Behind Schedule

I'm in a cold sweat.  I have a lot of winter knitting I've committed to, and winter is winding down faster than I'm knitting. (Didn't I just say last weekend that I wasn't letting the backlog scare me? WRONG!)

The Mr. Mittens are mostly finished.  The Two Color Brioche rib scarf took a back seat to mittens and schoolwork.  My brioche vest is visible as a tiny speck on the horizon, and seems to be getting farther away.

My best friend from childhood is owed gloves.  My daughter helped me design No H8 mittens for herself, and I haven't made them.  I have a class to teach on a sweet, slouchy tam, and haven't chosen yarn or started the project.  (I've made this pattern before, but not for years.) My socks are waiting in my "go" bag, and I treat them like a mistress, a guilty pleasure.

I need to stop committing to projects.  I think I need to write this stuff down, and make much more vague agreements as to when things will be finished.  Of course, then I wouldn't have these adrenalin-creating panic attacks.  Where's the fun in that?

Works in Progress, Free Patterns

This is a good week; a little headway on the Mr. Mittens (using the recently posted Manly Mitts pattern in a heavy worsted), a little work on the Reversible Brioche Rib scarf, and a little work on My Socks.  On top of that I've completed writing two patterns, and posted lots of charts (this week's free patterns) on the Cloths/Squares page and on Ravelry. Still not on Ravelry?  Once you open an account you can roam tens of thousands of free patterns, see what other knitters are up to, and so much more!  Climb aboard.  If you'd like, ask a current Raveller for help. (Like me!)

The My Socks represent my ongoing infatuation with Nichole Sock Yarn by Schaeffer.  This stuff is a pleasure to knit up, wear, and even to wash!  It dries pretty quickly, too.  I know I'll have to branch out beyond this stuff some day, but Buffalo winters beg for cozy, cheerful socks, and this yarn is the magical weight between dress socks and too heavy.  (I know for a fact that this yarn is seeing other people, and I see them in public from time to time.  As long as I get to keep these socks as souvenirs of our relationship, I'll tolerate it.)

The Reversible Brioche Rib is a lovely, meditative process.  Since you work each row twice, once in each color, it's slower going than it appears.  It isn't like trudging through quicksand, though; more like choosing to meander on a walk.  I knit on this project less than I'd like, and it ends up feeling like the midnight ice cream snack a dieter sneaks! (I've owed the Mr. a pair of mittens for a long time.) There need to be more knitting hours in the day!  With a big final on the horizon for school, it'll probably be another week or so until I get back to 2-3 hours of knitting per evening.  I really feel like a kid waiting for summer vacation.  COME ON!

Mittens for the Mister

Things are at a standstill with the two color brioche stitch.  I'm not getting anywhere with the written directions, and I haven't yet found a friend who has experience in this to teach me one on one.

In the meantime, the Mr. really would like a pair of extra-warm mittens.  I shopped a little today, and succeeded in collecting what I believe will be ideal mitten materials.  The Mr. seems to have had a minor case of frostbite a few years ago, and now winter is very painful on his fingers.  I collected a Tahki Yarns Sedona hand dyed in a clear cool grey, and a really soft and lofty AslanTrends Bariloche kettle dyed.  Both are a heavy worsted, and I plan to knit them up of 6s or 7s to make a very wind-resistant, warm and lofty mitten which will also shed water if the Mr. uses them to shovel or make snow balls.  The AslanTrends has polyamid in it, making it a stable choice for wet work.  The Tahki is all merino which might grow a little if it weren't knit in a fair isle or blended colorwork pattern with something like the Tahki.

I'm looking at a variety of patterns from the Robin Hansen book, Favorite Mittens. I haven't chosen, but it will keep my fingers busy until I can talk to a few more knitting friends and get two-color brioche lessons. 

Another back-burner project which may finally get some attention is making me another pair of socks.  Since I fell in love with the Schaeffer Nichole sock yarn, I haven't made myself a pair of socks, though I've made two other pair that I have gifted.  I cast them on today, and will probably use them as my travelling project. (Waiting for appointments, killing time while travelling, etc.)

Between these, my monthly washcloth pattern, and designing an Andean Mountain hat for my youngest, my knitting future looks very busy.  Just yesterday I was all caught up!  It's my Karmic task to have perpetual knitting tasks.  Where else would I work to combine creativity, patience, and a willingness to trust directions blindly?  Bring it on!

Giving The Girlfriend Socks

This is a close-up of the heel flap reduction on the Girlfriend Socks.  The specific reduction technique is easy, and I really like the look.  It makes a neat line with no holes where the fabric changes direction and tension.  (The pattern is in the Knit Simple Knitting Workshop booklet.) The Girlfriend received hers today, and seemed pleased.  This photo has the colors pretty well down, which is half the fun of these socks, in my opinion.

They're roll-top socks, and have a slip-stitch heel for durability.  The kitchener stitched toes, once the scourge of my existence, were achieved through obsessive You Tube video lessons.  The yarn is the lovely Schaeffer Nichole, and the  needle size is US 2.5.

On the Brioche stitch project I cannot claim as much success.  I have done well with the one color brioche swatch.  I then cast on my reversible scarf project.  I'm having a little trouble fully understanding what I am to do for the set up row and for row 1.  The designer may have written it perfectly and I am overthinking it, or she may have given sparse instructions where I need the gaps filled in.  I'll be trying again tonight, and I'll let you know!

Camelids, free pattern

First things first - the Girlfriend Socks are done!  They are photographed, but I won't post the pics until the intended recipient has them in hand.  (I don't want to ruin the surprise!) I'll miss using the Shaeffer Nichole sock yarn, as it is a pleasure in color, texture, and fabric.  But I'm moving on.

Right now I'm having a romance with camelid products - alpaca, camel, guanaco, llama, suri, and the other fibers from the camel family.  They come in light and heavy, long staple and short staple, breathable, wicking, stain resistant, and more. For folks like me with a wool allergy, they are a huge relief.  They allow us to knit soft snuggley things without itchy hands!

This is exciting for me because I'm about to launch into an alpaca project for me.  I don't knit for myself very often (it's very hard to fit me in!) and have chosen a brioche stitch vest.  Since I haven't done brioche stitch since I learned it 20 years ago, this is a bit of an undertaking.  I've chosen to precede it with a brioche stitch scarf to even out my stitch and tension before I launch into my vest. The pattern can be found here.  I haven't cast on yet, and have a nutso day today, but I'm hoping to get into it tomorrow.  I'd love company if anyone is in the mood for a knit-along!

Victory

I have conquered sock one of the holiday gift socks for the friend with surprisingly tiny feet.  I couldn't find the exact pattern I wanted, so I'm making a variation of one that I have and then adding the changes I want.  After no fewer than 7 attempts, the heel and sole are right where I want them and I'm steaming along toward sock two.  I hope I've made enough notes and accurate enough notes that I can successfully complete a sock two! Woo Hoo!

On a holiday note, I've been taking advantage of some quiet time at home this Thanksgiving week to get some heavy chores done, which means many trips to the basement.  Today, after one visit to the basement, I heard the dog whining (just a little).  I looked around, and he was closed in the basement.  Where his food is.  Where half of his food is.  The other half is in his tummy.  I can tell by the strange bulge in his abdomen (and the fact that the bag is a lot lighter). Max got his Thanksgiving feast a day early and without having to cook.  Genius!

Great and Cozy Quick Sock Pattern

The pattern for these beautiful socks can be found here.  It's amazing how such a simple (really, really simple) pattern can make such fabulous socks. 

Made in a DK weight (3), these knit up quickly and are a great addition to your gift knitting repetoire.  Somebody needs these as a holiday gift, care package, "because I love you", or charity project.  I've got mine.  I can't wait to see yours!

We're Not Sheep

There are so many stereotypes in the world, it shouldn't be surprising that there are stereotypes about knitters, too.  Spending so much time in the LYS and with other knitters, I've noticed quite a lot about us knitters as a group.  Interestingly enough, the one thing we all have in common is that we don't all have much in common!

Some of us are 8 and in elementary school, some of us are 30, and some of us are retired. (Why do people always picture Granny in a rocking chair?)  Some of us are men, some women.  We prefer to knit alone or in groups or in front of the TV.  We insist on washable fibers, or we couldn't care less as long as it's beautiful.  (It's like we're clones, right?)

Favorite fibers vary, although based on sales, natural fibers are more popular than synthetics.  Many people will knit gifts in a more expensive fiber than they use for themselves, while some look for something inexpensive but durable.  Customers often use a different fiber than called for in the pattern as long as they can match the gauge, but almost as often insist on the same fiber called for in the pattern.

Most of us have abandoned using the specific yarn (i.e. Kraemer Classic) called for in a pattern, while some of us are very precise about using the yarn called for.  Color choices tend to be all over the map, from folks who love a nice grey to the wild "Crazy Aunt Purl" colors so many of us think of when we remember hand knits from our childhoods.  It seems we rarely use the color specified in the pattern.

While blends rule with sock knitters, what exactly is blended varies from yarn to yarn and knitter to knitter.  Cashmere and nylon, cotton and spandex, wool and acrylic, and wool and polyamid will readily all show up in one sock knitter's list of favorites.

What's true about nearly all of us is that we're a pretty cool bunch.  Most of us are happy to meet other knitters of any age, race, nationality, or profession.  We share needles, tools, patterns, and of course, food and drink with knitters we know well and with total strangers.  We're like a crafty little AFL-CIO.  (I'm sure some political conservatives just cringed at the reference.)

We are not sheep.  We're a community.  I love it.

What's On the Needles Now

Right now, I have to bind off my daughters cabled mitts.  I should have finished them two weeks ago, but I left them undone at the thumb gusset so I could use them as an example in a class I was teaching.  Now they've been around so long, they just aren't exciting anymore.  They're still beautiful, and on great yarn.  I think I'm just more into variety... I'll finish them today just to alleviate my guilt.

I've also started a pair of socks for a dear girlfriend (who has surprisingly tiny feet for an adult!), and since they are on the magical Nichole Sock Yarn by Schaefer, they are absurdly seductive.  They call to me like Sirens, trying to get me to forsake all knitting for them.  "Back to knitting monogamy", they urge!

I haven't started my cool vest in brioche stitch, mostly because I'm a chicken.  I don't want to discover I've bitten off more than I can chew.  Now that it's in print, however, I will get it on the needles this weekend.

PS - Has anybody seen the cute Spiral Cap and Fair Isle Mittens I knit for my daughter's birthday?  Her birthday is tomorrow, and I've hidden them from her so well I've ended up hiding them from myself! :(  I didn't take a picture, so if I don't find them, I can't even give her a snapshot!  ***frustrated grumbling***

PPS - I found them, hiding out in a sample bin at the knit shop.  They're a little washed out in the photo, but cute in person.  I hope she likes 'em!

Mr. Socks

He never did take them off, so I had to photograph them on his feet. Maybe I can wash them while he's sleeping...

Quick, fab and free sock pattern in WORSTED!

Canadian Living Magazine puts a free knitting pattern in every issue. The current issue has Weekend Socks by Glenna C, the talented host of the Knitting to Stay Sane blog. (See link below.)

One thing that often stops folks from starting a pair of socks is that they have a ton of stitches, and are some small accessories. Making them in a worsted weight solves this concern! Worsted socks have about half the stitches of traditional socks on a pair of 2's. This pattern is a great starter pattern, and a quick and easy pattern for experienced knitters. Give it a go!