A Very Large Sock Revealed

A very large sock was the source of my quiet knitting delay before Christmas.  It was also the only Christmas gift I committed to knitting this year.

I hadn't done any colorwork since the beginning of the year (2010), so I did warm up with the Fiddlehead mittens first.  Thankfully, the mitten warm-up helped me get my colorwork tension under a bit more control before tackling the stocking.

Now the lovely free stocking pattern called for bulky yarn, but heeding the Ravelry warnings that it led to an enormous stocking, I down-sized to worsted instead.  It's still pretty big, based on the stocking I had as a kid, but not too much so.

The intended recipient is just a bit too young to even understand what a stocking is yet, but his parents appreciated it and they hadn't bought him one of his own yet, so it was a gifting success.

I did manage to finish it in less than two weeks, but that was also partly due to late start and the looming deadline keeping me on track.  Modifying the pattern and charting out the name so that it would fit on both sides was slow going, but I kept notes so that future stockings might go faster.  It is a beautiful pattern that I would be happy to knit again!

Pattern: Falling Snow Stocking by Jennifer Hoel
Yarn:  Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino Superwash - Burgundy and Cream
Needles: US 7 - 4.5 mm
Completed: December 23, 2010
Mods: Cast on 80 stitches to accommodate the lighter weight yarn, added the name panel to the pattern, and used a snowflake-like pattern for the toe.

Mitten Distractions

I've been a bit distracted by some necessary destruction to keep our house steadily heated through the winter...

...so the blog posts have fallen a bit behind.  But of course I've still been knitting and I started yet another project.

Fiddlehead Mitten #1

Fun and colorful mittens from the kit I purchased at Stitches Midwest 2010.

I got to work my first i-cord cast on and I'm pretty sure I'm going to find a way to use it again in future projects.  It's slow, but it makes a very neat edge.

i-cord cast on edge

And they're stranded, so I've been practicing my 2-handed knitting again with the background color in my right hand and the pattern colors in my left.  I still haven't mastered the tension in my left hand, so I've been using an inexpensive Knitting Thimble to help me along.  Instead of using it to separate multiple colors, I run the single yarn through both guides to help keep it from slipping too loosely on the left side.  It might be an odd way to do it, but it's really helped me keep the yarn in my left hand without constantly fiddling and trying to find a good way to hold it.

Inside out

I haven't quite finished the outside of mitten #2 yet (they're lined with another smaller mitten inside) so they haven't been blocked.  My stitches aren't as even as they should be, but I'm working on it and hopefully a nice soak and block will loosen them up and even them out enough.

I'm hoping to finish up the outside of mitten #2 in the next night or so.  With the Holidays and the end of the year looming these will probably have to be set aside for a bit to make time for deadline knitting soon.

Ravelympics Finish

I did finish my second and final project for the Ravelympics and earned two more medals:

• Hat Halfpipe: All things hats and heads
• Nordic Colorwork Combined: Colorwork, intarsia, fair isle

Pattern: Beaumont Tam
Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Fresco - Regatta and Oatmeal
Needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm and US 7 / 4.5 mm circular needles (32")
Completed:  February 26, 2010

Really not the best example of colorwork, but wearable enough for me.  I don't think my tension was horrible and my floats didn't seem too tight, but the looser stitches on such large needles did make every little variation stand out.

I blocked it over a plate as recommended, but it looks like I should let it relax a bit before I wear it - or make my peace with the mushroom head look!

Of course it's pretty rare that I wear hats anyway, but apparently it doesn't make the patterns any less appealing. I enjoyed the fair isle challenge and the practice that comes with knitting with different yarn in each hand.  But, now I'm ready to slow things down a bit.  There really is a different feel to knitting on a deadline and I'm looking forward to going back to the slow pace of switching projects occasionally to suit my mood and attention span of the moment.

Olympic Knitting - Tam

So this is my second Ravelympics project:

But this is a photo from several days ago, so I'm actually much further along now.  Last night I started the first of the decrease rounds, so I should be able to finish it in time for the closing ceremonies.

Despite going quickly enough, this project isn't without its challenges.  I haven't done a lot of colorwork yet and my previous successful project was with much heavier yarn that likely hid any tension problems better.  I don't think my tension is horribly off, but this is a strange hat that calls for colorwork with sport weight yarn on US size 7 needles - for yarn that normally recommends US size 5.  Since I'm a somewhat tight knitter I was hoping my gauge would be tighter, if anything, and in any case I don't have US 5 or 6 needle tips for my circulars (something that is in the process of being remedied with a KnitPicks order!). 

The stitches do look a bit loose, but after dragging my feet for a bit and trying to decide what to do I decided to follow the pattern and hope for the best.  Jared Flood is an accomplished designer and I'm going to trust that he had a plan.  Maybe between the yarn floats in the back and the halo the yarn develops this will work out.  It's good practice either way, but I do hope it works out to be wearable and not an embarrassing example of novice colorwork.  Perhaps a nice soak and some careful blocking will help pretty it up a bit, too.

Mittens of Love

Ah, mittens so soft they practically reach out and offer to snuggle things with their cushy comfort! Though possibly bulkier than the pattern called for, the yarns for these Convertible Mittens/Glittens/Moves was a luscious combo of Merino Wool, Alpaca, Silk, and Baby (yes, baby) Llama.

This was definitely my most ambitious project to date with lots of steps and methods I hadn't tried before, including colorwork, casting on several places mid-project, and knitting in waste yarn to be removed later. They are by no means perfect, but they're exceptionally comfortable and quite a step for me as a knitter. The creator of the pattern for these is a genius and I'm very thankful she shared so much knitting knowledge for free! Thanks to the detailed pattern and instructions, I spent many hours working on them (I am still a slow knitter), but it wasn't difficult and I'd happily make another pair.

These mittens of love were road-tested in Chicago this weekend, and there were points where my hands were so warm that I flipped the mitten portion open to cool them off a bit. Carrying the yarn along for the colorwork means that they're essentially doubled for the mitten portion, so they're very solid and warm. I think sariebeth set aside some yarn to make something similar, so I look forward to seeing her version someday!