side tracked with lace

my socks are not finished. big surprise. but, i have made quite a dent in my lace scarf!

in the beginning, i was making all sorts of mistakes. i am blaming the fuzzy heathered yarn for that. i succumbed to stitch markers, and that has made all the difference.


i still won't use lifelines. don't worry. i have been punished for that with at least one incident of dropped stitches involving several yo's. but, after knitting on the same repeat (9st 18row repeat) for about 8 repeats thus far, it's not so nightmarish to fix things. and just for saying that, i'm sure it's bound to happen again.

specs: zetor scarf by jatta. yarn is Järbo Garn Gästrike 1-ply (660yds, 100g). 4mm turbos.

wait, there's more ....


click on picture for all the details

i started the triinu scarf from nancy bush's new _knitted lace of estonia_. i really wanted to try something out from that book, and could not wait to finish the zetor scarf.

but now, i am getting the two confused, so i may just have to finish zetor first.

but, it's (back to triinu) my first project knitting nupps. NUPPS. so far so good. i am not using lace needles. i'd like some lace needles, but i am finding the kp's harmony needles smooth and pointy enough. in the past, i have avoided nupps by substituting beads. no one noticed the nupps were missing because they were dazzled by the pretty beads. i am making an effort to knit the pattern as written, because it's always a learning experience with nancy bush.

lastly, i cannot stay away from knitpicks. i ordered another set of color cards. this time, i ordered palette. i am thinking it will be nice for some smaller lace projects.


and i got this book too .... (from an independent book seller, not kp)


i do enjoy knitting lace shawls, and i have always like the designs of evelyn clark. now, i have her brain in a book !

i do hope there's enough continuity here, because i am crazy tired. i am very happy that i am only working 3 days this week. maybe i can finally do some laundry, and finish a sock.

a socken update

socks are always on my plate, but not always at the forefront of my mind. like any knitter, i have different needs and wants (knitterly). sometimes the socks on the needles don't quite fit the bill. sometimes i just want to knit socks, but not cabled socks, not lace socks, not socks with traveling stitches and blue ribbons. just socks.

my mindless socken project is soon to be finished.


even for a plain ole sock, it's had its challenges ... the yarn ... tofutsies. at first, i did not like this yarn. the 100 gram ball was small and dense. it made me think of throwing at someone (and possibly hurting them). and, it's splitty ... thus the tighter gauge on my regular 64 st. socken needles. i've sat on this yarn (in stash) for more than a year. then, one day, i decided, "let's knit this yarn!".

it's soft. it's soooo soft, once knitted. the colors bloomed unexpectedly (the colors, not the fabric). i think i love it. i want more, but i do have another ball in stash (both these yarns were gifts). so, i must knit the gift yarn first ... and then perhaps get over the crush.

i like to knit plain socks sometimes. sometimes, the scarf, sweater, shawl, other sock, bug, potholder, or _____ , takes more thought and attention. i have lots of socken stash. i have lots of socken stash appropriate for plain socks.

this yarn was appropriate for , not plain socks. when i see a solid (now) i think, "wow! what texture i can knit into this! lace! traveling stitches! cables!". but then, i examined the green a bit further ... "wow ... that's A LOT of green !" i love green. don't get me wrong. it's just that this green almost glows.


i still love the green, but i am quite pleased with its union with the heathered brown (newish green, very old brown).

i started these socks back in the summer. i finished the first one, and went on to other things (like a knitter).

i am happy to report that i am on the mate, beginning the gusset. i really like this pattern. i like that not every row is stranded. i like that not every stranded row is a big motif.

these will be finished soon.

i need to think about skirts to show off my socks. isn't that funny ... you make/buy something, and only need to make/buy something else to compliment it?!

shot on location, ... on my back steps ... on a blustery day, too warm for november. the day had unexpected morning sunshine, though blotchy. i love my back steps (my primary entrance) because they kinda unnerve people. it's like going up and down a fire escape. i like it. and the light is usually good there.

seriously ....

seriously crappy photography and knitting

(sigh) ... it's been an extremely loooong week. tonight is my "friday night". i cooked a chicken (i think underdone). i've wrecked a project (got off pattern somewhere). my laundry pile is about as tall as i am. (sigh)


all these things can be fixed (well, minus how my time was spent ....). when i reheat the chicken, i can "cook" it more. i am pretty good at lace, so i can usually find my mistakes. and laundry, ... some of that may be done tomorrow.

i don't know why i chose to start a new lace project when my mind is worthless. i guess it's part of being exhausted, and making poor decisions. i should had probably worked on one of my mindless projects, but i was itching for something new.

the something new? jatta's "zetor scarf". it's more like a shawl, being triangular ... and can be large or small, depending on how many repeats are knitted.

i had recently found this pattern on ravelry, and fell in love with its simplicity and spiderweb quality. my lys got in a yarn that i thought would fit the bill ... Järbo Garn's Gästrike 1-ply . it's 660 yds of single plied heathered black ... and only $8/hank. just think, countless hours of pleasure (except when you mess up) for only $8! ... that's way better than a movie.

speaking of movies ... perhaps that's another reason i'm off pattern. my netflix dvd came a couple of days ago, and i'm just now watching it (dexter, season 2 disc 2). so, probably not the best idea to knit lace and watch a movie.

(sigh) ... so, gotta love that flash photography!

editted: lace fixed (movie on extended pause).

bits'n pieces

i am just not completely focused on one project right now. instead, i have dabbled in all sorts of knitting from the very basic to most complex.

the first is very very basic ... leg warmers!


i finished knitting these on the way to saff, i even seamed one in the hotel. and then, i got new stuff at saff, and never touched these again. all that remains is seaming up the second leg. tisk tisk, shame on me.

these are not of the baggy 80's variety, though there is something to be said about the stripes. i thought the colors would blend more subtly together, instead they are screaming bands of color. ooops.

next up for easy peasy is good old basic socks!


these are almost finished ... and when they are done, i will dig through the stash for my next mindless socken knitting. it seems lately that i am more interested in plain socks then fabulous complex socks. i think it's because i'm saving the fabulous complex for things such as this ...


this is my lovely cashmere and first set of addi lace needles, knitting the alpine lace scarf from _victorian lace today_. for now, it's a real challenge with patterning happening on both sides, with a lace yarn with unexpected boing, and impossible to find dropped yo's. it's my love/hate project. i'm just not in the groove yet. i want to be in the groove.

i have been craving lace lately.


this is my mindless lace knitting project. i switch off between the mindless socks and this mindless lace. i am about 3/4's finished with this scarf. when it is finished, i will start another ... different pattern, different yarn, but more lace.

and lastly, i finally started to work on my mate to this socken. i started to work on it again on the last day of soctoberfest. i really suck at kal's.

.
i am near the cuff, on the first half of the large motif. it is slow going, but quite satisfying to knit. once i get through the big bug motif, the little pattern is a breeze.