Endings and Beginnings!

Well - despite the fact that my neighbors kept me awake last night due to firecrackers (I was glad I didn't have to go to work this AM) - I accomplished a lot today - knitwise!

Finished my second pair of socks. One seems smaller than the other - which doesn't make sense since the colors are in synch.. maybe its my imagination:



But they are done and I love using Step - except that it splits easily which is a problem when you drop stitches!

And then I did the koolaid thing with my melon shawl. Well - its still variegated - but a brighter color. I like it.. Here she is blocking on my sewing room floor - the only place it would fit!




So with all that behind me - I decided to dive into the Kauni Cardigan. The yarn comes in these HUGE skeins - but I thought - lucky me I have an electic yarn winder. So I started doing the first skein - and should have known better not to put too much onto the holder. Heh, heh... it wouldn't come off. So - that ball will just have to stay on the holder, I will need to knit that one from the outside in - so that pretty much determined the order of colors for all the balls. In the photo below its the one on the lower right.

And from then on - my electric winder just didn't hack it. It created this messy lump - so I found my manual winder and started to wind the yarn on that. Of course - some of the yarn that was already off the swift got tangled - so I had to untangle them (my poor dog thought I was being Blue Meany Mom). So now I have about 8 balls all different sizes - and I need to figure out which one starts where another ends. I really thought I had been organized and put them in order - but after some consideration I realized that for some balls ( to maintain the correct order of colors) - I will need to pull the yarn from the inside out and for others I will need to pull yarn from the outside in. I'll figure it out! Pretty colors!



So I did a gauge and had to go down one size.. Using my 32 inch Addi circulars (3.0 mm for the ribbing and 3.25 mm for the body) Then I started casting on. Long tail which I have grown to love. BUT - not three times. TWICE I ran out of tail. The third time I only had 12 more stitches when I ran out.. and I was so glad I had seen Lily Chin 2 weeks ago - give a tip to cast on purlwise if you run out of tail - since I had no intention of redoing another 200+ stitches. But I've started and this IS going to be one pretty sweater! Here is the start. I added 7 steek stitches. Doing corrugated ribbing right now - not my fav - but it is short so I can handle anything for 1 3/8 inches.. right?




More tomorrow. I WILL get past the corregated stuff.

Ricki

Happy Fourth of July!

Number two shows improvement!

Even though I had to work the toe of the first sock twice (it was too short) - I'm pleased with the final result. I think the fabric using size US 1 (2.25 mm) is much better suited to socks. Ta-da!



So - I really wanted to get a better idea on how much yarn it took - I weighed what was left and figured I had used up a little more than a third of the skein (460 yds originally) - so I figure I needed about 153 yds. I can surely get a pair of socks out of 360 yds. That is reassuring. And I think the next time I want the leg a bit higher.

I also realized I could chew up yarn in order to start the second pair at the same point as the first.. which I did .. and here is the beginning of the second pair:



Not bad.. not bad at all.

But to be honest - its getting kinda hard having to frog and redo these socks to fit my weird feet (my toes are about 2.5 inches long and with the number of stitches I am using. I run out of stitches before I run out of toe. I also don't like the pointy end - I may try to find something more rounded.

And maybe its time to try something with more of a pattern. I bought some neat Opal Crazy yarn which looks like fun to knit. But then there's Kauni. One of these days I will make a dent in my stash. Maybe when I retire?

I will blog more this week with my time off.
Ricki

Happy Birthday Country!

I have always loved the 4th of July! Not the fireworks which drive my pets crazy - but the concept. Except for some interludes during the anti Vietnam war protest days - I have always considered myself to be very patriotic and I love being an American. I love putting out my flag every 4th of July and realizing how blessed we all are. Can you imagine having all that we have and doing all that we do with fewer freedoms. Yes - God Bless America..

And back to knitting.. I am well into my second pair of socks:



I'm doing these in Austermann Step (so soft with Jojoba and Aloe) with size 1 Crystal Palace bamboos - 6 inches long and I like the fabric better.. much less stretchy. I hope they aren't too small! I think this is the hardest part about socks. A sweater can be a little big or a little small but the socks need to fit "just right". And I guess this starts all over again when I get a new yarn? I've been bad the last few weeks - have bought some more sock yarn to feed my addiction - even some fancier ones - like Socks that Rock. I'm wondering tho if I can get a pair with 360 yds. May need to try the toe up technique.

I am off of work from the 4th thru the 9th - so have LOTS of knitting time. I plan to dye my Melon Shawl, finish these socks and then start my Kauni. I just joined a Kauni KAL. When I got my yarn I thought it was a bad batch. It is much more muted than what I have seen on the net.. here is a photo - which explains the confusion. It photographs REALLY bright:



The actual yarn colors are more muted. But the KAL gals reassured me that the final product will look more like this:

I am hoping - after doing my Dale - that this one will be a breeze. We will see. The yarn is somewhat scratchy (may be hard to knit on hot summer days altho with my new A/C it should be OK) - but I really want to start this since the KAL is just kicking off. I think I will violate my intent to only have one project at a time on the needles. I will keep my socks going to do at work (so easy to transport) and do the Kauni on weekends. Lets see how that goes.

So my blog should have prettier pictures soon!

I understand the love of socks!

So - two weeks into this and I got the fever! Yes - I am almost done with my first pair of knitted socks and I can see why this is such a big trend! I'm not sure exactly why I like it but I do. Its either the fact that it goes so fast, has a lot of variety, is portable, is something I can do even after a long day at the office since it doesn't require a lot of chart reading.

But Skacel/Addi has done it again to me. Their darn US size variations. I have been using US size 2.. which is what the patterns suggest. And you think - since I got burned last winter with Addi Turbo circulars - I would focus on the mm sizes but no - not me, no siree. Most US size 2 = 2.75 mm. But Skacel DPN US Size 2 = 3mm. So even tho I did a gauge and the sock goes around my foot - the fabric (I think) is too loose. So the next pair.. I'm going down to 2.50 (size 1?). I'm trying hard to find some nice 6 inch size 1's in bamboo. Not many out there.

I'm curious about the Lantern Moon sox stix but they are only 5 inches long. Not sure if I can keep the stitches on it - but maybe since they will be smaller stitches. Will see.

Another item on my scope is the Kauni cardigan which is Yarn Harlot is knitting. The pattern is free - but the yarn is currently only available overseas. So - I placed an order with Astrid. And it will get done sometime - but not until I get socks out of my system. Can't believe I've waited so long to get into them.

Ricki

The lady did a sock!

Wow! a sock!




Not the best sock but a sock! This was a hybrid pattern from watching Lucy Neatby DVD's, three patterns I found, and calling my sister once a day to get help. At the end I got brave (decided to forego Lucy's sock chimney) and grafted it off the needles. Probably not the best idea. I really couldn't see what was going on to the right of my needles and I ended up having to tidy things up later. The stitches were much too loose. But it worked.

Until I was ready to (per Lucy) suture up my holes. Hah.. Turned the sock inside out and there was this piece of yarn hanging from one of the holes to another stitch about an inch away. Sigh.. I still sutured the hole but used some yarn to "lock down" the hanging yarn. I don't have a clue where that came from.

But what can you ask for a first sock! It is done.. it is gorgeous yarn (love the Trekk Color) and I am ready to do number two. I think after this pair tho - I may make the next one smaller.

I always hated these poses - but I had to do it:



Oh - and does anyone know if X's are supposed to be there where I picked up the stitches around the heel flap? Something tells me I did something wrong..

Later (Sunday the 10th):

To those who thought - boy that lady has an enormous foot.. I was wondering why the sock was comfy but didn't hug my foot. I decided to measure across the instep - and it was 8.5 inches (supposed to be 7.5) EEEKK! For some reason - the final gauge was a lot bigger. Maybe I knit looser in the round? Whatever. so my first sock is only in the memory book on this blog! I ripped it out (why bother making two that don't fit) - and I'm going down to 44 stitches total (I had used 52). I'm determined to stay with US 2 (3.0 mm) DPN's since they are a lot easier for me than anything smaller. Will see if the next ones fit!

Coming to the finish line!

I've been away for awhile but staying busy. I've finished the two long sides and one short side of my shawl (now measures about 65 inches long). I decided to follow Grumperina's lead.. and did the narrow point border instead of the one in the pattern. Probably a good thing or else I would have run out of yarn. Here is my masterpiece:



I'm happy with it (there are a few mistakes but who can tell!) - but I'm thinking about overdyeing the yarn with solid pink. I think the variegated colors overwhelms the pattern. This coming from a Charlotte's Web shawl devotee who loves the look of the Koigu yarn on Charlotte. I just think it depends on the pattern. This one needs a solid color. So - I should be done this week.. and then.. ta-da...

I REALLY am not wanting to do lace for awhile so I am going to tackle my first pair of socks. Yes, me, socks. Wish me luck, say a prayer, light a candle, whatever it takes. I will either swear off of them for life or maybe I will find a new love.

As I said earlier - I have been busy busy busy. Over the holiday I put on new license plates, Fixed my doggy door, spackled and painted my kitchen ceiling, pressure washed and restained my deck. That plus other weeding, etc.. So - it wasn't that I didn't want to blog - I was too exhausted to blog. But now things are under control and I can come inside some of the time.

Thinking about my next vacation over 4th of July week.. I'm taking the two days off after the 4th and the following Monday. By then - I'll be a sock maven.

Be well,
Ricki