I have been working like a fiend on these socks - my first toe up socks, and my first done two at a time, on circular needles. I am an old hand at top down socks on circular needles, but with these I am adding two complications, not to mention the fiddly cables. These are using WendyKnit's pattern for Asparagus Socks - exact same yarn from SockPixie. The yarn is really nice and the colors are so pretty - I notice she doesn't have that color for sale right now (I bought the yarn right after Wendy posted the socks on her blog).
OK, I have finally taken some pictures of Triinu's shawl, even though I'm not done - I am ALMOST at the border. I knit on this more or less constantly during our vacation week last week in Maine, but this week since I am preparing for the fall semester, I have only done a few rows. I'm up to row 145 and I figure row 155 is the last row before the border (had to figure this out since Triinu's instructions are not specific).
The pictures and instructions that are available of this shawl are confusing - the pictures that are on the pattern seem to show 9 big leaves down the center, and the border pattern fitting in exactly with the leaves... other pictures (here) where the border doesn't fit in exactly with the leaves, and also it seems there are 10 big leaves down the center. Since Triinu says we should have 404 stitches (and 9 big leaves), and we have 404 stitches after 156 rows (10 big leaves) that is how I am knitting the shawl.
I also had to extrapolate out the pattern and correct some errors in order to knit this shawl - I put together a big spreadsheet of the whole thing out through row 155. I did ask Triinu permission to give this to other people who had bought the pattern but she has not given me an answer on this - she sent me back an e-mail that did not answer my question, and since then I haven't heard from her. So given that, I won't distribute the spreadsheet to others, but hopefully they will be able to figure out what to do themselves.
Given all this, I am enjoying it and I think it's beautiful. I hope it will block ok - it seems like the middle spine of the shawl and the edges are tighter than the middles, and I hope all that will work out with blocking! (Fingers crossed!)
And here is a picture of the first Gentleman's Fancy Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks - you can't make it out very well here - it's dark Gray Lorna's Laces - but really, the pattern is very nice, and the yarn is fabulous. It will be a very nice sock. Need to finish the next one. I did tubular cast on.
Katy sunning herself on the bathtub:
So we spent the last week in points north, visiting Larry's family in New Hampshire, and my brother's family at their summer home in Maine. Fabulous week. What a pleasure to be away from the Houston heat and humidity. I knit more or less constantly on the Triinu shawl and almost got to the border. It is now a big blue-green blob hanging off my too-short Addi Lace Turbos (Jagger Spun Zephyr, size 4 needles). Highlight was really the kayaking, first time I have been kayaking. We had a great time paddling around and to my surprise my arms weren't sore the next day. No clue why (maybe it's the swimming, but Larry's arms weren't sore either, and he does NOT swim). The nieces are fabulous. It was hard to leave and come back. Today (Monday) I start "orientation" for teaching undergraduate Spanish for the fall semester. It will be a busy semester - teaching intensive Spanish, and taking 3 courses. But I'm sure it will be interesting and challenging, etc. The summer has been a little.... lazy.... I'm ready to get busy again.
I don't have a picture of my works in progress: the Triinu shawl, the gray "gentleman's fancy socks" for Larry and the mystery stole 3. But the first sock is almost done, the Triinu shawl is almost at the border, thanks to the intensive knitting of last week. I want to get back to MS 3.... think I will do that when I am at the border for the Triinu shawl... don't want to get too far behind...
Knit on my friends!
Here is the Triinu shawl thru row 44 - I know you can't see anything, but I have done two big leaves along the sides and am starting on the small leaves in the middle:
I have figured out how the pattern works... each triangle (the right and left triangles) has a section in the beginning for the big leaf, a section in the middle for the little leaves, and a section at the end for the ending big leaf. Each one is a several row repeat. The big leaves are more or less a constant width. For the little leaves, once you finish the several row repeat, you have added enough stitches for another leaf. And so the triangle gets bigger and bigger. Once you have knit to that point in the pattern it's fairly clear what's going on but when I started at row 1 I was taking it on faith! For those who have the pattern, the little leaves part in the pattern is the part that comes in at row 29 separated off by the red "no stitches."
Pointers which may be obvious to an experienced lace knitter:
(Shoot, that looked a lot better on a wider screen! I hope you get the idea!)
That's all the wisdom I can think of for now! I hope this helps someone!!!!
I have joined a KAL for another gorgeous shawl based on Estonian knitting techniques. We got the information on how to order the pattern a few weeks ago, and lo and behold, the pattern arrived from Germany a few days ago! I did not intend to start this shawl until I finished MS3, but I told myself I at least needed to SWATCH to see if I could follow the pattern, etc.:
Well, after initially puzzling over the pattern, at least so far (22 rows) it is not too bad. I haven't had too much trouble keeping my place and avoiding mistakes. We are starting at the middle of the long side of the triangular shawl and knitting down, making two triangles joined in the middle, one triangle for the right side, and one triangle for the left side. Each smaller triangle has large leaves on the sides (the borders of the triangle) and will be filled in with smaller leaves in the middle. I know you can't make anything out from the picture, especially because the yarn is variegated, but I am just about finishing one of the big leaves and the middles will start filling in with small leaves.
Triinu is not very specific in the pattern, but she has parts shaded in blue that apparently are the parts that you link together to repeat across the ever growing triangle... haven't quite gotten to the part where I need to figure that out...
Anyway, so far so good! (The yarn is Helen's Laces.)
These were the Retro Rib pattern from Favorite Socks. I initially knit them for me, but they barely go over my foot. I do like the pattern (even if it's hard to see through the yarn). The yarn is from Socks That Rock, very nice but perhaps a little thicker than Lorna's Laces, say. I will knit them again and make the cuff wider so that they work on my foot - in the meantime, these will be a gift.
These were also the first socks I attempted to graft the toes. Well they look a little mangled but acceptable. I found a video at Knitting at Knoon showing the technique that gives me hope that it can be done - I will try them on my next socks and hope it goes better.
I am starting another sock, and I have done the tubular cast on for the first time. This will be my new sock cast-on for sure. You have to do it with bigger needles or it is difficult to pick up all those stitches to make the tube. But it looks so much nicer than the cable cast on I have been using.
Four days of knitting to finish Clue 4:
In stretching this out for the photo, I pulled some of the lifeline at row 287 out. Oh well, I hope I don't have to use it! Also, the edges were curling under so the beads on the edges aren't really visible. I hope that little "feature" blocks out.
No idea what the theme is so far. But now I can live a relatively normal life until the 3rd, when the next clue comes out!
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| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
