christmas trip knitting

I took 2 knitting bags to Tulsa. I had no idea which new projects I'd want to start, so I took all of them.

I almost finished Lockhart's Melted Crayon socks. I love them, and if she hates them, I'll keep them and knit her another pair. I almost finished one leg while playing games with Mom and Sis on Christmas Eve. I think my multitasking impressed them. (Sis won Scattergories, Mom kicked our asses at Scrabble, and I won TWO games of Trivial Pursuit! I never win!)

I cast on the Aveline hat, using buttercup yellow merino/silk from MadeleineTosh. It uses a waste yarn long-tail tubular cast-on, which would be the perfect foundation for ribbing or double knitting. I used size 5s, and the brim was too tight. I need to go up at least 1 needle size.

I cast on the Sloochy hat, using the wild worsted from The Accidental Knitter on size 8 needles. I think the fabric is a little too firm, so I'm going to try size 9s.

I got a good start on the Strangling Vine Lace Scarf, using J.Knits Superwash Me Light Sock. This is GORGEOUS, I can't imagine how wonderful it's going to be when it's finished and blocked. I've had to rip back a ridiculous number of times because I kept inserting a stitch in the same damn place, but I rewrote the pattern notes to make it easier to track.

And finally, Sis gave me sock yarn for Christmas -- red/purple for me, and pink/grey to make socks for her. She mentioned that she'd like mittens, and I asked her "With or without fingers?". Evidently, to non-knitters, that is the most nonsensical question ever asked. I'm talking gales of laughter.

ravelry

I spent the evening getting my Ravelry stash up to date. I've decided to be at peace with my stash. I bought a LOT of yarn in 2008. I knew there was a good chance I'd be laid off, so I spent money while I had it. Maybe not the most responsible choice, but I'm glad I made it, because I have a gorgeous stash. :)

epic fail fallout

At 5 this morning, I accepted that Dad was not going to get a handknit gift this year. This may distress me more than it does him, I do not know. But I can't do it, especially since we're exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve, not Christmas morning. (I'm having a mild bit of trauma over that, frankly.) Even if I could finish it, I'd never get it blocked, AND I would have driven myself stark staring insane.

Lockhart's socks just lack legs, but I can finish those at Mom and Dad's. Good conversation socks -- simple stockinette. Mom's socks are finished and gorgeous.

So that's my holiday knitting for the year -- hopefully next year will be better. I'm glad I gave up rather than drive myself mad. In fact, I spent this afternoon winding yarn, and this evening poring over patterns and looking for good matches. I'm about one good stiff drink away from casting on 4 new projects -- 2 hats and 2 sets of fingerless mitts. :) And after the holiday, I'll start SwR's birthday socks.

EPIC FAIL

Turned the heels on Dad's socks only to realize that I was absolutely positively definitely NOT going to have enough yarn to finish the socks. And I can't get more. And I don't have enough of anything in my stash to knit him socks FROM. And the LYS is closed on Sundays. I'm afraid he's getting another scarf, if I can summon the will to knit it.

and a crazy monk in a christmas tree!

Hee hee hee!


He's actually perched on the cat tree behind the Christmas tree, but I just love his mad eyes glowing through!

And so you can see what a beautiful creature my elusive Mr Monk is...

AAAAUUUGGGHHH!!!!

I'm so stressed about finishing Dad's socks by Christmas that I've managed to spend the last 3 hours puttering around on the laptop.

Avoidance, anyone?

christmas knitting stress - I has a bit of it

Mom's socks are done, so that's good.


L's socks are halfway finished, but I plan to finish them during the visit home, so that's good.


My dad has enormous goddamned feet. Christmas is next week. Not so good.

I have been knitting for DAYS, I shit you not. One sock is 5" long. The other is 10" long. They have to be 11" long before I can turn the heel. I keep knitting and knitting and knitting and knitting and still I can't turn the damn heel because it isn't long enough! GAH! And at some point, it occurred to me that I have no damn idea if I have enough damn yarn for a decent length sock. (I was smart enough to knit them toe-up.)

They're going to be really gorgeous socks if I can ever finish them. They're a lovely variegated brown with a 6x2 ribbing. They use the Upstream Architecture from Cat Bordhi's Big Book o'Insanity, which puts the expansion triangle at the top of the foot.


But first I have to finish them. And I should probably be working on that instead of blogging my stress and taking pictures of unfinished socks, yes? AAAAAAUUUGGH!

greensleeves spindles

http://www.bountifulspinweave.com/greensleeves_spindles.htm

knitting up a storm

I've been knitting a lot of socks since I got laid off!

Raphael's Summer Berries socks - plain stockinette, round heel - Colinette Jitterbug SW merino


Flaming Sangria socks - plain stockinette, round heel - Dragonfibers Ramen SW colonial


PBR World Finals 2008 socks - plain stockinette, round heel - Fortissima Socka Mexiko

spanish peacock cutout spindles

http://www.spanishpeacock.com/catalog/cutoutspindles.htm

I love the Cocobolo flower spindle. $35, 3" diameter, 1 oz

handy plying

http://www.knitty.com/issuewinter05/FEAThandyplying.html

It really works!

sweet jade!

Sweet Jade SW merino from spincerely.

Roving


Singles




Plying


Plied


Finished yarn

spinspiration!

Inspiration! I found it! Here -- a listing for 10 mini batts from butterflygirl! Just enough to play with -- spinning for fun! Not for practice, not for a project, just for fun. Just for the sheer joy of watching the colors dance.

I can't believe how excited I am by this fiber. I've been on a fiber diet since being laid off, and it hasn't been difficult because I have a large and beautiful stash. But I'm at a stage where I'm still working on technique, and lately I've been really concentrating on producing an even single. I don't pre-draft at all anymore -- my drafting has definitely improved, and I'm playing with twist in the drafting zone. But it hasn't been just for fun, and these mini batts will be fun. Just playing with the sparkly colors, dude!

I also got another butterflygirl batt -- Cedar Waxwing merino/bamboo/firestar. Isn't it lovely? The perfect autumn brown. That batt inspired me to dig out the Leaf Lace Shawl pattern and yarn and see if I can get that going. I've been wallowing in a pile of unfinished socks and I just can't get excited about any of them. I've been crocheting bags for 2 weeks, and that has pretty much sucked the joy out of my string.

Inspiration! I has it! And I needed it!

carbonized bamboo!

from zebisisdesigns.etsy.com

hegal popsicle

I took my newest spindle and roving camping and spun half of it. I'm going for a 2-ply fractal. The colors of the spindle and roving are fantastic together, and they looked lovely in the sunshine.





The spindle is a Grafton Fibers swan -- 2" whorl, weighs .8 oz.



The roving is SW merino from http://juliespins.etsy.com in the Intense Popsicles colorway.

wooden spindles - hatchtown

http://www.hatchtown.com/highws.html#JERR

Ravelympics

I had a lot of fun and will definitely participate in the next Ravelympics. I learned that…

• Next time, I’m still going to try to make 2 pair of socks, but they will NOT both be fingering weight on size 1 needles. One will be DK, to give my hands a break. And next time, I will at least cast the 2nd pair on before the end!
  
  
• Next time, I’m sticking with stockinette or a favorite sock pattern, because I actually WATCH the Olympics! An unfamiliar lace pattern was not the best choice!
  
  
• Next time, if I try to spin two batts for the Handspun Heptathalon, they need to be different fibers so I don’t get bored and abandon the second batt halfway through.
  
  
• Trying to make myself work on something that isn’t making me happy doesn’t work. It’s better to screw the deadline, take a day or two off, and play with something that makes me happy.
  
  
• It is possible for me to frame things as “Next time I’ll do this” rather than “I am so stupid”. Takes some work, though. :)

I finished spinning Olympic Roses.


I finished Olympersimmon socks, although I will NEVER use the Orchid lace pattern again as LONG AS I LIVE.


Got halfway through the Olympic Butterflies batt, and didn't even cast on the Olypomotamus socks. (See above list of lessons learned.) But I had fun!

sock blockers

http://www.purrfectlycatchydesigns.com/sockblockers.htm
Gorgeous wooden sock blockers with animal cutouts. (Hedgehog! Cat! Raven!)

jitterbug

Resolved: that I shall always have skeins of Jitterbug in my stash.

It is so restful to knit with size 2 dpns, and socks are done so quickly in compairson to size 1 projects. So of course, bouth socks for Ravelympics are size 1. Hmm. I've still got time to swatch -- I wonder if the Persimmon yarn might like size 2 smsll. Ooh, and I should swatch the Pomatomus pattern to be sure size 1s won't drive me fucking spare.

Ravelympics!

I am so excited about Ravelry's Ravelympics. I was planning an Olympic knit-along anyway (which is half the reason I skipped Tour de Fleece), and it's fun to be part of a group. I'm fairly sure I've overcommited, but if people can knit an entire damn sweater during the Olympics, I should be able to manage 2 pairs of socks and 2 rovings! Right?

---

Team Ankh-Morpork

This is my main team. I couldn't figure out what team to join until I realized that I spent the weekend rereading some of my favorite Discworld witch novels. I've signed up for 3 events:

• Sock Put -- Olympomatomus socks. Pomatomus socks in a screaming vivid fushcia/yellow superwash merino from The Accidental Knitter.
  
  
• Handspun Heptathlon -- Olympic Roses baby alpaca/bamboo. I've only got around 2.5 oz to spin, and I'm going to aim for a balanced 2-ply laceweight as practice for my other handspun event.
  
  
• Handspun Heptathlon -- Olympic Butterflies Merino/Bamboo. This is 4 oz of multicolored gorgeousness and I'm going for a 2-ply laceweight or light fingering.

---

Team OkieKnitters

I had to join the home team for this sock -- the yarn colors make me think of home.

• Sock Put -- Olympersimmon socks. This is going to be interesting -- it uses the beautiful Orchid pattern overlaid on Cat Bordhi's Riverbed sockitecture. Riverbed puts all arch increases beneath the sole, so the Orchid pattern will float along the top of the foot. And I'll be using Bordhi’s toe-up master reinforced heel, which is rapidly becoming my favorite. The yarn is Persimmon SW merino from pigeonroofstudios. It's a beautiful golden yellow purple orange brown white blend that makes me think of autumn in Oklahoma.

autumn's joy finished!

I'm really pleased with this. It was my grand experiment with 3-ply fractal spinning, and it's a beautiful blend of structure and randomly placed color. 1 ply is a short color repeat and 2 plies are long repeats. I didn't try to match up the long repeats -- I like a little randomness in my structure. :)

Roving


Singles wound for plying


Plying




Plied




Finished

buttercup & zaria

buttercup - yarn, I made it!

I finally finished the Buttercup SW merino/tencel from Spincerely. 3-ply, 148 yards, 18 wpi. It’s like liquid sunshine. It fluffed up considerably more than the Zaria, possibly because I fell asleep while soaking it... for 5 hours. :)

Roving


Singles


Singles wound on the plying bobbin


Plied!


Finished!

new lazy kate setup -- it's wonderful!

I first started out with Spinsanity's lazy kate. It might work well for someone who spins thick, but I spin laceweight singles, and there's not enough drag to prevent massive tangles and snarls.


However, I found that it works beautifully for winding singles onto a bobbin. I inserted screws into the PVC bobbin caps, rigged a shoebox to poke my spindle through, and use my electric drill to wind on.


That left the problem of needing a good system for transferring the singles from their 3 bobbins into a ball or 1 large bobbin for plying. So this past weekend, I added a second lazy kate to my collection -- a box from Target that was laying around and some old knitting needles.


It works perfectly! I put the large bobbin on Spinsanity's lazy kate and used the drill to wind on the 3 singles, then I put the large bobbin in the new lazy kate and plied from that. It was flawless! No snarls, no tangles, even tension on all the singles... I'm thrilled!

ref: niddy noddys

Ashford mini = 2 ft skein

Ashford std = 5 ft skein

progress! I have some!

I had some extra time today after a vet appointment that I had originally allocated for housework. I decided spinning would make me much happier.

I decided to see how the Buttercup liked the custom ornate spindle from Spinsanity. It loves it! I got another big chunk spun, and I'm down to less than a fifth of the original roving.

I also made progress on Autumn's Joy -- one more strip and the second bobbin will be spun. I definitely split the roving too many times and the long color repeats will be shorter than I'd like, but this yarn has some serious potential.

lavender to eggplant

I started a new project this week. (Of course I did. Sigh.)

It started with a very dark purple BFL batt (Sun Dried) that I had expected to have more tonal variation. I was trying to think of what I could ply with it to lighten it up.




Then I got this gorgeous superwash merino batt (Delilah).


I spun a test single on the same spindle as the test from the first batt. I noticed that the deep purple looked a lot less murky next to the Delilah, and that it shaded the Delilah towards purple rather than raspberry. So I plied them together and liked the result.



I'm planning a 3 ply sock yarn: 2 plies of Sun Dried and 1 of Delilah. It should be gorgeous.