Can it really be 2008?
Happy New Year!
It has been a high energy weekend for the Bud. He is always thrilled when Davin is home, and he was home this weekend for almost 48 hours.
The end is finally in sight, and he should be home for good at the end of this month.
I am looking forward to adding a few things back into my life. I have taken a short leave of absence from my etsy shop, but I plan to get back to it as soon as life gets back to normal. I started it for fun and a way to channel some creative energy, but around the beginning of December it started to feel like a huge stress. I decided to let myself stop for awhile. I will come back to it when it will feel fun and rewarding again.
I have been knitting since my last post and have finished a few things:
The Last FO of 2007
Gloria Cowl
This cowl was a christmas gift - I can blog about it now. I thought that my recent Yarn Pirate Booty would be perfect.
Luckily, after 4 frustrating attempts with various needle sizes and # of stitches cast on, I finally came up with a way to stop the horrible pooling that kept happening. I knit 2 strands together with the colorway staggered. I was quite pleased with how the colors blended after that. I added a little seed stitch edge to keep it from rolling.
I put my cowl "recipe" on my flickr page here.
First FO of 2008
Noro Silk Garden Lite Socks
Last October I was inspired by the beauty of Lolly's Silk Garden Lite socks.
I loved the colors and transitions.
Since then I wanted to make some for myself. So I bought 2 skeins on ebay - they ended up being very fraternal. I set up the skeins to have the cuffs match, but due to the long colorway repeat and other joins (from Noro) that's all that does. I loved working with the yarn, and despite the fraternal-ness, I am still very much in love with the finished socks.
First CO of 2008
Monkey socks
I enjoy participating in the Sock Knitter's Anonymous group KAL on Ravelry. For January the theme is Cookie A. designs.
I have been wanting to make some Monkeys for a long time, so I cast on with my Cheeky Monkey sock yarn yesterday.
I have been saving this yarn for something special. I love the colors, and it feels fabulous to knit with, but sadly this yarn will not be for Monkeys. The color repeat worked out to exactly 2 rounds - so there would be yucky vertical striping down the whole sock.
I couldn't let myself do that to this wonderful yarn. It will have to wait for another pattern another day.
I looked through my stash and tried this:
I am far happier with how the colorway is working out on my "Dreamsicle Monkeys".
Oddly enough... when I dyed the yarn last summer I thought it would make good monkeys - but I wasn't ready to follow that pattern yet. I have learned so much in the past few months about the way I knit (lefty-combined) and how I need to translate patterns for myself to make the finished product come out as intended.
I only recently figured out that that to K2tog, I need to knit one, change the stitch mount on the next stitch, return the knit stitch to the "unknit" needle and pass the "mount-changed" stitch over it - it took me awhile to discover that one.
For SSK I need to slip, knit one and PSSO.
My lefty combined world is so complicated!
I also discovered that to create a twisted rib, it is far easier for me to twist the purl stitch (P-through the back loop) than it is to K-through the back loop. K-tbl, for me, entails changing the stitch mount for each stitch - yuck! It doesn't look exactly the same, but it gives a similar enough effect for me.
With all of this new knowledge, I am set to put it to use on Cookie A's Monkey pattern.
I love it when a plan comes together. (Ahhh... the A-Team!)
My new year's resolution... be creative and enjoy.
It has been a high energy weekend for the Bud. He is always thrilled when Davin is home, and he was home this weekend for almost 48 hours.
The end is finally in sight, and he should be home for good at the end of this month.
I am looking forward to adding a few things back into my life. I have taken a short leave of absence from my etsy shop, but I plan to get back to it as soon as life gets back to normal. I started it for fun and a way to channel some creative energy, but around the beginning of December it started to feel like a huge stress. I decided to let myself stop for awhile. I will come back to it when it will feel fun and rewarding again.
I have been knitting since my last post and have finished a few things:
The Last FO of 2007
Gloria Cowl
This cowl was a christmas gift - I can blog about it now. I thought that my recent Yarn Pirate Booty would be perfect.
Luckily, after 4 frustrating attempts with various needle sizes and # of stitches cast on, I finally came up with a way to stop the horrible pooling that kept happening. I knit 2 strands together with the colorway staggered. I was quite pleased with how the colors blended after that. I added a little seed stitch edge to keep it from rolling.
I put my cowl "recipe" on my flickr page here.
First FO of 2008
Noro Silk Garden Lite Socks
Last October I was inspired by the beauty of Lolly's Silk Garden Lite socks.
I loved the colors and transitions.
Since then I wanted to make some for myself. So I bought 2 skeins on ebay - they ended up being very fraternal. I set up the skeins to have the cuffs match, but due to the long colorway repeat and other joins (from Noro) that's all that does. I loved working with the yarn, and despite the fraternal-ness, I am still very much in love with the finished socks.
First CO of 2008
Monkey socks
I enjoy participating in the Sock Knitter's Anonymous group KAL on Ravelry. For January the theme is Cookie A. designs.
I have been wanting to make some Monkeys for a long time, so I cast on with my Cheeky Monkey sock yarn yesterday.
I have been saving this yarn for something special. I love the colors, and it feels fabulous to knit with, but sadly this yarn will not be for Monkeys. The color repeat worked out to exactly 2 rounds - so there would be yucky vertical striping down the whole sock.
I couldn't let myself do that to this wonderful yarn. It will have to wait for another pattern another day.
I looked through my stash and tried this:
I am far happier with how the colorway is working out on my "Dreamsicle Monkeys".
Oddly enough... when I dyed the yarn last summer I thought it would make good monkeys - but I wasn't ready to follow that pattern yet. I have learned so much in the past few months about the way I knit (lefty-combined) and how I need to translate patterns for myself to make the finished product come out as intended.
I only recently figured out that that to K2tog, I need to knit one, change the stitch mount on the next stitch, return the knit stitch to the "unknit" needle and pass the "mount-changed" stitch over it - it took me awhile to discover that one.
For SSK I need to slip, knit one and PSSO.
My lefty combined world is so complicated!
I also discovered that to create a twisted rib, it is far easier for me to twist the purl stitch (P-through the back loop) than it is to K-through the back loop. K-tbl, for me, entails changing the stitch mount for each stitch - yuck! It doesn't look exactly the same, but it gives a similar enough effect for me.
With all of this new knowledge, I am set to put it to use on Cookie A's Monkey pattern.
I love it when a plan comes together. (Ahhh... the A-Team!)
My new year's resolution... be creative and enjoy.
posted by Orinda5 at 12:04 PM
4 Comments:
ooo, I like that cowl and the dreamsicle monkeys!
Have you seen the Noro sock yarn yet? very scratchy in the skien but it knits up softer than that and I've been told it washes up even softer. Now only to get a ball of my own!
The Bud is totally jubilant!
What a great post. btw - I've just (thanks to you) frogged the little cowl I cast on before dinner to add the seed stitch border. You're an anti-rolling genius.
Happy New Year :)
I am soooo loving that Dreamsicle colorway you dyed!!! it is so fresh and pretty!!!1
Was it your first time dyeing?
Happy New Year!!! It's always nice to read your blog!!
Michelle
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