Sunday is for…

baking.  February is almost gone and we need to get this month’s Cookie-of-the-Month shipment to Grandpa! Boy 1 chose Chocolate Crinkles.The BFL Hickory Socks were finished earlier this week.  Sunday is for photography. I really like the way these came out. And Sunday is for spinning.  It’s last-Sunday-of-the-month, which means spinning circle at Serendipity.  I’m still working on the natural BFL so I won’t bore you with another photograph of that. But I managed to get a shot of Jess’s Pretty Pirate singles, which are nearly done.  She spins very fine yarn and will navajo ply this: Hopefully Sunday will be for beginning a new sock.  This next one requires some attention on my part, so I need uninterrupted time when I’m rested.  This might happen this evening… or it might not.  Stay tuned!

FO: cozy scarf

I finished my Pei scarf last week and am pleased to say it’s already been blocked and worn.  Finally got around to photographing it: I really liked working with this woolen-spun yarn (Loft).  It’s so lightweight but definitely warm.  It’s not the softest yarn ever, but it didn’t bother me to wear it around my neck like this.  To feel even warmer, I just doubled it:The stockinette panel makes the scarf not want to lay flat, despite the effort of the designer to thwart that tendency (the edge next to the stockinette panel is a 5-round eyelet pattern, followed by some ribbing, and the bindoff is also in rib).  I think, if I were to knit this again, I would work K-K-P-K instead of all K in that section.  That might help.  It would also be interesting to make this in a smooth, drapey, worsted-spun yarn – like one of those sock yarns that is 100% superwash merino from which I’ll never make socks.  How many of those do I have left in my stash?  That’s worth a look…

But overall, I’m pleased with the result!  I think a swingy cardigan knit from Loft would be super cozy and lightweight… maybe I’ll keep that in mind for NEXT year’s sweater project.

I’ve also finished the first Hickory sock and have cast on for its mate.  Here’s a sneak peek:

I really like the branching quality of this design.  It reminds me of another pair I knit years ago, the Mock Cable Wave Socks.  I’ve been wearing those a lot lately.  This undulating quality must be speaking to my subconscious.

New sock

I cast on for this sock many weeks ago when I needed something to begin during one of Kris’s and my Thai knitting lunchdates, but then it languished.  Until now!  This is a fairly simple sock with a little surprise.  When it’s on the needle, it doesn’t look like much.  Mostly stockinette:But look what happens when it’s on a person (or a water bottle) – the stockinette forms branches!

The pattern is called “Hickory” and it’s in Clara Parkes’ The Knitter’s Book of Socks.  I’m using some of my Sock Summit 2011 yarn, a lovely 3-ply 80/20 BFL/nylon blend from Huckleberry Knits.  The colorway name is Creme Brulee.This yarn feels sheepier than the usual merino blends.  I’m anxious to see if it will wear well.  It should, as BFL is a longwool breed and those long staples should add strength to the yarn.  I sure hope it works well, as I bought 4 different colorways!  (My excuse was that I was hungry at the time.)