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So I do not have any FO’s at the moment (though I have shark mittens that just need teeth). I did, however, sign up for two more WWFY swaps (with the same person) because apparently I just like hoarding yarn and not actually knitting anything for myself. I figure I’ll stock up now so I’ll have lots to knit when I’m desperately poor and need the money for rent and groceries and whatnot.
Anyway, so I’m knitting Lacy Ribbons in Douceur et Soie (basically Cracksilk Haze). It’s pretty:
In return, I got six skeins Noro Aurora, which is SPARKLY. Seriously, I love it:
I’m also knitting fingerless mitts, but that yarn was just sent today, so more on that later.
So the boyfriend is in town so I haven’t been posting, but I have been knitting! Convinced the boyfriend to help me with photographs, so the sweater I was knitting for a WWFY swap is finished and ready to be mailed off to its rightful owner.
Pattern: Karlsro from Noro Book One
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, seven skeins for the large
Needles: US 10.5 and 10, straights and KP options circular
Mods: None, knit as written
Despite the lack of clarity in the pattern (it’s not very well written and definitely not for beginners), Karlsro was a pretty easy knit and thanks to the huge gauge, knit up super quickly. It was mostly interesting enough to not be boring but simple enough that I didn’t have to concentrate.
This is obviously too big on me since I made a large and I am small, but it’s very stretchy. So I can sort of extrapolate how a small would fit. And since I get to keep the book the pattern is in, I can make another for myself, either in the Noro Kureyon I was sent for payment or in some recycled wool from an ENORMOUS brown sweater I got at the thrift.
As for the yarn: It wasn’t terrible. There was some VM and that was annoying. And there were a bunch of knots with color changes and that was annoying. But for the most part, the yarn did what I ecpected it would–it kinked up because it’s a single and the thickness varies quite a lot. But it’s reasonably soft and it does make a pretty sweater. Am I going to buy some for myself? Absolutely not. But I’m not racing to sell or trade the leftover either (though if you’re dying for four skeins of Silk Garden, we can discuss it).
My current knitting project is working on the Haruni I started a bit ago. I’m a couple rows into chart B. I also embroidered a thing, but I’m going to wait until I find a frame or big enough hoop before I photograph it.
Well, after a few weeks of knitting whatever the hell I wanted, I’ve decided to take on a couple more Will Work for Yarn trades. I’m also still knitting a sock. The sock, so far, looks like this:
Pretty simple, smooth going. But I’m putting it aside to work on soakers for a swap. The pattern in question is the adorable Turtle Butt soaker. The yarns in questions are a variety:
The mostly-knit one is one that I am finishing (the grafting and the leg cuffs). Then there’s a medium in black and pink and a large one in grey and blue/green. In return, I received a skein of Lorna’s Laces Shepard Worsted in Flames, a skein of my partner (SeptemberSocks)’s hand dye (same colorway as the blue/green above) and two colors (two and three skeins) of Alpaca Cloud (in Smoke and a darker grey). So yeah, I basically win. At least one of the colors of Alpaca cloud will become a giant shawl and we shall just see about the others.
Stay tuned for some swap stuff and the inevitable progress on the soakers. Also, I started a sewing project that I promise to show you at some point before it’s actually done.
So I finished knitting the second pair of Manly Arans which means I can MAIL THESE SUCKERS OFF AND KNIT FOR ME ME ME ME!!!!!! (Okay, I have some OWS stuff, but it’s little things.)
Ahem. I’m pleased, in case you couldn’t tell.
Pattern: Manly Aran Socks by Wendy Johnson
Yarn: Cascade Heritage Paints
Needles: US 1, 40″ (for magic loop)
Mods: None.
They are more or less exactly like the other pair. I knit the cuff as long as I thought I could (turns out I was a little off and I have a tiny bit left over). They are too big on my feet (obviously), but they are DONE DONE DONE. They just have to be mailed off.
I have since cast on for a pair of sockettes (socks for wearing inside flats) and see it as a marker of self control that I haven’t cast on approximately a billion things.
So this post is a little less than thrilling. Sorry about that.
I am knitting socks. Manly Aran socks, to be specific (from Wendy Johnson’s second book). This is what they look like so far:
(I futzed around with the image a little but it’s dreary and grey today so not much light)
They are the second pair to the first I finished last week for a WWFY swap on Ravelry. I am quite ready for them to be done, though they are progressing pretty smoothly. I am a couple of rows into the gusset.
I think I’m going to start another project this evening though so I don’t get so bored knitting the second pair of gigantic socks I flings them across the room. It’s going to be a vest of my own design knit in a cotton/linen blend yarn I frogged from a thrift store sweater.
Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?
So over the last couple of weeks, I knit these socks:
(sorry this pictures is so bad, IDEK)
Pattern: Manly Aran Socks by Wendy Johnson from Knitted Socks for Everybody
Yarn: Cascade Heritage Paints
Needles: US 1s
Mods: None
Recipient: WWFY swap, presumably to go to a gigantic man. I knit the large size upon request and these are BIG SOCKS. And they TOOK FOREVER. And I have to KNIT ANOTHER PAIR.
So I knit these socks. And they were possibly the most complicated cabling thing I’ve done to date. Lots of twisting, lots of chart-following, lots of complicated little cables. But here’s the thing: I understand how cables work. I know how to get them to turn left and right and over and under. After I figured out how to do a basic open cable, I suddenly got cables. Which means once I’d finished a whole repeat of the cable pattern for these socks (I knit them two at a time like a boss), I pretty much had the pattern memorized. YES.
WHICH MEANS that the socks I mentioned during last years Blog Week (The Viper Pilots of complication and DOOM? TOTALLY DOABLE NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. Cable patterns, top down, heel flap, and all.
LIKE A BOSS.
As promised, this post is about knitting. I finished a thing!
(The recipient has larger feet and calves than me so that’s why they look funny on)
Pattern: Wicked Witch Stockings from the Sanguine Gryphon
Yarn: Sanguine Gryphon Bugga!
Needles: US 1/sock needle, long circular for magic loop.
Recipient: WWFY person
Mods: I worked the socks top down cause that seems to make socks go by faster. It has to be a set length when I get past the heel and there’s no, “FUCK IT they are TALL ENOUGH” when I get bored.
Despite the Ravelry page for these socks saying they took me just shy of a month, they really felt like they flew by–I knit the second sock in about a week and seeing as one knee-high sock is similar to a pair of regular socks in knitting amount, that’s an accomplishment.
The stripes and calf decreases really made these socks fly–that and the fact that they’re in stockinette so I could knit them while internetting and whatnot. I’m really pleased I have them off the needles now though. I have two more pairs of socks to knit for another WWFY swap (one that I thought had been cancelled until the yarn–shipped in August–arrived with my parents when they came up to visit over winter break) and then I am FREE FREE FREE to knit for myself.
Seriously, I can’t wait.
I finished my last pair of shark mittens! They’re all packaged up, so no pictures, but I’m pleased they are finally finished. I’m leaving the listings up so it’s entirely possible that I’ll get more orders, but I haven’t gotten any in at least two weeks, so I’m done for now.
I’m also working on more socks. They are for the same WWFY swap that the red socks I recently made. They are striped knee socks, and here’s what the first one looks like so far:
I’m not crazy, so I’m knitting them one at a time and also carrying the unused color up the side (because otherwise I’d have like, 40 ends to weave in and… no. So yes. They’re progressing quite well and I’m enjoying the stockinette (with decreases and stripes to keep my interest).
I also recently began a sewing project that should be done later tonight, so there’s that to show too. : )
Yay, I finished a knitting thing! It’s these blasted red socks I’ve been working on forever.
Plus bonus fishnets! Because I like layering tights.
Pattern: Started out as Twisted, then I gave up and just made twisted rib socks.
Yarn: Sanguine Gryphon Bugga!
Needles: US 1
Mods: None, since they’re just ribbed socks.
So, as I mentioned before, these are for a swap and I do not get to keep them. Which is disappointing, but they’re too big for me anyway as they’re for someone with larger feet than mine. The Bugga is, of course, lovely to knit with as usual, thanks to the delightful cashmere content and the squoosh factor of the plies. Yay.
Like I said, I started out knitting Twisted. That did not work out. I messed up the gusset then could work out how to modify the swoop for what I had and I didn’t want to pull out all of my gusset decreases, so I asked the person the socks are going to if I could finish them out in rib, and she said I could, so I did.
Of course, the twisted rib bit was a pain in the ass to knit. Any stitch pattern knit in the round that has more purls than knits is going to inherently be a pain in the ass. I HATE purling in the round. HATE. Especially when there are some knit stitches too. So these socks sucked to make, but they came out pretty well.
Still, I’m rather pleased they’re done. Now onto some striped knee socks for the same recipient and one last pair of shark mittens. Hurrah!
So, yes. I’ve been knitting. I’ve been working on a pair of socks for a WWFY swap:
Pattern is Twisted (from Knitty) in Bugga! That’s the cuff there and it’s FINALLY up to the heel flap. FINALLY. I’ve been working on these socks forever.
I’ve also been knitting shark mittens:
I’m trying a new yarn for the grey part (it’s Wool of the Andes, which is a bit thinner but it also cheaper and softer). It seems to be working out.
In other news, I think I’ve forgotten what it’s like to knit for myself.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 