…and we’re back.

Long time no post!  I won’t bog you down with a ton of details about our trip.  Here are the highlights:

On our unexpected snow day at home (13” before it stopped), I knit two more Deck the Balls.  I tried to pick manly colorways – these ended up on Steven & Jeff’s tree in Austin. The blue striped one is Regia yarn from the arch-shaped socks I just finished: This is Austermann Step from a pair I made several years ago:

Steven and I visited his LYS, The Knitting Nest, while I was in Austin.  What a fun shop!  It was really neat to see so many shades of Cascade 220 in one place (particularly those yummy heathers).  I left the shop with some spinning fiber hand-dyed by Stephig of Spinning Colors (this is 4 oz of Corriedale in color “Amethyst”) and one of those cool multi-compartmented boxes with the store logo on it (I had admired Steven’s in Portland): Also while in Texas, I finished the Cochineal Arch-Shaped Socks I started at home (sock #1 finished in Austin, sock #2 finished in Georgetown).  The yarn is Knit Picks Felici in colorway Cochineal, one of the prettiest color combos they’ve produced (imho):The photo shoot in my parents’ front yard was kind of silly: I also started the Christmas Charade socks and finished up the final toe decrease on January 2 at home.  The yarn is Wollmeise (a prize) and the pattern is Charade.  This photo makes the yarn look a little more orangey than it really is. Now Sharon should be all set for red socks for a while.

What’s next?  Hmmmm.  The only other WIP I have is the Butternut Scarf, which I’m considering ripping back.  The yarn isn’t quite soft enough for next-to-neck wear, so I’m thinking of making it wider and calling it a shawl.  What holds me back is that I’m not really a shawl wearer.  Thoughts?

I’m anxious to get spinning again.

And there must be a new pair of socks – soon.  Gotta have office knitting when I go back to work in a couple of days!

Progress Report

There has been relatively little blogging lately due to holiday preparations and general busy-ness!  But there has been some knitting.  Here’s my update:

Big news first: Sharon’s Bada Bing sweater is done.  I had to rip out the neck and redo it because following the same seed stitch pattern I used at the waist just didn’t look right.  I did a standard stockinette stitch neckband and used Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off (JSSBO), and it looks pretty good.  Also, does anyone remember that this was supposed to be a v-neck?  I followed the more conservative v-neck instructions (for a less plunge-ful version) but it turned out to be a conservative scoop neck instead.  Well, live and learn!  I also had to rip out the sleeve cuffs because somehow, even after much measuring and fitting, the sleeves were several inches too short.  When I redid them, I followed the same edge pattern that I used on the neck.  The cuffs roll up a bit right now.  We might be able to make them behave by blocking – or we might not.  She doesn’t mind the rolling so I’m calling it done.  I’m terrified the whole thing will change size in the wash so we’re just not thinking about that right now.

I also finished this pair of socks, which is very plain (mostly stockinette) except for the arch shaping on the foot.  Look carefully – do you see the unusual lines running around the side and to the top of the foot near the toe?  This is a very interesting construction, and I cast on for another sock that uses it right away: Ahhh, Knit Picks Felici sock yarn.  I love you so.  This self-striping yarn will be perfect for a relatively simple sock (just the unusual arch shaping to content with, but it’s my second time with the pattern) to knit on my journey to Texas.  The colors are so warm and cheery – but not too dark.  Dark yarn is always difficult to see but especially so when traveling.  I think the person who picked Knit Picks circular needle cable color designed this Felici colorway – they coordinate perfectly!

I planned to knit Amy King’s Guernsey Socks pattern (from The Knitter’s Book of Yarn) using the 100% Icelandic yarn I got at Knitters’ Day Out last September.  I wound the yarn and did some swatching at knitting group on Wednesday.  I don’t think it’s going to work out.  Perhaps not at all, but definitely not for travel knitting.  So I’m putting aside that pretty grey yarn (for now) and I wound up this Wollmeise that I won in a Loopy Ewe contest a while back.  Sharon says she is always wishing she had red socks in a more pinky-red rather than orangey-red, and this yarn fits the bill.  I will reknit a simple pattern that I’ve done before with this yarn – remember my green zebra socks?  Charade is the official name of the pattern.

So that is 2 sock projects for the trip.  The other thing I decided to take is my spindle and some fiber.  Now that the holiday knitting is done, I want to focus more on spinning.  I know I need to log 15-30 minutes a day with the spindle to develop the fine muscle control I need to become natural at this, and I thought the vacation might be just the time to start my new exercise regimen. And now, we just hope that the snowstorm headed this way doesn’t delay our flight out.  I’ll be knitting my stress away!

Ich gewann Wollmeise - wundervoll!

Wollmeise
Originally uploaded by JLW in PA

That's "I won Wollmeise - wonderful!" auf englisch. I am super excited that a won a blog contest that resulted in this lovely sock yarn. A week or two ago, Sheri at The Loopy Ewe had a contest to name her new hat/scarf model, who exhibits a decidedly 1940s flair. I suggested Tallulah, but the winning name was Ava. Still, I won one of the random number drawings, so I still get the great yarn!

This is an insanely generous hank of 100% merino superwash sock yarn (150 g, not the normal 100 g) in a semi-solid handpaint. The color is Granatapfel, which means "garnet apple" auf englisch. It is perfect for Valentine's Day (though no Valentine's socks will be knit in time for this year - still, maybe next!).

I've knit with Wollmeise one other time - they became a pair of Cat Bordhi's Sidestream Socks last summer. They were also red, but an orangey red, whereas this yarn has more bluey undertones.

Thanks, Sheri! The yarn is gorgeous.