Socks and a Shawl

So I'd better post pictures of the pink/grey socks before they disappear again and I have no evidence of their existence! I actually almost doubted that the socks did exist, since I couldn't find them for months, and I had no photos of them. My only thread of hope was that I had a little baggie with the left-over yarn. I am not even entirely sure when I knitted them. I know they were in existence during the time Kristen was home for Christmas.



This is Patons Kroy yarn, on size 1.5 needles, but I cast on 68 stitches, and they seem a little looser then I'd ideally like. I thought 64 on 1.5 was too tight, but maybe it is better. Or maybe I should decrease to 64 immediately after the ribbing. In any case, these are comfortable and entirely wearable. (or could these have been done on 2's? Since I don't remember knitting them, how do I know what size needle I used?)



I finished the Faroese Shawl that I was working on, in Elizabeth Lavold Silky Wool, and it's s great pattern. Through clever and rather inscrutable increases along the shoulders, it comes out in a nearly circular shape, perfectly fitted to the neck and shoulders. I didn't want mine to be too long, as I thought that would make it less wearable (since I'm not actually a peasant woman living on the windswept Faroe Islands). This is plenty voluminous, reaches almost to my waist in the back, and the fronts can be thrown back stylishly ( I like to think) over my shoulders.



Silky Wool is a great yarn. It's not silky, and it's not wooly. It is firm, a bit rustic, and a nice weight for lace that is not really lacy. I have a plan to knit a shrug-type thing out of it, if Mrs. Oyama can come up with the pattern she used. Some sort of rectangle thing that is seamed to make arms and then has stitches picked up around the edges to make a collar and ruffle.

Now I'm working on little odds and ends--a Greenleaf Baby hat for my pregnant Egyptian student, in dk weight (done) and a pair of booties to go with it, with little leaf-ended ties, if I can pull that off with the skein of yarn I have. I hairband for Nitza (also finished, but needing finishing), and I don't know--maybe some sideways garter gloves?

A Happy Mother's Day

Last night Sam took me out for Thai food at Bangkok Sapphires, and I ate myself into a coma. Had to take a nap on the couch, and could barely stand to watch cooking shows for several hours after!

And today, these lovely flowers were awaiting me on the dining room table.

Also, big news on the Saint Anthony front--my lost hand-knit wool socks have been found. It was a case of bad housekeeping. They were wedged at the foot of the bed, which means that I hadn't actually re-made the bed since January. Not the bed I sleep in, I hasten to add, but still. I did look there too, but apparently not hard enough.

I am well on my way with a shawl in the Faroese style called Alberta, designed by Myrna Stahman. The Silky-Wool yarn in a peacock color is quite pleasing to work with, and I have high hopes for this shawl.



Oh, and for once, I found yarn at the Goodwill. There were a dozen or so skeins of various sorts, and I chose 4 skeins of this sportweight 100% wool from Holland.

Finished Objects!

So first of all, I started and finished a small scarf made from the novelty yarn I bought in New Orleans. I used literally every inch of the yarn, including the leftover bits to make a couple of bits of fringe.

And then I finished up the socks that I began during my trip to Chicago just before school started in February. Another pair of plain vanilla socks in Patons Kroy FX yarn. Too bad I misplaced the pink-grey ones, but these, called camo color, are also nice, and not at all army-looking, imo!


And finally, and most impressive, I finished the sweater I started in January. This is made in Cascade 220 yarn, using a pattern called Chic Cabled Sweater from Red Heart. However, I made it a bit longer in the body, knit the sleeves in the round from the top down, and most importantly, removed the cables from the top of the sleeves and used them to make the cuffs, which I think was a good move. The sweater fits me to a T, though I don't have the photos to prove it yet!




And I've started on a Faroese shawl. Pictures much later!

New Orleans!

I started a new blog!

I decided to create a separate blog to write about what I have learned about Copyright as it applies to knitting. I will be adding to it over the next few days. It's called CopyKnit.

My Mink!

Ok, so I'll never wear a mink coat, but why not mink mittens? This yarn is spun from 70% sheared mink, without harming the mink and 30% cashmere (without harming the goats!). The weight is dk, and it looked a little thin when it arrived, but after I washed the skein, it fluffed up a bit. The colors are dyed in the wool (well, mink), so they are very saturated. In fact, with this color, almost too saturated. In bright sunlight, the color is quite pretty, but under artificial light (ie when knitting with it) it seems to swallow up all the light and give nothing back.

The pattern was also a bit of a pain, with all the knit stitches knit through the back loop and a constantly shifting of the pattern from row to row.

But I am very pleased with the end result. The single skein of yarn had more than enough yarn for this pair of mittens, and I wish I had made the cuff a half inch longer (I made the hand shorter than recommended. They are extremely lightweight, the yarn fluffed up nicely as I knit, and I think they will be warm for their weight.

The yarn comes from Great Northern Yarns and the pattern is also theirs. Their customer service is exceptional. I ordered the yarn without the pattern and later saw the "kit" offer and I emailed them to ask if I could get the pattern. They sent it out immediately by US mail and I had it in 2 days.

Amethyst Lady

I am so amazed at how quickly I knit this sweater. I started on January 3, frogged it and started over on 12, and finished it on January 30. This is an all-time record for me.


Also, I like the way it fits and the way it looks. made a lot of modifications to the pattern.

So I decided to try my luck on a second sweater, this one with cables instead of lace. I am modifying the pattern from flat to knit in the round, and hoping for the best.