in which I am impulsive and maybe a little nuts

Everyone else (it seems) was buying the kit for Laura Chau’s dipped infinity scarf from Sunshine Yarns. I really want to make that but the kit is, of course, all wool yarns. 120 yards each of seven colors of fingering weight yarn plus 50 yards of an eighth color. I really want to make it too so it was my goal today to find non-wool yarn that would work. Part of my search lead me to RedFish Dyeworks I go into their booth every year and drool over their yarns. It’s all so gorgeous. The 100% silk only comes in laceweight and finer. Finer than laceweight. Cobweb. Nearly invisible weight. Gorgeous but not something I can manage in my life.

While I was in their booth this year I picked up a sock knit with the 20/2 (laceweight) silk. I asked what size needles to use and the woman in the booth told me, “triple 0s” and I just laughed, I couldn’t help myself. Triple 0s are 1.5mm needles. TINY. She also had sock samples with the yarn held doubled knit on 1s or 0s but then I would have needed a second skein of yarn. Somehow, between the need for a second skein of yarn and Lisa saying, “I’ll do it if you do it!” I convinced myself that this was a good plan.

seductive silk

Seriously, the sock they had knit up felt SO good. I couldn’t help it. Ten stitches to the inch, though! My will is weak.

I am still determined to find the perfect yarn for that scarf but first I have to knit some socks.

NaBloPoMo Day 8: wedge socks

I guess I lied in my previous post. I’m still talking about Cookie because I was gripped with the urge to knit her Wedge socks from the new book. I decided to knit them out of my Blue Moon FIber Arts mill-dyed Sock Candy. I was very excited to see that they were making mill-dyed Sock Candy since I had some bad fading experiences with the hand-dyed version. I love the yarn and am hoping that the mill-dyed one holds the color better. So far, though, I’m irritated by the yarn because of how it is put up. Look at the diameter of this hank!

That’s my swift opened as wide as will go, and it wasn’t wide enough because at the end of the hank the yarn slipped down and something somewhat tragic happened.

It was worse than it looks there. The yarn had wrapped around the bottom of the swift because it slipped down only partially and the swift kept spinning, wrapping the yarn around the post of the swift. Luckily, I was able to untangle it and was more careful with the second hank. Ugh. I feel like I am cursed when it comes to Sock Candy. We’ll see if these at least hold up better! They still warn about dark colors fading on the label. Well, still is the wrong word because there was no warning on the previous labels but they certainly did fade!

In any case, the yarn is all wound and is becoming the Wedge sock.

So far, so good!

NaBloPoMo Day 7: giving the gift

I visited my friend who is about to start her chemo today and delivered her shawl. (I've also figured out a way to upload photos so you get to see it.

back of comfort shawl

For the back I followed the pattern exactly (the Chunky Highland Wool Wrap from Elann.com) — other than not using wool of course. If I were to do it again I'd change the cross of the top left cable of the fleur de lis pattern to make it so that it doesn't go over twice in a row. I'm not sure if you can see that in this photo or not.

front of shawl

For the front I changed the pattern completely. The cable they had on the front pieces was very pretty but it pulled far too much in this totally synthetic yarn (Crystal Palace Puffin). Since I couldn't block the pulling out it had to go. I fiddled with a couple of more simple cables but ended up just using a stitch pattern from Barbara Walker vol. 1. I like the way it turned out. My friend liked it too. She said that the nurse told her that some people get cold sitting in the chemo chair during the treatments and it would be perfect for that. I hope it is.

I need to dig out a chemo cap pattern. I'm thinking about making one from some Sock Candy I have. I'll have to soak it in vinegar before giving it to her though, since my Sock Candy always loses its color on the first wash. I need to get a good picture of my post-wash Holey Socks to show you. It's really astonishing.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

cat bordhi

New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One

I dropped by Purlescence today and picked up a copy of Cat Bordhi's new book. The only reason I am not knitting one of the tiny test socks right now is that the needles I need all seem to be in other projects. I really like the way this book is laid out, with notes in yellow boxes so they are easy to find. I also like that she gives you a couple of patterns following the same "sockitecture," as she calls it, but then gives you the master pattern as well so you can easily modify them to your liking. I am looking forward to the other books in this series (I believe there will be three) and I haven't even knit anything from this one yet! I may be displacing my desire to buy yarn into a desire to buy knitting books.

Anyway, I have at least three socks picked out that I want to make once the needles are available, as well as a jar full of sock yarn that needs some attention.

jar of sock yarn

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

wick

I think that Wick will be my next non-wool sock yarn to try. Next after I knit up my Panda Cotton, Blue Moon Tube Sock Kit and the hank of cotton sock yarn that Kristi got me from Etsy. I should ask her for the seller's name one of these days.

Has anyone used Wick? I'm intrigued by the Polypropelene content.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend