Knitting Content

The finished Tunisian rib socks

Yarn

Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Flames (#146)

Needles

Crystal Palace Bamboo 2.25mm dpn’s (US #1)

Pattern

my own, for better or worse; Dutch heel and round toe (modified) from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks; Tunisian rib from Barbara Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, p.159.

This is the first time I’ve used a Dutch heel in stockinette. It seems too wide and too long. In case you are wondering about the proportions, these are for my sister, who has short feet and high arches. We’ll see how these do.

Detail of the Tunisian rib, which has become my favorite rib stitch.

☃

History

Going through the old photos I never posted I found this from April 2007.

Yarn

elsebeth lavold Silky Wool, color 15 Pumpkin

Needles

Addi Turbo 3.50mm, 40cm circ; Inox straights in the same size

Pattern

my own, again, using two lace patterns from Barbara Walker’s second Treasury and a variant of my own.

Still snowing.

This morning, up real early and still trying to clear my ears, I’ve added gravatars and tags to my comments, cleaned up some formatting and other such nonsense. I’m also trying to integrate the booklist as a database table with an eye to eventually making it a full-fledged plug-in.

Reaching Back

Some knitting did get done last year, but not all of it got photographed. This is a shawl I gave J’s mother last χmas (2007).

This triangular shawl was knit in elann.com’s worsted weight Peruvian Highland Silk in Antique Blue, using the Crystal Pattern from Barbara Walker’s A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, p.266, and a generic triangular construction.

I also finished three socks.

The grey are from two skeins of Regia I bought not realizing I needed to two of each color. I had one cuff done before I realized that. Those are worn by J. The gold is half a pair I have yet to complete for my older niece in Koigu KPPPM. Not particularly practical, but soft and regular in its patterning. I will start and finish the other when I get over this cold.

Feather & Fan

This is Feather & Fan, in the alternate version with the yarn-over cable. I am somewhat happy at how it turned out. I am also happy that I have actually finished it. The last 20% took forever.

One hundred twenty thousand plus stitches, followed by a crocheted bind-off that was less painful than I expected, but still excruciatingly small. I do admire it though. And I keep looking at other things I could bind off with miniscule chains.

Above you see the blocked product. Which could have been better done, I know. There is no place in this apartment large enough to pin out a 72″ diameter shawl. I had to make a frame, staple an old sheet to it and baste the shawl to the sheet with upholstery thread—which accounts for the slight imperfections in the directions of the fans. It’s not really noticeable off the frame.

I took it to the LYS this afternoon; I had promised to bring it in some time ago, and I wanted to reward myself for having finished it (which I did, unfortunately). Yes, I enjoyed being praise for my knitting by other knitters. Best afternoon I’ve had in ages.

A Round of Apologies

I’m sorry I’ve been ignoring you, particularly those of you who wrote thinking I might have dropped off the face of the earth. I didn’t; I just got stuck. Stuck at work. Stuck on F&F. Stuck in a rut of procrastination. I am a champion of procrastination.

I’m now on 8 straight months of procrastinating about going to the gym. Soon I should be able to roll there. I have been biking—27 miles last Saturday—but I’ve been eating more.

My Downstairs Neighbor is a Homophobic Jerk

And he’s an architect in New York?

And that’s it for tonight.

Cold: the Other Kind

Just the usual winter cold. I left work early and stayed home Friday, but spent most of the day on the phone with conference calls. We called it a working-from-home day instead of a sick day.

Socks Complete

I finished the second pair of socks in Gem Opal. They are thick, but not too much so, and should be warm. They aren’t quite dress socks though. Weaving the end I was surprised how even the stitches came out after washing, Knitting on the subway occasionally results in odd loose stitch, but it evened out nicely.

I’ve swatched for dress socks in Schaffer Yarn’s Anne on #00 (1.75mm) and #000 (1.5mm) dpn’s. The smaller gauge looks good, but there is no way I can knit with those on the subway. I’m doubtful about the #00’s. I got 8¼ st/in and 9½ st/in respectively, seated in a stationary chair.

Feather & Fan Update

I have passed the 60% mark, and am approaching the end of round 151. Forty-nine to go.

And now for the odd body part.

There is a single row of raspberry separating the last brown and green stripes, but it is subtle. This is Reynolds Rapture (50% wool/50% silk) knit in long rows. If knit continuously, this would be two knit rows followed by two purl rows, but I cut the yarn before the purl rows, pushed the fabric to the other end and knit from the other side. Purling 220 continuous stitches is begging for arthritis.

I went to the gym yesterday morning; at 5:50am, to be exact. I’m doing it again tomorrow. I tell you this because 1) I want your pity, and 2) having announced it, I will be motivated to actually go.