Update on Tigger; new UFO

Here is the latest on the Tigger sweater! I'm very pleased with the fit. I still have decreases to do on the neck, BUT... I want to put a hood on this. This is not in the Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns! I feel like I want to get closer to his natural neckline, but most hooded sweater patterns use pretty much all of the neck stitches, so I should probably start now. Indecision...!


And, of course, I can't resist starting a new project. I'm obsessed with this pattern--Double Rose Leaf from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. The yarn is a cotton Tahki of which I bought four balls for a scarf for my mother. Turns out, she's good on scarves and would prefer a pullover. So part of this exercise is to see if I want to keep the yarn for myself. It is really lovely and is knitting up beautifully. I think I'll use this pattern for a shawl in some wool laceweight too. Aaaaah. :)

She likes the scarf & hat!

My sister received the scarf & hat I made her last weekend. She likes them! She was so pleased that she wore the hat home. Her teenage daughter pointedly asked, "Are you cold or something?"

She is also thrilled with the scarf, which I blocked to within an inch of its life. I forget if it's 63 inches or 6'3". Long, anyway, and about 4" wide, which is what she specified.

Maybe I'll knit for her again! Although Mom asked for a pullover with a scandinavian yoke for her next knit item. Sounds pretty straightforward.

It's all in the 'tude, man

I had to redo several things on the kiddo's Tigger Sweater yesterday. The latest one was that I incorporated one of the sleeves wrong. I had been knitting them 2-on-2-circulars, so one 'end' was the beginning of the tube, and the other 'end' was halfway across. In this pattern, you bind of 6 stitches centered over the beginning and then knit across the remaining stitches when attaching it to the body.

Well, I bound off stitches and then knit across half of the remaining stitches, rather than from the bound-off stitches, so as I continued to knit, I came across a bald patch where stitches, seemingly in the middle of the sleeve, were bound off. OOPS.

Oh, and the error before that? I knit the other sleeve on, backwards. As in, I knit across the backside of the stitches, producing bumps on the K side. Still can't believe I did this.

Normally, there would have been a buttload of cussing, some throwing of the garment, and then an imposed exile period. For whatever reason (very good therapist?), I went and attended to Easter dinner*, then came back and calmly undid my error and continued on my way.

*A ham, because it is traditional and I like ham, and thought the Kid would enjoy it, which he did; plus homemade mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts. Guess which one the Kid asked for.

I know. I think it's unusual too. But I'm grateful for this new serenity. Especially as these were pretty egregious errors. Oh, well, I'm knitting around the top (what is that freakin' word? can't think of it) of the sweater now, well into the home stretch. Except for the hood I need to make. With Tigger ears.

Good think the Kid's cute.

The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!

I didn't really like that movie, but the line really sticks with me.

Just noticed Rabbitch added me to her blog list! OMG!

So now I really have to post more often.

Well, not a lot of knitting news to report! I am still working on the Tigger sweater sleeves, and WTF? How can two little sleeves take so much longer than 11" of sweater with a pocket?? I got tired of marking the six rows (inc 2 on the first), 8 times, in my knitting notebook, so I got out two barrel counters and put loops of scrap yarn in them. One is for the rows and the other is for repeats. I'm on the seventh repeat, so that's good.

I also did more work on my friend's Contrasto scarf. Had a little frisson when I thought, "When the heck is her birthday? Is it soon?" and the topic came up and she said August. Phew!

I also cast on a swatch for the Tahki blue cotton and seriously screwed up the decrease I was trying out and just can't get it all to behave again. So one side is fine, all k2p2, and the other side has like k2p4 followed by k2p2. Ugh. This sweater will be the death of me.

As for the shaping, especially for the Lang 'Viva' sweater, I took out the Sublime sweater pattern and started jotting down measurements for the waist shaping. 17 stitches per inch makes for some crazy numbers, especially when you do it in your head. I do think I can transfer them to the pattern, though, so that was worth it.

I also ran off half of the ball of Meilenweit to start a very basic pair of socks that I can finish before I'm 50. That yarn really makes my heart go pit-a-pat, so I think it will be very enjoyable. Unlike the Child's First Socks, which, now that I've turned the ankle, seem too small (ARRRGH!), and I think I hate them. Can't decide whether to frog them or just finish them and give them to someone with small feet. Dharma, when's your birthday again?

A pox on bullies

I'm maybe 6" up the sleeves (two at once) on the Tigger sweater, and say to my boy, "It's too bad I'm not done with it; you could wear it today." Then he informs me that he has no intention of ever wearing it to school, as kids would make fun of him. "It's just a black-and-orange striped sweater!" (with ears on the hood) Nope, there are girls who would say things, and he doesn't know what to do about them.

sigh I wish his school had an EFFECTIVE anti-bullying policy.

Still knitting...

Update with photos!

The latest on the Tigger sweater. It's up to the armpits and I've bound them off and started the 2 sleeves. Since sleeves are so narrow and fiddly, instead of doing them 1 at a time on dpns, I'm doing them 2 at a time on 2 circulars (you're not surprised, now are you?). I think I'll do twice-as-deep ribbing so I can fold it back now, and unfold it when he's bigger (which'll be in like 2 weeks).



Sunrise ripple scarf. This is the one I lost count in and which I'll redo with stitch markers after every repeat. I like that it's knit sideways and is all ripply. What do you think the yarn is? It's mystery yarn from my mom, no label but nice and shiny.





Second Contrasto scarf is coming along well. I love mistake rib. It rocks.







I've turned the heel on the Child's First Socks. Got messed up on the pattern, though; one part is on row 2 when it should be on row 3. Argh!






The Lang sweater, which is truly nice and soft, but must be frogged to be started over without that front V and with waist shaping. I do think it'll rock when I'm done, though.

Progress on Tigger Sweater

I brought it with me to work today, ostensibly to work on during our company meeting. There I was, right in the middle of the group with every speaker looking my way, so I didn't feel I could pull it out. Went for a walk afterwards instead, and knit on it then.

I'm at 7 1/2", so this round, I'll attach the pocket. I knit 6" on it yesterday, put it on stitch holders and cut the yarn. The body is at 5 1/2" so there'll be 1/2" of ease for hands. On this round, I'll knit up to the edge and k2tog across the 30 stitches of pocket. Then I'll have just 3 more inches till I get to the armholes. G is still loving it. The yarn is very soft, if garish.

An FO (sort of), and two UFOs

What's that "one step forward" thing? :)

I finished knitting my mom's felted hat. Haven't had the guts to felt it yet. The stripe on the brim seems too high by a row. I really don't want to reknit it, but it seems... uneven.

Then my son begged me to start on his Tigger sweater (like the Pooh tiger, not the Knitty sweater). So I cast on, and have about 3" knit already. The yarn is striping really nicely--sections will have a lot of black with some orange, then a lot of orange with some black. I knit while we watched "The Labyrinth," which I'd never seen but really enjoyed.

I knit on it at church and then it struck me that I'd wanted to start another Contrasto scarf, this time for a friend's upcoming birthday. I finished 1 of the 4 balls today and joined on the 2nd. I love that Mistake Rib!

I've decided to rip the Lang Yarns sweater, and redo it from the beginning, without the tummy-revealing vee in the front, and with the waist shaping. I've also decided to swatch the blue Tahki cotton sweater, doing the decreases as a test, as they are not clearly shown/explained in the pattern. I realized that the decreases not being clear were keeping me from working on it. They are one of the things that draw me to the sweater--making the shaping really sharp. So they need to be right.

We are insane (but you knew that)

My mom sent me an email last week, saying that a woman at her pool approached her and claimed that she owned the exact same socks as my mother. At the time, my mother was wearing the socks I knit her. We wrote back and forth indignant missives, calling for lawyers and notarized proof. My mom then forwarded the exchange to my sister.

She has promised to have us committed.

Updates on scarf, sweater, hat, new UFO

I finally got my butt in gear and washed and blocked my sister's skinny scarf. It's 63", which I fooled myself into thinking was 6'3" (duh, it's 5'3") but should be fine. I hope to mail it tomorrow.

I've done some more rows on the Lang sweater and, musing on how the Sublime sweater is a bit nipped in at the waist and gets me so many compliments, I'm wondering if I should rip it out a bit and redo the waist with the same shaping. Here's the irritating thing: they do waist shaping on the XXS, XS, and S sizes, just not on the M size (which I am, apparently; who knew?). Hm.

I am powering forward on my mom's felted hat. I knit up to the brim flap and ran out of contrast yarn on row 8 of 16 rows. Called Mom and we decided to just do a stripe of the contrast amid rows of black, the main color. So I ripped back to the welt, picked up the stitches again, and have already started on the 8 contrast rows. I'm anxious to be done but there's that pesky sleeping thing.

I also started a lacy scarf from the 2007 Pattern-a-day [sic--only one pattern on weekends] calendar. Got to the 5th row and I'm off on stitch numbers. I think I'll restart it with stitch markers (probably yarn, as the needles are size 11). This is an orange/olive/red shiny yarn from Mom; no label or anything. Maybe I'll try the burn tests in Yarn Harlot's Rules book this weekend and see what they actually are.

Oh, and the kid and I finished a green 'snake' from his four-post knitting thimble thingy. He put on two eyes and a long red tongue and loves his 'rattlesnake.'

It occurred to me...

I haven't been updating much, as I am still pretty much slogging along on the same projects. Child's First Socks--finished the latest 10-row set, only to decide it's still not long enough, and started the next. Lang Yarns Viva sweater--still not up to the armholes. It is nice and soft and a pretty easy pattern so far. Still haven't blocked the skinny scarf; maybe I'll fit that in tonight.

I did knit a swatch of the to-be-felted hat; of course, I'd already finished it when I read that they recommend at least 20 rows of each color (I did about 6 of the main color, 4 of the contrast, and another 5-6 of the main color). I just went ahead and felted it. Bless its little heart, it only took 15 mins to felt up. I mailed it to Mom today, to see if she thinks they felted at the same rate. It's pretty close. The contrast is a tad looser, but I think it'll be OK. Cascade 220 sure felts easily. I shall have to WATCH IT with the sweaters I knit from it; otherwise, they'll end up on my son.

Anyway, it did occur to me that I don't always have to post about my knitting here. I can jot down patterns that appeal to me, etc. Like the Dollar and a Half Cardigan from the Spring IK 2007 issue. Well, it did appeal to me. Then I was redesigning it in my mind--first, the sleeves: how about making the stripes go *down* them rather than around? Shorter cuffs, and no bells? Then, the back--I need horizontal stripes like I need a mohawk. Make it like the front. So now, do I need to buy that pattern? I think not. I can certainly swatch the front, do some measurements, and make my own pattern up. Done.

I also like the Clementine Shawlette from the same issue, but it doesn't seem too complex to reproduce--it's nearly a rectangle, but with gently tapering ends. I like the foldy end parts.

And, in other news, Mom has said that although she doesn't want a shawl (I had bought 4 balls of lovely sand-colored cotton for something for her), she would love another wool sweater, a pullover maybe with a Scandinavian yoke. What fun! I'd nearly run out of folks for whom to knit sweaters (I still want to knit Chaos for G--upscaled, of course). Whee!

Moving the pointer forward

No FO's to report this time, but I am moving forward on many knitting fronts. Up to row 24 of 31 on my mom's to-be-felted hat, more than halfway through the last repeat on the leg of the Child's First Sock (on the way down, so I'm not halfway through the sock), and I'm within 2" of the armpit/v-neck on the Lang Viva sweater (and it still feels awesome--so incredibly soft).

I am itching to start & finish something fast, but I really need to block my sister's long & skinny scarf and just SEND it to her first.

And I may cast on a simple set of socks at some point--I certainly can't knit on the Child's First without some thinking (I can knit while walking, though, which was good at the Zoo this past weekend).

Oh, and I have resigned myself to having to knit a swatch for the felted hat, to ensure that both yarns felt at the same rate, argh. I was worried about having enough yarn, but I think these 31 rows are the largest part of the hat, and there is tons of yarn left. The 98 yds of contrast yarn should last well, too (God help me there)... and it sure is pretty.

Two more FOs and a new UFO

I think posting about my projects tends to give me a kick in the heinie. I finished the long, skinny scarf and also Odessa. Not my best work, but it is pretty. The beads keep wanting to disappear to the inside. Clearly, I never figured out the trick to that.















I also started a felted hat for my mom; she had bought the yarn for it 2 trips ago, and I located the pattern at my then-LYS. Of course, since its destiny is to be felted, it is on huge needles (10.5US) and is already going fast. The main yarn is black Cascade 220, and the contrast is Brown Sheep Handpaint Originals in Sara's Dress (color 20; curiously left off the list), a lovely conglomerate of black and jewel tones. This can be my mindless project for now, as I knit 31 rows even.

Update on projects: One FO

Here's the FO: finished my sister's tam! Photograph by my son, 6.5 yrs.







Then, she asked for a long, skinny scarf, that would go around her neck a few times. I tried Mistake Rib, K1P1 rib, stockinette with garter-stitch edges, and each time, it looked like I'd end up with a short scarf. Then someone on the glbt-knit list suggested a diagonal scarf on oversized needles. That was the ticket!




Here's an update on Odessa, too. I am loving this wool; so springy, and the color is so intense. Don't know if my recent ex will still want it, but I'll offer it to her when I'm done, and if not, maybe my sister will want it.





Finally, here's the latest on the Lang Yarns Viva sweater. I tried it on (at about 8"), and it did fit! Lucky, since it would have killed me to rip all that out. I've decided that the little V in front is going to look like crap on me (just accentuate my belly), so I'm going to sew it up when I'm done. The cabling looks nice, though, no?

Destash! Something for everyone.

Lots of choices! Read all the way to the end--all sorts of yarns and tools etc.!

Laceweight:

No-label pale lavendar laceweight, 51g, feels very soft. Acrylic or great quality wool? You decide. $2 postpaid with anything else on this list.






No-label Prussian blue wool laceweight, 2 balls totaling 108g. $3 postpaid. PENDING







1 skein Merino Oro (Ornaghi Filati) in a rich brown (color 944, lot 69723). So soft, I want to stroke it and stroke it. Approx. 1250m/1375yd, 100g skein. Size 2-2.5mm needles, 36sts/54 rows per 10cm/4". $11 postpaid. SOLD





2 skeins KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud (100% baby alpaca and unbelievably soft) in Autumn (Color C810, brownish red heather, lot 9360). Redder than their photo and browner than mine. 50g and 440 yds each. $5 postpaid. SOLD





Fingering/sport:

No-label black eyelash yarn with nice 2" lashes. 42g but that includes the cardboard cone inside. Not quite supersoft, but would be a totally cool accent yarn, especially on a felted item! $2 postpaid with anything else on this list.





Elann.com's Peruvian Collection Baby Silk, 3 balls (one Moroccan Olive, color 1018, lot 94; one Aubergine, color 1805, lot 18; one Raspberry, color 2010, lot 98). I swear, I want to hang onto this stuff just to stroke it daily. 80% baby alpaca, 20% silk, 25g each (100m/109 yds). US 3/3.25mm needles 28 sts/36 rows per 4"/10cm. $5 postpaid. SOLD



No-label supersoft pale lemon yellow, 117 g, possibly acrylic. Most in soft skein; some will need to be rewound. A little darker than shown. $1 postpaid with purchase of anything else listed. PENDING






1 ball Southwest Trading Company "Beyond" in a purple/grape color (a little lighter than shown, and it has a nice bit of sheen to it). 100% cotton. 50g/228 yds, 5 sts/8rows to 1" on US 6. $2 with purchase of anything else on this page. SOLD





2 balls Anny Blatt Fine Kid (LIE DE VIN - color name?) 51% pure wool, 49% kid mohair. 50g 255m/280 yds. In a gorgeous deep purple color. On US4/3.5mm, 23 sts/33 rows per 10cm/4". $10 for both postpaid.





493g of soft, easy-care acrylic in a terrific grape color. I bought this in France and started a cardigan for myself... 2 sizes ago. 2-3 balls have been frogged and wound into center-pull balls, and 1-2 more never knit but just wound. Yarn is Pingouin brand, "Shako," color RN55239, lot CA01395; each 50g ball is 135m/150 yds. On 3.5mm, 22 stitches and 33 rows per 10cm/4". Really nice and soft, and a whole sweater's worth--about 10 balls! Just $10, postpaid. SOLD

Worsted/heavy worsted:

8 balls Samband Lopi in a medium-to-light heathery grey (Color 003, lot 239). 100g each, 110m. 4 sts/4" or 10 cm on size 5.5-6. 100% Icelandic wool. Great for a cardigan or pullover. This stuff'll keep you warm! $23 postpaid. Update! I found 2 more balls. One will have a few yards frogged. Price is unchanged. SOLD




3 balls Samband Lopi in a color that is somewhere between purple and brown (Color 065, lot 670). $10 postpaid. SOLD







Cascade 220 Peruvian Highland wool. 1 skein medium purple (color 8885, lot 6594), 1 skein chocolate brown (color 8686, lot 4315). On US7, 5 sts/inch. $4.50 each postpaid. SOLD (both)















Bulky/fast knit:

1 ball beautiful, shiny ribbon yarn from Crystal Palace Yarns--"PARTY" in Fall Herbs (color 403). 87 yds/50gr. 3-4 sts/inch on US 10.5-15. $7 postpaid. SOLD






1 huge ball Southwest Trading Company "Pagoda" in an explosion of white, blue, green, and other colors (color Peacock, Item #309). 100% polyester and so incredibly soft. 100g/100m. 13 sts, 14 rows = 4"/10cm on US 10.5. $2 with anything else on this list. PENDING





2 balls dark chocolate Firenze (Plymouth Yarns) made in Italy. Color 419, lot 67. 30% wool, 30% acrylic, 40% nylon, so soft and warm, too. 3 sts/in on US 11. 50g, 50m/55yds. I bought these to make a "magic scarf." I made one out of a milk-chocolate pair and I love it, but found that I haveother yarn this same color already. So these are available. $8 for both, postpaid.



1 ball "Trellis" by Lion Brands. This is a ladder yarn and the colors are incredible--this colorway is Copper Penny (308,lot 58175). 50g 115yds/105m, 100% nylon. If you want, I can dig up the rest of the previous ball and add it in. $3 postpaid. PENDING





Tools:
Lovely Brittany size 6/4.25mm straight needles with beautiful turned ends. Tips are not completely smooth. $3 postpaid. SOLD










2 Skacel Addi Turbo circular needles, US 1/2.5mm, 20"/50cm. One was used once; other has never left its packaging. $8 each or $15 for both, postpaid. 1 set is SOLD, one is PENDING







1 set Susan Bates Quicksilver circular needles, size 5/3.75mm 24"/61cm long. Never used (bought 2 by mistake!). $4 each, postpaid.






Two sets Plymouth bamboo circular needles, size US15, 32". Never used. Would you believe I bought 3 of these before I realized it? Oy. $5 each, postpaid. 1 set is SOLD, one is PENDING






Other:

Hand-Painted Self-Striping Yarn hat kit with the self-striping part in earthy shades of yellow, grey, and brown, and the accent yarn in 2 skeins (enough for two hats!) in a lovely variegated blue-jeans shade (lot 121505). Super-soft merino yarn (50 g, 176 yds ea). $25 for all, postpaid. Further explanation: The hideous bright orange stripes are just scrap yarn. The strip in between was machine-knit and then dye painted on. You unravel it and knit with the-now-self-striping yarn. When you intersperse it with the other yarns, it makes a beautifully patterned hat (well, two). Here are her kits with two swaths of machine-knitted yarn that you dye yourself and then unravel and knit together. Note that my kid makes 2 hats... and is already dyed! PENDING

Payment: Money order (email me at wearpurple at mac dot com for address) or PayPal to the same address. I'll mark your desired yarns "PENDING" until shipped. Enjoy!

I have clearly lost my mind

Just got my order in of more Skacel Contrasto for a birthday gift for a friend. And because I can't simply order ONE yarn, like ever, I added in some yarn for a sweater for the little dude. This yarn. In black and orange. As I said, I have completely lost my mind.

Yes, I keep knitting absolutely garish things for my son. Because that is what he asks for and I'm a softie for the little guy. The latest thing he asked for was a head-to-foot T!gger costume, knit or otherwise made by moi. I figure a pullover with kangaroo pocket in this yarn is the closest I'm willing to come, and that's a lot farther than most.

In other news, I finished the tam for my sister, and it is mostly OK. The top is a little, eh, peaky, so I'm going to rip back just a few rows and do k2togs all the way around and see if that makes it flatter. It is really very nice, I think. I still think the cast-on edge is a bit tight. The wool is so soft and warm. And now I have one full ball and part of another left over. Enough for another ribbed hat for me? For someone else? I adore this yarn. Why doesn't everyone stock it?

Oh, and I finished the 3.5" part of the Viva top. Came across a challenge: the pattern has you knit the back & front separately. Now that I'm done with the two "separate" parts of the front, the yarn is at the middle. But in "real life," the yarn would be at the edge. So I think I have to cut it and rejoin it at the right side (not the left, right? Doesn't knitting go from right to left?). Weird, huh? I do still like it, even though the yarn does sometimes catch on the tip of the needles (which are plenty dull, being Clovers).

I've put aside Odessa for the time being. I kept making mistakes.

OK, so I didn't ADD any new projects...

I finished my sister's tam on the second day (thank God for fast projects!). Just before cutting the yarn to draw it through the last loops, I tried it on. It slipped easily past my forehead and ears and became, well, a hangman's hood, practically. Lovely.

I had wondered if the gauge was right. (The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns only uses gauges of 4 or 5 on up; my gauge was 4.5... ish.)

I ripped it all out (huzzah for ballwinders!) and started over on the 4-gauge pattern. So far so good, although my knitted cast-on edge is a bit tight for my preferences. I hate the thought of ripping it all back just to redo the cast-on. Think I'll soldier forward instead. The swirly top (one of 3 given top patterns) is just fantastic IMO.

I am loving the Mission Falls 1824 wool (color: Raven a.k.a. black). It is squishy, not too splitty, soft, and God bless them, superwash! Oh, and affordable.

In which our hero hangs her head a bit

In celebration of having finished Branching Out, I enthusiastically cast on the Viva top. Well, I was enthusiastic at the beginning. OK, just before beginning. Because this blasted thing has swaths of stockinette intermixed with reverse stockinette, edge stitches, side stitches, you name it. I have used every stitch marker in the house and was even getting out washers from my junk drawer before I realized that some new stitch markers I just recently picked up were actually two bonded together (one large inside one small; they split apart with a little pressure). I feel like I'm knitting Birch after all!

The knitting itself wasn't too bad; the needles are long enough (I think they're 29") and the yarn very rarely catches on the point (it's not exactly splitty, but its weird tapeyness has an edge that sometimes catches), but it isn't quite fascinating yet. 3.5" to go before some excitement.

Given that, and that I wanted a smaller, quick project, and that the beads and springy Cool Wool 2000 (color merlot) were calling to me... I cast on for Odessa. Screwed the pooch right out of the gate by miscounting my knitted cast-on; when I started pattern rows, after 1" of k3p2 ribbing, the last pattern didn't have enough stitches. I'd counted 110 twice and 105 once. Turns out 105 was the actual number of cast-on stitches. Riiip. Redid the ribbing, and did 5 rows of pattern before I realized I'd neglected to change needle sizes. Riip. I've now done maybe 1.5" of pattern. The only current challenge (it's a very easy pattern) is keeping the beads on the outside. There must be a trick to this. Some stay; others hide. I poke them through and try to twist the bead slightly. It is lovely. Although, not being a process knitter, I wanted to be done Sunday. (shrug)

Branching Out pruned

To my utter surprise, I finished another UFO tonight. Got into a rhythm with Branching Out; that, and the unexpectedly smaller size of the ball (combined with a fairly loose gauge on my part?) meant I only managed to do 19 repeats, as opposed to the 27 or 36 with the two suggested yarns in the pattern.

I'm blocking the hell out of it, mostly lengthwise, so that it can be at least a decent neckwarmer.

I did a few rows on the Tahki blue cotton sweater. It's not nearly as bad as I'd remembered, but is fairly technical. I'm having to use a clipboard and paper to map out each row so that I don't miss out on the various decreases and to start the V-neck (which I hope to God isn't too low). I'm knitting it on one big circular needle, now with three balls of yarn (1 for back, 2 for the 2 sides of the v-neck). It sure would be good to finish this one.

But after this, I'm giving myself permission to start the "Viva" sweater!

Mistake-Rib scarf in Contrasto

I finished the Skacel Contrasto scarf last night, while waiting for delicous burgers. My son put it on immediately and I haven't been able to get it back from him so I can weave in the ends. (I told him I'd be cutting the remaining ends off and he's terrified it'll unravel. I shall reassure him. Those ends are mine.)

It turned out just great. The pattern is really charming and easy to remember. A friend admired it while I was doing it. She may get something nice for her birthday....

I bought this yarn because of its price and high silk content and, when I got it, was unenthused. Couldn't decide on a pattern for it--there aren't a lot of raw-silk knitted tube yarns out there. I found some patterns for full sweaters, but no ideas for just 3 balls.

It is not the softest, but it does have lovely depth of color and a pretty neat scrunchy feel. It doesn't get stabbed by the needles easily (its version of splittiness). The mistake-rib stitch suited it well; I did it over 23 stitches (multiple of 4 plus 3).

This is a UFO that was ripped out (a very stuff reversible cable scarf) and now done. That feels great!

Another UFO update

Child's First Socks are still plugging along. I do like this pattern.






A closeup of the yarn and pattern. The colors are fairly true.







I finished, measured, and washed the swatch for the Lang Yarns 'Viva' top. It is the same as prewash: 18 sts/4 in. The pattern calls for 19 (but interestingly, the ball label says 18). I did lots of math and found that this will actually give some needed ease. The pattern is for XS through M. No L? Maybe they don't get any bigger in Switzerland. All that hiking!

I'm hoping to finish another UFO before starting the sweater itself. And as Dharma suggested, I think I may do the front & back on the same needles. That will give a tiny bit of ease, too. There will be a question of how to do the pattern in the round. And once again, I make things more complex rather than less.

The swatch is soft and springy. I am very pleased.

Ugly Fair Isle

My first attempt at Fair Isle doesn't look to bad, technically--but the color choice? Uh, lamentable. :)

From a free pattern I found on the web.

In my defense, the colors in Knit Picks' Palette yarns are sometimes... inscrutable. I mean, do these oranges go together in the first place? I may do the second mitt with the pale apricot as the "natural" color and shades of grey/black for the other 3 colors. Or it may be a singleton (perhaps a warning to others?).

Final photo: Anniversary socks

I did finally finish these. The reinforcing thread in the toes is a different color than that in the heels. That's because I neglected to bring the navy thread along at Christmas, and ended up getting beige needlepoint wool from the yarn shop and un-plying it for thread. Worked pretty well, in the end, I think.

Here they are and she really loves them already.

Another FO!

Update: now with photos!

I finished one of the remaining 6 UFOs (that I can think of) on my list. It's another Magic Scarf, to replace my black one that disappeared in December. (boo hoo!) I had bought some soft, fluffy brown eyelash yarn when Yarn! closed, and started the scarf in December, probably while I was at my mom's. Put it down when we got back and hadn't touched it since. I had about 1/2 ball to go.

I got to the end of the skein last night and had to tink back an entire row, as it needs to be bound off so very loosely. I used my Daisy 35s to bind it off, and took the end and knotted it securely (but with a loose loop) to 2 other threads. The other Magic Scarves I've made have a problem with the end coming loose and hanging down. I'm hoping this method will work. I hate making knots, but clearly, the other way was not working.

This yarn is a lot heavier than the NY Yarns Fluff yarn I'd been using for the other ones. It feels a bit like a beaver pelt! Which is fine. I can still put my hands in it, stretch it out, and make it into a cowl. Works for me!











I also did a few more pattern repeats on Branching Out, after having to rechart it. I have no idea where the pattern went, and the chart was always a smidge too small for me, anyway. I did it by hand, but maybe next time, I'll use that knitting font and just make it oversized. I moved my lifeline every 10 rows and (knock on wood) didn't make any mistakes. Maybe I'll finish it yet!


(Hmm, dark photo. Yarn is a dark-to-medium purple, not navy.)

Purple sweater is in the frog pond

I finished frogging the purple acrylic sweater today at noon. My sweetie stopped me from frogging it by hand on Sunday, and helped me realize that frogging it with the ballwinder made loads more sense. So I did that today, frogging straight to the ballwinder, and then taking the full ball off and rewinding it with less tension, since the tension from frogging made for very tight balls.

So nice to be done with that. I made a list on Sunday of my current UFOs and I think (think think think) I only have 6 now! Woo hoo!

They know me! They really know me!

My sweetie gave me Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns for my birthday. Today, I got a forwarded email via my sister that Amazon has now shipped Sweaters from Camp!

And, wonder of wonders, my "Please don't make me any homemade stuff for Christmas; I'd rather not receive anything" sister has asked me to knit a hat for her! To her own specs, of course, but...

wow.

UFO update

I frogged Pasha. That acrylic is going back to the frog pond. No regrets there.

I also frogged a laceweight mohair hat I started for one of my son's aftercare teachers--fool that I am, I actually thought I'd finish a laceweight hat on size 8s in a moment's time! Don't know what I'll make out of it now, as it has no label so I have no idea of the yardage. It does have a lovely sheen (it's black).

Finally, I frogged a scarf I'd started last fall. It's in Skacel Contrasto (in olive), which I bought from Herrschner's because it contains silk. This was before I realized that the kind of silk yarn I like is the kind with a nice sheen. I had started the scarf in L!on Brand's Reversible Cable Scarf, because I love the idea of cables that reverse. But the pattern made it incredibly stiff and awful. So I frogged it entirely, cast on fewer stitches, and am doing a Mistake Rib scarf. It really looks super. Not sure who I was doing it for--my son asked, and after he felt it, he asked for it. I have 3 balls, so that should make a nice length of scarf.

Maybe I'll also frog the purple sweater tonight. Whee!

UFO challenge update

My next step in the UFO challenge will be to frog one or two projects, the first being Pasha, the doomed penguin. I was going to make it half-size and ran into some pattern-resizing challenges, and quit. Forget it; I'm done. She's going to the frog pond.

I'm also going to completely frog the purple acrylic cardigan I started in France with a long-lost French pattern (Pingouin, I'm guessing). I may reuse the yarn, but the cardigan, at this point, will not fit me anyway. And bright purple acrylic? Gives me pause.

I was thinking, at this rate, will I have enough UFO projects for all 12 months of 2007? And then I couldn't stop laughing.

Cozy is done! And is cozy!

A coworker just commented that Cozy, which I'm wearing today, is very cozy looking. And it is!

I finished last night, having to tink back 5 of the pattern rows because I didn't have enough yarn to do all 8 plus 3 garter-stitch rows plus casting off. As it is, I have maybe 3 yds left of the Plassard Bourette yarn. Despite looking like string (I bought the color Twine to match the original pattern, because as Dharma likes to remind me, I am a rules follower), it wasn't bad to knit with--not even as tough as cotton.

I did have to wonder, as I put it on today--have I become a little old lady, wearing my lacy shawl because "it's a little cold in here for these old bones, dear"--or is it just fine these days for middle-aged women to wear a lovely, lacy, cozy shawl?

I have decided that yes, it is just fine. And I love it. This may be my "leave at work for when it's chilly" shawl that I've been wanting for a while. We have had a heck of a time keeping our offices warm here. I'm wearing my River Rapids socks today and my feet are barely warm.

But I'm so glad to have finished Cozy! Tickled, really.

Just keep knitting, just keep knitting, just keep knitting, knitting, knitting...

I'm finishing the fifth ball of Cozy (of eight) and still enjoying it. It's getting big--too big to be a transportable project, I think. I have once again misplaced my camera, or you would be looking at photos of it-so-far and Fetching.

I continue to make mistakes on row 5 of Cozy. I get lost in the stitch pattern and get to the end with too few or too many stitches left. It is frustrating and I don't know how to resolve it. I do think it's much faster to knit from a chart, at least for me, and am surprised no one has put a chart on his or her blog for it. I'd do it but I don't have the characters/font set (does anyone?).

Ah--of course, the second I type it, it occurs to me to try to search for it again, and this time "knitting font" turns up a hit first off: a freeware font. Yay! Now I can go to the effort of typing in this chart to share. Whoopee!

I am, though, casting about for a truly transportable project again. I do have the Child's First Socks on the needles, but they're not what you'd call mindless. The other candidate is Branching Out, which is so challenging for me that it's the opposite of mindless. I do want to start the Lang Yarns Viva "Sleeveless" Top (to which I'll add sleeves, grâce à Knitty). But even the beginning doesn't seem mindless. And after a page from my Stitch & Bitch calendar encouraging me to do so, I kind of want to knit both the front & back at once, to make them the same size! (Now that I write that down, it does seem a bit insane. Perhaps good notes would help?)

Speaking of notes, I am really enjoying using a knitting notebook these days. I picked up a pocket-sized, lined, spiral-bound blank book at the Powell's store in the Portland airport (yes, in the airport--how cool is that?) with an elastic to hold it closed, and the spiral not only holds my pen but also lets me flip the cover completely to the back for writing. Am loving it! It was on the sale rack, and being the sale snooper that I am, I carefully peeled back the stack of stickers to see what I'd saved off the original price. They all read $4.98, which was the price I paid. Not cool, Powells. Sale usually means "at a discounted price." Hmph. (I do still love it, though.)

OK, enough blather--off to the day's activities. Just keep knitting!

They are fast!

Fetching is done! They were done Tuesday night, in time to be used Wednesday (and today, and tomorrow). My sweetie made appropriate sounds about them tonight (they really are cute). Hm, perhaps she'd like a pair? :)

I continue to work on Cozy, nearing the end of the third ball. It already seems large but a long Cozy might be really nice... I'm still loving it, despite having had to tink back almost the entire row 7 because I made a mistake on the second stitch of the row. Yes, the second stitch. Argh!

I'm now thinking of organizing my stash better--putting patterns with the wool, etc., so I have a better idea of yarn that has no planned purpose. The idea of planned projects out 2 years really pleases me, even when I can imagine others finding the idea appalling (my sweetheart knows I'm no spontaneity queen). And I do love the idea of future finished projects, yeah!

I'm a winner!

In a huge fit of irony, a contest that I entered only on second thought, turned out to be a winner for me. Jenn wanted folks to guess how many balls of yarn were in her stash (see the photos). I looked at her boxes, thought of how yarn compresses, and guessed 613.

Got a message today that I won! I have no idea what I won, but who cares? It's nice to be a winner some days!

I stopped work on Cozy (2' done) to make Fetching since I am soooo freakin' cold at work these days. Almost done with the second one already! Great pattern! I'm using charcoal grey Mission Falls 1824 superwash merino wool. It is so cushy. I got it at Yarn! before she closed. I hope I find another source for this great yarn!

Tour of Sweaters: #2

Note: Sweater #1 was found! See its photo at the bottom of its post.

Whenever I see an ad for Lopi yarn, I remember Sweater #2. Sweater #2 was really, in retrospect, complex. It was an Icelandic-style pullover. It called for Lopi yarn. I found Lopi yarn somewhere, and knew I couldn't afford to buy all that was required for it. So I ended up buying a bulky weight--say it with me--acrylic yarn. (Of course!)

It actually turned out pretty nice. I can't remember if I made it for myself or for my mom (see a trend here? How many of my knits are for my mom? I'm thinking half of all of them). The body was brown and the yoke designwork was a neat heather grey and an off-white. The only problem with it (beside it being out of acrylic!) was that the neck, predictably, was pretty tight. I may have ripped it out at one point and reknitted it. Oh, and I think it did pill like a mofo.

Not bad for a second sweater, though.

Photos!

First, a photo of the cuffs of the Anniversary socks. You'll see that the yarn did a lovely striping thing, and then when I switched from size 2s to size 1s, it pooled in a big way. This is good, in the end, because one sock did end up a smidge bigger than the other, and K has one foot bigger than the other. So the pooling helps to tell them apart.










Finished sock photo soon to come!

Now, my currently active project (did you like how I neatly avoided saying "my current project," as if I have just one?), Cozy. I have about 1' done and am 1.5 of 8 balls into it. And LOVING it! Some folks think yards and yards of knitted lace are awful, but I am really enjoying getting into a rhythm and am also enjoying the WS purl rows for some time off.









I think, despite what Rabbitch says, that this actually does not look like boiled ass. It will look lovelier when I'm done and it's blocked, but I already find it quite pretty--and downright cozy. Really. Yum.

FO, mostly

Oh btw, I did finish the Anniversary Socks, by the 5-month anniversary. But (there's always a but!) they are a smidge too short. I'll be pulling out the toes today and re-knitting them. Am hoping to be done (done done DONE!) today.

Runs in the family

My son woke up today and snuggled into bed with me. He said, "I had a dream and it wasn't scary at the end. It was about knitting. There were a lot of needles--and no dropped stitches, Mom! Tom and Jerry were in it and there was a little loop at the bottom, but Jerry said he had enough slippers."

My son, dreaming about knitting. Aaaaah.

Joyful, joyful, we adore thee

I have the happy task of deciding what I'm going to take on vacation in terms of knitting projects, wool, needles, and patterns. Yippee! I am already having fun. There are too many candidates, though.

UFOs (that I intend to finish)

The anniversary socks (top-down; halfway down the foot! size 1s are so slow though)
oh, crud--I'll need to either bring the book or xerox the finishing instructions. Yoiks!
The "Sublime" v-neck sweater I hope I don't hate the bell sleeves. Of course, they are bottom-up, so if I rip them, I rip them entirely. At least this very fuzzy yarn does, indeed, rip.
Son's scarf hoping to finish this by Christmas. Not sure if he realizes it's a gift. Maybe that's a good thing. (my own pattern; this will be the fifth one, I think!)

Knitting Dreams

Kiri Instead of Birch. I keep hearing its praises--why not? In Cracksilk Haze, Smoke.
Icarus Probably from the blue Misti baby alpaca I got from Little Knits a long while ago. I have the pattern from the Interweave Knits issue. (Color of the yarn is spot on.)
Shetland Triangle Out of what yarn? No idea.
Odessa For the gf; she chose the beads and prestrung them for me.
Anemoi mittens Finally, a stranded (Fair Isle) pattern that really makes my heart go pit-a-pat!
Tiffany Well, ditto the above. :) (but I'd choose different colors)
Ethereal Fichu Bought the pattern; still looking for the perfect yarn. Fell in love when I saw it on JoVE's blog.
Backyard Leaves I've always wanted to make this and was thrilled to find it included in Interweave Knits' Holiday Gifts issue. I think I already have yarn from which to make this.
Cozy Isn't that the perfect name for a Christmastime knitting project? Already have the yarn for this one, too, from Elann. Two different dye lots, but the oatmeal color probably won't matter.
Sleeveless top (to which I will add sleeves) from Lang Yarns Viva. In the green. (big needles--that's a draw right there.)

See my dilemma? Votes and opinions welcome.

Later: Oops, forgot one: another 3-way scarf like the one for my son, but for me, out of chocolate fuzzy stuff from my late, lamented yarn shop. OK, I think I'm done now.

And then sanity set in.

You may recall that I was working on a k3p1 ribbed scarf for G's teacher. I had also started a knit hat with a very fine mohair blend yarn (read: taking forever) for one of his aftercare teachers who always seems to be cold.

Since the last day of school has passed, there is no chance of getting a scarf to G's teacher for Christmas (if she celebrates it; I asked him to ask her but he forgot, or thinks he forgot). So...

how 'bout a little less stress? Current scarf goes to the aftercare teacher (just needs binding off and fringe), and I'll whip something up while on vacation for his regular teacher.

Phew.

Much progress

I am almost 4" done on the foot of the Anniversary socks. They really look good but damn, I swear those needles are getting smaller every time I knit with them!

While on jury duty (see my other blog), I buzzed along on the charcoal Knit One Purl Too Sublime Easy Fitted V-Neck. Man, does knitting go fast when your needles are 9s instead of 1s! I'm a little worried about the scratchiness of the mohair, but the color is great and it's even froggable, to my astonishment. I whipped out the front, back, one sleeve, and started another on the BART commute and while we waited (and waited and waited).

I also started and finished another Magic/3-Way Scarf for my son's young friend in a pink (#8; it is less blue than the photo) so bright it almost hurts the eyes. She'll love it. It is a Christmas present; nice to be able to mark that one off. While I was working on it on BART, a women asked if I'd made the one on my neck, too (my black one). I said yes and pointed out the 3 ways to wear it (long scarf, short cowl, hood) and she pointed out two more! You can pull the cowl up to cover your ears like a headband, and if you let the top scrunch enough, you can make it into a hat. Very cool!

After that, I started one of those scarves for my son in a Fluff Print (#26) he'd chosen a while ago. I'm betting on him having forgotten, as it will be one of his Christmas presents. When I'm done with that, I'm going to make myself another one with some soft brown yarn I bought when my beloved local yarn store closed. I don't know how well it will work, as the NY Yarns Fluff yarn has worked beautifully, and this stuff is a little heavier and the yardage is less (although I always end up with about 1/3 ball left of the Fluff).

I only have two more Christmas projects to finish (since I have chosen very few to begin with, for once!): a scarf for G's teacher and a hat for one of his Y-Kids teachers. The hat pattern came up in my 2006 Knitting Pattern A Day calendar. It's a simple mohair hat and I just found a ball of black mohair in my stash. Don't know where it came from. The teacher's scarf may come out of a ball of L!on Brand cashmere-blend yarn I got with my 40% off coupon at Beverly's and some gorgeous jewel-toned chenille I'm sure I got from Dharma. Neither is enough for a full scarf, but I'm going to attempt one of those "Cast on a million stitches and knit 2 rows with each yarn" scarves and see how the yarns hold out--and look together.

I'm hoping to just do fun knitting while away at Christmas--maybe a lacy scarf from an insert in a recent Interweave Knits, maybe some Fair Isle (OMG are these gorgeous?!?) with the yarn I got at Yarn! and the Palette sampler I got from the Destash blog from YaiAnn. I have spotted a Fair Isle sweater I want to knit (interesting note: there are very few I find attractive) and I need to know if I hate it, first.

And someday? I'll restart Birch. Because I must prevail, dammit.

Update on UFOs

childHood: side seams done, I need to do 1" on the hood and do a 3-needle bindoff. It'll need buttons (for show, with snaps behind), but I doubt the child will wait for that!

Super Secret Project #1: is done! Needs blocking and weaving in of 3 tiny ends.

Anniversary socks: well, I started turning the heel (with reinforcement thread, bought in Windsor weekend-before-last) at the Borg/Smith talk at First Congregational of Berkeley. Listening to religious discussion while starting a heel I'd not done before... well, too much for this bear of very little brain. I read the wrong number of stitches from the Knitter's Handy book and started a too-narrow heel flap. I also did the wrong thing for the purl row: the knit row is slip 1, knit 1; the purl row is slip 1, purl to end. I did slip 1, purl 1 for the whole row. (It was hard!) Undid my erroneous purl row, restarted the heel flap, and did all 34 rows (still wondering why I had to exclude 7 lonely stitches). Oops, I was supposed to do the heel flap over 34 stitches on this size/gauge sock. Riiip.

So now I've finished the heel flap and the first part of turning the heel. The next part is knit over the instep with the heel stitches, so I've discontinued the reinforcement thread (as thread through the instep seems quite uncomfortable). I moved all the stitches around so the middle of the heel is the start of the round and started the heel flap (with reinforcement thread) on the other stock. The heel flaps look really great in this yarn!

Not much else going on in my knitting world...!

Finally, a photo!

Now, with photos!

Here are the anniversary socks to date:




Envision Here are some beautiful k2p2 ribbing on size 2s and then size 1 needles. Envision They are socks at 6.5" that only need 2 more inches before foot shaping. Unfortunate that they were not finished by the 3 mo anniversary date (last Sunday). They are lovely, though.

I DO finish things!

...except for the camera search. I swear, I came across the camera bag when I was frantically searching for something else, but of course, can't recall that now.

But I started AND FINISHED a hat on Saturday! It's for Rabbitch's hat drive for homeless folks in Vancouver, BC. It's, um, huge. I made it from yarn given to me by a friend-of-a-friend, who knit some hats for Xmas presents and didn't want to knit any more. I had thought it was Lamb's Pride Bulky, but it turns out it's LP Polarweight. Calls for size THIRTEEN needles.

I had 15 and 10.5. I chose the 15s and a dark grey and cast on 60 (me, swatch???). Loosely following the directions in the Knitter's Handy Book (I love this book!), I knit ribbing, then stockinette, then switched to a lovely blue for 3 rounds, then finished the hat.

It is HUGE. I'm not sure whether to send it in as is (some homeless person with a huge head will be so happy!) or full or felt it a bit to reduce it to human proportions.

Oh, well. I knit some more on gf socks and cast on for another hat in a lighter grey on the 10.5 needles. I'm already up to the st st on it and will put in a stripe of green in this one, then send them off to Rabbitch.

K says she knows an SF Tenderloin minister who would be happy to receive handknits for the folks she ministers to. I may be able to get a list of what she wants and hold my own hat drive for local folks! With prizes! God knows I have more sock yarn than, well, God.

P.S. I also sewed the sleeves onto G's childHood correctly and completely seamed one side. It really does look great. About 1 more inch on the hood, seam it and the other side, add buttons, and we're done!

Socktoberfest Q&A

For no known reason except that there are very few expectations, I joined Socktoberfest today:

• When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

Hm, maybe a yearor two ago. I taught myself from an article in Interweave Knits about "Priscilla's Dream Socks" by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. Unfortunately, she uses a k3tog in her sock heels and I just hated the thought of that little lump in the side of the heel and abandoned it. Then I got the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns and made a yellow sock for my son. It was too long but he loved it (and is still waiting for the second, damn that Second Sock Syndrome!).

• What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?

My first complete pair was River Rapids in Claudia's handpainted. They are too big but I still love them. They are pilling a little. The yarn is so, so soft. I like to wear them with my clogs.

• What would you have done differently?

Really checked my gauge and gone down a needle size.

• What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

I'm knitting 2 different pairs of socks now with KnitPicks' Memories sock yarn. It really is nice--soft and the variegation is gentle enough not to pool. The colourways are Redwood Forest and Cape Cod and I liked them when I bought them, and like them more and more as I knit with them. Great yarn. (I hope they don't get felted ever!)

• Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

2 socks on 2 circs. Rules! SSS haunts me. DPNs are too pokey and hard to transport. Magic Loop, although I haven't tried it, just seems like it would strain the yarn at the loop.

• Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

I've only done flap and short-row and I really prefer the flap. I think they both look neat, though.

• How many pairs have you made?

2--the River Rapids and Mom's socks that would not die. I hope to finish the Cape Cod socks soon and pick up and finish the Child's First Socks soon thereafter.

Moving right along

I have about 3" done on the gf's socks and they really are gorgeous (photo as soon as I find my blasted camera, I promise!). Even though I decided on k2p2 ribbing, it really is going quite quickly.

It went really quickly last Saturday during my son's incredibly exciting soccer game. Well, that and the half cup of regular coffee really had my needles flying!

Danger, Will Robinson

My thoughts have turned to the afghan again, and I'm on the DiscountYarnSale site. I have a bag of the green (of which I need at least 10 skeins) and one of the ruby red (of which I only need 2, but the color is hard to find, and it's all on massive sale)... and they have bags of Cleckheaton's Country 8ply, which is a supersoft washable 100% wool yarn. Maybe a nice purple for me?

Somebody stop me!

Another 2-socks-on-2-circs hint

The ones I'm doing for my gf are currently on size 2s, which I only have in regular Susan Bates (not QuickSilver). I thought hard enough to buy this pair in differing colors--and that is making a huge difference. As long as I'm paying attention, I can remember to knit only with pink together or only green. If I find myself knitting pink with green, I'll know I've made a mistake.

Does that make sense? Each circular has needles on each end of the same color, and they differ.

It rocks. Seriously. :)

Coming along

I ripped out the stitching of the sleeves on childHood on Tuesday night, while my sweet gf was holding my arthritic, painful ankle and trying to do something to ease the pain (my strong anti-inflammatory and sucking down an entire beer finally helped, well, conk me out at least). So that's ready to move forward. I think the part I messed up in stitching is called the armscye--the straight-across part at the armpit. I had stitched the sleeves up to, but not onto, the armscye. Fortunately, ripping out was pretty easy. I did un-cast-off a stitch on one sleeve, but was able to restore it even in my drunken stupor.

And last night, I got 1" done on gf's socks! I'm doing the K2P2 ribbing and it really looks great in this yarn. My son and I watched Sinbad (the new animated one) while eating comfort food--ice cream and then grilled-cheese sandwich for him, potluck noodle salad and then quesadilla with salsa for me. Then I sent him off to get ready for bed and watched half of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. K called partway through and realized I was knitting madly while holding the phone squished to my shoulder. I love productive knitting!

When in doubt, start a new project

K had expressed interest in the KnitPicks Redwood Forest socks I'm making in the Child's First Sock pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. They are lovely but a little dainty for her, I think. And too slow!

She gave me a lovely pearl and amethyst necklace for our 2-month anniversary (last Friday). I told her I would knit her socks (despite Yarn Harlot's admonishment, as it was similar to the Boyfriend Sweater and, in her opinion, just not worth it). I brought up 4 possibilities from my sock yarn stash (mmm, I just love typing that!) and she gave me the choice. I chose the other set of skeins from KnitPicks, the Cape Code colorway.

I cast on last weekend, using the basic directions from Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns (a requested Christmas gift, yeah!). My only complaint is that they are top-down. I really like toe-up, but am unable to translate the pattern into toe-up (OK, that is another complaint). I think they will go quickly. I did choose to do K2P2 ribbing and will continue it onto the instep. Otherwise, very basic sock. With lovely Cape Coddish colors (as if I would know--but beautiful dark and lighter and greener sea blues and beige sand colors).

The pessimist in me says, well, we damn well have to stay together till I finish these freaking socks.