Twisted Stitches

Well I’ve been thinking about trying to make a shawl for the longest time now and I finally broke down and found a pattern that I think may be simple enough for me to do without screwing up too many times. I already had to restart it once because I couldn’t find were I had dropped a stitchand have gotten only as far as the first part of the shawl, pretty close to knitting into the chart pattern soon so I will post pictures when that gets started.

I’ve been a very bad blogger, but this time, at least, I have good reason. I’ve been working lots, and reading, and knitting, and dyeing! I started with dyeing several new base yarns I’m testing out for my Faking Sanity yarn line (please forgive the differences in the black background colour; I was losing light fast, so I colour adjusted them so the yarn looked accurate).

The first is a fingering weight seasilk/merino blend. The sheen of this yarn is incredible. I’m not really fond of this dye job, so I’ll probably overdye it, but I do like the yarn overall. It would be awesome for a shawl or lacy scarf. The second is an extremely soft superwash BFL sock yarn with a bit of nylon for strength (20%). I’ve loved BFL from the first time I spun some, so I’m sort of partial toward this fiber, and this yarn in particular. The last two are both of a merino/cashmere/nylon blend fingering weight yarn. This one I’m fairly certain will become one of my regulars. It is a plump/squishy yarn that’s incredibly soft and has a nice sheen to it, as well. As I’ll be ordering this one again in all probability, I’ve decided that purple skein is going to go straight to my personal stash!

Last week, I also succombed to temptation and bought a bunch of Sidar Flirt DK – a machine washable bamboo/wool blend yarn for a cowl neck tee I saw at The Knitting Room a few weeks ago. As my crafty side is balanced with a very detailed/analytical/geeky side and because I have yet to knit a pattern as it is written, I decided to make several modifications to the shaping and construction of the top, which of course meant sketching out several scaled versions of the garment on graph paper. With my sketches in hand, I was able to determine if I like the basic shape of the garment with my proposed changes. Everything seemed ok, so I set aside my swatch and started this:

As for the rest of the dyeing, I also managed to get a number of skeins of my Fixation sock yarn dyed up. Here are a few samples, since this seems to be the pic spam post!

Well, the yarn I started dyeing is still wet, so it’s hard to take accurate colour shots. I did promise a photo, though. The Walking in the Maize sock pattern is an odd one. With ribbing around the mid-step of your foot, it is super-comfy for a gal who likes very fitted socks like I do. That being said, the ribbing makes it look very odd off the foot. Since I chose a busy Tofutsies yarn, and the sock is simple stockinette except for that feature, I decided today’s picture would be of the sock, unstretched and off the foot, so you could see what I mean about the shaping:

I’ve also decided to tear out my previous stockinette sock in the spring greens. I had tried a toe-up gusseted, short-row heel, and I really don’t like the fit. The heel was about 1/4″ shorter than I would have liked following the exact instructions, so I’d have to tear it out and increase more slowly to add the extra length without making it too baggy. However, I’m thinking I’ll try one of two options:

a) Knit a top-down heel flap and gusset as written (without reversing anything), from the toe up. This would leave the slip-stitch pattern on the bottom of the heel, where I’m more likely to wear through it anyway.

b) Knit my standard no-wrap short row heel, since I know it fits well.

Here’s the sock before the heel surgery:

I love it when a day just works out… I got to sleep in, knit, skein some yarn for a dyeing session tomorrow, and even start a couple of skeins. I even finished the first of my Tofutsies Walking in the Maize socks, including weaving in the ends! I also got to watch some new Doctor Who and Big Bangs I had missed, and got a call for an interview next week. Good day… but now it’s late. Time to take the first skeins out of the dyebath and go to bed. I’ll be back tomorrow though to post pictures of the sock and the yarn. There’s been so little knitting, spinning or dyeing for me lately, I just had to post a quick note, even if I couldn’t get decent photos until tomorrow. Good night, all!

Just realized it had been over a month since I last blogged. I haven’t been knitting much, to be honest, as I’ve started working again, and had some really good books to keep me company when I wasn’t. That being said, I did manage to finish my Tudor Grace scarf. I even wove in the ends! I just have to block it, and send it off to my gramma:

I’ve also made some progress on some bus knitting recently. It’s a simple stockinette sock, in a very bright-for-me Regia 4-ply sock yarn, but I’m quite enjoying it:

No Olympic golds for me. I didn’t even come close to finishing the gift knitting I had planned for the Ravelympics. However, today, I found a better yarn for dad’s Christmas socks that will be much better suited to the project.

I’ve also gotten over 2 feet of my Tudor Grace knit up. It’s not what I had planned, but I’m enjoying the knit, and it turns out that I’ll be seeing my Grandma this spring, so I’d love to finish this one in order to give it to her as a gift.

Wow. So much for a daily update. To be frank, though, it’s probably better this way. A photo of a scarf with an extra repeat or two each day is… let’s say less than impressive. Despite great expectations of tons of knitting over the Olympics, I haven’t really been in a knitting mood lately. Yesterday, however, I did finish the first ball of yarn in my new Tudor Grace scarf from my last posts. I love this pattern. Have I mentioned that? I think I’ll probably dye up some of my yarn and use this as a shop sample; it seems to show off semi-solids very nicely.

On the dyeing front, things have been pretty quiet since the accident (couldn’t lift the pots, etc). However, I’m planning on another batch of yarns for local shops, and possibly some extra for my Etsy shop or for  a booth at some markets over the summer. I’m also very excited to be starting a new sweater dyeing project in the next few days – a deep red semi-solid/varigated colourway in our Faking Sanity Hope yarn (a squishy, soft, superwash aran weight yarn with high twist). We’re hopefuly having a colour consult this weekend, and then the dyeing will commence!

I watched no Olympics today (I’m about to watch a bit now before bed). However, I did a fair bit of knitting this morning before work, as well as a bit tonight while watching some Aussie hilarity.. I’ve now got 20 repeats done on my Tudor Grace – nearly a skein of yarn, so just over a third complete, unless I decide to lengthen the scarf and  use all of this yarn. It’s so lovely! I’m thinking of giving it to my grandma, since the clapotis I had knit for her last year was too large and unwieldy for her now (and apparently, I have switched from sock mood, to scarf and/or lace mood; those socks were just not happening). Pics tomorrow, as this colour is just too tough to capture acurately with artificial light.

After three separate attempts at a new way to reinforce my dad’s socks, I finally decided to put themt aside. As a racer many years ago, I gave up downhill to focus on the gs and super g skiing competitions. I see this in the same light. I will continue them on, but I think I will go looking for a different type of reinforcing nylon for them.

In the interim, my new plans for the Ravelympics will be to work on some dyeing and to try and the 2nd edition of Tudor Grace I started a few weeks ago (the one to replace that which was lost in the great car crash of 2010). It really is a great pattern. Easy to memorize, and really lovely. Here it is in Alchemy Bamboo (the colour is Scarlett’s Dark Secret):

No FO’s and no pictures today, but another medal from Kristina Groves in speed skating, and Canada’s first Gold from Alexandre Bilodeau. How inspiring, too, to hear him talk about his brother. Now, we have a set – one of each!

On the knitting front, I had planned to knit my dad’s socks with reinforcing nylon just before the heel, and through the whole heel. I hated the way it looked, though, and I wasn’t convinced it would add any additional durability. So, after a few hours break, and a few hours of detangling the nylon (it was stretchy and kinky, and a pain to rip out), I started over at 6″ on the foot, and found a toe-up slip stitch heel with gusset, which I am about 6 rows into. I’ll finish the heel and start the leg tomorrow.

Today, I watched ski jumping, several men’s and women’s speed skating events, women’s hockey, some men’s luge runs, and some ladies moguls.

Canada’s own Jenn Heil won our first medal of these games in Ladies’ Freestyle Moguls tonight, and the Canadian ladies hockey team won its first game as well.

My own accomplishments were meager: 6 1/4 ” of the foot of a sock. I also suffered my first injury of these games – a blister on the finger I carry/wrap my yarn with – but I soldiered on!

I had grand plans to go to a big cast on party last night at Make One, and get a bunch of knitting done over the course of the opening ceremonies.

I ended up not feeling great, so we decided to stay home, and I watched the ceremonies online (if you don’t have cable, check out www.ctvolympics.ca – streaming the Olympics free anywhere in Canada). I got distracted a bit… ok a lot. I ended up doing knitting only a toe!

I’ve decided though, that I’ll be documenting my progress through these Ravelympics, so here is the toe of my father’s next sock:

Well, the project from the last post will forever remain a WIP. On a trip to see the Snowed in Comedy Tour, we rolled our car, and my knitting bag was found, but my knitting remained somewhere near Ponoka… Sad, I really liked the project. I may have to try it again out of my Handmaiden Sea Silk.

On the “upside”, we were incorporated into two separate comedians’ sets. The evening highlight was at the end of the evening, when we got to meet Ed Byrne, who asked again to make sure we were all ok. Sweet, and a funny, funny man. See?

Of course, the wine, painkillers and A535 when we got back to the hotel room were also welcome, and possibly, just as big of a highlight.

I had a skein of some Faking Sanity Compulsion that I had kept to knit a sample from, and this weekend, I finally pulled it out again. The yarn is a superwash 100% merino ranging from pink to deep red. I was browsing sock patterns, since that seems to be what I’m in the mood to knit these days, but on Saturday, I stumbled upon Anne Hanson’s Tudor Grace pattern again, and decided to give it a try.

I did a few gauge swatches and started on it this Sunday, so it’s not very far a long, but I think I’m liking the results so far:

Faking Sanity before Grace:

Faking Sanity Gracefully?

Well, one sock is done… but it’s completely finished – even the ends are woven in! See?

I tore out my sock…

I got to the heel flap the other night, and noticed an error (I skipped two rows in the pattern repeat). I decided to leave it due to the fact that it was on the front of the sock, and would land right where the ankle meets the leg, and wouldn’t be very visible. Those who know me well know just how big a deal that was for me. Then, as I was finishing up the heel flap, I noticed a major error right up near the cuff of the sock on the other side. It was just too much! So, I tore the whole thing out and started over; I’m now working on the cuff again, but much happier!

I know I should work on one of my many 1/2 finished projects, but none was appealing right now, so I started a new pair of Hedera’s in the most awesome red. The yarn is Berocco Sox… I don’t typically buy acrylic for socks, but I wanted to try this stuff out. Their yarns have gotten a lot better recently, I must say. I’m about half way down the leg, so I’ll probably have to decide soonish whether these will be for my sister or for me.

There hasn’t been much posting lately as the Dork Squad was hit with several bouts of the flu, which also means there hasn’t been much knitting. That being said, yesterday I joined in the last ball of yarn for the ribbed scarf I was making. I was hoping to buy a fourth ball and make it for my brother in law, but the LYS is all out, so it will be a bit shorter, and for my sister instead. Well, actually, I also knit a few rows on it at Annarose’s last night… maybe 4 or 5 rows in an hour and a half… I’m really not quite up to par yet. Just before I got sick, I had also picked up the Summer Solstice cardigan again. I finally got past the wonky back/shoulder, and started on the sleeve.

Can’t you tell??

The construction of this piece is so bizarre. You work the right shoulder first down to the back yoke shaping, then pick up for the right sleeve and knit that. Then, you go back to the live stitches at the center back, pick those up, and start knitting the left side of the yoke and shaping, and the left sleeve. After that you pick up the bottom edge of the yoke, and knit down to the bottom of the cardigan, and finally, you pick up stitches all the way around the edge of the cardigan to add a shawl collar band.

I like the finished look, so I’m happy to continue, but it is odd not being able to see the shape and sizing until the end. I did a thorough gauge swatch though, and I’m bang on, so hopefully the fit will work out.

I’ve now finished the whole right shoulder and back shaping areas, and am getting ready to start the first sleeve momentarily. My first sleeve! Wee! Well, maybe not today… we’ll see… I’ve been feeling miserable the past couple of days; I think I’ve picked up a case of the flu.

A friend recently posted a bit of a contest on her blog, and was looking for suggestions for a good workhorse yarn. I had to pipe in with my love of Lambs Pride Superwash. I don’t like the original – the mohair, it is not my friend – but the superwash is awesome. It isn’t shiny or silky, but if you’re looking for a smooth, non-itchy yarn that is machine washable, holds up well to frogging/reknitting and washing, has awesome heathered and solid colourways and is relatively inexpensive, get thee to a yarn store to buy some, post haste!

As for the winning part, well, that may be a bit of a stretch: no one else posted a suggestion, so I won by default. So, if you don’t already read it, go grab some gingersnaps with tea.

On the knitting front, there isn’t much going on.

I keep procrastinating about resoling the socks I made my Dad for Christmas last year. He completely blew out the heel (seriously, I can stick my fist through the hole), so he’ll get the same socks again this Christmas, with double-knit soles and specific instructions: “if you walk on gravel in hand knit socks with no shoes, you will not get any more hand knit socks!”

I’m still knitting on the very basic 2×2 ribbed alpaca scarf. Not very impressive to photograph, but I just finished the first ball of yarn today at lunch.

As for the Summer Solstice cardigan? I was able to get a clarification on the instructions, so I have 5 rows to rip back, and then I can pick this up again… perhaps that will be this weekend’s project… because, really, who needs to work on Christmas knitting?