Blogs are for Bitching, Right?

I thought I was going to have one more pair of socks to celebrate the end of Socktoberfest. All I had to do was kitchener the second Broadripple that I'm making for my Mom. Pulled 'em out at lunch, and this is what I discovered:

Well, shit. I couldn't believe that one is significantly smaller than the other! I knit them both with US3 Addi Naturas, with the same number of stitches. My colleague Tonya said that I may have stretched the first by trying it on. That might explain why the first one is wider, but not why it's longer. Obviously I'll have to frog it. Thank goodness they're for Christmas, because I'm not in the mood to frog right now. I'm using elann Esprit, which is much like like that stretchy Cascade stuff (I'm clearly too lazy to look it up right now. You know the stuff.) I don't even like knitting stretchy yarn. Someone said that the inside of the sock made up of this yarn feels like those terry athletic socks, so since Mom likes bed socks, Voila! Well, HUH. At least I gave Tonya her laugh for the day. She couldn't help herself! She smirked every time she saw me for the rest of the day. I shouldn't complain too much. The first one came out OK.

I don't like these Addi Naturas either. The point of the needle is much sharper than metal Addis, which I like, and the join to the cable is seamless, but the yarn gets stuck in the groove where the wood joins the metal (see arrow).



I did finish My So Called Scarf. I may redo the end with a crochet cast off a la Harlot. I think it will be tighter.

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay
Color: 107
Needles: Lattern Moon Circs, US 11 ( I really like these needles. The join is smooth and the ebony knitting surface is as smooth as they come.)
Mods: None

Buttons, Socks and Pins

Olga and I went yarn and button shopping yesterday. I'll show you the yarn Friday. I found the perfect buttons for the Michael Kors cable cardi at Aylin's:

Sleeves, back, and left front finished, I can now start the right front. Wish me luck.

It was nice to have company while prowling yarn shops, especially with such accomplished company. Olga is a designer and has great ideas and suggestions. She convinced me to buy some Rowan Yorkshire Tweed (it's purple, so I was an easy sell!) for a pair of gloves, and suggested an interesting design. She even turned me on to this great Japanese ice cream.
We got it at Trader Joe's. Each small serving, about two tablespoons, is covered in a chewy dough. The flavor pictured here is green tea and it's delish. The chocolate is even better.

I finished the first Flow Motion sock last night. I think I'll have enough yarn to make the leg longer than the pattern calls for, so I'll cast on the second sock from the center pull when my second set of Addi US3s arrive, then knit each one until the yarn runs out. It was hard to take pix that properly show the instep design and the heel flap. (Click each picture for a better view.) Now I appreciate the strange angle of the shot in VK.



I love the pattern on the leg and appreciate the ingenuity of the design, but, you know, it's not exactly a fun knit. Though Pomatomus didn't have a memorizable pattern, watching the pattern evolve produced a certain hypnotic effect, while knitting Flow Motion does not. Perhaps that is because the pattern isn't evident while you're knitting, thus you don't get the same sense of accomplishment as you progress. The best part of knitting this sock was the heel flap because you don't have to pick up stitches. I pick up stitches just fine actually, I just don't like to do it. I always fret when the picked up stitches aren't even, rip and pick them up again, though it's just a sock heel that no one is likely to see. I hope I don't develop second sock syndrome.

Thanks to fellow blogger Bekka, who sent me this beautiful flower pin!


It's simply gorgeous!

Yarn Pr0n Friday: Soxie

This is Soxie, from the Great Adirondack Yarn Company, Inc., which I ordered from Webs.


The colorway is Kenya. It's 100 percent superwash wool. 360 yds. I haven't chosen a sock pattern yet.

Socks and Gadgets

From this commuting sock project with DPNs piercing the bag:

to this:

I read about this DPN holder in VK, Fall 2006, and ordered it from Woolworks, Ltd. As you can see below the needles are inserted into the tube and closed with a cap.

Now that I have it, I would have been better off with one of those one-piece jobbies - fewer things to lose on the bus or Metro. I didn't expect it to be so rough-hewned.

It looks like an amateur metal worker made it. Nothing against amateur metal workers, but one would expect the holder to be sleeker and show no evidence of soldering.

The sock attached is my Grey's Anatomy KAL Jaywalker. When I reached the toe I realized my stitch count was off and had to frog back to the heel. So much for actually watching Grey's Anatomy and knitting at the same time.

I couldn't resist casting on Cat Bordi's Flow Motion sock from the same VK, Fall 2006. I love the pattern on the instep:
It's slow going because the lace pattern is not memorizable, though there's a certain logic to it. I probably won't even have one done for the end of Socktoberfest.

The real genius of this pattern is the heel flap on this toe-up. You don't have to pick any stitches!

The yarn is April Showers superwash merino from Brooklyn Handspun.

Wimp Ass Yarn PrOn Friday

Noro Kureyon, Colorway 95

Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks That Rock, Lovers Leap Colorway

(actually redder than appears in this picture)

Sundara Yarn, Grey over Periwinkle Colorway

Don't worry, I'll get the hang of this camera and its software!

Been knitting Lizard Ridge squares like crazy. They're addictive. I started another pair of socks but I don't like the colorway with the pattern, so I'll rip it. I finished Mom's Christmas socks, they're waiting for kitchenering. Haven't found buttons for the Michael Kors cardi. Everything else is languishing...

Got a makeover at Nordstrom last weekend. My favorite YSL makeup artist is leaving. Whine! She got job in her field of broadcasting, so good for her. Anyway, another makeup artist had this on: It's a long, black, v-neck cable-knit sweater. Kinda hard to see - click on the picture to see it closer. Looks great with the silver chain necklace, leggings, and boots. Maybe next season.

Michael Kors Cable Cardi

The two sleeves for the Michael Kors Cable cardi are done. I'll post pix later. I've figured out where I was on the left front (I think) and resumed knitting, marking the spot just in case I figured wrong. Here's my progress, the back and left front:

I've followed the instructions as well as I can, and the gauge is spot on, but I don't see how this collar is going to wind around the back. It's like knitting in the dark. There's no errata on the VK site. I hope I don't have to frog the whole thing. Anyway, I have to knit buttonholes on the right front, and I think I'll buy the buttons first so that I can knit the buttonholes to fit.

By the way, for those of you interested in Lizard Ridge, Got Yarn is selling a kit.

Knitting, Knitting, Knitting

Another pair of socks completed.

Pattern: Anastasia (PDF), by Pepperknit

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill, can't find the ballband, so I don't know the colorway

Needles: Two Addi Turbo 16" Circs, US 1

Modifications: I used the Lana Grossa Jojo short-row heel (PDF) instead of Wendy's as written in the pattern. Still not entirely pleased with it. This pattern requires EZ's sewn bind off, which I loved. It's easy and relaxing to do and much stretchier than my usual. I used the Turkish cast on. I loved knitting these socks. I have a lot of yarn leftover. I may re-knit them with the extra yarn later.

Third and Fourth Time are Charms

My third and fourth attempts at the Lizard Ridge squares were much, much better. The yarn in neither skein broke nor was excessively thin. I've memorized the pattern now, so this afghan might become a commuter project after all. These squares are addictive.

Addendum: The colorways are 139 and 95, respectively.

Thanks to everyone for all your kind comments about the Pomatomi! I'll respond personally as soon as Blogger allows!

Two Pomatomi

Just in time for Socktoberfest!

Pattern: Pomatomus

Yarn: Brooklyn Handspun Hawaii Joy

Needles: US1 Bamboo DPNs

Modifications: None