Caution: Post May Contain Actual Knitting Content

Look! Actual knitting! Actual finished knitting! Very exciting times indeed.

actual knitting content

Pattern: Sunshine Socks by Cookie A.

Yarn: ShiBui Sock, color “Kiwi”

Notes: Once I got settled on a yarn, these socks went quite quickly. The pattern repeat is intuitive and easy to follow. I like knitting socks with repeating charts like this, since they seem to go quickly. Also, so long as I remember to make a few notes, it seems easier to make the second sock a perfect match.

My main struggle was with settling on the right yarn. The first two yarns I tried turned out to be splitty (I’d never used either before); they couldn’t hold the cable twists and they were extremely frustrating to work with. Both were lovely, so I’ll try them again with a lace or plain pattern.

For this sock, the third yarn was the charm – my beloved ShiBui Sock in a luscious lime green. I heart ShiBui! It has a nice firm twist that works beautifully with fancy stitches, it’s soft but sturdy (so far – the finished socks I’ve worn are holding up well) and it comes in beautiful, semi-solid colors. I’ve read some complaints that it pools, but I’ve found that the lighter colors perform beautifully with no pooling and I don’t mind the pooling on the darker colors so long as it doesn’t distract from the pattern.

toe study

I used just two skeins (191 yards each) of ShiBui for these socks. Depending on the pattern, I sometimes need to dip into a third skein to accommodate my long feet. The length of the leg and the type of stitches used makes a huge difference – a shorter leg (Twisted Tulip) takes less while cables or twisted stitches (Pomatomas) takes more. I know – this is Knitting 101, but it seems the light is just dawning for me.

I also struggled a bit with gauge again. I dropped down to a US 0 for these, which isn’t too far out of line (the pattern calls for US 1 1/2; I usually drop one or two needles sizes for most patterns) But I also changed needles in the midst of this project, going from the super-slick Knit Picks Harmony’s to the slightly less slick Clover bamboos and the fit of the socks came out perfect. I’m thinking that the additional drag – minuscule as it is – is just enough to slow down my stitching so that I tighten the yarn more as I go. Hmmmm. Well. That theory might not hold up to scrutiny but I like it, so I’m sticking with it. And with the Clover bamboos.

green sunshine

These socks were knit as part of the Sock Innovations KAL on Ravelry where a different pattern is knit each month. My idea was that I’d knit the chosen sock right at the start of the month, then work on other things – other socks, gift knits, the English Rug, summer knits – in the vast amount of time left over during that month. Ha Ha! I have three days left before the next sock begins…..hmmmm, maybe this isn’t going to work the way I’d planned…. (well, there’s a shock!) but I’m going to continue for now, especially since I really want to knit every pattern in the book. The yarn issues really slowed me down this time, and I’m still spending a lot of time in the garden, but that’s easing up. Maybe this plan will work in the future?! Only time will tell!

Ravelry Made Me Do It

Ravelry swag and sock knitting

Happy Ravelry-versay to me!

Today is my second anniversary with my much-loved Ravelry! It’s hard to believe it’s been two years – I can’t even imagine anymore what it was like before Ravelry – the pattern search, the ability to organize your projects, yarn and needles, the online community. I’m quite certain that I am a better knitter than I would be without Ravelry, and that I’ve stuck with knitting and pushed the limits of what I thought I was capable of. I’ve meet some wonderful people through Ravelry (although I’m only rarely in the forums), discovered incredible patterns and learned techniques I never even knew existed. And it just keeps getting better – fun new features are constantly being added.

So, thanks Ravelry! I’m looking forward to many more happy years together!

Dream in Color Smooshy "Cinnamon Girl"

Knitting time around here is still somewhat limited, but it is getting better. Above is evidence that I’ve made progress on my Sunshine socks. Sadly, this is still the first sock – I’m going to have to beat feet (haha! so funny am I) to get the pair done by June 30 (for the KAL) You might notice that this sock is not pink as described in my previous post; it is in fact actually lime green. The pink yarn (a beautiful heathered color from Araucania) was too splitty (as was the first yarn I tried for this sock) – it just couldn’t handle the cabling. So I went with an established favorite of mine – this is ShiBui Sock in “Kiwi”. Love it. And it’s cabling like a champ. The Araucania will be saved for a lacy pattern in socks or a scarf (someday)

Finally, to celebrate my Ravelry-versary I stopped by the LYS and bought myself a skein of sock yarn. What can I say? Ravelry made me do it!

Long Time No See

Hello Blog!

How have you been?

Yes, it’s been awhile, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about you. You’ve actually been in my thoughts quite a bit.

What’s that? Oh. Yes – I’ve been busy. Very busy.

You see, it’s Gardening Season here and from about mid-April to mid-or-late-June it’s just crazy/insane/frantic out in the yard. I drag myself inside only when darkness or biting bugs force me to. And then I’m often so tired, I just sit and stare into space.

Haha – yes, sitting and staring into space is one of my more finely honed talents. Very funny.

Knitting? Yes, of course I’ve been knitting – you haven’t read about anybody being strangled around here lately, have you? Knitting keeps me (relatively) sane and out of jail.

Sadly, knitting has taken a hit during the Gardening Season too. Currently I’m knitting Sunshine for the June Cookie A Sock Innovation KAL, but I’ve been struggling a bit with yarn and needle choices. I’m on my second yarn choice (Araucania Itata) which is a gorgeous mostly solid dusty pink with the seductive name of #2006 and so far it seems to be ok; I’m a bit gun shy since the previous yarn kept splitting like a mad thing so I’m reserving a final judgement. Whatever the verdict, it sure is pretty.

Having to start over well over a week into the month has put me behind, so I’m concentrating just on the socks. All 20 minutes of my daily knitting time goes exclusively to Sunshine.

As noted in the last post (haha, I’m sure your memory is good enough to remember – it’s not like it was decades or centuries ago!), I finished up the May KAL sock (Kai-Mei) before the end of the month. Since I had some time before I could start the June sock, I quick knitted another Thermis for my friend Carol as a hostess gift. She lives in Wisconsin, so it should come in handy although she wasn’t really sure what it was and I had to demonstrate how it worked. Her enthusiasm seemed a bit tempered – maybe I should stick to gift certificates after this… What do you think?

I also attempted to do some more work on my first toe-up socks but finally had to admit that that Monster of Evil had returned. Yes, that’s right – gauge reared it’s ugly, disagreeable head and laughed at me. Why can’t it just leave me alone – I ask you – what have I ever done to it?

Apparently I’m knitting looser and looser in my old age. The pattern calls for a #0 needle for a 66 stitch sock; my basic sock is a #1 needle on 64 stitches. What? No, of course I didn’t do any math – what a silly thought! I just figured – intuitively – that’d I’d be ok. Of course, thanks to Evil Gauge, it wasn’t ok and I went on a search for teeny tiny needles.

It took quite a bit of searching, but I finally found HiyaHiya needles in #00 and #000 double points. Addi and Inox also have needles this small, but they’re 8 inches long (used by lace knitters); the HiyaHiya’s are 5 inches, much better for sock knitting. Interestingly, I also had to buy a new needle sizer since your regular sizers don’t go smaller than #0. (Well, I thought that was interesting!) Ravelry doesn’t even include needles smaller than #00 on their inventory chart. The needles were very reasonably priced and arrived almost instantly; I’m anxious to take them for a spin but they’ll have to wait their turn.

Well, Blog, it’s been fun catching up, but it’s getting late. Have to go put something on my bug bites and crawl into bed. I promise not to be away so long next time – maybe even bring along a finished knit or two. Until then, be good!

It’s not George Clooney’s Fault

Hello my knitting peeps! (heh – I always wanted to use that phrase) I bet all three of you were beginning to wonder what had happened to me. A romantic European tour with George Clooney? Piloting the space shuttle? On the run from the Mob? No! I’ll tell you what happened to me – May! May happened to me! And to a gardener (and the “flowergirl” in the name of the blog has nothing to do with weddings and everything to do with flowers), May is the Ultimate Month. So much to do! Finally! Outside! Warmth! Snow-free! Sunshine! FLOWERS! See:

now that's how you do pink

That’s a peony by the way; I have dozens of them crammed into my tiny yard and they’re my pride and joy. Along with about a zillion other plants and flowers and a few vegies. So, knitting and the English Rug have taken a backseat lately – I haven’t touched the English Rug all month (but I will get back to it!) and knitting time is limited to bits and pieces.

Those bits and pieces (and a couple sustained hours this afternoon) add up though and socks have been completed.

mirrors

Pattern: Kai-Mei by Cookie A

Yarn: Madelinetosh Sock, colorway “Gilded”

Notes: This is the first pattern I’ve done from Cookie’s new book, Sock Innovation and, typical of Cookie A patterns, it’s great fun and a little out of the ordinary. I love how the lace panel wraps from the side to the top, and that the right and left sock mirror each other. I did have some problems wrapping my head around the gusset (where the lace pattern begins) but that was this knitters inexperience rather than a problem with the pattern. I also got frustrated with the errata for this pattern – I think some of the errata needs an errata! It is disappointing that a book from a respected publisher would have so many mistakes; I’ve read that the first edition has sold out and that these mistakes will be corrected in the 2nd printing but that still leaves me with a flawed book (and I plan to make every pattern) Be sure to check the errata page!

wrapped in lace

I finished this sock as part of the May KAL for the Ravelry group Sock Innovation; there are other groups doing KALs for Cookie’s socks, but I decided to stick with this one because it is much more low-key than the others. With so much on my plate right now, I decided to go with clear and simple. The KAL – and Ravelry – were incredibly valuable since there is a lot of discussion about the pattern (and the errata) and many explanations on interpreting it. I might have thrown in the towel otherwise. What did we do before Ravelry?! (Oh Ravelry, how I love you!)

sidewinder

Because of all the straight ribbing on this sock, I decided this would be a good time to teach myself the Norwegian Purl (sounds like a beer hall dance, doesn’t it?) This is a way for continental knitters (pickers) to purl without stopping to move the yarn to the front of your knitting. Basically, you scoop up the yarn from the back (while holding it in the back like you do for a knit stitch) and the swoop it forward and the loop it under and twist your wrist  and wiggle your nose and viola! a purl stitch. (For a better – real – explanation and videos, check out YouTube) It’s supposed to help you knit faster since you don’t have to move the yarn back and forth but I’m not sure I ever got noticeably quicker. Also, I believe it made my gauge looser. Looser! Like I need to knit looser – I’m already too loosey-goosey in the knitting department as it is! It was a lot of fun to learn though – an interesting challenge – but I’ll probably stick with my “regular” purl.

love

And finally, the yarn? Madelinetosh? It just might be the most beautiful sock yarn ever. Silky soft yet substantial and with deep, gorgeous, subtly variegated color. It has a bit of sheen to it that makes it especially luxurious. A joy to knit with, a delight to wear. I think this might be true love.

I just hope George won’t be too heartbroken.

Confession

I have a confession to make:

I haven’t been working on the English Rug.

I keep thinking, “Oh, now isn’t a good time. Tonight, while I’m watching TV – that’ll be perfect.” Except, when I’m watching TV I just sit there like a lump, or read a book or…..knit. Yes, the lure of intriguing new sock patterns and gorgeous sock yarn has yanked me off the straight and narrow. Cookie A! Madelinetosh! Wendy Johnson! Lavender and yellow!

I am weak. I am helpless.

I am doomed.

I’m trying to not be too hard on myself. The fact is, I put the English Rug away for a reason – it got boring. It’s still pretty boring, but the light at the end of the tunnel – while still just a pinprick – is the motivation to pick it up again. I’m just going to have to go at it a bit at a time. Also, crafting in general has taken a hit now that garden season is in full swing – my attention and energies are needed elsewhere. So it’s not abandoned, just resting.

It hasn’t helped any that the knitting that has taken place has been absolutely mesmerizing. The yarn – Madelinetosh Sock for both – is divine. It is now jockeying for position in my top 5 sock yarns. Just get a load of those colors – heavenly!

And the patterns? Well, they’re both Cookie A which tells you something right away. The lavender sock the the right is Marlene, which I’ve wanted to knit from the moment I set eyes on it. I’ve been using this sock as my travel project, but that might not be the best idea – while it isn’t difficult, I’ve found that I need to concentrate on it or risk major tinking.

The sock on the left is Kai-Mei from Sock Innovations. The leg of the sock is very plain 3×3 ribbing – the fun part starts after completing the heel flap (which I’m just about to begin here) when a traveling lace pattern is introduced. To spice up the large chunk of ribbing I taught myself how to do the Norwegian purl (for Continental knitters, this is a way to purl which leaves the yarn at the back of the work instead of moving it to the front. See YouTube videos for more info!) I’m not sure this is any faster yet, but it sure is fun. Kai-Mei is the May KAL pattern for the Ravelry group “Sock Innovation”, so I’d like to finish this pair this month.

And then there is Wendy Johnson’s new book, Socks from the Toe Up. I’m very anxious to try these patterns and techniques and have even wound the yarn for my first attempt….

The English Rug never had a chance.

Sleep tight, English Rug. I’ll wake you up soon (I hope)

Monkey-ing Around

Between the English Rug and the opening of the Garden Season, the knitting has been a little quiet around here lately. It has not, however, disappeared.

spring Monkeys

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A

Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, colorway “Giant Peach”

Notes: This is actually the third time I’ve knit Monkeys; however a couple were gifts and the pair meant for me was, cleverly enough, also felted by me so I felt I still needed a pair. After some recent knitting mishaps I needed something in a bright color with an interesting pattern that wasn’t too taxing. These Monkeys were perfect for this – the light peach really lets the stitches shine and the pattern is super fun to knit. This would be a great pattern for newer sock knitters who are ready to move beyond the basics. Also – pretty!

Toby might have a future as a model

In other knitting-related news, I’ve gone on a sock-pattern-book acquiring spree lately because, you know – you can never have too much sock yarn or too many sock patterns. I’ve already mentioned Cookie A’s new book Sock Innovations (seriously, this is a fabulous book – I plan to knit every single pattern in it) Next I received as gifts Knitting on the Road and Folk Socks, both by Nancy Bush. And then I splurged and bought Knitting Vintage Socks, also by Nancy Bush, Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Carol Sulcoski and Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson. I know! Amazing! I think this is a great collection of classics (the Nancy Bush books) and books destined to be classics (the other three, all published within the last 6 months)

I’m especially impressed by Wendy Johnson’s new book, just out last week. I’ve been following Wendy’s blog since I returned to knitting a couple years ago; it’s been a great source of inspiration. The photography in this beautiful book is excellent – lots of white background which shows off the socks beautifully plus multiple close-ups showing various angles -  very important to the knitter. And there isn’t a throw-away pattern in the book – I want to knit them all!  I haven’t knit any socks toe-up yet, but now I am so motivated to try!

Some various skeins of particularly beautiful sock yarn might have also been acquired in the past few weeks, but let’s not talk about that at the moment…

Now, back to the English Rug.

Things I’ve Learned from The English Rug

1. Small steps add up. That blank canvas can look pretty intimidating, and those stitches seem very small. Isolating and concentrating on a small area, then the next small area and the next gradually adds up to noticeable progress.

2. Color is powerful. Skillful combinations and contrasts of color can create depth and movement in a two-dimensional piece.

3. Classic design never goes out of style. Even if you’ve put it away for years and not looked at it, you’ll still love it when you pull it out again.

4. I’d rather be knitting. <sigh>

Hoppy Easter!

another use for leftover sock yarn!

The Mother of All UFOs

Remember how I said my non-knitting handwork project for the Members Only KAL was “Quite Large”. Yeah, well. I wasn’t kidding.

I call it The English Rug.

Everything about this project is Quite Large. The length of time I’ve been working on it (off and on for almost 15 years, although very little the last 5), it’s size (finished size will be about 48″ x 52″ which is not that large for a rug – unless you’re stitching it by hand), it’s cost (I really no longer have any no idea what the total cost is – I bought it in pieces over several years – but it probably would have been cheaper to buy a first class ticket to Turkey and buy a hand knotted rug there!)

For many years I did lots and lots and lots of counted cross-stitch, to the point that I completely burned out on it. I’ve also dabbled in various other handwork, including needlepoint. The English Rug is kind of a cross between the two, a technique called Berlin work which was very popular during the Victorian era. You use needlepoint canvas, but make a cross-stitch for each stitch. Also, the canvas is not painted like many needlepoint canvases; you follow a chart similar to counted cross-stitch. This allows for a lot of shading (and, in my opinion, more depth) – there are 6 shades of pink in each of those roses, and 4 to 5 greens in each leaf.

The pattern consists of 6 square blocks for the center section, 2 long border pieces for the sides, 2 short border pieces for the top and bottom and 4 corner pieces. Everything is done except for the background on 1 corner piece and most of the pattern and all of the background on another corner piece. Just that – and all of the blocking and assembly, of course.

I’ve never, over all this time, gotten tired of the pattern. I think it’s timeless and, you know – it’s got flowers in it! I’ve always planned on getting it done – I’ve even saved a place for it on a wall when it’s ready to hang. But it’s been a long slog and I got distracted. Very distracted.

So. Enter the Members Only KAL, a gentle prod to get me – and keep me – on track.

Hear that Chris? You’ve got your work cut out for you.

Under the Wire

I managed to finish up one more Malabrigo project before March ended (casting off at 11:25pm on the 31st!) Whew!

bright!

Pattern: Birthday Cowl

Yarn: Malabrigo worsted, colorway “Sauterne”

Notes: Bright and cheerful, easy but interesting – if you need to crank out a project in a few hours, this is it. I think the finished lines of the pattern are especially nice. Being the loosey-goosey knitter that I am, I could have cast on for one less repeat (even though I went down a needle size) but it’s not bad – still usable – and maybe a quick trip through the dryer will help. This eye-popping color matches my Breathe Deep mittens nicely, and adds some much needed cheer.

sock goodness

In other news, my copy of the new Cookie A book, Sock Innovations, arrived today. I love each and every pattern in it but — some of them look really hard! Like, one has a stitch that requires two cable needles! (I panicked and stopped reading at that point so I might not be absolutely correct on that) and there are some massive charts. I’ve read two schools of thought on tackling a knitting pattern – read it through thoroughly and determine that you understand each and every stitch or, plunge in. You’ll figure it out when you get to it.

I’m going to subscribe to the second method and not look too closely at those patterns!

Next time: exciting updates from the Members Only KAL!