My First Real Knit-Along

So I am on a few Yahoo groups and I don't really participate that much, but I do enjoy reading all the discussion about knitting. I tend to be pretty solitary when I'm in the middle of a project, and like to figure out things myself. However, when someone on one of the Yahoo groups pointed out that there was a mystery shawl knitalong called Mystic Waters, I just had to try and join. I found some great yarn in my stash. Actually, it's some of the yarn from here, my first ever blog post.

I wound the yarn and waited to see what the first clue looked like. It's nice there are other people out there to test the charts before I have my weekend to try it out! After I saw the first partially-completed clue, I fell in love and began as soon as I could.

I think it's beautiful.

No knitting photos today....

I have been knitting. Quite a lot, actually. But you won't see any pictures of what I've been doing because the camera has run out of batteries and I don't seem to know where the charger is. So....

Although I haven't in about six months, I do enjoy sewing. Particularly when I'm at my mother's house and have access to her machine, which can do many more interesting things than my simple straight-stitcher. I've been too busy with knitting, and enjoying the kitchen table space too much recently to haul out the sewing machine, but I have found a way for sewing to interact with yarn.

I made this needle case over a year ago to organize my ever-growing supply of needles. It is currently living on the table that holds my "now knitting" instead of the shelves with my yarn and fabric and other crafty supplies.

I also did this to some yarn:

It might seem curious until you see a little bit more:

Let's just say that hand-quilting is not my favorite way to spend my time.

Huh?

I know I said I was going to knit what goes with the swatch next, but I guess I don't always know what's coming next! I was browsing here and found this. I ordered yarn from Webs on an impulse, in a color brighter than I usually wear, and what do you know -- it's almost finished! I'll have pics after its washed.

And, as usual, I have found another distraction -- the Mystic Waters Mystery Shawl. Unfortunately, sign-ups are closed, but the first clue has gone out and it looks beautiful! This weekend I'm going to be busy knitting lace!

In other news

Organic Scarf & Hat

I finished the long neglected so-called scarf -- a project I had begun before I started blogging. This project didn't speak to me, and I wasn't sure why. I finally know, now that I finished it and a hat, as well. At first I thought that I didn't like the yarn, since it was so loosely spun, or that I didn't like the pattern, since it made the needles do acrobatics. It turns out that I didn't like the resulting fabric because it came out biased -- I used the same needles to make a hat which I was able to finish in one day and I actually like (mostly -- the hat did turn out a little too large). The yarn is still some of the softest stuff I have ever tried, and in a gorgeous color of sage green that only shows its true glory in direct sunlight.

I do love the texture of the stitch pattern for the scarf, if only it didn't bias so much....



Specs:

Scarf: My so-called scarf from Sheep in the City.

Yarn: Catskill Merino from Union Square Greenmarket, 2 skeins

Needles: Size 10.5s, 16" bamboo

Hat: Improvised stockinette knit on 80 stitches

Yarn: Catskill Merino from Union Square Greenmarket, 1 skein

Needles: Size 10.5s, 16" bamboo

2-Way Socks

I finished the Socks that Rock stockinette socks last weekend, and darned the ends during the week. I made them reversible so I could enjoy the variegation two different ways, and tried something new with the toes and heels, too.

I knit Pricilla Gibson-Roberts' afterthought heel from here. Before I knit the heel, though, I turned the sock inside-out on the needles, so that my heel would be in reverse stockinette stitch. I like the way it turned out -- it adds a little bit of interest to the sock. I did the same thing with the toe, and instead of my usual side-decrease toe, I did a star toe. At first I was worried that the toe would be a tad loose, but it seemed to fit much better today when I tried the socks on for the pictures. I also like the way I used alternating decreases on the toe (which you can only tell if I am wearing the socks both the same way -- oops!).

The yarn is so fuzzy and soft -- it's very comfortable, but I'm not sure how well it will wear. It just seems a bit too soft to last a long time. Maybe I'm just cynical!

Specs:

Yarn: Socks that Rock lightweight in Algae, 1 skein

Needles: bamboo size 1 dpns

Pattern: My own, stockinette on 64 stitches, afterthought heel & star toe in reverse stockinette.

Before the Ripples Begin...

A swatch in Den-M-Nit in Dark Indigo is waiting to be washed.

Gauge pre-wash: 21 stitches = 4 inches 28 rows = 4 inches

Socks that Rock

Lightweight Socks that Rock in Algae

I love the colors in this skein. The greens -- from lime to lemon to mint & sage, and the dusky purples.

I tried making Jaywalkers from this yarn. Unfortunately, the yarn began pooling. Do you see the big stripe of gray? That's only on that one part of the sock. It was going to be bad. So I ripped it out.

The solution? Stockinette over 64 stitches on size 1s. The striping worked out beautifully.

Oh, and the true color of this skein is somewhere in between the two sets of photos -- not as gray as the top, not as washed out as the bottom. I couldn't get the color balance just right for these.

I finished the first one in two days. That dark purple stripe is the waste yarn for the afterthought heel -- I'm thinking about making the heel in that Cherry Tree Hill I have left over. Maybe just one stripe? Or a striped heel like the Gentleman's Railway Socks?

Finished Before Fall Arrived:

Who would have thought that I wouldn't have been able to wear the socks that I finished the last week of September for several weeks! That's the way it looks, anyway. These socks have been sitting on my endtable waiting to be photographed, and I haven't even been tempted to pick them up.

First up: Gentleman's Railway Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks.

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock in Baltic Sea, purchased from emtnestr, 1.5 skeins

Also white Dale Babyull left over from the Endpaper Mitts and reinforcing serger thread

Needles: Size 0

Adaptations: I knit these over 72 stitches of ribbing (and adapted the pattern from then on) to resize them for myself.

I love the way these socks fit, the way the pattern works with the slightly variegated yarn and the punch of the heels and toes. I was a little bit skeptical of the stripes when I began, but I love the added interest contrasting heels and toes give socks. I'm beginning to think that it's a necessity for handknit socks!

Pomatomus from Knitty.

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill mill end from emtnestr

Needles: Size 1s (I think they both were knit with size 1s!)

Adaptations: None.

I've been working on these Pomatomus for a long time. No -- correction. I have had the first Pomatomus complete for about 7 months, and hadn't started the second for some reason. I was disenchanted with the way the yarn pooled with the ribbed lace stitch. I liked either the light sections or the dark sections -- the individual colors that are lurking in those sections are great. The zebra stripes just don't sit well with me. The socks do fit great, though -- they're nice and snug, which means they will be comfortable to wear for the whole day.

I loved the Cherry Tree Hill yarn, which is a great thing -- I still have enough for 1 or 2 more pairs of socks. Maybe I should just make a Baby Surprise Jacket instead! I'll see how well the socks wear before decided whether it's appropriate for baby knits!

He couldn't figure out what the socks smelled like!

Monteverde Scarf

Designed by Kelley at http://www.kknit.blogspot.com/

On a cold night in the mountains, you need something to cover your shoulders and protect your neck. The alpaca yarn delivers a great deal of warmth, yet does not take up much space. A great traveling knit, it is made from just one ball of Misti Alpaca Lace on size 4 needles. I knit until I ran out of yarn, and used my gauge swatch as well, so if you would like to add more repeats for a longer scarf (or keep your gauge swatch for your records) you will need a second ball of yarn. This scarf is knit in two pieces, from the ends to the middle. The pattern repeat is reversed for the second half so that the diamond pattern mirrors itself when the scarf hangs on your shoulders. The scarf is knitted from the ends to the middle in two pieces, which are then grafted together.

Materials:
1 skein of Misti Laceweight Baby Alpaca, (437 yards/50g), in Pretty in Pink, (color 3140)
Size 4 needles (or size required to get gauge)

Measurements:
Completed scarf measures 11” by 64” after blocking.

Gauge:
23 st = 4” in diamond pattern (charts 2 & 3) after blocking
32 rows = 4” in diamond pattern (charts 2 & 3) after blocking

First Half:
Cast on 57 stitches loosely. Knit 6 rows.
Begin chart 1, knitting repeat 5 times each row.
Knit 6 repeats of Chart 1.

Next Row:
Knit 3, (yo, k2tog) across until 3 stitches are left, k3, turn.
K3, (yo, k2tog) across until 3 stitches are left, k3, turn.
Begin chart 2, knitting repeat five times each row. On row 1, there may be 1 extra stitch before garter edging. If so, k2tog right before the garter edging.

Continue Chart 2 for 17 repeats, ending on row 11. Put scarf on stitchholder.

Second Half:
Cast on 57 stitches loosely. Knit 6 rows.
Begin chart 1, knitting repeat 5 times each row.
Knit 6 repeats of Chart 1.

Next Row:
Knit 3, (yo, k2tog) across until 3 stitches are left, k3, turn.
K3, (yo, k2tog) across until 3 stitches are left, k3, turn.
Begin chart 3, knitting repeat five times each row. On row 1, there may be 1 extra stitch before garter edging. If so, k2tog right before the garter edging.

Continue Chart 3 for 17 repeats, ending on row 9.

Grafting:
With wrong sides together, kitchener stitch the two sides together loosely. Weave in ends. Wet block and pin out to desired dimensions.

Chart Key:

╪ = slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over
/ = slip, slip, knit
\ = k2tog
= k on front, purl on back
- = purl
O = yarn over

Chart 1: This pattern is available for private use only. All rights reserved by http://www.kknit.blogspot.com/.

I apologize for the quality of the charts. I have the entire pattern available as a pdf, but could not figure out how to upload it onto my blog. So instead of the pdf, you get photos of the printout of the charts. Does anyone know how to upload a pdf to blogger? Or where I can find a link explaining how to do this? Thanks!