Month: November 2005

Sock knitter in training

Sock knitters everywhere, my apologies. I used to be one of those people who think, “why bother knitting socks? if I need socks I can just go and buy some.” But I have been lured by some great looking socks out there in the blogs, and some people are actually saying that handmade socks are the most comfortable socks there are. I’m hoping this is true. So I’ve decided to give sock knitting a go.

I decided to join the Sock Summer Knitalong. I’ve never actually knit any socks before, but I thought a knitalong would be just the push that I needed. And I’m hoping there would be some more experienced sock knitters there to help me along if I get stuck 🙂

Not sure yet what pattern to use. I really like the Mirabella socks by MJ at Yummy Yarn. It looks challenging, considering I’ve never made a single sock before, but I like a good challenge. I guess I can fall back to plainer sock patterns if that one doesn’t work out.

But before I jump head first into sock knitting, I thought it would be good to get acquainted first with the sock structure. So I followed Knitty’s Socks tutorial and ended up with this training sock!

Training sock

That loop at the top is so that I can hang it like an ornament 🙂 Might as well, since this sock is too small to be worn by anyone.

Ok, now I’m going to start the real sock!

30 November 2005

Woohoo!!

Woot! It’s a finished object!! The (beadless) beaded cardi has finally been blocked, seamed, buttoned, and done!

Done!

Here’s a full shot of it.

Full shot

And another.

Pattern: Beaded Cardigan from Debbie Bliss Special Knits
Yarn: A bit over 5 balls of Filatura Di Crosa “Zara” merino
Started October 2005, finished November 2005.

I stick pretty close to the pattern for this cardi. As I’ve said before, I love this cardi pattern. It’s easy and simple but not boring. The motif is interesting but doesn’t require too much thinking (good for TV knitting!). And the thing I like most about this pattern is that, because of the way the diamond purly bumps pattern is arranged, it’s very easy to see where you are in the pattern. When you make a mistake, you’re likely to catch it within the same row, so it’s easier to fix.

As for blocking, I ended up choosing the wet blocking method and it came out beautifully. Thanks to those who gave me their advice on blocking!!

But this project was not without its bonehead moments. After joining the front pieces to the back piece at the shoulders using fake grafting, I noticed that the join looked a bit sucky. At first I thought it would become more flat once I have done the neck band. So I proceeded and knitted the neck band, but as it turned out it still looked like that.

Sucky joins

I’m not a perfectionist, but sometimes a perfectionist bug kicks in. So I picked out the grafting, and tried to graft again, this time 2 rows away from the bound off edges. Still sucky. I picked it out again and tried with one side 1 row away from the bound off edge and the other side 3 rows away. Still sucky. At this point I gave up and grafted it back the way I did it the first time around. I’m hoping that another blocking will improve the situation. If I could do it again, I think I’d do kitchener instead. I did think about kitchener before, but I wasn’t confident enough with my kitchener skill (previous attempts had been a bit wonky). Oh well, coulda woulda shoulda.

I leave you now with this picture of the close up of the purly bumps pattern and the buttons.

Close up

22 November 2005

The status so far

First, a dilemma

I’ve finished all the pieces of Beaded Cardi (actually finished that last sleeve last saturday), and here’s what it looks like right now:

Pre blocking

It is patiently waiting to be blocked. I do prefer to block before seaming, because it just makes the seaming so much easier when the pieces are nice and flat. It’s easier to match up the stitches, and what a great morale boost to see your knitting so professional-looking!

But right now I am stumped. I have a confession to make — I am a baby when it comes to blocking. I’ve only ever blocked one project, which was another cardigan for Annette (here’s a picture). I used Sirdar Snuggly yarn, which is 50% acrylic / 50% nylon in DK weight. I read Becky‘s mini-tutorial on steam blocking, and decided it was the way to go. It was easy and quick to do, and I’m very happy with the result. However with the (beadless) Beaded Cardi I’m not so sure… The fabric is a bit finer than the Snuggly cardi. I read in Knitty’s article on blocking that with merino fabric, especially fine gauge ones, it’s best to do the pin/spritz method (pin the pieces out, spritz each piece until damp, and wait to dry). But would that really make the pieces flat?

So I’m just wondering if anybody can share about their blocking methods, and whether they achieve the result you intended?

I am impatient by nature, especially now that it’s so close to finishing, I just want to finish it. (Not that I don’t enjoy working on the project, but I just can’t wait to see the end product, you know?) So I’ll probably end up steam blocking (since it’s probably the quickest). But I’d really love to hear your suggestions or any of your experience with blocking. I’d definitely consider it if there’s a better way! (Thanks in advance!)

And in the meantime…

… I have kept myself busy by starting another project (gasp!) because I have no self-control. It’s the Urban Necessity tam/beret from September MagKnits. I’m not making the gloves, just the beret. I’ve always wanted to knit myself a beret, and this pattern looks nice and simple, yet not too simple (there’s actually a snowflake pattern at the top, which you can’t really see from the picture on the website).

I’m making this with yarn from stash, Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in Dove colourway. It’s light grey-blue-purpley colour with brown and purple flecks. Does that sound weird? But it looks ok. Overall it looks just like light grey-blue, which is a colour I would definitely wear.

Here’s what it looks like at the moment:

Starting Urban beret

It has 1×1 ribbing, so it’s a perfect opportunity to try out tubular cast on! That article in Fall Knitty is really the clearest tutorial on tubular cast on that I’ve ever found on the web. Thanks, Knitty! 🙂 I quite like the way the cast-on edge of the ribbing looks, it definitely looks better than with the long-tail cast-on or knitted cast-on. And I hope it will be more comfortable to wear as well.

Kiri

I’m still working on Kiri, too. But now that the rows are getting very long, progress is indeed getting slower. I’m only up to 8 repeats. Boohoo…

Kiri, 8 repeats

And a trip to the frog pond

I started the Liesel lace scarf a while ago, with the variegated Lana “Moana” yarn. I like the pattern (love that drooping elm leaves pattern), I like the yarn (love the colourway and the way it drapes), but they’re just not meant for each other. You just can’t see the pattern very well in that yarn, and I think it would be a shame. Here’s what it looks like at last check:

Liesel

Against the dark background of my couch you can sort of see the leaves pattern, if you squint maybe. But at other times you just can’t see it. So, off to the frog pond this one goes. I still want to make the scarf in the future, just not with this yarn.

Ok that’s all for now. Phew, what a long post!

10 November 2005

Sleeve Island

I’m on Sleeve Island! I’ve got one sleeve down, and here pictured is the second sleeve.

Sleeve no. 2

I know why they call it Sleeve Island. The rows just keep getting longer and longer, and it feels like you’re stuck in an island, or a black hole. It feels like, no matter how long you knit, the sleeve is still not growing any longer. Sigh.

But thankfully this pattern has been very kind to me. It’s not all stockinette. And the purly diamonds pattern breaks the monotonousness a LOT. It has been a quick knit, that by the time boredom start to set in, I’m already on the last piece. Being on the last piece, the thrill of getting close to the finish line comes in. (Lets just pretend for the moment that there is no weaving of end nor seaming to speak of.) I just can’t wait to finish this! Must. Keep. Knitting.

4 November 2005

You know you’re obsessed with knitting when…

  • You’ve spent more money on yarns and needles than your clothes and shoes put together in the last year.
  • You feel like you’re wasting time when you’re *not* knitting.
  • On your first visit to a yarn shop, when you finally make it out to the checkout, the person at the counter says, “I thought you’d never leave!”
  • You can spot knitwear from miles away.
  • You have caught yourself staring at a stranger in the street because you were trying to work out the pattern of that cardigan/scarf/hat/etc.
  • You see a friend’s newborn baby for the first time, and the first thing that comes to your mind is how lovely that knitted blanket looks.
  • You tell your husband that this is the last yarn purchase for a while, and he rolls with laughter.

1 November 2005