novamade

i, pomatomus

They are complete.

I am not sure why it took so long to finish these socks.  No, actually I do know, I got tired of the pattern after the first sock (it doesn't make for good television knitting).  But you can't just wear one, not really.  So with Phase I of the Christmas crafty done (yay for blocking!) I thought I would take an opportunity to finish some of my own knitting.

I like the way they came out; but, mostly, I like that they are done.  I love that they are made in Koigu, though I think one sock is a smidge darker than the other.  It's not really noticeable when the socks are worn though.  Such is the art of working with Koigu (or handpainted yarn in general, I suppose).

Just before the snow/sleet storm.  Goodbye fall.

I will get a good amount of wear from these socks, I am sure.  But they are a lot lacier than I would like.  I had to go up to size 2s to knit the socks because I would have run out of yarn on size 1s.  Because Koigu is the yarn of so leetle yardage...

Not even enough for one baby sock, much less a pair.

But it's good to be able to cross off another knit-in-in progress from the list (of oh-so-many) as well as add another pair of handknit socks to the sock collection.

Pomatomus

Pattern: from knitty by the uber-fabulous Cookie A.

Yarn: Koigu, 2 skeins of  KPPM in colorway P859 B (yellows, oranges, hints of green and brown)

Needles: US 2 dpns (grumble)

Mods: Needles and yarn, followed the pattern as written

For all the lag time involved (6 months!!) with this pair of socks, I do like them.  I don't have occasion to wear yellow often, but I will find ways to sneak them into my wardrobe. 

I have already marveled at the genius that is Cookie A. so I won't go there, there isn't much to say abaout the pattern that hasn't already been said (thorough,well written, easy to understand, etc.), these socks have been knit by many before me and many will knit it after (come on Stacey, how 'bout it?).

Okay, back to work.  The Christmas Crafty is calling me, can you hear it?

koo koo for koigu

Last month was all about celebration, this month is going to be all about knitting--which really is its own sort of celebration, kind of.  Maybe a little spinning with a drop spindle will be thrown in too; but yes, back to the knitting.

Do you remember this Koigu?

I decided to use it for Pomatomus socks.  I have always liked the pattern and, though I am not usually wild about yellow, I love this yarn.  There is some serious Koigu factor going on here.

So I cast on for the first sock, got through the first repeat and thought, "I am not going to have enough yarn."  Ripped. 

Cast on, got through the first repeat by starting in the middle of the first repeat nad thought, "huh, the pattern says subtle yarnovers, my yarnovers are not so subtle."  Ripped. 

I Cast on again and thought, "surely, the not-so-subtle yarnovers are because I skipped the set up row and thus did not make a foundation for the stitch pattern."  No, not so much.  Here is the thing.  When you knit Koigu with size 2 needles, you are going to get fabric that is a little loosey-goosey (well, if you are me you will, I suppose I can't really speak for others).  Now, I could have gone with a size 1 needle, but I liked the fit of the sock knit on size 2s (what can I say, my calves and feet are shapely and not so dainty).  So loose yarnovers it is. 

After stalling obsessing pondering the pattern a bit, I just started knitting and then realized that it was 3 in the morning.  That is the power of Koigu (are you Kookoo for Koigu too?).  In order to maintain a sense of sanity, I had to put it away for awhile. (And I still don't know if I will have enough yarn...I am living on the wild side here...and the power of Koigu compels me.)

And because actually finishing garments is a useful thing, I went back to Little Sir's sweater, because as Diana pointed out, it's been a while since we saw the kid in handknits (of his own--Chevron scarves don't count).

It's thisclose to being done.

This post would be a Project Spectrum parade...if it weren't the first day of June.

I hope you all have fabulous weekends!

monkey business

Lest you all think I am a one trick pony, what with all the Chevron scarf obsession, I am posting a finished something.  I finally finished the Monkey socks that I decided to knit in March (which really wasn't all that long ago when you consider that it's only the first day of May--oh, happy May Day).

So these socks actually knit up a great deal faster than my knitting skills seem to demonstrate.  I actually left the second sock unknit for a long time (because I was a little occupied with the scarf of many colors).  In any case, the second sock took maybe two or three nights of knitting, it's a pretty speedy sock since the pattern is pretty easy to memorize and execute. 

As with most lace socks, or I guess any socks with fine stitch detail (okay, really anything you knit), the yarn you select is going to make a huge difference in what the finished product looks like.  I have seen quite a few pairs of these socks in the blogosphere and on flickr, and I have to say that I am partial to the ones in a solid, semi-solid or slightly variegated yarn.  I think the stitch detail of this sock is gorgeous.  I think yarn that is too busy would totally detract from the genius of the patterning; but, that's just me.

I knit the socks out of Socks that Rock medium weight yarn (a Rhinebeck purchase; yes, I was one of those people that waited in that line), so they are pretty substantial socks, so substantial that I probably won't be sporting these socks until the fall and winter, they are super warm.  For whatever reason, I didn't think that the medium weight yarn would make all that much of a difference, well sometimes I can be ridiculous.  Obviously the weight of the fingering weight yarn makes a difference; but, a nice one, it makes for a warmer sock.

I really enjoyed working with the Socks that Rock yarn, I like the different shades of blue and how the variation in hues highlights the stitch detail.  I like Cookie A's designs and I think she is a sock design genius.  Clearly, I am not alone in my way of thinking.  I now want to knit every single one of her patterns.  Even the knee-his, which I would probably look kind of ridiculous in.

Monkey
Pattern: Monkey from knitty by Cookie A.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks That Rock Medium-weight in Midsummers Night (one of the shaded solids, love)
Needles: US 2 bamboo and US 1 aluminum dpn's
Modifications: Yarn sub, and switched to size 1 dpn's for the last leg repeat and rest of the sock (which really didn't make that much of a difference given the weight of the yarn)

These socks were fun to knit and pretty easy.  After finishing up the grafting of the second sock I got excited about knitting more socks.  Unlike this pair (that I actually knit for myself and am actually planning on keeping and wearing and extracting every bit of knitted goodness out of...yes, I know--I will wait while you recuperate from the shock of my knitting for myself), the next pair will be for Sockapalooza, which I am really excited about.  Do you Sockapalooza?

another shetland triangle

Shetland Triangle

Pattern: from Wrap Style by Evelyn A. Clark

Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss in Woodland Sage, 2 1/2 hanks

Needles: Inox Circs, US 6

Modifications: Yarn substitution, added 5 main body repeats and eliminated the last two rows of the edging chart

I really like this shawl, it's gorgeous.  I was originally going to make it in red; but, then at the last minute decided to go with this bluish-green color (this should have been my first sign that I was not going to keep it for myself...the reds being my personal favorite when it comes to accesorizing pieces).  Also, red has been a very popular color for this shawl...  In any case, it came out beautifully and I love it and I think the recipient will too. 

I opted to make the same modifications as brooklyn tweed suggested, I thought the uber-pointy edges on the original were just a bit much (and knowing the recipient so well, I think this was a really wise choice).

I think the most interesting part of the process of knitting this shawl was watching the dramatic change of the unblocked piece.  After knitting, it was puckery and kind of sad looking.  After blocking, the pattern pops!

This is an ideal project for a lace beginner, especially with fingering (or heavier) weight yarn.  The pattern is super easy, and when you get these results, why fight it?

If you haven't yet used the Knit Picks Gloss line yet I think it's at least worth a try.  It's a 70/30 wool/silk blend that was pretty easy to knit with.  It did split a little, but not too much.  Knit Picks is advertising this yarn as a sock yarn.  While knitting with it, I didn't feel like it was elastic enough for socks, but what do I know.  I ordered a goodly amount of it so I might try some socks with it eventually.

If you haven't done so, you should knit one of these!  Go!  Knit! Now!

i'm that person

You know how the second Thanksgiving is over, some radio stations will start playing Christmas/Holiday music non-stop?  I know that quite a few people probably think, "who would listen to this non-stop?"  Well,yes, that would be me.  I am that person.  I know that the vast majority of the songs are cheesy, I just don't care.  I love this time of year.  It's a time where silver and gold can be mixed with other colors to excess and not appear uber-gauche.  It's the time of year when people reflect on memories and relationships.  And it's the time of year that I knit and sew like my second job is that of a garment factory worker.  Let the fun begin!

In the midst of Thanksgiving craziness (I woke up with a cold on Thanksgiving morning, I knew it was going to happen since Little Sir woke up with a cold the Monday before Thanksgiving...perennial colds...the joy of group daycare...), as I was saying, in the midst of Thanksgiving craziness I finished the Shetland Triangle that was mine (for something like two seconds) and now is for someone else.  I am going to block this baby tonight (and will probably listen to that non-stop holiday music radio station while doing so, because that is how I roll...), so that will be one more gift done. 

And unrelated to knitting, crafting or anything that anyone except a few people will care about...I got a new cell phone.  Anyone who knows me knows about my intense hate of talking on the phone (I am totally not a phone person) will be duly impressed my this.  But really it was time.

 

(the old and the new)

As Special K pointed out, if I was kidnapped (because someone out there would really want to do that), my whereabouts would be untraceable with my old phone; but now, with the latest in GPS chip technology (or whatever), if someone decides to steal me away, my phone would help law enforcement find me...provided it was turned on, I guess.  In any case, I like my new phone... shocking, I know.

When camera phones came out a while back, my initial reaction was, "why would I need a camera on my cell phone?  That is what I have a camera for..."  Well, let me just say that I now have pictures of Little Sir handy...because they are on my cell phone.  But I am still a little iffy on the whole music on the cell phone thing.  My i-pod fits that bill just fine, thank you.  And while some would look at my phone and say that it's mediocre at best, well I say to you, it's all I need.  Anything else would just be excessive for me, because like I said, I am really not a phone person.

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving if you celebrated it; and, I hope you are gearing up for fun times for the winter holidays, because you know I am!

i'm a giver

In the midst of knitting "my" Shetland Triangle, I came to the realization that I shouldn't keep it for myself.  It's coming along rather nicely and I kept thinking, "it's so elegant."  My friends, I can be described in many ways, but elegant does not apply to me in any way, shape, or form.  So, of course, it will be a Christmas gift to my oldest childhood friend who is, in a word, elegant.  I was going to make her another shawl in some raspberry pink color, but she already has a shawl fitting that bill...so she'll get "my" Shetland Triangle.  My goal to do some selfish knitting is foiled again.  All of this will be resolved by some selfish sweater making; but, we will delve into that after the holidays, I think.

Speaking of sweaters...I am still working on Special K's seamless hybrid.  I am working on sleeves, stockinette stitch sleeves, mindless knitting truly...very dull.  The seamless hyrbid must be finished by November's end though, so I must get back to work on it.

Unfortunately, no work will happen on any projects this weekend (well, may be Sunday).  The Archivist and Special K throw a party every year, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, called "Dessert Night."  As you could probably surmise, it involves dessert, lots of it.  It's usually a gathering of 30-40 of our closest friends (we are really not that popular, they are mostly coming for the dessert...and probably the booze)...mostly academic types, some book group friends, etcetera, munching on various and sundry desserts.  We kick off the holiday season in style, it's a good time. It's also some work to put together as it involves cleaning our house, aka the pit.  Little Sir, cute though he is, is not helping in the venture of residential cleanliness...but what can you do?

And because I am all about lace knitting these days, I feel I must mention Grumperina's recent post reviewing Vicotorian Lace Today.  The review is thorough and informative (not shocking at all, considering the reviewer).  The fact that she is offering glimpses of the projects is a great boon for the publisher who really should have thought about a way to present this information itself, in any case, it looks excellent... and not just a little bit hazardous to the wallet.  I don't even have the book and I have already started making mental purchases of yarn for projects therein.

I hope everyone has a good weekend.  I am off ot make a "liquor list" for the party.  Because as we learned after our first Dessert Night, what is a party without spirits (you know, of the beverage variety, not the spooky, scare you kind)?

last days of disco

Or, the last days of fall, I guess.  When the leaves fall off of all the trees, is it still fall?  I mean really, I know the calendar says it's still autumn, but really?  For me, fall ends when all of the red, yellow, and honey-hued leaves have been raked up, bagged and dragged away.  Because this process usually takes us into the first week of December (we are lazy..er, busy...), my timing usually falls in some sort of parallel with the calendar; but this year, there was a cold snap and now all the leaves...they are on the ground...fallen.  In an effort to squeeze the last bit of joy from "fall" the Archivist's family decided to some things decidedly outdoorsy (and by outdoorsy I mean we went outside) this weekend before rain hit the northeast.  We played around in the backyard, Little Sir thought it was all wonderful and strange.

Before Connecticut was hit with a deluge, we actually experienced some pretty decent weather, it seemed an ideal time to get some pictures of the Hedera socks I finished.  I have tried photographing the socks indoors and it just hasn't worked out so well, the yarn is really dark and it screams for natural lighting.

Because I am not a contortionist, Special K had to help with some of the pictures...not something high on his list of weekend to do's, but it was a fun "photo shoot."  Anyhow, I am really happy with the socks.  The stitch pattern, while simple, is lovely. 

My first lace socks, definitely won't be my last.  It was a pretty easy pattern, and easy to memorize.  I had my doubts about how the variegated yarn would work out, but I think it worked out well.  These socks are a Christmas gift for a friend on the west coast.  The colorway of the yarn is "Redwood Forest," but really, the colors just made me think of the New England fall, and I figured my friend might miss those colors...or not.  In any case, a fun knit that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a simple lace sock pattern.

Hedera

Pattern: from knitty.com courtesy of Cookie A.

Yarn: Knit Picks Memories in Redwood Forest

Size: to fit a US 8 1/2 to 9

Needles: Bamboo dpn's in US 2

Modifications: Just the yarn substitution.

I am very curious about the wear of this yarn.  While knitting, I had this premonition of felting through wear, we'll see.

Now that I finally hunkered down and finished these socks, I can focus a little more on the seamless hybrid for Special K.  I am starting to work the sleeves now...more stockinette, ho hum.  I have also started the Shetland Triangle shawl which may be the quickest shawl ever; but, more on that later.

lacevember

Elann posted a new stock of Peruvian Baby Silk yesterday.  I bought some, did you?

Because November is all about lace and I have various projects in various states of progress that don't really warrant showing, here are my answers to a questionnaire from the hostesses of Lacevember:

The knitting questions, or the usual suspects

How long have you been knitting? On Friday it will be 2 years.  Knitterversary!

How did you learn to knit? My granddad tried to teach me when I was really young (didn't work), 2 years ago a library volunteer who works with me in the Archives decided I needed to learn to knit so she taught me.  She has created this Frankenstein of fiber accumulation and knitting obsession.

Favorite thing about knitting? Creating a finished product with a "ball of string."

How long have you been knitting lace?  Hmmm, 3 months?

Favorite thing about knitting lace.  It's pretty.  I find it borderline impossible to believe that I can create anything delicate.

The yarn questions, or flash your stash

Favorite lace yarn? I just bought some Zephyr Wool/Silk, that stuff is really nice.  My experience here is somewhat limited.

variegated or solids for shawls? I tend towards solids, usually.  I like variegated sock yarn, but that is usually about it.

Favorite lace color? For whatever reason, grey.  I have not yet knitted a grey lace anything, but I think it would be nice.  I like grey.  I love brown, but I just don't see it as an ideal choice for a lace shawl...maybe lace socks.

Technique, or show us your skillz

Circs or straights?  Either...but cicrculars seem to make things easier.

Favorite lace knitting trick? I am not sure what this means actually,  but lifelines are a resourceful thing...is that a trick?  Are nupps a trick?  I like nupps.

Lifelines? If so with what?  Um, yes please.  With yarn that I can see.

Fancy blocking wires, or just sewing pins stuck in your carpet?  I would like fancy blocking wires (Special K, if you are reading this, take note), but for now it's pins stuck in leftover foam matting.

Pattern, or can you follow directions

shawls or lacey items?  any, all

triangle, rectangle, or circular shawls? I have only  knitted triangular, but I have my eye on some rectangular ones for the future.  For whatever reason, I do not feel compelled to knit a circular shawl at this time.

Charts or printed instructions?  Now that I know how to read charts, either.  But charts, logistically speaking just seem to make the most sense.

Favorite lace you've knit?  This is easy as I have only knit 2 lace things, Swallowtail Shawl.

Favorite lace you want to knit? I would like to knit the Icarus Shawl in IK Summer2005, amongst many other things.

Just Fun, yup that's right, just for fun

Favorite jelly belly flavor? Apple, I think...it's been a while since I have eaten Jelly Beans.

Tell me everything you know about Eric the Red.....I think he was a Viking explorer.  Something about Greenland...though I feel fairly certain he didn't actually discover it.

Coke, classic or with lime? None.  I used to drink Vanilla Coke, but then I cut caffeine out of my life.  I was a caffeine addict, it wasn't pretty.

Holiday carols, sing along, or wish they would be banned from all public airwaves?  Despite my best efforts I usually sing along; which, I am quite certain, no one appreciates.

What is the definition of irony? I am fairly certain one can find this in the dictionary.

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?  I don't know, I usually just bite in for the tootsie roll.

Why is my cat always puking in front of my son's bedroom door?  I don't know, I am not a cat person.

What is your superhero power?  I can function on 3 hours of sleep, not happily; but, I can do it.

If the laundry is 9 foot by 11 foot (just dreaming, that's a big laundry room), and the walls are 8 feet tall, and you are going to tile the entire room in tiles that are 3 inches by 5 inches, what color should those tiles be? Cerulean.

What's for dinner tonight? Leftovers.

What is clogging my children's bathtub drain?  I will tell you about yours if you can tell me about mine.

my first lace: a tragi-comedy

The Swallowtail Shawl has been blocked and the ends have been weaved in.  I didn't think the pattern was difficult, I just had countless moments of stupidity, laziness and inattentiveness while knitting it, which didn't help in attaining a happy knitting experience.  She is a beautiful shawl, really, she is:

And ever since she's gotten her blocking, she has been the life of the party

But she likes to be modeled

But don't get me wrong.  She is not without her flaws...

On the left, there are upside down question marks...on the right is how the shawl should look.  I think this was an instance of not paying attention, losing stitches and then finding stitches without realizing it, etc.  The sad part?  I didn't even notice it until I was binding off.  There ensued the laziness.

I restarted this shawl many times (if you have been following along, you may notice that this is completely different yarn),  I learned many things while knitting this up.  Firstly, I learned to read a chart (I've never had to do it before).  I also learned how to do nupps (not so bad, I just had to use a smaller needle to do them, like a US 0). 

The flaws in the shawl made me a little apprehensive about giving this to the intended recipient (Christmas present); but, she has an appreciation for handcrafted goods; and really, I think the flaws add character (I know this is what people say when they make mistakes, but I really mean it!).  And since I thought of the recipient from the moment I selected the yarn, actually from the moment I chose the pattern, she is small in stature--it's a small shawl my friends, truly it is) I think she will still see this in a couple of weeks.  I hope she likes it.  If she doesn't, she should just lie.

Swallowtail Shawl

Pattern: By Evelyn A. Clark, Fall 2006 Interweave Knits, p. 72

Yarn: Knit Picks Shadow (100% merino wool) in Lost Lake, 1 skein.

Size: Finished, 48 " wide, 21" from top center to bottom of the triangle

Needles: Inox US 4

Modifications: None (well, not intentionally, there was whatever weird thing I did to get the question marks, but again that was some serendipitous thing...see, not a mistake at all)

I am glad I knit this, I learned a great deal, and I learned that I like knitting lace.  I will probably knit this again at some point, no time soon, but eventually.  Maybe I can ditch the question marks next time though.

I would highly reccomend this as a knitting project, even a first lace project.  The nupps are not bad at all; honestly, they were kind of fun!

And totally unrelated to lace, Swallowtail or anything else knittng related, I thought I would show you our attempt at Halloween.  Yeah, Little Sir wasn't really into the whole lobster thing.  Maybe next year...

sockless in socktober

I thought I would at least finish my second Hedera sock for Socktober...no, not so much.  I think I would have, had I not developed perfectionist tendencies in my knitting.  After I turned the heel on the second sock, I realized that I made a mistake 3 inches in from the cuff--so I ripped.  After my experience with Swallowtail, my goal is to try to head these things off at the pass (more on that later).  In any case, I did think about socks during Socktober...I certainly bought a great deal of sock yarn, and it did get me interested in finshing that second sock buried in the pile...so maybe by the end of the week I will have a finished pair of socks (please excuse the neon green mat under the socks, it's my blocking surface and it was handy (i.e. not covered with random piles of whatever you can think of)...

I blocked Swallowtail this evening.  She is drying, full report on her later...I just can't think about her any more at the moment...there was a lot of drama...too much for such a small shawl, really.

And since Halloween will draw to a close soon (on the east coast anyways), this is how the Archivist got festive for the day, you know, in case you are interested...

I hope your Halloweens were festive, fun and all the rest of it.  Full report on Swallowtail to come shortly.