Knitting Musclemom

Finishing stuff

I finished the Teosinte socks for Colin:

He is happy with them and likes the colour, which is actually in-between the colours showing on these photos. I think the bottom one is the closest in terms of colour. The yarn used was Zen Yarn Garden's Harmony Semi-Solid Sock Yarn club's Huron colourway. It's a really soft yarn with a very subtle change of colours, which really shows the stitch pattern nicely. I knit the foot with 2.75 mm needles (Knitpicks Harmony needles) and the cuff with 2.5 mm needles to accommodate his slim ankles. They came out perfectly and I used most of the yarn, thanks to the toe-up construction.

I finished Clue 1 of the SOTS ii KAL -- so far, so good, although I am falling behind already on clue 2, because I have been busy with other projects. The pattern is not that difficult to follow, I just find the yarn very slippery (Habu bamboo yarn). Here is clue 1 finished:

I was going to start the Fischer sin Fru KAL until I saw I needed a gazillion metres of yarn (actually, about 2,850 metres). I have two problems with this: I would have to buy some lace yarn, as I don't have anywhere near this quantity in any colourway in my stash, and I don't really want to buy more yarn until Madrona. Second, I don't think I will ever get to the end of a shawl pattern that requires that quantity of yarn, as I will probably kill myself from boredom before that. My attention span is not that great. So I will continue collecting the clues and see if I can find anything at Madrona that might suit. Then again, I might forget about it altogether.

I have not started Autumn Rose, because I have finished a UFO lying around since last year: a second pair of Fetching. I had knitted a first pair for my daughter really quickly, then when it came to my pair, I started it, then got fed up with the cable needle and put it aside. More than a year passed, during which I taught myself to cable without a cable needle. So, the other night, I picked them up again and finished them in two evenings:

The yarn is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, knit with 4 mm circular needles with the Magic Loop. I used just over a ball, partly because I added an extra set of cables on the hand -- they were too short otherwise. I omitted the picot edge and did a straight bind off. I would like to knit these again, by adding more length to the base, probably two extra sets of cables. These are a quick knit and a popular pattern (over 4,500 projects on Ravelry!)

I went digging further into my UFOs and came up with this:

This is a vest based on the Persian Poppy pattern from Kaffe Fassett's Pattern Library, the pattern of the vest itself is my own. Here is a close-up:

I started this project at least two years ago. The yarns are various types of cotton and mixed fibers, that I pulled from a pile of left-over yarns from various projects, taking several metres, and attaching end to end to create a variegated effect. The shiny yarns were actually left-overs from several cardigans knitted for my mother (in Rowan No Smoking); I started to knit this vest after she passed away in May 2005. I thought of her as I knitted it up and I think it was making me even sadder, so I put it aside. For a long time. I have finally decided to finish it (the front shoulder and all the finishing edges need to be done) for Madrona, so it gives me a goal. With time passing, I am now able to knit it without starting to cry, which is a big improvement.

On a happier finishing note, look at what Sockaholic Katie from Lovesticks sock yarn very generously sent me after I test-knit a sock pattern for her:

Lovesticks sock yarn, in the Briny Deep colourway. Isn't it beautiful?

   

My knitting is all scattered

I am such a joiner...

On top of the ridiculous number of sock yarn clubs I subscribe to (see sidebar, I am too ashamed to list them all here), plus the Year of Lace 2008, I decided to join the Secret of the Stole ii KAL. I am using a huge skein of Habu Bamboo yarn (about 1600 yards) in a plain white colourway. I don't know why I did it; but it seem like a good idea at the time. Here's the evidence:

I cringe when I think of knitting 1500 yards of this stuff, because I know my lack of long-term concentration on a project. But... I am knitting from stash! I bought this skein at Stitches Midwest, and this is the only lace yarn in my stash (of which I have much) that met the 1500+ yards criteria. Lots of 1200, but all short of the 1500 called for, except for this one. The yarn is exceptionally soft and shiny, but it does slide too easily on metal needles, so I switched to Knitpicks wooden.

However, I did progress further on Colin's Teosinte socks:

I am now past the heel on the second sock and there is a good chance I will have the pair finished this week. I think I now understand fully the short row concept of the toe-up socks; it's great, but I am not sure it will be enough to make me switch entirely to the toe-up method. There's something I find incredibly satisfying when you knit cuff down and reach the heel, and you pick up all the stitches on both sides of the foot, and you do those neat decreases to bring you back to the original number of stitches you should have. It's a more graceful design, it's... almost sensual. I know, I'm going insane.

In the meantime, this is staring at me reproachfully:

This is the kit for Autumn Rose, that I received some weeks ago and have decided to start this week. Not happening. I have a pair of Fetching that I can't remember when I started (Ok, at least 12 months ago); one is done and the second one is half done, and I have promised myself to finish these as soon as I finish Colin's socks.

I am really starting to get excited about Madrona -- it's in less than a month! Most of my classes have little or no homework, except for Jean Wong's Fine Finishing Techniques, which has something like a dozen swatches; I know I will be knitting these frantically at the last minute, as usual. I hate homework and I do procrastinate. Here are the classes I am taking:

Cool Socks! with Lucy Neatby

Designing Lace Triangles with Evelyn Clark

Fine Finishing Technique the Japanese Way with Jean Wong

Making a True Haapsalu Ratik with Nancy Bush

I realize this is total information overload, but I can't resist taking as many classes as I can cram in. I do take notes and I do read these again later on, but I agree that I would get more out of them if I didn't take that many at once. But I don't care. It's like bingeing, only on knitting classes. I do binge on yarn too. No, I don't binge on food, never have, why do you ask?

And to finish on a sunny note, since there is sun here today in this winter of eternally overcast skies, here is some cat and dog bliss:

They sure know how to relax...

Another UFO finished

Yes, another one. The Naive socks I test-knitted for Spillyjane -- I knit one sock months ago, and then got distracted and neglected them. No reflection on the pattern, it was all me. Bad sock knitter. The socks actually came out beautifully and I love the yarn I used to knit them: Twisted Fiber Arts Shiny (merino and tencel) in the Secret colourway. Judge for yourselves:

 

And this one really shows the beautiful cables:

They are really pretty socks and I don't know why I didn't finish them at the time. They weren't too fiddly, as long as you can cable without a needle. Otherwise, be patient, they are a LOT of cables, but it's a breeze otherwise. Worth learning to cable without a needle just to knit these babies up.

Not much else happening; the Teosinte socks are continuing their progression. These are my first toe-up socks without an after-thought heel, so I have to be really careful with the short rows on the heel. I don't think I screwed up; at least, I hope not. I will soon be starting the leg of the sock and weighing my yarn to make sure I start at the mid-point of the skein and use it all up for the pair. The great advantage of toe-up socks is the ability to stop the sock exactly at the mid-point of the skein...

My next UFO is a big one: the Mystery Shawl that has been languishing for many months. And my next new project: Autumn Rose. Really want to get started on this one.

I spent my entire week-end tidying up my yarn; bought 16 clear plastic bins (the large ones) and finally organized the mess in the downstairs room. It actually looks like I have less yarn. Really... Even my husband admits it.

Hyacinth Lace Shawl finished and blocked

On Sunday, I finished my second knitting project of 2008. That was Evelyn Clark's Hyacinth Lace Shawl, knit with Dream in Color Smooshy, Ruby River colourway -- the same exactly as the one she used to knit up the sample appearing in the photos of her pattern. I blocked it yesterday and took out the pins today. Here it is, not showing its colours in all their glory, due to the permanent lack of sunshine that has plagued Toronto; I had to use flash:

Here is the detail of the points -- I used the 3 beads per scallop option:

And here is a detail of the middle of the shawl:

And another of the edge:

Unblocked, it was 33 inches wide by 17 inches high. After blocking, 56 inches long by 26 inches high. Blocking sure added a lot of wingspan to this bird!

It was a very enjoyable knit -- not difficult, had enough variety to prevent boredom and didn't take long to knit. I was wondering if I was going to run short of yarn, as Evelyn Clark says she only had 15 yards left over from her skein, but I was fine. I don't know what yardage I had left over, but I weighed it at 23 grams. Not a lot, but I hate having yarn left over, so that was great.

I have started a new pair of socks for my husband. It's the Teosinte socks from Knitspot, that I am knitting with Zen Yarn Garden's Harmony Semi-Solid Sock Yarn club's Huron colourway:

I am using 2.75 mm, a size larger than recommended because the foot looked a bit tight on 2.5 mm for a man's foot. The pattern is easy to follow and the yarn really soft, in a nicely shaded colour that my husband doesn't recoil from. He wears his hand-knit socks all the time, and since he only has two pairs, I thought it was time to knit him a new one.

And look what I got today in the post!

The Old Mill Knitting Company holds a monthly contest and I won this month's! It's the Sheep Afghan kit that was featured in Knit Simple Holiday 2007. That's what it looks like knitted up:

Isn't it great? There are 22 balls of Naturelle 14-ply and Tussock 14-ply in 6 shades of natural colours. It's really pretty, I can't wait to knit it up! The contest is only open to Canadian residents and being on Ravelry is a bonus, so Canadian knitters should go to the site and sign up for it. And it was even better when my husband said: "Ha! more yarn you ordered!" and I responded: "Actually, I won it, so there!"

Since my New Year resolution was to knit up UFOs, the next UFO I am going to tackle is Fifi, abandoned months ago. After I finish the socks, that is.

Photos of the IK Refined Aran Jacket

It's a grey and ugly day, so the lighting is terrible, but here are photos of the finished product, with real buttons this time:

Details of the saddle shoulder:

And the back:

I promise not to wear a clashing top underneath next time I am modelling a knitted item.

I am progressing well on the Hyacinth shawl, one more repeat of the Hyacinth lace, and I am onto the Ripple Lace Border Beginning. Nothing worth taking a photo of, though. It's just a bigger blob than it was before.

Oh -- and I got some nice yarn today:

Duet Sock Yarns, Skinny, Sweet Amber

Same, in Plié. I bought them on line at A Swell Yarn Shop and I have also subscribed to the Lucky Lurkers Sock of the Month Club. The yarn is really lovely, despite the fact I need more sock yarn like I need a hole in the head. But it was for Christmas and I only ordered two skeins... so I did restrain myself.

New Year and first finished project of 2008

The New Year brought with it a snowstorm to Toronto:

Once the shovelling was done, I sat down to do the finishing on the Aran cardigan, which I finished knitting just a few minutes before 2008 rang in. I knew that if I didn't force myself to do it there and then, it would end up in the pile of the three other "knitting finished but in need of assembly" projects that have been sitting in a corner for... over a year. It took me many hours (which is why I hate finishing), but it was all done last night, except for the buttons, that will be sewn on today.

So here are the specs:

Refined Aran Jacket from Interweave Knits, Winter 2007.

Yarn: Filatura Zara, 11 balls in colour 1466, a bright red colour. It took 1367 metres, a bit more than the 1233 metres it was calling for in the Classic Elite 150. On the other hand, I used smaller needles (3.5 mm and 3.75 mm) to get gauge (the pattern called for 3.75 mm and 4.0 mm needles). I knit it, from start to finish, in 15 days exactly, finishing took me another day. I made the length one inch longer than the pattern in the size I chose (size 34). Here is a detail of the cables running up the front:

What you see next to the stitchholders are the buttons I chose for it. I bought them at the Knitter's Frolic last spring.

I ended up using two different dye lots; I had seven balls of one dye lot, bought months ago, but needed more -- the balls I found were not of the same dye lot. So I used one dye lot for the fronts and back, and the other dye lot for the sleeves (4 balls for the back, 1.5 balls for each front, 2 balls for each sleeve). There is a change in colour, but it's not glaring and I can live with it.

The pattern was clear and well-written. The knit was interesting and went quickly, I love the saddle shoulders. The collar was a bit fiddly on the finishing (the three needle bind-off needs to show on the outside since it was going to be turned over, and the grafting to the back needs to be done from the inside -- of course, I did the opposite until I noticed my mistake as I was turning the collar), but other than that, it was a great knit. Very satisfying and it was over just before I got bored.

Not only that, but when I tried it on, it fit perfectly. It is definitely a first!

Here it is on me, with very sophisticated buttons -- yes, stitch holders do come in handy as buttons.

   

I promise to take better pictures, once I sew the buttons on and when I have better light.

I have two knitting resolutions for the New Year: finish UFOs -- one per month, and knit more from my stash. That is, if I find a pattern I like, I must check all my stash to make sure I don't have a good substitute yarn before I rush to the store and buy more yarn.

No other resolutions, knitting-wise or not. I think two are enough and they're easier to stick to.

And now, I am going back to the Hyacinth shawl, which I abandoned when I started knitting the cardigan. That's my UFO for January!