virtual baby shower (can I say TRIPLETS again? the idea gets my bioclock going crazy!) can use more handknits-- check out the virtual baby shower link for ideas and inspiration if you're inclined :)

One seamed baby sweater wasn't quite enough to let me off the lizard hook, so...


Knucks from Knitty Summer 2006
Started: September 11, 2006
Finished: October 19, 2006
Handspun, handdyed superwash merino
US 2.5 (3.0mm) dpns, 4 (Holz & Stein 7" and Suzannes 4")

Terrible pic, I know. Better ones found in lower links-- its hard holding a camera with your chin! :) Again, another "just needed finishing project." I ran out of the orange handspun to do a proper cuff with, so I knit one round in a black handspun of mine and did a regular bindoff for the little black edge at the cuff. I've decided to not embroider them, at least not right now, my skilz are sorely lacking and I kinda like the plain. As I wear them more as the weather cools, I may decide otherwise.

They're very thick and hurt my hands a bit to knit-- pushing a heavy dk/light worsted yarn with the sock-ish sized needles was a bit of a pain. I'm happy though, how tightly knit they are-- and surprised the cuff doesn't roll as I've omitted any ribbing or anything to keep it taut. I started them early on the morning to see the yarn harlot's talk (I vacillated between writing "stephanie's" & "tyh" here! such a dork) @ Full Thread Ahead, and finished them the same day-- again minus the finishing! I think they're great and hold a nice memory of the day in my head when I look at them. Great, fun pattern and I'm not afraid of glove fingers anymore (though the 4" needles were a godsend to me)... thinking if I will knit a pair as a holiday gift. These are MINE though! :)

Previous post on Knucks:
September 8, 2006
September 11, 2006


After the finishing fest, I was going to knit (another??!) pair of Pomatomus socks from the regia bamboo Kristen sent me for her Vintage Knitalong pics project (thanks again Kristen!!)...


Regia Bamboo color 1065

...but I still had a bit of the colorwork bug from my class last week so...


Red Herring from Knitty Fall 2006
(thanks again for a cool pattern, Cookie!)
Started: October 21, 2006
Knit Picks Gloss in Dusk & Pumpkin
US 1.5 (2.5mm) 32" Holtz & Stein ebony circular for magic loop

Can I be in love with colorwork? Over, under, round & round... where I'll stop, nobody knows.

The magic loop isn't my favorite (the loops bug me as they "hit" the palms of my hands, I greatly prefer 2 socks on 2 circular needles, but I also started/learned that way so its not too surprising), but the joins on the Holz & Stein circulars is quite nice-- not as slide-y as the Addis, but I think that's quite a tough bar to meet. I'm not nearly good enough to know why Wendy and others prefer ebony for colorwork, but hey! it works for me so I can't complain too much. (I will try it on Addis, sometime.)

I do wish the "turns" weren't as pocky as they are; they're not bad, but I can definitely see the "fold" where one needle ends and my latest goal is to figure out how to lessen it. Other than that, I think I'm the most surprised of all how nice and non-oddball the colorwork looks... like I said, I've tried it before and it was SO uneven because I thought it was "easier" to knit one color, drop it, and pick up another. Now that I'm getting the hang of 2 colors in one hand and consistent in the over/under (pattern color goes under, background color goes over according to The Art of Fair Isle Knitting by Ann Feitelson), its greatly improved the tensioning.

For all yall that like the up the skirt shots (admit it!)...



Color's much more true on this one, but I couldn't resist the mag pic above :)

New Vintage Capelet pics

New Vintage Capelet
Spun Mag, Issue 1
Started: October 5, 2006
Finished: October 10, 2006
Noro Silk Garden, color 224 lot a
US 8 (5mm), Addi
Size S/M (2nd size)
3 skeins (almost all), with mods to shorten/use less yarn

I'm pretty pleased with this knit, its not quite a scarf but simple and fast and not really reliant on knowing measurements (great gift knit, destined as part of my sister's holiday gift). The lace is easy to memorize (despite the fact I almost knit the entire lace panel incorrectly and had to rip and restart...) and once you get past the lace, the stockinette just flies.



I knit the s/m size (2nd size for the pattern), and used barely BARELY under 3 skeins of yarn. I did do some mods to keep it the length pictured in the pattern/shorter than the pattern for this size indicated, so I'd say if you were knitting it as written you'll definitely need 4 sk (and also makes me think that the pattern's yarn estimate is incorrect-- the Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed is the same weight & yardage as the Noro Silk Garden (DB: 109 yd/50 gm, Noro: 110yd/50gm).

I knit the pattern as written til the first decrease row. After the first decrease, I knit the next 2 decreases every 6 rows (instead of every 8). Then for the 4th, 5th & 6th (final) decreases, I knit the decrease row every 4 rows. The final length I came up with was 13" before I started the k1p1 collar, which was knit as written (and which I should have folded over more in the wearing-pics). As written, the pattern would have had an extra 18 rows of stockinette (6.5sts/column inch), it would have been about 3" longer (and used more yarn).



The Noro Silk Garden is amazing... Knitting it I was worried it wouldn't be soft enough for next to the neck wear, but after washing & blocking (I blocked this to the size in the pattern, it could have been blocked/stretched even wider; didn't stretch it vertically) it is so soft and has a wonderful drape. A heads up about the Noro Silk Garden, this colorway in particular... Little Knits has it on sale for 43-50% off-- if I wasn't already knitting Lizard Ridge in the Kureyon, I'd consider picking up 2 bags of the silk garden for the afghan, it would be so soft! (y cheaper than kureyon at retail, too!) :)



I don't think the thin striping of the Silk Garden detracts from the lace panel, but to be honest the lace isn't the attraction of the pattern for me (its nice...) but the whole "victorian" look of it, and how its sorta an anti-scarf. Not saying other family members aren't getting scarves this year, but this is a little different and I think will look great on my statuesque sister.

Previous posts on New Vintage Capelet:

October 5, 2006
October 6, 2006
October 10, 2006
October 12, 2006


...and speaking of Lizard Ridge...


Lizard Ridge panel, 6 squares worth
Noro Kureyon color 116

Uh, yeah. For some reason (and why I would not survive in the wild) I had it in my head I needed 8 squares/32 pattern repeats (64 short row rows) per panel, instead of 6/24 (48 short row rows). I finished up the eight and was perplexed by the fact I just used almost 6 skeins; I knew I needed about 20 sk for the afghan, and 6 * 4 != 20. My mistake didn't hit me til the next day, and I didn't frog til today. The pics from last time actually includes a bit of the frogging done today :(

Not much knitting on it, as I attended the Colorwork class at Article Pract last nite...



My to-be-felted colorwork sampler bag! Knit with, get this, 2 colors held in my right hand! Pleased as punch, and it wasn't nearly as frightening as I had made it to be in my mind. I'd done a little colorwork before, but always dropping yarn and picking it up-- this way is SO much faster, and more even too.

Not only that, I learned a way to weave in ends as I go... which just is the coolest thing ever and worth the price of admission in itself. Next week we're doing an intarsia flap for the bag, yay :) I almost cast on for red herring after I finished the bag because I just wanted to knit more in color... I know I'll cave soon, but I'm trying to get in as much Lizard Ridge as I can til I absolutely get sick of it and have to abandon it for a few days (its been the only thing I've been working on lately, shocker!)

ridged pleasure.

7 "squares" worth of Lizard Ridge.

(Reminder to self: 4 balls of Kureyon = 5.5 "squares.")



I'm loving the garter ridges, really.

more than lizard ridge

My grandma was a Knitter. Some may hem and haw if they can add that kapital K to their knitterly designation, but not gma. She's so Knitta that she wouldn't even think about it-- she just was. Every year everyone in my family (adults on up) would receive a handknit afghan from her. When I say afghan I mean it-- a queen sized bed afghan, usually knit in very very long strips and pieced together over the long folding leg table in the "dining room" (always draped with a rotation of cheery flannel backed plastic tablecloths, to which i spent quite a bit of time peeling apart under the table when sitting there -- but was never ever chastised for doing so.) There's this single moment I have in my memory, standing in the second/bottom floor of the five and dime in the run-down mall, my gma having me hold armfuls of yarn as she lifted and inspected each from the black vinylcoated wire display bin. "Why are you looking at those?" when she inspected each, turning them in her tiny hands. "To make sure the numbers match."

With that, she didn't teach me to knit. It wasn't for lack on her part, my sister sat at that dining table in front of the floor-to-ceiling window facing the olive tree in the backyard, learning knit and purl by natural light... the sun diffused by the "do it yourself" window tint coating on the window-- scratched and bubbling, a bit "wrong" where birds made their final flight into it. I greatly preferred watching westerns or Tora! Tora! Tora! with my grandpa instead, the tomboy in me cringing at the idea of craft. Every Sunday was spent with them (my father's day for visitation, but he worked graveyard and was often half or full on asleep on the couch these days, exausted from the night before and night ahead)... plenty of opportunities missed and caught.

With all that in my brain, I set out making the Lizard Ridge afghan for my grandma.


Lizard Ridge afghan
Fall Knitty, 2006
Started: October 11, 2006
Noro Kureyon color 116 Lot E
US 8 (5mm)
[just about 2 balls worth of Kureyon pictured-- about 2.5 "squares" worth]

When I decided to knit for my family, I knew I had to knit my gma an afghan. Not only because she was the only recipient who would actually, totally "get" the work that went into these projects... but because I'm ashamed and each stitch is a personal, silent atonement for me. I won't tell her this, but the anonymity of the internet lets me share this with yall... I threw away two of her afghans. I wish I could say with an honest heart it was because it was in the wake of cleaning out my closets from my college boyfriend who stomped on my heart and left me a shell, I really do. I can't. Bags and bags of things went to Goodwill and in them went those afghans I'd taken from my childhood home when I moved to go to school... I remember standing there over the bags of clothing and registering their weight with my arms (they were so big they filled my arms), trying to decide thru my own selfish tears and suddenly I shoved them in and I haven't seen them since. I just did it.

I'm ashamed. With clarity I see Sunday nights, gma sitting there at my grandfather's side at the end of the day after cooking and cleaning and errands and everything she did without a sound, clicking away on aluminum straights and miles and miles of dyelotted acrylic already knit in her lap for those afghans. I remember the seaming, the perfection it took. I remember how nonchalant she was about it, never boasting and never defining herself as a Knitter (she sewed, she crocheted, she gardened... she wasn't defined by one thing in my eyes except by being my grandma-- just what she was.) But even then, giving them away, I felt an inkling of wrong doing it.

It is almost overwhelming now, knowing what I know.

So if I seem a little manic about these holiday gifts, its because I *have* to finish Lizard Ridge for her (and the other ancillary gifts for my family, but this is really The One.)



I'm using only one colorway instead of seperate colors for the afghan, color 116. I was lucky to run into a 50% sale at Little Knits for it, I picked up 22 balls. This is my first time using Kureyon and I like it-- its just fascinating. I'd love to try spinning something like this, long non-patterned color runs.

I'm using 2 balls at once, instead of knitting from the inside and the outside of one ball. My LR is going to be a little different from everyone else's, can you tell? Another hint...



Instead of knitting the entire afghan in stockinette, I am knitting the non-short row portions in garter stitch (knitting every row). So, rows 1-3 garter, row 4 as written, rows 5-9 garter, row 10 as written, rows 11-12 garter. I really enjoy the texture of it, and also the delineation generally and specifically-- since I'm "only" using one colorway, and it is darkish-muted, the garter ridges are going to help seperate the color changes more readily.

The pictures show just about 2 balls worth of Kureyon-- about 2.5 "squares" worth. I'm also knitting it in long uninterrupted strips instead of squares, so I'll only have 4 strips to piece together. I think I'll be knitting this in the "background" of other projects, but perhaps not... even though I have other projects planned for the holiday, I haven't cast on for any others yet. I have finished the New Vintage Capelet in Noro Silk Garden though...


New Vintage Capelet, blocking
Noro Silk Garden, color 224 lot a

More pics when I get a brooch to secure it with. The Silk Garden did block to a much softer, drapier fabric, though I haven't taken it off the pins since wet blocking it to really see how much difference yet.

Thanks for listening, have a great weekend :)

answering the age old question...

...can i get a pair of socks from one ball of yarn?


Plain Vanilla Footie Socks
Started: October 8, 2006
Finished: October 9, 2006
one ball of RYC Cashcotton, shade 906 (chintz)
50 gm/197 yd
US 1.5 (2.5mm dpns),4 -- 8 sts inch
64 st width, for 9.5" long foot

These are part of my mom's "slew of anklets" holdiay gift I'm planning. I "had" to see if I could coax a pair of footie anklets from one ball of the cashcotton, and I was able to (happily). Like I said before, she likes the footie socks so I'm thinking I'm going to try and knit as many pairs of them as I can between now and the winter holiday.

I was planning on using a variety of yarn, but I've got to say I really, really enjoyed working with the cashcotton... its so soft and feels decadent to knit with (angora & cashmere). Since I knit the socks at a tighter gauge than recommended (ball band says US 3's and 7 sts/inch, I used US 1.5's and 8 sts/inch) the fabric doesn't feel as luxe as the hand of the yarn itself, but I think that's a good thing for these socks.



This is the second time I've knit with cotton for socks-- my first evah real pair of socks was knit from 2 skeins of Rowan Calmer... I had no sock yarn in the stash (!!!!) and I had to start them *right away.* It was nice, I have no idea how they held up (given away) but this yarn is definitely a favorite for me and this type of sock now whereas I'd rather use Calmer for something else. (I want a daughter to knit a perfectly tiny sweater for in cashcotton, though! The lys didn't have boyish shades, or I'd do the same for my son... oh and the fact he's hating any handknits from me that aren't socks, too...)

I say, "this type of sock" because my mom doesn't get around a lot, so these won't see much hard shoe/walking wear... they'll likely be worn in slippers or alone indoors. I don't know if I'd like to knit these for myself for shoe wear, *but* they are so soft on the foot and they are also very warm-- a good thing on my hardwood floors. I'll think about knocking myself out a pair or seven once January rolls around.



I knit them toe up (using PGR's Simple Socks, Plain & Fancy toe & heel). I ended up with 64 sts, at 8 sts/inch for a 9" wide foot. I was aiming for a bit of a stretch since the cotton won't have the sproing back that wool does and also because even though I don't anticipate the socks gettting hard wear, I don't want them wearing thru because I knit them at too loose of a gauge. Mom's foot is 9.5" long, so I knit a 9.25" foot (from toe to folded heel), then 5 rounds even. I then knit 3 rounds of k2p2, and used a "regular" bindoff in pattern with a larger needle instead of my now-standard "faux kitchener cuff bindoff" for toe up socks. Mom complains of slippy anklets all.the.time (uh, so why wear them??) so I wanted a pair that actually *wouldn't* be stretchy and slip off easily-- since they're so low, I wasn't worried at all about having the bindoff be tight. I have to only work a little bit to get them over the heel, so they shouldn't slip off the foot at all and are still relatively easy to get on. (Plus, this bindoff uses less yarn!)



I took these photos outside to try and capture the halo of the yarn, yum. They could only be better if they'd been chocolate dipped. I'm definitely going to pick more colors of this yarn up for more footies. I don't think I could get a pair (with the same specs) out of Koigu, but maybe regia silk-- another yarn I was considering for the footie anklets that my LYS carries. (ps! thanks for the kind words about the class thing, i'm not going to teach but i am flattered they thought to ask and flattered yall think i'd not sputter and die on the attempt.)

I powered on thru these, taking 2 days of nothing else. Partly it was the race against the yarn, wondering if it'd run out. Partly it was me sleepless and excited at night with empty hands and a warm heart (left me sleepwalking the next day!) I think though its the holiday project thing-- both Erica and anne have written things about holiday gift giving that really touched me and echoed the urge I feel... the more gifts I complete, the more I want to tackle and start new things. I haven't worried (yet) about not finishing things, it almost feels like a given I will. Perhaps this holiday knitting is the cure to unfinished objects, at least for me.

Speaking of, the Noro Silk Garden capelet is on its repeat section...


New Vintage Capelet progress

I decided to stagger decreases every 6 rows instead of every 8, to make sure the length is on the short side I like. I hope the silk garden softens in the wash... when I picked it up again after finishing the angora/cashmere/cotton footies, it felt like sandpaper! :) I actually want to finish this soon as I have new project yarn winging its way to me and I know I'll want to dig in when it arrives :)

...about winging yarn, my internet archetype random.org would like me to send the koigu to megan, and I'll happily oblige. Thanks all for coming out of the woodwork, yall surprised the heck out of me with so many comments :)



taking a cue from dave re: bloglines freedbacking... yo quiero bloglines, really. i have over 400 blogs there in the sidebar and you help me connect with people and the news all over, all the time. for that, thanks. i am a little disappointed lately however with the new update-- namely, i hate hate HATE that i can no longer easily find posts i have marked "keep new" ... it used to be bold and i could scroll thru and find them but now! near to impossible with so many feeds. i also am disappointed at the lack of blogger images within your reader. i KNOW blogger is the one blocking external images, i KNOW that they prolly are doing it so i migrate on over to google's blog reader (all in bed and the little one said... i get it.) i don't want to switch though, i love you b1. can you somehow build a bridge and find some way to display blogger images, instead of just telling me "its them, not me"? we're an image-heavy community and even though i don't use their image hosting for my blog posts, lots of my friends do and i miss miss MISS seeing their pics and it may drive me away from you. thanks for listening, send my love to your mom.

the kindness of strangers. (and koigu.)

Sometimes I forget how kind the world can be. Not that I think its terribly harsh for me (I live a charmed life here behind my keyboard, words and fingers) but sometimes you're just like, wow.

Joan left me a comment after reading my last post, asking me if I wanted her leftovers from the two fabulous sweaters she'd knit in the same colorway, same dyelot of Noro Silk Garden for my then-botched project. This was way awesome, since I was almost certain I was going to run out of yarn and was already checking dyelots on ebay... to top it off, I asked her to swap with me for some koigu but she said no, just to accept it as its close to my birthday.* Can you say, floored?


(photo courtesy of joan, i hope she doesn't mind)

I really didn't want to abandon the Noro project, because its part of a larger one for me... I've decided to knit holiday gifts for my family. This is a big deal for me, not just because I'm starting way late but because I don't give my knitting away. There are exactly one and a half people in this world with something handknit from me; one who cherishes and respects the work (love, obsession?) that goes into it and half who has to wear whatever I say for the next few years. Partly its selfishness, partly its attachment to my knitting... partly because I'm really nervous about it not being good enough, too hokey to outsiders. I don't give two shakes that my neighbors think I'm nuts for taking pictures of yarn in my pyjamas outside, but to put my knitting in someone else's (non-knitting) hands for them to scan and pick apart mentally is almost too much for me to even think about.

I'm doing it though, this year... my sister, my brother in law, mom, dad, aunt, uncle and grandma. October knitting in orange was almost solely for "me" projects, but I think most of those are going to be set aside for now.

The Noro Silk Garden is for my part of my sister's holiday present (no one irl really knows i blog about all this stuff, or take pics of yarn hanging out my windowsill, so i'm pretty confident about talking about all this stuff here)...


New Vintage Capelet
Spun Mag, Issue 1
Noro Silk Garden, color 224
US 7 (4.5mm) 24" circular, Addi
(re)started: October 5, 2006

I didn't really mean to be coy with my last post, not saying what it was-- I've seen a few of these and they all look much longer than the original pictured and seem to take much more yarn as well and I can't quite figure why.

Near as I can figure (I'm not so good at reading ahead!)... for the s/m size you work 18 rows even after lace panel, then work 48 rows to get from 169 sts to 49 sts (dec 2o sts every 8 rows) before starting the k1p1 collar. 56 66 rows of straight panels, lace panel is 34 rows... guessing 7 sts/column inch (?) works to be about 11.5" (i'd guess the sample from the pattern is that) 14+"... but the ones I've seen knit up are much longer than that.

Anyhow, I need to figure it out when I get there, since even though Joan was kind enough to send me the extra Silk Garden, I want the capelet on the short side like the modelled picture.



Back to kindness, yesterday I found myself at my LYS, Article Pract in Oakland. Its kind of a rare occurance for me to go (my son invariably has a meltdown when we have to leave because he *loves* it there and as we take transit to get around = hollering toddler on a bus is not good, even when I come home toting yarn.) Yesterday though I found myself without the third arm and with some wakare burning a hole in my pocket... walked in and brought home some goodies.


RYC Cashcotton 4 ply
35% cotton, 18% angora, 13% viscose, 9% cashmere
50gm/196 yd
shade 906, chintz

For the holiday project, I'm going to try and knit my mom a slew of anklets (...anyone able to get larger sized footed anklets from 50gm of sock yarn? She wear a size 9-9.5 like me and loooves anklets. I don't get it, but to each their own.) This is my first experiment to see if I can do it. Mom doesn't need hard wearing socks as she has trouble getting around and out, she needs the kind to wear with feet propped up watching Project Runway marathons.


Koigu premium painters palette merino p624 (kpppm)
100% merino
50gm/185 yd

For Embossed Leaves Socks (Winter 2005 Interweave Knits) for my sister. I love this "speckling" thing Koigu's doing with their yarns, even if this isn't a "me" colorway.


Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Black Purl colorway
80% superwash wool, 20% nylon
50gm/215 yd

Distancing myself from avoiding purples :)
(double obliqueness, anyone?)

Anyhow... the lady on the floor saw me clutching the koigu and told me they just had a new shipment in, it was in the back... would I like to see it? (Yuh!!) They hadn't unpacked it yet though, so I'd have to come back tomorrow. Between all that we talked socks, and I mentioned I had a pattern in knitty an issue back-- suddenly, "can you teach a class?" :)

A big head moment, simple for her but made my day. (Could have been all the yarn, too!)

Of course I went back today, because koigu is crack and I wanted to see the new stuff... while I was invited into the inner sanctum, the holiest of holy (the back stockroom with *piles* of yarn to the ceiling), *another* saleslady told me she was supposed to convince me to teach a class there. I can't believe I was remembered :)


I saw and sorted thru BAGS of new koigu, of course offered a home to some of it...


Koigu premium painters palette merino p319 (kpppm)
100% merino
50gm/185 yd
(more grey/muted than the photo.)


Koigu premium painters palette merino p852 (kpppm)
100% merino
50gm/185 yd
(color's too bright on this, much more black/muted. it *immediately* reminded me of the fleece artist merino cosmic dawn colorway of my first pomatomus socks, had to have it.)


Koigu premium painters palette merino p338 (kpppm)
100% merino
50gm/185 yd
yowsa.

(edit, 10/13... the above koigu pics look a little brighter here than irl, almost unfortunately!)

I also signed up for their colorwork class this month... hopefully I'll conquer my fear of stranded knitting (let's hope!) :)


* wow, you made it thru all that^?!

i still feel like paying something forward for the silk garden joan's sending to me, so i'm going to give away this set of koigu skeins... i like this colorway, its light enough not to distract from lace but i immediately thought cables when i saw it. do what you will :)

leave me a comment if you're interested, i'll pull a name randomly. a quickie, so say leave a comment by this coming tuesday afternoon (pacstandard).

hubris for 100, alex.

quick post to show off a day's worth of negative knitting.


Noro Silk Garden, color 224 (lot a)

negative?



i mischarted the lace panel, and a yo is one spot off for 2 repeats. it bugs me... but what bugs me more is i'm not knitta enuf to drop down and fix it with a hook, so i'm taking pics and posting them to shame myself into ripping it out when i get back from my walk to the library with my little bumblebee.

(anyone know what i'm knitting? its a free pattern, available online. more info when it looks like its supposed to, if no one guesses...)

uh, the ORANGE?



there it is! :)

i'm not nearly as sour as i normally would be... wanna know why?


sweet georgia superwash sock yarn
100% superwash merino wool
185 yd/50 gm
black orchid colorway

alyson sent me this amazing yarn from her contest to collect sock/lace/one skein projects (check out her compilation HERE)... i have been drooling over sweet georgia yarns since forever (have you SEEN the kill bill colorway?? goodness, i need a sugar daddy)... so i'm super excited and so thankful (and already have a sock recipient in mind)-- thanks again alyson! :)

sherwood's slowed down, since i just worked on the noro project for the past day or so...



between you me and the chickens, i think the cabling looks weird and messy. my fault, but i'm hoping it looks better from far away/aka on a running toddler when done.

back with more noro next time, i'm wanting to get this project done fast (more on that later, too!)

just shy of the curse

I scoff at the curse with aptly named and lovingly made socks.


Boyfriend Socks by Alice Bell (free pattern! w00t!)
Interlacements Tiny Toes yarn (overdyed)
US 1 dpns (2.25mm), 4
Started: September 16, 2006
Finished: October 2, 2006

These are really great, I've got to say. The ribbing is interesting with the cable detail, stretchy in a good way (these are for a 9.5" wide foot, mine is 8.25" and still comfy (i realized i like a slightly looser fit foot in handknit socks)-- the 9.5" foot says they fit like a glove. Alice's sizing and negative ease calculation seems right on as far as my "medium" sized pair went.

I think they make a good unisex sock, I'm thinking about a pair for my dad in the same yarn but a different color. I love them, but then again I have a bit of a soft spot for socks :)



I used the "cabling without a cable needle" method and it seemed to fly-- I was always put off by "learning" it since, well people always say they "learned" it and I never wanted to take the time to master something new since I knew how to use a cable needle :) I'm glad I did, I'll be using it from now on... just take a look at Wendy's link! If you've cabled before, there's nothing to "learn" really.

For those looking to knit this sock top down, it'd be easy just to switch out and reverse the cabling directions, c6f for c6b etc-- resulting in the same sock. I think its a great looking panel, don't let the toe up instructions stop you from knitting it. (I used the heel/toe from Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' book again.)



This was the first time I used the Interlacements Tiny Toes yarn. I liked it, a few things...

1) It seemed to have a lot of twist in it, not like the yarn was overly twisted, but that the nice looking and soft yarn kept twisting back on itself throughout the skein and knotting on itself at times. I noticed this in each of 4 skeins (I have an "on the go" sock I'm knitting in one of the variegated colorways). It wasn't where I had to let the work dangle and untwist (just once), but the twisting seemed almost odd since the yarn itself wasn't overplied. Maybe I'm thinking about this too much, reading the spinning books lately.

2) Another strange thing, the dye seems to not penetrate the "core" of the yarn in places. When I would (ahem) split the yarn accidentally, or when it was stretched in a high stress way (like cable crosses), or even just looking at the core where the plies meet when knitting, I could see the white where the dye didn't penetrate to the center where the plies overlapped. I don't think this is the dyer or the dye, especially because the colors are so saturated and I overdyed them as well-- white was just white in some core spots and not consistently. It didn't detract from the yarn, and I don't even think I'd notice it if the yarn color wasn't so deep, but it was weird since I've never noticed this lack of penetration in another yarn before. It wouldn't stop me from buying this yarn again, but I noticed it a lot more than I would have if I weren't knitting the cables. (Take a look at the cable crossing spots, you may see what I mean.)



3) The yarn feels great. It makes a thick, sturdy feeling fabric on US 1's at 8 sts/inch, and for those who like ironwear socks, a US 0 would get an even thicker result. I think it would hurt my hands to knit it tighter than a US 0, but that's just me. I like the 1's, and I also like how "heavy" these socks feel-- perhaps the cabling and ribbing makes the sock feel heavy for its size, but in hand they're soft and squishy. The cables look great in it as well, good definition on and off the foot.

4) The Interlacements Tiny Toes is about the standard price for luxury handdyed 100% merino superwash sock yarns nowadays ($12/skein), and runs right there in the middle for weight and yardage (50 gm/185yd). I think Interlacements uses great, bold colors-- I'll look to their solids again for sock yarn. The variegateds are really bold and contrasty too, deeply dyed. That's more of a personal thing (I'll take pics of the on the go project as it gets longer to show you what I mean, but it looks good in stockinette.) I don't know if now, personally, I'd look to their variegateds for texture work-- the colors are so deep cabling and lace may be lost in the depth and contrasting colors (again, a personal thing.)



I ran out of yarn :) I had knit the first with 6" to spare, but I had to cannibalize it as I ran short on the second sock. It was anathema to me, undoing the bindoff of the first, but had to be done. Each sock now is knit to row 4 of the cable pattern and have 4 rows of k1 p1 rib before binding off using the graft off top/faux kitchener bindoff I linked in my last post, with a 10.25" foot and a 7" cuff measured from where the cabling starts atop the heel. The k1 p1 rib looks a little short to my eye, but not so bad as to have me rip out a cable... I like ending it on that "closed" part of the panel. Like I said, the cabling and rib is tight enough to not really rely on the top k1p1 to keep it up and in place on the leg, its more of the aesthetic. Still love em though.

Previous posts with the boyfriend socks:

September 17, 2006
September 21, 2006


With all of that, I started a little Sherwood...


Sherwood from Fall Knitty 2006
Cotton Fleece, Wild Orange
Size 2
US 5 80cm/24" circular (3.75mm, Addi)
Started: October 1, 2006

I was able to get gauge on US 5's (I got it on 6's too, but weirdly the fabric was just a bit drapier and I didn't think I liked it as "open" as it felt). The 80cm/24" needle was fine for me-- the body size I'm knitting is 24" around so I started on 16" and it was just too much bunch. This way's not bad at all (I really didn't want to buy a 20" circular).

I am knitting the "2" (smallest) size, but am adding length to it-- once again I'm shocked that my genepool has produced a tall, skinny kid. I worked 1.5" rows of plain in-pattern (row 1 of chart) rib before starting, looks like I'm about 20 rows in the chart now.

One thing, maybe its me: I printed the body charts like a good girl and taped them together, but they don't line up evenly! The right chart is 2 squares taller than the left (over 100), so it minutely shifts upwards and I have to untape and retape as I move up the chart. So irritating, as the tape seems to pull up the print.

More later... trying to decide if I want to cast on for another sock and knit the sherwood sweater at the same time or not. We'll see! :) Have a good week yall.