Monday, December 15, 2008

Finished Cloning Anemone Rib Socks


These socks don't fit me, because they are not for me. I knit these up for my cousin, who apparently loves warm wool socks! I am constantly amazed when people like socks, because I am surrounded by people who hang out barefoot. Or with slippahs.
My cousin is going through breast cancer treatment, and in the face of all this, she remains amazingly giving: She keeps all her cousins and relatives informed, and is even going through further testing to see if we are at risk (genetic pre-disposition).
It was nice to knit these for her. It was nice to think about her with each stitch, to send her good thoughts. And somehow the cloning anemone pattern reminds me of the repetition of good, healthy cells.

Also? The very last Blue Moon Rockin Sock Club installment came in the mail! I love the color on the skein but worry about how it will look all striped up?

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Sweet Tart Socks for Mom are Done... What is Next?

After ripping out the first of the gumdrop socks (used too much yarn. But pretty pattern!) I cast on for the alternative pattern for the July sock, with better success: I still have a bunch of yarn left! These are for my mother, who enjoys the pastel colors much more than I.
So what is next? I wound up the September yarn, which I find to be beautiful!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I Picked Up the Mail! (Spoiler?)

The September Rockin' Sock Club installment: Tidepooling colorway and Cloning Anemone Rib socks. I love them both! And behind them? "Free Range Knitter" by Yarn Harlot Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Yay! Something to knit and something to read! About knitting!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Problems With Socks

This was a Gumdrop Sock with BMFA Goody Goody, the last sock club installment. Where have I been? I have been attending some training that furthers my Scuba diving career. The knitting part of that? I was knitting on this sock, in women's medium, for my mother. My knitting in class inspired another classmate to pick up her knitting that had been neglected for years, and bring it to class. YES! There is nothing like inspiring an inpromtu knitting circle! I hope she keeps going with it.
Unfortunately, when i completed this sock and threw it on the scale, I found I had used quite a bit more than half the yarn I had. After attempting a few modifications and sock yarn stretching excercises, I gave up and ripped it out.
More knitting for me, right?
So I gave those up and began knitting these, the alternate pattern for the last club shipment. These are the Sweet Tart Anklets. Very cute. My mother didn't have a preference for either pattern, just loved the yarn, so now I have completed one sock in the pair. The irony, of course, is that this pattern will use quite a bit less than the other pattern, leaving me with leftover yarn! Arrgh!
Everyone at class was like, "Don't you own any other yarn color?"
Oh yeah, Spoiler alert for those of you still out there who haven't seen this shipment yet. I assume there is no one, since I am always last...

Friday, August 08, 2008

Finished Cleopatra's and New Kit (Spoiler?)

Finished Cleopatra socks! This pattern is a bit stripey for my tastes, but I LOVE the purple. I made the small size, increasing needle size as directed, and once again at the top of the leg (3's) ribbing. I also added back in a repeat of the chart for a longer sock that looks more like the photo in the pattern. I guess they shortened the sock out of concern that the largest size would run out of yarn? No worries with my short foot: I had enough for the extra chart repeat, and extra ribbing at the top of the sock.
I started these on the airplane on the way to Seattle for DBF's cousin's wedding, but didn't get too much done. I then knit away happily until they were done. At which time they sat around for about 2 weeks until I got around to weaving in the remaining 4 ends. Lazy!
I also got around to picking up the July shipment of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock club: A very pretty, candy-colored lightweight in Goody Goody. Upon opening the package, my mother exclaimed that they were her colors and she loves them, so I immediately told her I would knit the socks for her. She didn't have a preference between the 2 patterns, so I will go with the one I find more interesting, the Gumdrop Socks by JC Briar.
I hope this isn't a spoiler for anyone: Not only do I usually get my shipment last (Hawaii) but it took me so long to actually pick it up!

Sunday, August 03, 2008

No Knitting Content At All. But Nice Whales!

My Humpback Whale photo has been chosen for inclusion on the Schmap of Kohala Coast! This was a mother and calf that I photographed this winter. Yay! I am not a very good photographer, but I guess I am actually a Professional, since my photos have appeared in the (now defunct) Hawaii Island Journal.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with knitting.
Nothing at all.
On the knitting front I have been too busy diving to knit. I have finished my Cleopatra socks and just have to weave in the ends. I am knitting away on the boring cotton stockinette of the skirt, and I haven't even run up to the PO Box to pick up the new Blue Moon Socks that Rock kit. i know: I am a bad, bad knitter!

Monday, July 07, 2008

Seattle Stash Enhancement


We went to Seattle for a wedding, and the hotel was conveniently located a block from Weaving Works, a large local yarn store. I went in with a list: Buttons for purple Angelica, wool for cabled bag, something in a sweater's worth quantity. The silk was the only impulse purchase. I got it because it was pretty and felt nice and HAUNTED my brain!

Shopping time was at a premium, so along with the list I went in only twice: Once was a scouting mission where I looked for the yarns on the list, felt everything I could, checked the buttons and didn't buy anything! Trip 2 was on our last night there, and I had about half an hour before the store closed.

The store is offering a 3% discount if you bring your own bag, which I did. I left when the store closed with a tote full of yarn. The funny thing was, I then ran into DBF in the lobby with 3 friends, and we all went out for Pho and beer. With my tote full of yarn. On the way home we ran into the bride, and went with her to a local club with live music and more beer. With my tote full of yarn. It is really funny to get up to go the the bar or restroom and scream over a punk band to a friend, "Hey! Will you watch my YARN?!?"

Monday, June 09, 2008

Finished Angelica Sweater!

Pattern: Angelica by Stefanie Japel
Yarn: Bamboo from SWTC: 4 skeins: Purple
Needles: 6s and 8s. Mostly 8s.
Feb 10th to June 2nd. Still needs a button on the neck.
Oh my: Another top-down raglan. Swatched. Swatch lied. Started with too small a size (neck is small and round instead of open) worked increases and short-rows, kept trying it on. Decreased dramatically under-bust and gradually increased over waist and hips. Followed exactly for last 30 rows (the purl row stripes). At one point had a huge peplum from increasing too much and ripped it all the way back to the under-bust.



Is it super-obvious that there is a faded stripe right in the middle 3rd of the sweater? The dye lot was all the same, but this one skein looks faded. From my experience, bamboo on fabric isn't as thirsty as wool, and the color doesn't stay as well. Perhaps it will all even out in the wash?

Overall I like this sweater, finally. The yarn is soft and cool, the length is tunic-long, I like the belled sleeves and the hexagon in the neckline. I would make some changes if doing this pattern again, but this is good for now. 

Cat claws cause this yarn to pull and snag something awful: I had to chase pinot away many times, and the time he slept in the yarn basket was disaster!


Spoilage? And New Skirt Project

Just in case I am NOT the very last one to get my May 08 Blue Moon Socks that Rock Club shipment: Here is your spoiler warning.

New Project!
This is Indigo Ripples Skirt by Kat Coyle as published awhile ago in Interweave Knits. I am making it out of cheap hardware store cotton. I have made 2 gauge swatches, using 3 needle sizes, and of course the swatches LIE. I had to rip out the first cast-on after about 2 inches revealed that it was about 80 stitches too large. The next one seems to be okay, but I had to rip it out as well in order to add back in some increases. We shall see.
I'm worried about cotton shrinkage.


In the meantime: Here is the new kit from STR: The pattern is Cleopatra's Stockings by Yarnissima, and the skein is lightweight STR in The Incredible Shrinking Violet. Besides the mini skein, pattern, and dyer's Notes, we also got a luggage tag, which shall be useful for summer travels. It is a very rich color, and so far the striping looks distracting. 
I fear that maybe I am making too many socks. I don't wear socks too much anymore, since my current job requires bare feet.


Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Finished: Dishcloth

New Mason-Dixon dishcloth for our house! The white is plain and the rainbow pastels are Easter-eggish, but the pink matches my espresso machine! You know it's serious when I 1)Move the cat, and 2) Move the espresso machine over to DBF's house.

In other news: Finished sleeve and neckline of Angelica (must find good button) and ripped out odd peplum hip all the way up to just below bust-shaping. I don't know who I think I am, thinking I know better than the pattern. I mean, I wanted to expand for the hips, but not THAT much!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Leaflings are Done!


Pattern: Leafling by JC Briar, the pattern from March 2008 Blue Moon Rockin' Sock Club.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts mediumweight in Lucky
Began: April 16th, Finished May 1st.

I started these in size medium and then switched to small after the heel. They are slightly different because I read the heel wrap directions as "The last stitches are NOT wrapped" when it really was "NOW wrapped". Oops! I also altered the toe as directions on the blog dictated. Pretty! I like the lace pattern, the green color, and the pointy toe pattern.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Nesting

I have been working on a new dishcloth for a new home: Ours. I have moved in with DBF into his house, and while he has plans for construction, I have plans for home-knits. This was a long time coming: Mostly we hung out at my little place, which I love, since his house had tenants for so long. And I needed reassurance of the emotional and organizational nature. Now I need to make dishcloths and curtains.
And here we have the March sock from the Blue Moon Socks that Rock club: I have one done so far and am working on the second. I began them both as size mediums and switched to smalls after the heel. Toe variation published on their site.
Still also working is the bamboo sweater: Sleeves are in progress, and then I will rip and re-knit the bottom half.
Can you believe it is almost May?

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Baby Sweaters!


My friend Jenn is having a baby, and her baby shower was yesterday. I made her some Mason-Dixon Baby Kimonos out of machine washable and dryable cotton. 
Pattern: Achingly Cute Baby Kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting. 
Needles: #6 for the green one and #7 for the natural one.
Yarn: Peaches and Creme. The green one took 2.5 balls and the natural one was off a cone. I only had 2 balls of the green, and put that one on hold and began the white one. Last week I was in Kona and hit up the walmart for another ball of green. Luckily they had the yarn, although not in the same dye lot, of course. It didn't seem to matter too much. I sewed ribbons on the green one, but used a green button on the white one. I think the button will be more practical.
A funny thing: I used some yarn to finger-crochet a ribbon for the wrapping paper. People were ooohing and ahhing over the ribbon. Heh. They were super-impressed when she opened the package and there was hand-knits inside! Jenn was working with me when I made this pattern in wool for my College Roommate's baby, and liked it. Now she has her own in Hawaii-appropriate cotton!

And speaking of Green:
The March Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Shipment, which I received at the very end of March, is very green and bright! I will begin it soon, now that the baby shower is over. I love green, and like the Leafling pattern by JC Briar. I assume it is old news to everybody by the time I get it and spoiler warnings are moot:


Thursday, March 13, 2008

I'm Not Quite That Hippy...

I'm working on Angelica by Stephanie Japel out of SWTC Bamboo. My gauge was off so I have been trying it on as I go. However, my needles in the round were cramping my stitches in the hip area. When I took it off the needles I found that I have a droopy, squared-off, saggy peplum-like ruffle on the bottom. No, it doesn't look like a peplum. I will need to rip it out, but until I am up to it, I will work on the sleeves.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

I Miss Socks: Do I Have a Problem?

I made some Fetching mitts. They are okay. I think I will wear them alot to keep my hands warm. I think next time they need to be fingerless gloves instead of fingerless mitts (with little fingerlets, like Knucks). DBF says, "But are they done? They don't cover your fingers?" Used size 3s, did them in 2 days, didn't use the whole skein of Jo Sharp Alpaca Kid Lustre. This is a good one-skein project (I had gotten this skein to see if it would work for a cabled sweater, and while I like the Alpaca in general, I don't think it shows off the cables at all!)
But I miss socks. I jammed out the STR club January selection already, and don't expect a new one until late March. I felt I should do something other than socks, because I have a closet full of them and don't wear them too much, but I just like knitting socks so much!
*sigh*
I started something else instead: Angelica by Stephanie Japel. I'm using SWTC Bamboo in a shiny purple color. My guage is way off, so we will see how that turns out. Maybe I will just start another sock?

Friday, February 08, 2008

Finally!

The Tilted duster is finally done! After blocking, a small turn in the dryer (it stretched after washing), and application of buttons and a snap, it is finally complete! I like how the side seam steeks turned out. I guess it was worth the time out!
Pattern: Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan from Fall 07 Interweave Knits
Needle: #10 Circulars: Used the Denise set.
Yarn: Plymouth Galway Highland Heather in Teal, purchased in Hilo, here on the Big Island!
Began: September 6, 2007
Completed: February 8th 2008
Modifications: Did the 44" chest, but should have maybe done a smaller size back? Knit the sleeves in the round to sleeve caps, and when I re-knit them, I added about an inch to the length, then made the sleeve cap less extreme. Other than that... Oh yes: Sewed, steeked, cut the side seams to fit. Heh.

Some before and after armpit photos:




Now that it is done: I like the yarn, the color, and the design (except, of course, the bat wing underarms that needed trimming). I think the wool is soft and warm. I was unsure if the empire waist would fall from my bust and make me look preggers. And it does. But it is still nice, I just need to be careful about what I wear under it.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Gong Hay Fat Choy!


Happy Chinese New Year!
And, just in time to show off it's good-luck red and firey dragon dance lace: A Finished Object!
Pattern: Serendipity by Adrienne Fong (Blue Moon STR club January 2008 Pattern)
Yarn: STR Lightweight in Colorway: Dragon Dance (STR club selection yarn) I used 87 grams from the 128 gram ball.
Size: Small
Needles: 2 circs: knitpicks 2.5mm (I don't have the 2.25mm needles called for in the pattern)
Began: 1/30/08
Complete: 2/4/08 Perhaps the fastest I have knit a STR club sock pair!
Modifications: Hmmm. Were there none? Oh: I only did one round knit instead of 2 right before the toe: I was thinking the toe would be too long, but it was fine. Not much of a modification at all!
Thoughts: I started off wondering if I would like the striping with the lace, but with the designer's urging to try it, I did. Now I like it, although I have been back and forth about it. But then I thought: The STR colors are so great, and they almost all will stripe or pool, and although I am sure the yarn would look gorgeous in a plain stockinette sock, who wants to knit socks like that? Especially in a sock club. We would all be complaining that the patterns were boring, wouldn't we? So now I like it. I also like how the colors combine to be more orange and brown, when the skein looked red and salmon pink. The deep heel, which has been of some concern on the blog, is actually quite nice: I didn't think I would fit a sock with no gusset increases (big ol' fat arches) but the deep heel compensates. So from being initially ambivalent, I am now thinking that I will wear this sock quite alot: It is lightweight and pretty, and was fast to knit and dry. After all, of all the club socks from last year, I wear the red ones the most (Solstice Slip)!

Friday, February 01, 2008

Jan STR Serendipity, and Sea Serpent

I'm working on the January 2008 Blue Moon Socks that Rock Club kit: Serendipity by Adrienne Fong, in lightweight STR in Dragon Dance colorway. The inside of the ballband says "Seiryuu". I am making size small with 2.5mm needles.
And just for fun: Here be sea-serpents (not dragons...really)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Tilted Duster Armpit Repair (and Beverage)

This was how I left the Tilted duster when I gave it a time out months ago: Huge bat wings in the armpits! I thought about ripping out the back and making a smaller back, but it seemed that the extra fabric in the armpits was the only problem: The rest of the back fit fine.
So I ripped out the side seams, and un-seamed the sleeve caps. Then, using hair clips and cotton basting yarn, I clipped up all the extra armpit fabric. The square of the cotton basting thread is a double layer of extra armpit fabric. Next came basting of the new side-seam: Then sewing with the sewing machine: Then, finally: The scissors and the adult beverage: This steeking of the armpits created a smaller arm-hole, and the sleeves no longer fit. I ripped the sleeve cap out until I reached the point where I was still knitting in the round, and added another inch of length (to snug it up into the armpit). I then re-knit the sleeve cap at a more severe angle and seamed it back in. Now I am blocking the sweater, and will work the buttons soon. Maybe someday soon it will be done?

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

FO: Salish Sea Socks


Finished these just in time to get the new January kit.
I like the wake pattern on the arch, and I like how the pooling happens on the arch but the socks are mostly stripey. Doesn't it look like the pooling makes an arrow from one arch to the other?
Salish Sea Socks by Cat Bordhi
Socks that Rock Rocking Sock Club December 2007selection
Socks that Rock Medium Weight in Bella Coola
Needles: 2.5mm 2 circs (I don't own 2.25mm)
Began: Jan 12 2008, Complete Jan 26th 2008
Changes: I am not sure the foot circumferences listed in the pattern are right. If I went by them, I should have made an extra large. Indeed, I began an extra-large, but ripped it when I could see it was huge. I wear a women's size 8 shoe, but in reality I have about a size 6 extra-wide foot. So I just guessed and started a size small. They work. Other than that: I didn't do any of the wing stitches, I just reduced back until I had 54 stitches again. The arch was big enough in a size small, and I just made the foot super short. Also did another cycle of ankle stitches for a bit higher sock. Mostly because I was knitting at work without the pattern, and also because I knew there would be extra yarn (short foot) and may as well!

Confession: I know I am on a yarn diet and such (besides the 2008 sock club) but I spent some yarn money on the new Cat Bordhi book. Besides the Salish Sea Sock, I have also made the Flow Motion Socks from Vogue Knitting Magazine. While neither of these 2 socks are in the book, they both use an arch expansion technique explored in her book.