it's beginning ...

the freak out, that is ....

so, i'm going on a trip. i don't know how much time i will have to knit. but, i live in mortal fear of not having choices or just the right project, or, being without my resources.

so, the freak out is beginning. what yarn(s)?! which needles?! which pattern(s)?!

do i play it safe and only take bamboo dpns? the TSA says knitting needles are "okay", but they haven't seen my needles! ... and then there's the magic-loopin' size zero's on a 32" cord! (strangling and stabbing needles !)

last socks of november ....

it's not that i'm being especially prolific, it's just that i'm getting ready to go offline for a spell (a 10 day trip, 3rd world travel, no internet, lots of bichos).

these socks have lingered for what feels like forever, but it's really only been about a month and a half.

the yarn is maizy by crystal palace. i bought it because of its interesting fiber content, cornfiber and elastic nylon. it makes a very nice fabric, and (so far) feels like a good substitute for folks that avoid wool or wool blends, and it has more memory than cotton or cotton blended yarns. and, it's machine washable.

so, that's the good.

the bad: splitty as f*cking hell! seriously.

redemption: nice fabric if you manage to knit all its plys, and i saw it somewhere in a lovely shade of bittersweet ... i was almost tempted.

the pattern is spey valley from nancy bush's _knitting on the road_. in true nancy bush form, it has a wonderful little *extra* ... horizontal knitted bands that amazingly maintain the stretch of the ribbed pattern. i love the little details.

notes to self: susan bates 2.25 mm dpns, and if find that *bittersweet* again, snatch it up !

a wee bit of knitting ....

... i have been wearing (all) my socks with the cooler weather, and the laundry pile is sky high. today is yet another dreary day, but still bright enough to catch a glimpse of the latest finished pair.


of course, i will not be out walking around today with my pants rolled up!


after finishing swallowtail, i am eager to cast on for another shawl. i thought i had found the perfect combo of yarn and pattern ... but now i'm not so sure. stay tuned ....

whoops! almost forgot ... lorna's laces in tuscany colorway on size 0 addi turbos, magic loop, toe up, falling leaves & diamante ... both from knitty.

blue period ....

well ... when one is without the net, a lot of knitting can be accomplished. i found myself knitting on swallowtail almost exclusively. it was a fun knit. right when a certain chart was about to become boring, i got to move onto another chart.

i was a wee bit concerned that i would not have enough yarn ... perhaps that was the impetus to knit faster. but i did have plenty, ... with about a fist's size worth leftover.


i opted to skip the nupps. because the yarn (brooks farm duet) was rather fuzzy (hello! wool & mohair!)(duh!) i really wanted to throw in another texture ... smooth and shiny ... beads !


though adding beads is slooooooowwwwww, i like seeing that sparkle in the sea of fuzz.


beads were also added to a couple other elements of the design, including the points.
one of my favorite parts of the process was the binding off. it wasn't so much the part about being (mostly) finished, but the bind off was unique and made a pretty chained edge.


this was a fast knit, very enjoyable, and i think there may be another one in my near future ....

specs:
brooks farm duet (1 hank, and not all of it!)
size 6 denise needles
size 8/0 beads
approx 54" x 25"

Why is it that i'll shell out X dollars for yarn but not 3 dollars for a kitchen brush to clean my mushrooms ?!

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"ms. Truvy, i promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair !" annelle from 'st

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Finished swallowtail !

My computer died . Again .

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i got a whole lotta nuttin'

maybe the making of mates has got me jonesing for something else to knit ... i chose to go ahead and cast on for the mate of this sock, for fear i'd forget any little details i'd failed to document. well, i must have failed somewhere because i did not begin the leg pattern at the same point in the chart as the first sock. oops. no matter ... it fits!


this mate is a glove! the cooler weather finally hit, and i realized i could be wearing some swanky green gloves if i'd just get on with the mate !

i like knitting gloves ... though they are fiddly. but, when i peruse the web, i find lots of inspiring samples, and i start dreaming of my next pair.


i also have a bit of the shawl bug. this is brook's farm duet, a dk mohair and wool, with tons of yardage. hopefully, it's enough yardage to complete a swallowtail shawl. this colorway is absolutely amazing! and i can't tell you the colorway because i promptly lost the label while winding the yarn into a ball on my way home from SAFF. but, it's black & blue, and blue & black, and it's really really pretty!

it's also pictured below at stuart's feet. that's some of the haul from SAFF. click on the picture to go to my flickr and see what everything actually is.

socken update

i finished these socks just the other day. they still need to be washed though, as silk garden (lite) doesn't feel that great until after a healthy dunk in the wool wash.

i chose to knit these toe up, as i wasn't sure how far a skein of this stuff (125m) would get me if i started with the cuff. once it was clear that a skein was plenty for a respectable socken, i decided to just knit until i ran out of yarn ....

specs: silk garden lite, col. 2011 lot A, size 3.25 mm dpns, 48 sts, short row heel, blah, blah, blah.


this too has been finished for a few days, and would had been finished last week if i hadn't stalled on the bind off.

this sock is a combo of knitty's falling leaves and diamante socks. i should go ahead and cast on for the mate, while things are still fresh in my mind.

specs: lorna's laces shepherd sock in tuscany, size 0 turbos.

oh, and i did cast on for something new (sock!)(duh!) yesterday ... but i can't show it here 'cause it's a christmas present for mom. but, if you're on ravelry you can go see it in my notebook ... under the name graylagran. it's brownish smooshy!