sophy's knits, notes, etc.

so this year, i gave my family handknit hats for the holidays. you've already seen the first Thorpe, knit in Yorkshire Tweed Aran, and the Porom hat, knit with Valley Yarns Stockbridge. i intended these for parents, and my dad did get this Thorpe; but, i gave Porom to my brother-in-law's wife. i hope she likes it. i even found a home for the Manos lace-leaf hat (ravelry); my grandmother loves pink.

after blocking, i decided Porom was too big for my mom. so, i quickly found another slouchy hat to knit:

beanpole beanie for mom.

Pattern Beanpole Beanie by Rachel Weaver.
Source Cerebral Hemorrhage blog.
Yarn Cascade 220 Wool, Color #7803, 1 Skein.
Needle US 6 (4.0 mm), US 7 (4.5 mm), and US 2 (2.75 mm).
Modifications i think i added one more yo into the pattern.

i really like how this hat turned out and i absolutely loved knitting the bobbles. of course, i think the color is a bit young for mom (and she will be the first to tell me so). the shape of this hat makes me think of a similar beret that my mom always wore when i was really young... i wonder if she remembers it?

i knitted two more Thorpe hats; one for my sister and the other for my older brother.

thorpe in scottish tweed for my sister.

Pattern Thorpe hat by Kirsten Kapur.
Source Kathryn Ivy.
Yarn Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran, Color #032, 1 Skein.
Needle US 8 (5 mm).
Modifications began by casting on 8 sts, instead of four. added extra increase rounds. no edging or ties.

i wish i'd added more increases to this; it's a snug fit for a hat with earflaps. i also wish i added more garter rounds. haha

thorpe in noro silk garden for my older brother.

Pattern Thorpe hat by Kirsten Kapur.
Source Kathryn Ivy.
Yarn Noro Silk Garden, Color #267, 1 Skein.
Needle US 8 (5 mm).
Modifications began by casting on 8 sts, instead of four. increased to 96 sts. no edging or ties.

of the three Thorpe hats i knitted, this is probably my favorite. Noro Silk Garden is not the warmest yarn, especially not for someone who lives on the northeast coast. so, i hope if my older brother wears this while hiking (which he often does) that he wears something else over it.

originally, the Yorkshire Tweed Thorpe was meant for my older brother and Silk Garden Thorpe for my dad. but, i then knitted a stripey hat in Noro Silk Garden for my younger brother (so switched the other two gifts).

stripey hat in noro silk garden for my younger brother.

Pattern generic.
Yarn Noro Silk Garden, MC #267 and CC #???, 1 Skein each.
Needle US 8 (5 mm).
Specifications crocheted provisional caston. k1p1 ribbing in MC. alternate colors every two rounds; staggered.

i tried to stripe the Silk Garden yarn by using two different colors. for the most part it worked.

this weekend, i started the lovely sylvi. i really intended to be good and not make a single mod; but, that lasted until i finished one cuff and realized that i'd forgotten to slip the edge stitches as i went. after frogging, i decided that i didn't want cuffs.

instead, i added 6 sts to each side and knitted them as written for the front left and right button/hole edges. the decreases and joining make a little flare in the sleeve. i like it.

and, because i didn't really write down any notes for my mods, after finishing half the right side sleeve, i started the left. i have 2 half-sleeves complete!

also, i don't intend to knit any buttonholes. instead, i thought i would use chinese knot closures or button snaps; something to add a little bit of flare to the front of the coat (and the sleeves). because, really, all the beautiful design is in the cabling on the back; the front and sleeves are pretty plain (especially without the cuffs).

more notes and some pics soon; this will be a post-as-i-go project; maybe someone will want to knit-a-long with me?

happy knitting!

i've wanted to knit this hat for a while and thought it would make perfect holiday gifts for the guys in my family. the thing is, over time, i bought a bunch of different yarn intending to knit this and that for my dad and brothers... now, you'll see a series of mods to this pattern just to work with the yarn i have at hand. first up, Thorpe in Yorkshire Tweed Aran:

i snagged adam for this photo while he was on the phone with his dad. teehee

Pattern Thorpe hat by Kirsten Kapur.
Source Kathryn Ivy.
Yarn Rowan Yorkshire Tweed, 1 Skein.
Needle US 9 (5.5 mm).
Modifications Began by casting on 8 sts, instead of four. I increased an extra round because i was afraid it would be too small. Currently, no edging or ties.

the pattern

this is such an easy pattern; i mean it. and really, as much as i love how it looks in the bulky yarns you'll find pictured on the instruction sheets, it really works well in any yarn weight. and because it's knit top-down, it's really a piece of cake to substitute other yarn weights. of course, it didn't stop me from overestimating the size for my dad... this turned out too big for him; luckily, it's perfect for my older brother. i wish i'd knitted more garter ridges, but it still looks so cute.

the yarn

i've always loved Rowan Yorkshire Tweed in all weights, though admittedly, i've only used 4-ply and aran weights. i'm glad that i'm using this for a holiday gift because i originally bought it to knit a sweater vest for my dad (gosh—5 years ago). The tweedy flecks are predominantly a deep red and a creamy white.

sadly though, this yarn can be tricky to knit with if you knit very tightly; it tends to break pretty easily. i had to be careful when doing the kfb increases. ah but the finished garment is so sturdy, thick, and soft.

this project took longer than it should have; i don't usually wear slouchy hats, but omg i love this one. regardless, i will stick to my original intent and give this to either my mom or my mother-in-law for the holidays.

woo! finished at last.

Pattern Porom hat by Jared Flood.
Source b r o o k l y n t w e e d.
Yarn Valley Yarns Stockbridge, Deep Purple, 1.5 Skeins.
Needle US 8 (5 mm) and 6 (4 mm).
Modifications It's slouchier than I intended; even more after blocking.

the pattern

as expected from all patterns written by Jared Flood, this one was very easy to follow. i really like the design, especially the detail in the decreases for the lace pattern...

goes well with lavender hair, no?

the yarn

so this was yarn that I bought forever ago at Stitches West. Since seeing Hilary's Snow White in the same yarn, i'd looked forward to knitting with it. i like it a lot; knits very nicely and is very soft.

this was taken when i didn't think i would finish the hat that day.

i have 2 skeins more in a dark grey. i've been trying to decide if i want to make another Porom or another slouchy hat for my mom (since this one may be too big).

soon to come: Thorpe hat with earflaps for Dad.

a bulky short-sleeved cardigan to wear over a turtle-necked shirt in the winter (or a rather frigid office). i had to have this after i saw ishi's modified version. and, actually, Hilary was another impetus to beginning this cardigan; she suggested a KAL. although she finished well before i did, i doubt i would have finished nearly as quick, otherwise. (ah, competition.)

hatcha!

Pattern Shalom Cardigan by Meghan McFarlane.
Source Involving the Senses.
Yarn Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky, M-83 Raspberry, 3.5 Skeins.
Needle US 10.5 (6.5 mm) and 10 (6 mm).
Modifications Began with WS row after caston. Added 2 buttons (for total of 3). Divided sts differently (more stitches for body, fewer stitches for sleeves). Knitted 2 rows less for each ribbed yoke section. Knitted extra rows in the back. Added short sleeves (knit in smaller needles). Simplified buttonholes. Knitted body straight (no shaping).

the pattern

although i admired this pattern very much for its simple construction (i love the seamlessness and especially the yoke shaping), i hadn't considered making it at all until i saw ishi's version on ravelry.

3 buttons!

one thing i noticed right off is that this pattern is really not intended for my size (34-35). Ishi's redivision of the stitches made it more wearable: more stitches for the body and fewer stitches for the sleeves. the extended sleeves (in the ribbed pattern) are a nice touch. i also prefer the three button closure.

i pretty much made all of ishi's mods, with some of my own details. the first time i casted on for the cardigan, i didn't like how it looked; so i decided to start again and make the first row the WS. this shifted around the pattern some. instead of knitting the buttonholes at the beginning of a RS row, i knit them at the end; the last four stitches: k2tog, yo, k2.

front blocking.

i think the most ingenious part of ishi's mods is the extra rows on the back after the yoke shaping. this really shapes the collar of cardigan, so that the back sits higher on your shoulders.

the yarn

Lamb's Pride Bulky knits up very nicely in the twisted rib pattern and in straight stockinette. the wool tends to be rather scratchy; i'm hoping it'll soften up a bit with more soaking.

back blocking.

i impulsively bought this yarn to knit the Estes Vest, by Hana Jason, from Interweave Knits Fall 2008. and boy do i mean impulsively. like, the day after writing about it. but i didn't want to get mired in a complicated cable knit project just then. and the more i thought about it the more reluctant i was to start it (since i actually have a bulky vest already). so here i was with 6 skeins of bulky yarn in deep red. Shalom appeared at the perfect time.

i don't really know what else to say except, "wow. i actually finished a long-sleeved, adult-sized cardigan." i mean it. wow. thanks to Hilary and Erica for keeping me from frogging it when i was most frustrated with knitting the sleeves.

waiting outside for adam; it was really too warm to wear it, but that didn't stop me!

Pattern Tangled yoke cardigan, by Eunny Jang.
Source Interweave Knits Fall 2007.
Yarn Valley Yarns English Tweed, softgrape.
Needles US 2 (2.75 mm), US 3 (3.25 mm), US 4 (3.5 mm), and US 5 (3.75 mm).
Modifications knitted a higher collar, giving the garment more of a ski-jacket look. because of the higher collar, i added 2 more buttons.

the pattern

i thought that knitting the body and sleeves of the cardigan would be the easy part. i mean, stockinette and garter ridge? piece of cake. but omfg—those took forever simply because they were so boring and mindless. and let's not forget my aversion to sleeve-knitting and the fact that i tried to knit both at the same time. do not recommend.

and really, i dreaded starting the cabled yoke; if there was a part of the cardigan that would stall progress, i figured it had to be this. but no, as it turned out, that's when my knitting really flew. i loved knitting it.

09 Oct 2008 Update: here's a peak at the inside seam!

gauge drama

note to self: it doesn't help to knit a gauge swatch if you're just going to ignore your measured gauge.

do i need to say more? well. okay, if you insist.

i knitted the gauge swatch for this almost exactly 1 year ago and noted somewhere that, instead of 9 row/in, i had about 7.25 rows/in. well, when i actually started the project back in April, i distinctly remember pulling the swatch out and thinking, "Oh hey! I swatched it, so it must be okay. Yay! Cast-on party!" (maybe not those exact words.)

as far as i'm concerned, the longer body and sleeves are a plus (though it really adds to the overall jacket look and fit). things got a little tricky after i joined the sleeves to the body and had to knit those 3 inches of stockinette stitch before starting the tangled yoke pattern. and i also had to take care when i knitted the shoulder drop, which i'm still convinced could be a little longer, especially with the much higher collar. but, in the end, things worked out.

i couldn't wait to see how it looked with buttons, so i just placed them and snapped a picture.

higher collar

i imagined myself wearing this very frequently during the San Francisco winter. and because of that, i always intended to knit it with a higher collar. i have to admit though, that i had no idea it would change the look and feel of the cardigan so much... i wasn't quite sure at first, but now i *heart* it very much.

so what did i do for the collar? nothing different except for the amount of rows and the size of needles: i knitted about three inches (in the garter rib) using the US 4 needles and then about 2.75 inches with US 3 needles. i bound off as directed.

originally, i thought i wouldn't bother folding the collar in; i was afraid that would be too bulky around my neck. but, the binding off of the collar's end with the collar's beginning really shapes the neckline of the cardigan. without that detail, well, it would have looked weird.

it folds up nicely!

the yarn

after reading back over my first impressions of the yarn, they haven't changed. i'm still torn between love for the tweedy flecks and annoyance that there are so many colors. but, after just one soaking, the yarn really softens a great deal. it's still a little rough against my skin, but, i doubt i'll wear it with just a tshirt in the winter.

i have at least 600 yards of it left; perhaps i'll knit matching hat and mitts!

happiness ^_^

all the knitting for my tangled yoke cardigan is finished!

it makes me think i'm going skiing.

it's currently blocking after a good soak.

honestly, after looking at some of the finished tyc's this morning, i've wondered if adding the higher collar was a good idea. and if i knitted enough of a drop between the cabled yoke and the collar... this is really more of a jacket than a cardigan, don't you think?

on the way to Bi-Rite Creamery, yesterday, Erica and I stopped in Imagiknit to pick up some buttons. they're very simple, but i think the color is perfect and contrast nicely against the tweedy yarn:

i decided to knit 11 buttonholes; the extra 2 are on the collar.

i hoped it would dry in time to finish for wear tonight; but that's delusional wishful thinking, really. all that wool... but soon, i tell you! soon!

happy knitting!

today, i thought i'd take stock of the projects on my needles... for once, there's really no discrepancy between reality and what i have listed here: stripey baby socks, a ribbed lace sweater, and the tangled yoke cardigan.

stripey baby socks

i started and finished this sock one afternoon a few weeks ago. i had wanted to make it stripey all over, but got annoyed with the jogging stripes... and was not happy with my attempts at knitting jogless stripes at all. so, it actually took a few false starts before i decided to just knit the two different colored stripes on the cuff

one sock and provisions for the second.

my fingers cramped something awkward while manipulating these toothpicks; hence why the project has sat for so long. but once again, the tangled yoke cardigan is too bulky to carry around, so i expect to start and finish the second sock sometime this week.

short-sleeved ribbed lace sweater

now this has sat on the shelf because i want to change the shaping of the armholes and sleeves. don't you think it would look cute with a wide neck and raglan armholes with capped sleeves?

back panel up to armholes.

i really like how the simple lace pattern looks. though i want to finish it, honestly, with the cooler days and nights, i'm more interested in attacking the sweaterly projects in my queue.

tangled yoke cardigan

as i've mentioned before, the tangled yoke cardigan is progressing nicely. in the last picture i posted, i hadn't yet attached the sleeves. now they are attached, and i've even knitted the 3 inches of stockinette yoke before the cabled panel.

sleeves attached and yoke begun.

before i took this picture, i checked the gauge and discovered that instead of 9 rows to an inch, i had maybe 7.5 rows. i don't think this really mattered much for the rest of the garment... but for the 3 inches i needed to knit before the cabled yoke, this was important. i was seriously concerned about it for a bit, but after much trying on and remeasuring and anything else i could think of to argue the matter, eventually decided to go with the measured gauge... *crossing my fingers*

since taking this picture, i've seamed the armhole stitches (gaping armholes annoy me while i'm knitting) and begun the cabled panel. i'm still working on Row 1 of the tangled yoke pattern, but working the repeating pattern is so much more fun than the 300 or so stockinette stitches.

i'm excited about finishing it!

mismatched baby socks for baby boy.

blocking and end-weaving soon to follow.

a couple of baby socks and yarn for more!

i know i said earlier that i would post a big "look at all these baby socks" post; but, i've since decided against that. i will admit to being rather capricious at times. but, really, why wait until i finish more of these little projects... can you ever get bored with them? i hope not, because i sure won't.

blue baby socks at Cline Winery.

Pattern Better-Than-Booties baby socks, by Ann Budd.
Source Interweave Knits, Summer 2005.
Yarn Reynold's Soft Sea Wool, 1 Skein, Blue.
Needles Size 0 (2 mm) dpns.
Modifications Similar to the Pink Cable Rib baby socks, I shortened the ribbing to 4 repeats of the cable pattern, so that it actually looks more like booties than socks. I alternated the cable slants between the two. The pattern says to cast on an odd number of stitches and requires you to decrease one stitch later to have an even number. Also, I did not like the 1×1 ribbing... So, I reworked it as follows:

CO 44 sts.
Rnd 1 p1, (k2, p1) 7 times, k2, braided cable pattern across next 18 sts, k2.

the pattern: i actually surprised myself with wanting to knit these socks. i did not think i would enjoy knitting the cable braid on Size 0 needles, but, it didn't take long for me to get into the rhythm of the cabling.

before the zig-zag bindoff on first sock.

the yarn: i really love how the pattern shows up in the Soft Sea Wool. Really, a pleasant surprise. I don't know why, but I thought they might not show up as well as the braids in Hilary's long ago knit Baby Ull version.

i've actually casted on for a second pair of these... but, may end up making blue cable rib socks instead... or try out another variation for the instep stitches...

i debated writing this post for some time (too long), mostly because i thought i would do a bucket-of-baby-socks post with at least 3-4 more handknit socks in there. i will probably still do that, but this particular pair won't be in the picture; i'm sending them out to miss Lili Bean Clementine. i hope they fit!

pink baby socks! omg!

Pattern Better-Than-Booties baby socks, by Ann Budd.
Source Interweave Knits, Summer 2005.
Yarn Reynold's Soft Sea Wool, 1 Skein, Pink.
Needles Size 0 (2 mm) dpns.
Modifications I shortened the ribbing to 4 repeats of the cable pattern, so that it actually looks more like booties than socks.

the pattern: i was really surprised by how quickly this project went. even more, i was surprised by how much fun i had knitting them. keep in mind, i was always reluctant to knit socks on size 0 needles. (recall that Socks 101 were knit with worsted-aran weight yarn.) but, i loved knitting these socks.

this is a really easy pattern, but, i have to admit, i don't quite know if i followed it properly. i basically only glanced at the pattern for such details as (1) number of caston stitches, (2) number of rows to complete for different sections, (3) short row shaping of heel, and (4) zig-zag bind-off.

so, really, with just those 4 things to keep in mind, you can make any number of variations on this pattern... different instep stitch patterns. i can't wait to experiment some more.

before the zig-zag bindoff on second sock.

the yarn: i really enjoyed knitting with Soft Sea Wool. it's smooshy and stretchy to knit. the finished fabric has a crunchy texture, which for some reason i've grown to love in wool and wool blends.

i'm not sure how much yarn i actually used in this, since it was left over from a cat sweater i knit last year. but, i'm pretty sure that you can get at least two pairs of socks out of each skein.

well, it's good to blog again. i have lots to write: more baby socks, an almost finished raglan mini-ish sweater, a quick little knit from Knitty, Mendocino for a wedding, and another night at the onsen with friends.

happy knitting!--and happy friday!

I did finish the body of the tangled yoke cardigan:

Do you think the yarn is rather drab?

And, I started the sleeves this weekend. After the first increase round on one sleeve, I started the second sleeve. When they were the same length, I transferred the stitches onto my two longest Size 5 circulars (which weren't very long at all...) to knit both sleeves at the same time:

Two sleeves at once... It gets easier as the sleeves get longer...

Since, you can knit a pair of socks at the same time, why not a pair of sleeves? It's a bit awkward, but I hope this will keep the gauge consistent (between the two sleeves I mean).

Three years ago, at least, I started knitting a sweater for Adam. This was after we were married, so I wasn't concerned about the sweater curse which came up every time I mentioned I was knitting a sweater for my significant other. It started out as Jarett, by Kim Hargreaves, knit in Rowan Summer Tweed. Then, I scrapped it and decided to knit a raglan sweater using Avast as a guideline. I hoped that minimizing the seaming requirements would encourage me to finish this faster. By winter 2007, it had sat for about a year waiting for sleeves (again) before I decided to just start fresh.

Since I had finished my own sweater vest in Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool and really loved the yarn, I decided to make Adam a similar sweater vest. Both vests were knit following beautiful colorwork patterns from Rowan Magazines... without the colorwork. Isn't that awful of me?

But, here it is at last, Adam's sweater vest:

A simple Silky Wool sweater vest for him.

Pattern Dotty, by Kaffe Fasset.
Source Rowan 40
Yarn Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, Color 45, 5 skeins.
Needles Sizes 5 (3.75 mm) and 3 (3.25 mm).
Start-to-end Dec 2007 to Mar 2008.
Modifications I followed instructions for the medium size but did not knit the fair isles pattern.

the pattern

Since I didn't incorporate any colorwork, this was a very simple and straightforward project. I really did not feel confident enough knitting for Adam, so I used Kaffe Fasset's pattern as a guideline for shaping (not that there is much shaping involved in a man's vest). It worked out perfectly.

a handsome and simple vest, no?

the yarn

This is one of the best yarns to knit with ever. It does not snag or feel sticky (like most silk blends). I love how crunchy the fabric feels when I've knitted a good swatch. It even smells great.

Also, I chose to make the sweater in this yarn because it can now accompany Adam's Koolhaas hat which I gave him for Christmas. I actually have about 2.5 skeins of this green and 2 skeins in blue (leftover from my own vest). Should I knit a short-sleeve, striped cardigan for myself?

It's really thanks to Hilary that I started knitting this charming scarf. I was enchanted as she knitted it one afternoon at Samovar and after seeing the finished scarf (which I hope Hilary will write about soon--Here it is: Hilary's clapotis), I knew I had to make one. So, after another afternoon at Samovar, we stopped in Imagiknit right before closing time, and I bought the Manos Silk Blend yarn to make my own Clapotis.

After dropping the stitches and though I've yet to block it, it's more rectangular than parallelogram-ish, so I thought this picture would suit:

Clapotis... unblocked. ends dangling. typical. haha

Pattern Clapotis, by Kate Gilbert.
Source Knitty Fall 2004.
Yarn Manos Silk Blend, Color 3043, 3 skeins.
Needles Sizes 8 (5.0 mm).
FInished Size After blocking, this became a very long scarf with a length of 9.5' and width of 7" (unstretched) to at least 9" (stretched).
Modifications Modified from shawl width to scarf. I knitted only two repeats of the increase pattern. Even before blocking it was quite long, at least 7' in length and about 7-8" wide.

the pattern

When I first saw this pattern, I mistakenly thought it was much more complicated than it actually is. Granted, that was at least 3 years ago when I was not as confident with my knitting and couldn't tell a twisted stitch from a regular stitch just by looking. And really, the thought of dropping stitches... I didn't trust that it wouldn't just unravel the entire scarf/shawl.

In reality, this pattern is very easy to memorize once you get used to it. And once you memorize the pattern, the stitch markers just get in the way. I used 7 or 8 stitch markers, after I finished the increases. But, then removed them after knitting one repeat of the body of the scarf.

And boy was I mistaken about dropping the stitches. I kept dropping them as I knitted the scarf. Too much fun. And, I kept imagining cool ways to use dropped stitches in other patterns... haha

After two skeins. So bright and shiny!

the yarn

One thing I have to say, though: This yarn was made for Clapotis. I mean it. The yarn was very smooth to knit. The stitches held together nicely.

I have always loved Manos del Uruguay yarns, but recently, I started paying more attention to Malabrigo. Malabrigo wools tends to be softer and less scratchy. When I bought this yarn, naturally I couldn't help but compare it to Malabrigo Silky Merino, of which I've only knitted a small swatch. (I can't believe that I haven't touched it since.) I guess, just for that reason, hand's down, Manos Silk Blend wins. The sheen of the silk. The softness of the wool... It knits up unbelievable smoothly into a beautiful fabric. I knitted an entire skein in one day. (Granted, the other two skeins took the rest of the three weeks...) And really, when I wasn't knitting it, I was thinking about knitting it.

Of course, now that I have another scarf that I want to wear everywhere everyday, it's too warm in San Francisco. (Not that I'm complaining about the lovely sunshine!) More project notes to come!

Update 07 May 2008 Wow. After soaking (in Aqua scented wool wash, which seamed appropriate for this) and blocking a bit into a rectangular shape, this scarf is approximately 9.5 feet long. That’s almost twice my height! It's even softer after the wash!

I may have started the tangled yoke cardigan first, but clapotis has my love and undivided attention at the moment.

This morning, I woke up and knitted the scarf until there was sunlight enough to take pictures. Can you see the twisted stitches that frame the drop-stitch line?

Clapotis, Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend in color 3043.

The beginning of the cardigan:

Tangled yoke cardigan, Valley Yarn English Tweed in color softgrape.

I'm divided between loving this yarn for it's colorful specs and wishing it wasn't quite so multicolored. It's a bit early, but I can't wait to see how the cabled yoke will look.

I don't know if traditional sock knitting is for me, at least not long knee-highs knit on Size 0 or Size 00 needles. No, my fingers cramp just thinking about it. Instead, I've always wanted to knit thick socks in bigger gauges... Socks that I can slip on at night, over the anklets I always wear, because it gets pretty darn cold in our apartment when the sun sets and the fog rolls in over Twin Peaks.

Enter, Socks 101. I'm telling you now, this may be a new phase in my knitting carreer. I've finished my first pair of socks. What's to stop me from making many more pairs? Nothing.

Finished socks, but, uh oh--can you see the difference?

Pattern Socks 101, by Larissa Brown.
Source Knitalong.
Yarn Manos del Uruguay, Color K, 1 skein.
Needles Sizes 9 (5.5 mm).
Notions Stitch marker, sewing needle.
Modifications More "oopses" than actual changes: my grafting of the toes were pretty awful and I began one sock with 1×1 ribbing instead of 2×2. Also, I used a smaller size needle.

Luckily, because of the thick-thin variation of the Manos yarn, my crappy grafting is pretty much unnoticeable. The ribbing error... Well, I didn't even notice it until I was about to decrease for the toe on the second sock. I compared the two and realized that something about them just didn't match. I probably have enough yarn to make a third sock--but, I like that they don't match. It doesn't need to be perfect ;D

Finishing the first sock.

I know this isn't the first "Simple Socks" pattern ever published, but for some reason, it was the first that worked for me. These socks were fun to knit. And quick. Now I think I'm ready to work on some sock designs I've pushed aside for the past couple of years.

I really didn't want to waste an inch of the leftover Malabrigo Merino Worsted yarn from my Retro Redux shrug. So, with some encouragement from Hilary and Erica, I made a frosty flower to accent my shrug:

...aka crocheted flower, knitted leaves.

Pattern Own/generic crocheted flower and knitted leaves.
Yarn Malabrigo Worsted Merino, #606 Frost Gray, about 2 yards leftover from knitting my Retro Redux shrug.
Needles Size 8 (5 mm) straights. Size G (4.5 mm) hook.

Two-layered flower, one big leaf, and one small leaf.

It's floating on ice! Okay, not quite...

The flower itself required half the leftover yarn. I wanted to make two of the bigger-sized leaves to accompany it, but did not have enough yarn. I'm very happy with the results though!

And to complete the project post for the shrug, pictures of me wearing it:

Retro Redux with frost flower, front!

Retro Redux, back!

I just wanted to quickly post these pictures. It's a gorgeous day and I really should not be inside knitting/blogging.

OMG, I think I've sat on this FO post long enough. There's quite a bit that I want to write about that I've put on hold just because I didn't want to forget about this project, so here goes:

Retro Redux shrug, front close-up

Pattern Retro Redux shrug, by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark.
Source Lace Style, by P. Allen and A. Budd.
Yarn Malabrigo Worsted Merino, #606 Frost Gray, 2 skeins.
Needles Sizes 8 (5 mm), 9 (5.5 mm), 10 (6.0 mm), and 10.5 (6.5 mm).
Start-to-end Feb 24, 2008 - Mar 10, 2008.
Modifications I knitted the second size but added length to the sleeves because I wanted the ribbing to fall just below my elbows. I used a sewn bind-off because I wanted the ends to match. I picked up stitches equal to the number for the next size up (it just worked out that way) and added more short-rows for a wider shawl collar and to use up as much yarn as I could. It really worked out perfectly.

After seeing Craftoholic's lovely version of this shrug, I immediately tagged my two skeins of Malabrigo, that I had bought at Loop (Philadelphia, PA) last year, for this project. Of course, it wasn't until much later that I actually casted-on. I had a couple of false starts, like knitting too small a size and then knitting the lace completely wrong, but once those issues were corrected, this project just flew. Also, seeing Kerri's post about her shrug really motivated me to continue and put more thought into the fit of the garment.

Retro Redux shrug, back close-up

These pictures were taken while in my hotel room in Boston last week. I've worn it a couple of times (though, I actually haven't blocked it yet!) and I love it. I think it fits pretty well (considering its unblocked state). The sleeves are exactly the length I wanted. Though, I do need to block it and hope that the back stretches down a bit more, since I did want it to be just a little longer down my back.

The yarn is lovely, I don't know how else to describe it. The color, #606 Frost Gray, contains variations on lavender (light to dark) and white. For some reason, I've been drawn to the purple-ish colors lately. I actually have a tiny bit left over... A crocheted flower to pin on the shrug? (Updated 3/22/2008: I added a flower.)

And because, I was so inordinately pleased with this small accomplishment, here's a picture of the beginning and end of the shrug.

Cast-on. Cast-off. Can you tell the difference?

I had almost a whole week away from the office and some substantial knitting time but no completed project to show except one that was practically finished before the flight left for Boston. Though Adam will tell you otherwise, I don't usually travel with more than a couple of knits; This trip, I managed to pack 4 projects with me.

If you follow me on twitter, I had quite a few tweets about my knitting and Boston wanderings this weekend.

Retro Redux shrug

I had only about ten rows to finish when we left for the airport. By the time we boarded the flight, I was binding off the 200 or so stitches. An ideal situation really, since I hadn't planned on knitting during the redeye flight.

I took some photos of the completed shrug in my hotel room and added them to my ravelry project page, but may take some better ones before I post the project notes. I actually wore it one night while we lounged around the hotel bar chatting with friends. I love it.

Hadley mini

I read the instructions for this crocheted grocery bag during the redeye to Boston (bedtime story?) and realized quickly that I needed a reference for crochet stitches since the last few projects I've crocheted were English patterns. I started this a few times, after quickly committing a stitch guide to memory. But, in the end, I couldn't get my count correct and put it aside until I could devote more attention to it. I find crocheting in-the-round is a bit confusing.

On a side note, I like the yarn, Berroco's Naturlin. I think it's perfect for a bag. But, I really wondered if I would make a garment to wear with it.

Simple Noro socks

I also brought the Webs cabled sock pattern (that I had bought at Stitches West) and two skeins of Noro SIlk Garden with me to Boston.

After I put down the crochet hook, I immediately picked up Size 6 dpns and started these socks. Instead of following the cabled socks pattern, I quickly modified it into simple anklets--because I'd never knitted socks before (and I was watching a movie at the time). Things were going well; In almost no time I had finished the gusset decreases and was about halfway through the foot, when I thought I should take out the tubular cast-on "waste" yarn and try on the sock. That's when I realized my mistake.

I managed to do the cast-on wrong and could not pull out the tail of the yarn. I couldn't believe I had remembered the technique wrong. I always use this cast-on! Really, I tried for quite some time to fix my error before I frogged the project. Is this an omen? Something always happens to keep me from completing a pair of socks. Should I just not knit any socks ever?

I don't really believe that. For now, those socks are on hold.

Dotless Dotty, aka Adam's Silky Wool sweater vest

The next few days were busier than the last so I didn't want to take around a project that required too much attention or was awkward to handle, if I actually had time to knit. (For me, knitting with dpns and crocheting require some concentration.) I'm glad that, at the last minute, I threw the Adam's still unfinished sweater into my suitcase.

This is actually this vest's second trip to Boston. I knitted the back part when I was there in December. This weekend while in Boston and on the return flight, I knitted the front panel. I'm still working on the v-neck decreases, but it's progressing. I can't wait to finish it.

While waiting to board our return flight, I sat with another knitter in the terminal, and amazingly enough, she was working on a project with Silky Wool as well: a gorgeous sweater with an intricate cabled pattern. We chatted a bit about the yarn and our projects before boarding. Later, I noticed a Blogger sticker on her bag and wondered if she had a knitting blog. I really wish I had asked her name.

Glad to be home.

Since casting on earlier this week, I've knitted this shrug almost exclusively while on public transportation. And, since I don't usually have a seat during my (now, much shorter) commutes, it means I've barely knitted more than a few rows here and there.

Saturday morning: at home.

This weekend, I found myself with time for more public transportation knitting while riding BART to meet Erica and Jeremy in the East Bay for ramen in Berkeley. (And, of course, while riding back.)

Saturday afternoon: a bit of progress, Lake Merritt BART station.

Even today, we ended up taking the MUNI 22 to the the Marina to return something. It's a not a quick commute so I was able to knit lots:

Sunday afternoon: heading home from the Marina, MUNI 22.

I really hope to finish this project sometime this week since I will be in Boston next week and don't want this to be my traveling project. Instead, I want to start the hadley mini crocheted bag (much smaller and more portable).

Hrm. When I started this post, I really didn't mean to mimic Hilary's recent headgear post; But, I have two small hat projects to report—Why not lump them together?

LKMG Baby bonnet

First, here is the baby bonnet which I started last year. I actually found the project in a bag with a couple skeins of Manos del Uruguay yarn (in different colors), so, I mistakenly believed that this was Manos yarn as well. It wasn't until I bought a contrasting color to complete the i-cords and edging, that I realized it was not Manos at all, but was leftover yarn from two bonnets I made a couple years ago.

Baby bonnet from LKMG.

Pattern Baby bonnet.
Source Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.
Needles Size 8 (5 mm) and Size 6 (4 mm).
Yarn Some leftover Lamb's Pride Worsted, Pink.
Modifications No contrasting color, so i-cord is done in same pink. Also, I didn't have the pattern with me while I completed the i-cord, so it may not be the same. But, I'm happy with it. Just, don't have a baby to give it to at the moment!

Manos Lace-leaf hat

The second hat, here, is another lace-leaf hat—This time in a lovely Manos. (Yes, this is one of the skeins I found in the bag that held the baby bonnet.)

Lace-leaf hat in Manos del Uruguay.

Pattern Lace-leaf hat v2b.
Source Original.
Needles Size 8 (5 mm).
Yarn Manos del Uruguay.
Modifications Because I used a smaller gauge yarn for this, I made the larger adult-sized hat, meaning that I casted-on 80 stitches and knitted two full pattern repeats before decreasing for the crown.

It's amazing how stretchy the hat is, maybe it's the twisted ribbing. But, I love it in this vintagey rosey pink--Why oh why is it so warm these days to wear my new hat?

Grainy and dark side-view shot of unblocked hat.

Oh. After knitting the hat, I had almost a quarter of the Manos yarn leftover. Really! I couldn't believe it, since I was knitting a bigger size with smaller needles and yarn and everything. The remaining yarn was actually more than enough to make baby booties--which I am currently having trouble seaming together. They may be a big FAIL, but you'll hear about that later.

Actually, there are now four cat sweaters, but the last (Kimono Angora) wasn't part of this photoshoot:

Left-to-right: Dragon scale, Kashmir aran, and Angora.

These are really just variations on my previous cat sweater designs, Blush and Chic. The biggest difference, however, is that I did not knit the front and back parts separately. Instead, I really wanted them to be faster knits and, for the most part, knitted them bottom-up and in-the-round. When I reached the lengths suitable for the leg openings, I divided the front and back parts to knit separately.

Without really intending to, I finished the tops of each kitty sweater differently. For the dragon scale sweater, I joined the front and back for knitting in-the-round after knitting straight for the 2.5" leg openings. For the Kashmir aran sweater, I also joined for knitting in-the-round after completing the leg openings. The difference though is that I knitted the front section straight (without any decreases) until I joined it with the back. The dragon scale sweater has a tapered front that begins from the bottom of the leg openings. For the Angora sweater, I knitted the top parts completely separate, shaping the front decreases from the bottom of the leg openings. When both sections were complete, I seamed them together (similar to the seaming I did for Blush and Chic).

Can you guess which one is my favorite? Just from looking at this, do you have one?

Anyway, so sorry. That's a lot of writing for a picture that doesn't really show you much. But, I have more pictures and project reports for each sweater soon!

I finished this sweater early in January; But, I was not happy with it at all. Really, I felt that I had made the frumpiest dress possible with the most luxurious (and pricey) of yarns. Here's the beginning of the first version of the sweater (I didn't take any other pictures of it even after I finished it):

100% Angora, frumpy cat sweater.

So, immediately after finishing my green dragon-scale cat sweater (yay!), I decided to frog this sweater while watching Macross: Do you remember love? It's already half-way complete and, though I really do like it much better, I'm concerned it may still be too big.