Starting Over

I've started Bianca's Jacket from Interweave Fall 2006, using Lion Brand Cotton Ease. The gauge for that is for a heavier yarn, but I'm knitting the medium size and expecting it to be smaller. I'm also using my left hand only, so my gauge is a little bigger. It's really awkward and my right hand keeps trying to take over. It feels like when I first started knitting, but it does seem faster, or it will be once I get used to it. I like not having to move the yarn much when I'm on the purl rows. The purl rows actually seem easier, because I keep grabbing both the front and the back loops when I'm knitting. The yarn and all the loops feel less secure, but I guess that's because I'm not used to it. The main thing I don't like is that my knitting looks so uneven. Some stitches are really stretched out and everything looks kind of crummy. I just want to get better with using my left hand so I can do fair isle more easily.

I finished the Monkey socks, except they aren't technically done. As you can see, one is taller than the other. Also the foot of the shorter one is in a tighter gauge, so I have to redo the other one to match it. I'm not sure if I should redo the top area of the shorter one, or the entire other sock. The taller one feels a little better with the looser gauge, and I don't have to struggle to put it on. The ironic thing was that I used the same size needle, size 2.5 mm, but used different brand needles. On one I used Knit Picks, and one is Addi dpns, and the Addis seem to look a tiny bit bigger. I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Somerset, which I definitely liked for this pattern. It's kind of hard to see the pattern in the picture, but it stands out in person.

Another Single Sock

Conwy 2
Originally uploaded by sphilange.

I finished Conwy from Knitting on the Road. I used Fearless Fibers yarn in Raspberry, which looked more purplish on the website, but turned out to be a dark hot pink, which I ended up liking more than purple. I used size 2.25 mm needles. The yarn seems to work really well with this pattern, because it doesn't obscure the pattern. The only thing I would have changed is to not decrease halfway down the leg. It wasn't really necessary, and made the sock a tiny bit too tight, but not enough so I wanted to fix it. I have now five single socks and for most of them, I haven't even started their mates. I figured that would happen, since I'm not a focused-on-one-project type of knitter.

Rusted Root Done

Rusted Root
Originally uploaded by sphilange.

I finished Rusted Root after several months of having it hibernate. I started off knitting a larger size, but started over with the smaller size. It fits really well now. This was a simple project, but the boring stockinette areas made it harder to keep knitting. I don't usually like to knit something in the exact yarn and color of the pattern, but I like this color and happened to have some. I used Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Sedona, with size 6 needles. The lace part was easy, but I still made a small mistake. I don't know how to go back and add yo's to an area, after I've knitted several inches. If I unraveled the vertical row, it would be hard to recreate the lace pattern, with all the increasing and decreasing. Even with stockinette, I don't know how to add yo's to an area. If anyone knows how, or knows of a good source to learn from, it would help. It happened to me with lace knitting often enough, so I figured there must be a way to go back and fix mistakes.

Movin' On Up

I finally got my Ravelry invite, I'm Sphilange on there. The thing that bothers me the most, is that I just got rid of my DSL and now I have dial up, so it takes forever to look at stuff. But so far, I like looking at patterns and yarns, and seeing people's finished projects. It's surprising how much stuff is already on there, considering it's still in beta mode. I'm still figuring it out though, and putting my WIP's on it. Also, the Interweave Knits Fall preview is out. So far, it looks pretty good. I'm still in the summer project mode, though. I tried to start the Josephine top, from the Spring 2007 IK, and could not get the gauge right. It's looks like in order to get gauge, I'll have to use size 2 or even size 1 needles, and the designer used size 5. I don't know that I want to do a project on needles that small. It's hard enough just finishing socks. I'm still looking for another reasonably quick summer project, possibly Tomato from No Sheep for You.

Hemp Hat

I finished this hat sometime in June. It's the Maze hat from Knitty, in the colors pictured, Charcoal and Aubergine inAllhemp 6. This was a difficult yarn to knit with with, since it felt like twine and was hard on my hands. But it does seem really durable and went in the washing machine with no problem. I have enough left over to make another one in the opposite color scheme. I've also been working on Rusted Root, again in the same yarn as the pattern, Cotton Fleece Sedona red. I had originally made the medium size, but it turned out way too large. One thing that's weird about the pattern is that there is no schematic for the sweater sizes, so you have to do math in order to figure out how big it will get. But the size small fits, and I just have about six inches to go.

Socks and more socks

I found this page of album covers that is really funny. Some of the outfits remind me of the ones in Stitchy McYarnpant' s book, the pictures of whole families wearing matching hideous sweaters from the seventies. With knitting, I've mostly been working on socks. Except for Rusted Root, which I started in the medium size, and it turned out to be too big, so I had to restart in size small. I noticed though, that there aren't any schematics of the pattern, so it was hard to tell what the actual size would be. The medium is 35" to 38", and the small is 32" to 35", so I figured the medium would fit. Oh well. I actually finished this sock, in Fearless Fibers raspberry, but it is a little too tight. I'm not sure if it will stretch a little after blocking, or I'll have to redo the whole thing. It is Conwy from Nancy Bush's On the Road. The yarn was a little splitty, either with this pattern, or the yarn, I couldn't tell. I used size 2.25 mm (1) needles. I also dyed a batch of Kool aid yarn again, using Lemon Lime, Lemonade, and Tropical Punch. I was originally going to have more yellow, but it started looking too rastafarian, so the Tropical Punch covered up most of the yellow, and even most of the green. That color definitely seems the strongest, since it bleeds into everything next to it, and needs the least amount of Kool aid for the most coverage. Now I'm working on Spey Valley, again from Knitting on the Road, and the second Monkey sock. Then I can start on this Kool Aid yarn.

New Yarns, Alternative Fibers

I got some hemp yarn, Allhemp 6, in Aubergine and Charcoal, in order to make Maze. The yarn is actually a lot denser than I thought it would be. I was thinking it would be lighter and shinier, but it's more dense and ropey than I thought it would be. It's hard to knit with and at first my hands got really sore. It really does feel like knitting with twine, but it seems extremely durable. Some yarns I've used feel like they'll tear apart in my hands or get ruined, just by handling them. I've finished the Maze hat, but haven't washed it yet. I guess hemp is supposed to get a lot softer after washing. I've been wanting to try out some of the nonwool yarns out there. Next up would be Tofutsies sock yarn, which is wool, nylon, and soysilk. I also got this handpainted sock yarn from Etsy, and I'm thinking about making Anastasia with it. It has a short row toe, which I haven't done before, so I'll have to sit down and really concentrate on it.

One Lone Baudelaire

I finished one Baudelaire sock, after making it too big. It is the first sock I ever made, so I'm really happy with it. I used Filatura di Crosa Zarina and size 2.75mm needles. I made the size large at first, but then went down to a size medium. I think I could have even made the small or gone down a needle size, because it feels like it could be tighter. The hardest parts were the beginning figure 8 cast on and the beginning of the cable. The figure 8 cast on felt really awkward and seemed too loose. I had to do it a few times to get it to look right. The beginning of the cable is where you have to increase I think 4 stitches for every stitch. It started to get so tight, I could hardly get my needle into the stitches. I think I could have made the four stitch cable instead of the eight stitch cable, but I don't want to redo the sock over again. If I make this pattern again, I'll know. Overall, I like this pattern a lot, and it was fairly straightforward. Now I just have to make sure I cast on for the second sock immediately.

Mesilla Sans Embroidery

I finished Mesilla, after redoing the neck twice. The first time I didn't pick up enough stitches, so it was way too small. It came out smaller than the sleeves, actually. The second time, I increased stitches in the blue foldover part, so it would lie flat. Otherwise the folded over neck area seemed to curl over and wouldn't stay folded over. I may or may not still put on the embroidery.
I used Mission Falls cotton in Sea for the main color, and Jade, Wintergreen, and Dark Blue for the rest. I really liked using the Mission Falls, since it's really soft. I also got most of the yarn really cheaply on Ebay, otherwise I probably wouldn't have used this brand. The main thing I think I would change is too make it a little longer. Otherwise, it's a really comfortable sweater, and was pretty easy to knit.

Kool Aid is Delicious

I tried Kool Aid dyeing the other day, with a skein of Knit Picks sock yarn. I actually wanted to use blues and greens, but it's impossible to find any other colors but red and purple. I think Kool Aid isn't that popular anymore. I never really liked it as a kid, because it tasted kind of weird to me. It's a little bit alarming that it dyes so brightly, since you'd be drinking these colors. Anyway, I used grape, tropical punch, and pink lemonade. The tropical punch was definitely the brightest, and the grape is more of a faded purple. I ran out of Kool Aid, since I was underestimating how much I'd need, but hopefully the white parts will blend in and look intentional. I used the tutorial on Knitty, which was really helpful. I hope the colors stay as bright, and the skein still smells like fruit. I'm still looking for a pattern to use, but I'm thinking about Roza's Socks from the Spring IK. Although I think that uses size 0 needles, so who knows.

New Pet Attacks Yarn

I haven't been knitting as much lately, mostly because I got a new kitten about three weeks ago. He's extremely playful, so that's it's hard to even get a picture of him standing still. I also haven't felt much like writing, for whatever reason. It was hard getting the two cats to get along, because the orange one is very territorial. He still seems annoyed with the kitten sometimes, but they seem to be getting along now. I'm still working on all the same projects, Bonita, from last year's Interweave; Baudelaire, and Eunny's Deep V Argyle vest. They all seem to be taking forever, especially Bonita, which has been in the WIP pile since last year. I'm using size three needles with Knit Picks Shine, so two rows seems to take about an hour. I'm thinking I should have left off some of the side lace and only done the diamonds in the center. Oh well, hopefully it'll fit.