Knitting in pink

The last few days I've been working exclusively on a secret project. I'm over halfway done so I should resume current project knitting in a few days. But in the mean time I will show you what I finished last week:

I finished the first sock of my Child's First Sock. It went fairly fast after I figured out the pattern. I'm hoping I can knit up the other sock after my secret knitting is over and submit it for Socktopia April under the theme: "Bumblebees and Butterflies". I think that the shell pattern looks a lot like butterfly wing...


I also knit up the first sleeve to the Hourglass sweater. I am pleased of the modifications I made on the sleeve. Now I hope that it will all work out together when I start knitting the yoke. But first I have to knit the second sleeve, which will have to wait a bit!

For your enjoyment:

I've been inching along on my Hourglass Sweater, but I am finally up to the yoke on the body and have started sleeve #1.

I have already made some changes to the sleeve. I started with a smaller amount of stitches so as to have less of a bell shape. As it is I think it is wide, but I think it will be ok once the sleeve is complete. I might have to fudge the increases when I get there but I think it will be fine.

After finishing the Lemonade Stand socks I had planned on waiting until the Socktopia newsletter came out so I could see the April themes and pick a pattern accordingly. But I couldn't wait... So I cast on this, my hardest lace project yet.



This is Child's First Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks using STR in Apple Valley Road, just like Clothesknit's! (She was the inspiration for this pair).

As you can see I am doing toe up. I might be the first doing it that way but I've found that the short-row heel fits me better and I just like better starting socks toe up. The pattern works fine knitted that way too. At first I was really concerned that at the first mistake I would have to frog the whole thing. But it seems like my tinking abilities have improved greatly. I had to think about 3 rows in the first pattern repeat and 2 rows in the second pattern repeat. No tinking was done in the 3rd pattern repeat. So I'm crossing my fingers that I will not forget any more yarn overs...

I really do hope that mine look half as good as Domesticat's once I'm done with them. Because hers are really beautiful!

Both of WIPs will be perfect for the next Project Spectrum, yay!

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I will be putting some of my stash on the Destash blog in just a little while. Some Koigu, Yarn Pirate, Woolen Rabbit... I have to pay for the 3 skeins of Vespers sock yarn I just special ordered! : )

Do you remember last week when I asked you all to guess what project I had just started working on? Today is the big reveal. There's not much to see yet, only a few inches of stockinette, but at least it is the beginning of something.

Let me introduce to you, my own Hourglass Sweater. So far all is going well, I've done the decreases and am about half an inch away from starting the increases. The size looks ok compared to one of my sweaters, but I do wish I could try it on... I know I can put the whole thing on scrap yarn but I guess I'm just too lazy to do it quite yet. But I know I should, just to be sure it will fit! : )

The yarn I am using is Classic Elite Skye Tweed, that I bought on sale at Webs back in December. I knew it would make a perfect Hourglass. And I was not disappointed. The yarn is a bit rough while working it, but the swatch softened quite a bit so in the end it should be comfortable to wear.

My other WIP is, of course, another pair of socks! I am using a DK sock yarn called Duet Sock yarn from a Swell Yarn Shop. The color I am using is called Lemonade Stand. I chose this DK yarn to have a quick pair of socks by the end of the month. I am going to be going on vacation next week and might not have a lot of time to work on the socks. And the Hourglass sweater is definitely not a traveling project, at least not for me.



I really want to keep these socks for knitting on vacation, so I have to stop myself from picking them up and knitting on them! I need to remind myself to work on the sweater instead...

Look! What's this?

I know what it is, but do you? Some of you that have been paying super close attention might recognize the yarn and what it was intended for. But I'll let you all take a guess before I tell ya!

Look at this lovely swatch



A dark pink just like I love them, with little flecks of orange and blue. The yarn is a bit rough, but it softened up real nice after a little soak. So I have hope for a nice, comfortable... oops! I almost said what it was!

Go on,take a guess!

I don't have much interesting to show you at the moment. I am at the stage where working on my husband's sock isn't really interesting. I can't bring myself to work on it too often. So instead of working on it I cast on for yet another project. It's a small project so it will only provide temporary relief from the grey sock. But it's pink, allows me to use one ball from the stash and easy knitting so I'm happy with it.



I'm knitting the Dream Swatch headband/scarf/belt by Knit and Tonic out of a ball of Colinette Wigwam. The yarn is a cotton tape and much bigger than Wendy used in her pattern but I still think it works, and I only did 3 repeats instead of 4 so it wouldn't get too wide. I don't think I'll ever actually wear it in my hair as I don't have the haircut for it. But I might wear it as a thin scarf or as a funky belt.

I don't know if you've noticed but the darker pink lines up on every repeat at exactly the same spot, which gives it a cool effect. Knitting with the cotton tape is a little difficult. It twists extremely easily and it shows very well on the dropped stitches. But I am embracing the twist and letting it do it's own thing, most of the time.

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Yesterday, the Knitty surprises came up... And it was love at first sight. Thermal and I were meant to be. When I saw that the recommended yarn was KP Gloss I figured that it shouldn't be too expensive and made my way over to Knit Picks. Within a few minutes I had 8 skeins of Gloss in Cocoa, a chart keeper and Size 13 Option needles in my cart. The chart keeper and size 13 needles have nothing to do with the pattern, just something I've wanted to get and something to get me over the $45 free shipping amount. I am really excited about this pattern and I think it will look great in Cocoa brown. I can't wait to get my yarn! I really like the designer Cosmicpluto, she writes pattern I want to knit and wear.

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One more thing:

Pointy Sticks is having a super Podcastiversary Contest!. Go and check it out!

ETA: I realized that I was supposed to tell a story about socks: "The focus of the posts, comments & recordings should be on socks; why you love to knit socks, why you hate to knit socks, what sock yarn or patterns you love, your latest sock find, your favorite sock method, a neat sock trick that you have learned, why you just don’t get why people knit socks because you don’t. Whatever. I’m just counting up the sock related ones, as that is the theme of the contest, so tell me all about your socks."

So here is my story about socks. After knitting for a few months, I decided that it was time I knitted socks. It was also my first experience knitting in the round. I had the book SKS, some size 6 dpns and some worsted weight yarn. I cast on for the class sock and managed to start knitting the sock. I figured out how to do the heel and do the foot and kitchener the toe. I have kept the pink pint sized sock as a souvenir! After that I cast on for socks for myself and then another pair and I haven't stopped since. I started knitting my socks on top down on dpns and then I learned to use Magic Loop and then I learned to knit toe up with short row heel. I've made one a a half pairs of Jaywalkers but I've mostly made plain stockinette socks. I'm planning to make lacier and more complicated socks in the near-ish future, but I'll probably make plain stockinette socks the most because they are so easy.

After a random Friday here is a random Monday. Beware, their will be lots of pictures!

First: Let me show you a before / after pictures

The boxes took a couple days each and were knitted out of two strands of Lambs Pride Bulky. I followed the pattern to the letter, except for a couple non-noticeable mistakes. I hope that my nieces will enjoy them!

Second: I'll show you my third FO of the year and my 7th pair of socks



Stats
The socks were started December 2, 2006 and finished January 19th. The first sock took 9 days, the second 12.
Yarn: Dicentra Design in Abalone
Pattern: Madder Ribbed socks from Knitting Vintage Socks
Mods: Did the socks toe-up with turkish cast-on with a purl row at the beginning of the pattern

Third: As soon as I finished my Madder socks I cast on for the second Austermann Step sock for DH



I would like to finish this sock by the end of January for it to count for Socktopia, but if it doesn't it will be my gray project for Project Spectrum in Feburary.

Fourth: I have a question for you guys


Click on it to make it bigger

This here is a handknit scarf made by J. J gave the scarf to her sister M for Christmas. Sister M has a dog, Lola. Do you see where this is going? Lola chewed on the edge of the scarf... Now we are wondering what to do to make the scarf better. There is no yarn leftover. Thankfully the yarn was angora and is sticking well to itself so there is no unraveling going on. Please help a girl out and make suggestions as to how I should help J fix this!

Thanks!

The last few days have been very productive on the knitting front. I have started 2 new projects and finished 2 projects. Where to begin...

First, let me introduce a completed Bejeweled

artsy photo or just plain out of focus!

Stats
Bejeweled was started on December 27 and finished January 14.
Yarn: Done Roving "Indigo Moon" 50/50 Fine Mohair/Wool
Pattern: Bejeweled by Lisa Shobhana Mason
Mods: Used US 10 needles, Increased till 24 stitches, length is about 60".

I had fun knitting the scarf. The pattern was really easy to knit and it went really fast. The yarn is a little itchy due to the mohair but it looks really nice and keeps the neck warm. I will definitely knit this again.

Second finished object is the garterlac dishcloth by Criminy Jickets. A couple of weeks ago I started obsessing about knitting Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style. And before investing in the yarn and the book I decided to try out the technique, see if I could actually do it! I had seen this pattern before and decided it would be a quick and easy way to try the technique and use some of my dishcloth cotton.

Here are the results of my experiment:



I really enjoyed the technique, it's really simple and the results are really cool. As you can imagine I had tons of ends to weave in. Using 2 colors on the dishcloth wasn't a wonderful idea but I didn't have any variegated cotton in the stash. Also, I am uncertain about the picking up of stitches part. Should I have picked up stitches only on one side? There was no mention of that in the pattern. Any experts on the subject want to comment?

After finishing both Bejeweled and the dishcloth on the same day my fingers were itching to start something new and this is what happened:



I know it's hard to tell what it is so I'll help you. It's the beginnings of the Fake Isle Hat from Magknits. I just couldn't wait any longer! Considering that it's my first fair isle project I think that it's going rather well. The color choice wasn't the wisest, though. The pattern color is very similar to the background color in this section of the pattern. So the fair isle pattern doesn't show very well, but it hides mistakes too! : )

Here's a close up shot



Ok, enough blogging, more knitting!

The two projects that I am working on are moving along pretty good. I try to work on both everyday so they grow evenly. Bejeweled is growing really fast, I still have about 20" to go before I start decreasing. I think that will be the scarf that will have taken the least amount of time!

I've also been working on my Madder Ribbed sock. I've just finished the short-row heel and am ready to start on the leg.



I'm looking forward to knitting something not blue!

My first FO of 2007 is an MDK felted box. The pair to the one I knit back in December. Those boxes will be for my nieces. They still need to be felted, hopefully sooner than later. I'll show a after-felting picture then.

My Bejeweled scarf is about halfway done, it's an extremely fast knit and really enjoy it. It will make a great little scarf!

Not many people voted on which pair I should finish for this month's Socktopia but there was one vote for the Austermann Step soc and 2 or 3 for the Jaywalker. Which one did I pick? Neither of those two, sorry! I knew that the Madder Ribbed sock would take me the least amount of time and that with everything else I want to work on it would be the only one I would be sure to finish. So yesterday I cast on for it and now I've just started on the foot ribbing.



I've been restraining myself from casting on for the Fake Isle hat, I really would like to finish either the sock or Bejeweled before I do so. I hope that I can stay strong!

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I've got some eye candy for you today! This weekend, DH and I drove to Plum Island, MA. The weather was amazing, 70°F/20°C! Can you believe that kind of temperature in January? We walked up and down the beach enjoying the sun, the wind and the sound of the waves. A lot of people were there too enjoying the beach with their families and their dogs... I don't think I've ever seen this many dogs at once before! Anyways, it was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to going back!


Click on the pictures to see them bigger

Random tidbits of what's going on chez Knitting in Pink

First of all stash enhancement due to a trip to WEBS to pick up a 40" size 0 circular. Sorry for the horrible picture! : )

10 balls Classic Elite Skye Tweed to make LMKG Hourglass Sweater

The beginnings of a MDK felted box using Lamb's Pride Bulky



Yet another sock in the making


Test knit for the store, I wont say more, you'll just have to wait! *tease, tease*

And Unikat hat for DH Sides 1 and 2 (isnt it interesting how the yarn pooled?)



After being tried on some modifications will have to be done. Like frogging the bind-off and a couple rows to make the hat shorter. Could be other things but in any case it will involve some frogging.