Shut Up & Knit!

The Socks That Changed My Life! *

Seriously.

The pattern is Rib Fantastic from Knitting Socks W/ Handpainted Yarn.  It may have some issues.  If it does, it isn't the first pattern I've used from that book with them.

The yarn is from Thank Ewe over at etsy.  It's a bamboo blend that has a wonderful shine to it.  The color is Silver Berry and I won it at Jaimi's blog.  It looked really gray to me in the hank.  However, once it was turned into a yarn cake, I could suddenly see all the lavender in it. 

I used 2.75 mm circular needles for this pair of socks and magic looped.  I also knit them toe-up with CCSR toes and heels.  I did a 3x3 rib at the cuff and a sewn bind off.

I started this pair of socks while sitting in the emergency room's outer waiting room.  (Everyone is fine.)  I used the tip of one needle to make the crochet chain for my provisional cast on and got to work.  While I did have a crochet hook in my knit kit, using the knitting needle seems right. 

By the time we got to go home (less than three hours after arriving!), I had done the CCSR toe and a few rounds of the pattern.  I had also become completely hooked on magic loop.  I see how it is easier than using DPNs and how it is faster once you've figured out what you're doing and how you're doing it.

Magic looping a pattern I knew by heart made for wonderful waiting/exam room knitting.  Even better for knitting at home in front of the tv, too.  What more could a sock knitter want?

Well, besides an admirer who owns their own successful yarn store, of course.

*  We're all even now, right?

Did you see that Norma's post from yesterday?!

Linky here!

Her wrap arrived in the mail yesterday and she posted a teaser photo.  Modeled shots to follow, I'm sure.

Meanwhile!

I have finished my personal sock club socks for April!

Magic looped, no less.

They are a garter rib because that's the first thing that made the yarn look good.

I used a 2.75 mm bamboo circular that I think I love.  I'd tell you how long it is, but I'm not giving y'all that easy joke in the making this early in the week.

The yarn!

The yarn is lovely.

The yarn is from A Swell Yarn Shop and it's their *skinny* Duet Sock Yarn in the laughable for me  lovely colorway of Sweet Innocence.  /ahem

It's a hand painted fingering weight super wash sock yarn that comes with it's own contrasting solid color for heels and toes... and cuff tops in my case.

I knit these socks toe-up, using CCSR toes and heels and a sewn bind off, which is my new love.

Yes, they are yet another pair of socks that are hard to show when it comes to the color.  I refuse to believe that's my fault.  I think it's just moody and/or shy yarn.  I've heard of weirder things...

Speaking of:

I think I've found my sock mojo.  Or Margene's.  He is a bit timid, which would suggest he's not really mine.  Anyway, I am greatly enjoying the current sock I am knitting and am pondering the next pair.

Weird, no?

I know it's Saturday & not Sunday, but I've got socks. Deal.

Socks for my Joan.

Don't be too impressed with me, btw.  She picked the pattern and sent the yarn.  I just did them my way.

Oh!

And the sewn bind off* at the top of the cuffs.  Beyond super easy and kinda fun.  If you can kitchener, you can do this bind off!

Happy Saturday!

* Scroll down a bit, people.

Madli's Shawl

(Click to Embiggen)

Pattern:  Madli's Shawl from  Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions

Yarn:  Madre Perla (Mother of Pearl) lace weight from Handpaintedyarn.com via the fabulous Joan, Queen of the PayPal Peoples.  One skein plus a tiny bit from the second.

Needles:  US 5 circular

Time Served:  Cast on: 03-02-09  Cast off: 03-19-09

Chart repeats:  42

Knit for me!

Size:  100 inches long (that's just over 8 feet) and 15 inches wide.  However, with a harder block, it could/would be wider.

Mods:  I knit more chart repeats because I love long lace.   I had some confusion at the end of the knit where I needed to knit some garter stitch before grafting it together.  The pattern did not line up with what I was seeing.  I faked my way through it because, by that time, there was no stopping me.

Knit as an along with Carrie, Joan and the Otter.  Since I don't have a life, I finished first.

This pattern offered me a slight challenge that I ended up loving.  You knit the edging chart and some garter stitch before you knit the body of the wrap.  Then you knit the edging chart and a tiny bit of garter stitch again on a separate needle.  Once all the knitting is done, you graft the two pieces together. 

This was the first time I've done this and I love it.  I didn't have to worry about how my cast off edge would look or whether or not I would be able to block things to match in the end.  Both ends look the same, and the grafting was fairly simple because I've grafted a few socks over the years.  The instructions for how to graft in the book were spot on and actually made sense.  I was impressed with that because not all knitting books manage that.

Now I'm looking forward to seeing the wraps that my girlies knit.

(Click to Embiggen)

Saxony Socks... my way

Because you know it's a rare (sock) pattern that I knit as a written.

Nora mentioned the Saxony Sock pattern last week and I went to see what she was liking.  If our Nora likes it, it must be good.

I followed her link to Ravelry and their link to the free pattern.

Saxony Sock

The pattern is also in A Fine Fleece, which is now on my book list.

I looked at the pattern and knew that with the way I knit there was no way a 68 stitch sock (using sock weight yarn) with cables was going to fit.  I always worry about negative ease with cables.

The smallest size calls for 48 stitches and I knew I could make that work.  So I grabbed some Wool of the Andes out of my stash (the color is Stream and it's been discontinued) and my US 6/4.25 mm dpns and got to work.

I knit this pair of socks toe-up because I had a limited amount of yarn and I wanted the cables to start and end at the right spots.  Controlling, remember?  I used CCSRs for the heels and toes and tried on the first one to make sure I got the right size.  Helpful when making socks, don't you know.

I knit the cable chart a total of three times before knitting a few rounds of 4x4 ribbing for the cuff.  Then cast off using a larger needle.

I really like this pattern. 

Okay.

I really like the cable chart.  That's about all I knit from the actual pattern but there's nothing wrong with that.

Right?!

I also like the seed stitch on the back of the leg, but I know how some of you feel about the seed stitch, so we won't be going there today.

Happy Wednesday!