Friday, April 25, 2008

Progress

It's been a while since I blogged and I just wanted to say a quick "Hello". I am knitting, slowly, but here are the projects I am currently working on. A spring sweater for Catherine, Catherine's second sock, a pair of Spring Twists for Catherine and my Austrian Diamonds.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Annetrelac Done

It's 6am and not much sunshine through the back slider, so I went out onto the back deck for photos. A bit chilly, but much better light. Please disregard the fact that it is time for this deck to be re-finished. It will be done soon.
Not a very pretty yarn, but WOW what a lot of fun to knit this sock. One important note: Go up a needle size when doing the entrelac. Those squares create a solid sock without any stretch. One leg was knit with USO needles and I can barely get it over my heel. The other leg was knit with US1 needles and that goes on much easier. Next time I would even go to a US1.5 or US2.
Pattern: Annetrelac Socks by Sandy Beadle from the Interweave Knits Holiday 2007 issue.
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill supersock Mill End. Don't know the colorway. But, it added some much needed spring colors to my life.
Needles: USO and US1 circular needles. With 72sts around I needed the USO so the foot would not be too big. But as stated above, I needed to go up a needle size on the entrelac.
Construction: I started these 2 at one time toe up. I am so glad I did, because these socks are alot of work and I probably would have suffered from SSS. I incorporated a garter stitch heel, which I had never done before. And then bound off with a beautiful alternate rib bind off.
Bottom line: If you have never knit entrelac, and you have a ball of variegated yarn that you really arent' too crazy about....this sock is just the thing. It is so cool how the variegation turns into striping on each square. It was so much fun to watch these socks as they were knit up. I can't wait to do another pair!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Ambrosia by Ann Budd

I really wanted a pair of grey or black socks. I found this grey yarn on sale at Fiber Loft (2 balls $2.50) and figured I can't loose. WOW how boring it is to knit plain grey, but now that they are done I LOVE them. They are cushy comfy and a really cute design. So glad I stuck them out. What do they call it???? discipine? wish I had more of that in other areas of my life, but I digress. Meet Ambrosia in Grey.
Yarn: Marks & Kattens Orkide in Grey
Needles: 3.0mm Knit Picks Harmony 32" cirular
Construction: 2 on one, toe up. Followed pattern except for k2xp2 ribbing.

Leafling's Completed

Modified toe from a Ravelry Knitter, KnittingSuzanne. She does not appear to have a blog site. I enjoyed adding this fun toe :-)
Gusset modification done by me, for no other reason than it felt right at the time, I like the way it came out! Wonderful Heel construction!
The colors are really difficult to capture with this yarn. I think the best representation is the left foot of the gusset photo. I love the light green variegated with the yellow green, but could have done without all the darker greens. But that's OK, sock is still lovely! Pretty funky swirling, eh?
Pattern: Leafling by JC Briar, exclusive to the Rockin' Sock Club of Blue Moon Fiber Arts.
Yarn: Socks that Rock Medium weight in color Lucky.
Needles: started with 2.75mm as per instructions. Discovered it was too big so went down a needle size to 2.5mm. And again went to 2.25mm for the foot.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Kid's Capelet II

This one for Sarah. She really does love it, she was just trying to look like "a model".
Also it was cold this morning, thus the layering, I hope to get another photo soon, but them kids are so fast sometimes. :-)
Pattern : improvised
Yarn: Tahki Bunny Print (on sale at WEBS) in pinks (#023)
Needles: US9 Denise circular
Construction: Child with 22” chest.
CO 44sts (48 is better as it is evenly divisible by 12).
Join in the round and garter for ~1”.
Increase 12 sts every other round until you have 144sts around.
Continue till you run out of yarn or to desired length.
Do a few rows in garter and bind off.
I think it might work even better if you decrease a handful of stitches the row prior to the garter row. This should reduce the flaring, as garter stitches are usually wider than stockingnet. I will do that next time!


Saturday, April 5, 2008

Kid's Capelet

Working my way up to doing some full size sweaters. It's been a while and the yarn is starting to burn a whole in the closet (so to speak).
Pattern: Improvised. Details shared below
Yarn: Mondial Levante (on sale at WEBS) 3 balls
Needles: US7 16" circular
Construction: worsted weight yarn, child with 22” chest.
CO 60, join in round and knit ~ 1” stockingnet.
Increase 10sts every alternate round spacing evenly.
Until 260sts around.
Knit till almost out of yarn (or desired length) , garter rows and bind off.
Could probably have not made it quite so wide, maybe 200sts around? One doesn’t know without trying, but she won’t let me frog, “No Mommy I like it the way it is!”. So it is hers as is.