WIP WIP WIP

I’ve got several things on the needles at the moment, receiving various levels of attention from me.

First, remember the knee socks I started?  They have progressed a tiny bit… but not much.  Here is how they look right now: I’m sure if I could just be diligent enough to get past the 38-round colorwork section, they would move much faster.  I would transfer them to 2 circs, for sure!  I really don’t care for working socks on dpns.

Next, I started a BSJ for a coworker who is due in August.  She decided not to find out the baby’s sex, though, and these are girly colors.  So I may have to knit a boy-something, too!  This is Felici sportweight in color “Neopolitan” And finally, I’ve begun a new sock.  It’s not the sock I meant to start, though.  I had a weird wave of guilt for not having used all the sock yarn I bought at Sock Summit 2009 and resolved to knit another skein.  I picked this yarn (Briar Rose Fibers Grace), and I found Anne Hanson’s Keukenhof pattern (I purchased them both at the Briar Rose Fibers booth and they were meant to go together).  I wound up the yarn but couldn’t get excited about the pattern. 

So I went looking through my box of random stuff in the studio (I know you have one, too) and came up with the Swirls pattern.  It said to cast on 70 stitches.  I was skeptical.  But I proceeded anyway.  Sure enough, 70 is too many.  I ripped.  Then I rewrote the pattern for 64 stitches and began again.  I didn’t love it.  I ripped.  Then I got out some books to look for inspiration, and I ran across this lovely:

I got this for Christmas (I think) a couple years ago.  Maybe from Steven?  I drooled over it but never made anything.  Armed with post-its, I went through it again, and marked many beautiful patterns.  I decided that Tsunami would be about right, fairly simple but not too boring.  You can’t see it very well in this photo, but this is one of the pictures from the book:

And at the last moment, I decided that the yarn I had wound wasn’t perfect for this pattern, so I grabbed something entirely different – some solid purple Cherry Tree Hill yarn I’ve had in stash forever (from a long ago SSYC sale).  I’ve turned the heel on sock #1 and this is how it looks today:I love how the cable is so loose and gentle - just a ripple in the fabric - and how the cable is framed by the reverse stockinette diamonds.

What are you knitting right now?

Knee socks?!

I finished my green leafy wrap yesterday, but I can’t show it to you because it’s in a sink full of suds right now.  Instead, I’ll share a project I started a couple of weeks ago: knee socks.

I know! Who starts warm, wooly knee socks in April?  But I felt inspired, so I just went with it.  I have wanted to make Chrissy Gardiner’s Bohus-Style Knee-Highs for a while now.  I had the pattern, but not the yarn.  I decided to see if I could make it work from stash. 

On the left is the photo from the book (muted color palette) and on the right is another version (much bolder) from the Knit Picks catalog.  I bought some wood dpns to use, since my stranded sock knitting in the round hasn’t been going so well with my usual two circular method.

Let’s have another look at the bolder socks, shall we?  They are just so stunning! I contemplated the stash, consulted with S1, and came up with this: The pretty spring green is Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Heather in color “willow,” originally purchased to make the Treetop Socks for myself.  I really wanted to make those socks, but there were big huge red flags that caused me to abandon the plan.  I have 200 g, plenty for knee socks.  That will be the main color.  The contrasting colors are all from Simply Socks Yarn Company’s new(ish) solid line.  The blue is left over from Boy 2’s Fjordland socks (also designed by Chrissy Gardiner), and the two browns are 2 of the 4 colors purchased to make Mad for Plaid socks for S1.  She okayed their reassignment (I can always get more).

I have begun.  I can’t say I love knitting on dpns – it feels very slow and unnatural to me.  I will very likely switch back to circs once I get past the bohus band at the top of the cuff.  But for now, I’m using the pointy little sticks:

The Bohus-style band is only 37 rounds wide.  Not much.  Then again, I’ve only done about 7 of those rounds.  Slow going!