Socktoberfest Sock

Socktoberfest has been for me, an exploration of different sock yarns that I’ve wanted to knit with, but haven’t gotten around to. One of those infamous sock yarns is Koigu. As much as I love the colors, I bought some sock yarn earlier this year in a colorway P303 that I just adore.

I’m using the Thuja pattern from Knitty, but adapting for the yarn I’m using. I originally tried a different pattern with the Koigu and used 70 sts, which was just ridiculous. I’m knitting Koigu down on sz 1s to create a nice, dense fabric, but it works well for the yarn using only 60 sts. I love this Thuja pattern and am now thinking it can be my default pattern for socks, or at least a good way to knit up some of these other hand-painted sock yarns. I just love it and the ribbing it is really nice. The yarn is so nice to knit with, it’s so enjoyable. The tighter, dense fabric feels nice and cushy and soft. While I love knitting with it, I don’t know if I will go out of my way to buy it again for socks. I probably will use it again at some point in the future, the only worrisome part is that you don’t get much yardage for each skein. Only 175 or 185 yds, which is a bit skimpy imo. I kept worrying about running out of yarn, but I don’t usually make the leg of my socks very tall. With this one, I knit the leg to only 4.75″, which turned out to be perfect and is just the right height. I can’t help the length of my foot as I wear a size US 10 in a ladies shoes, so I wanted to have enough and I did with some yarn to spare, but it was a bit nerve-wracking. And no, I’m also not interested in knitting socks toe-up. Cuff-down has been quite favorable to me.

All of that to say, I now have 1 completed sock and have cast on for the second one. I may not get it done for Socktoberfest, but I will try. I can’t wait to have this pair of socks done and ready to wear.

Socktoberfest Sock

Socktoberfest has been for me, an exploration of different sock yarns that I’ve wanted to knit with, but haven’t gotten around to. One of those infamous sock yarns is Koigu. As much as I love the colors, I bought some sock yarn earlier this year in a colorway P303 that I just adore.

I’m using the Thuja pattern from Knitty, but adapting for the yarn I’m using. I originally tried a different pattern with the Koigu and used 70 sts, which was just ridiculous. I’m knitting Koigu down on sz 1s to create a nice, dense fabric, but it works well for the yarn using only 60 sts. I love this Thuja pattern and am now thinking it can be my default pattern for socks, or at least a good way to knit up some of these other hand-painted sock yarns. I just love it and the ribbing it is really nice. The yarn is so nice to knit with, it’s so enjoyable. The tighter, dense fabric feels nice and cushy and soft. While I love knitting with it, I don’t know if I will go out of my way to buy it again for socks. I probably will use it again at some point in the future, the only worrisome part is that you don’t get much yardage for each skein. Only 175 or 185 yds, which is a bit skimpy imo. I kept worrying about running out of yarn, but I don’t usually make the leg of my socks very tall. With this one, I knit the leg to only 4.75″, which turned out to be perfect and is just the right height. I can’t help the length of my foot as I wear a size US 10 in a ladies shoes, so I wanted to have enough and I did with some yarn to spare, but it was a bit nerve-wracking. And no, I’m also not interested in knitting socks toe-up. Cuff-down has been quite favorable to me.

All of that to say, I now have 1 completed sock and have cast on for the second one. I may not get it done for Socktoberfest, but I will try. I can’t wait to have this pair of socks done and ready to wear.

10 Knitterly Things About Me

A meme started by Grumperina to list 10 knitting-related things about yourself that many may not know about you sounded fun, so here goes.

10. Until this year, I’d never tried my hand at any type of charted work for cables or lace.

9. I always thought I was the type of knitter who would never knit cables, lace or fair isle work. While I’d done some cables before, just very simple ones, I didn’t much care for them.

8. I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to knitting. Often times I find a mistake, but I don’t want to go back and unless there’s a glaring error, I will keep knitting.

7. Now that I’ve done some fair isle work, while it’s fun, I don’t think I will ever want to do a whole sweater.

6. Although my favorite color is purple, I have no yarn in that color. Red is my second favorite and I have enough yarn in my stash for one sweater in red.
The reason I don’t have my “favorite” colors in the stash is because I feel that if I have too much of it, it becomes common and less of a favorite. I’m very odd that way.

5. While I love knitting, I don’t get the need to spin or dye. It’s too much work and would take away from my knitting

4. I’m absolutely anal about my stash. I like to go and play with it all the time, take out a skein and think of what the possibilities are. I have a spreadsheet with all of my yarn listed and yardage. I’m currently at 35.94 miles of yarn. Mind-blowing to me.

3. I enjoy knitting most for me, as I appreciate my handknit items more than anyone else.

2. I don’t have a favorite yarn. With every project, I tend to have picked out the yarn for some reason, so I enjoy the differences. I don’t care for mohair any longer since I found out I was allergic and angora sheds. Everything else is fair game.

1. Still thinking about this one . . .

Socktoberfest Sock

Socktoberfest has been for me, an exploration of different sock yarns that I’ve wanted to knit with, but haven’t gotten around to. One of those infamous sock yarns is Koigu. As much as I love the colors, I bought some sock yarn earlier this year in a colorway P303 that I just adore.

I’m using the Thuja pattern from Knitty, but adapting for the yarn I’m using. I originally tried a different pattern with the Koigu and used 70 sts, which was just ridiculous. I’m knitting Koigu down on sz 1s to create a nice, dense fabric, but it works well for the yarn using only 60 sts. I love this Thuja pattern and am now thinking it can be my default pattern for socks, or at least a good way to knit up some of these other hand-painted sock yarns. I just love it and the ribbing it is really nice. The yarn is so nice to knit with, it’s so enjoyable. The tighter, dense fabric feels nice and cushy and soft. While I love knitting with it, I don’t know if I will go out of my way to buy it again for socks. I probably will use it again at some point in the future, the only worrisome part is that you don’t get much yardage for each skein. Only 175 or 185 yds, which is a bit skimpy imo. I kept worrying about running out of yarn, but I don’t usually make the leg of my socks very tall. With this one, I knit the leg to only 4.75″, which turned out to be perfect and is just the right height. I can’t help the length of my foot as I wear a size US 10 in a ladies shoes, so I wanted to have enough and I did with some yarn to spare, but it was a bit nerve-wracking. And no, I’m also not interested in knitting socks toe-up. Cuff-down has been quite favorable to me.

All of that to say, I now have 1 completed sock and have cast on for the second one. I may not get it done for Socktoberfest, but I will try. I can’t wait to have this pair of socks done and ready to wear.

10 Knitterly Things About Me

A meme started by Grumperina to list 10 knitting-related things about yourself that many may not know about you sounded fun, so here goes.

10. Until this year, I’d never tried my hand at any type of charted work for cables or lace.

9. I always thought I was the type of knitter who would never knit cables, lace or fair isle work. While I’d done some cables before, just very simple ones, I didn’t much care for them.

8. I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to knitting. Often times I find a mistake, but I don’t want to go back and unless there’s a glaring error, I will keep knitting.

7. Now that I’ve done some fair isle work, while it’s fun, I don’t think I will ever want to do a whole sweater.

6. Although my favorite color is purple, I have no yarn in that color. Red is my second favorite and I have enough yarn in my stash for one sweater in red.
The reason I don’t have my “favorite” colors in the stash is because I feel that if I have too much of it, it becomes common and less of a favorite. I’m very odd that way.

5. While I love knitting, I don’t get the need to spin or dye. It’s too much work and would take away from my knitting

4. I’m absolutely anal about my stash. I like to go and play with it all the time, take out a skein and think of what the possibilities are. I have a spreadsheet with all of my yarn listed and yardage. I’m currently at 35.94 miles of yarn. Mind-blowing to me.

3. I enjoy knitting most for me, as I appreciate my handknit items more than anyone else.

2. I don’t have a favorite yarn. With every project, I tend to have picked out the yarn for some reason, so I enjoy the differences. I don’t care for mohair any longer since I found out I was allergic and angora sheds. Everything else is fair game.

1. Still thinking about this one . . .

10 Knitterly Things About Me

A meme started by Grumperina to list 10 knitting-related things about yourself that many may not know about you sounded fun, so here goes.

10. Until this year, I’d never tried my hand at any type of charted work for cables or lace.

9. I always thought I was the type of knitter who would never knit cables, lace or fair isle work. While I’d done some cables before, just very simple ones, I didn’t much care for them.

8. I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to knitting. Often times I find a mistake, but I don’t want to go back and unless there’s a glaring error, I will keep knitting.

7. Now that I’ve done some fair isle work, while it’s fun, I don’t think I will ever want to do a whole sweater.

6. Although my favorite color is purple, I have no yarn in that color. Red is my second favorite and I have enough yarn in my stash for one sweater in red.
The reason I don’t have my “favorite” colors in the stash is because I feel that if I have too much of it, it becomes common and less of a favorite. I’m very odd that way.

5. While I love knitting, I don’t get the need to spin or dye. It’s too much work and would take away from my knitting

4. I’m absolutely anal about my stash. I like to go and play with it all the time, take out a skein and think of what the possibilities are. I have a spreadsheet with all of my yarn listed and yardage. I’m currently at 35.94 miles of yarn. Mind-blowing to me.

3. I enjoy knitting most for me, as I appreciate my handknit items more than anyone else.

2. I don’t have a favorite yarn. With every project, I tend to have picked out the yarn for some reason, so I enjoy the differences. I don’t care for mohair any longer since I found out I was allergic and angora sheds. Everything else is fair game.

1. Still thinking about this one . . .

FO Report x 2

Hmm, a couple of things I’ve been meaning to blog about. I did finish Tivoli quite a bit ago, but sent it to a friend to do some extra crochet around the neck, sleeves and bottom to help keep the top from rolling. I really do hate rolled edges, it’s so unfinished to me and I like a straight edge and non-rolling. I’ve *got* issues, I know . Onward to Tivoli. No pics with me modeling it as it’s now too cold (it snowed today, we got almost 3 inches of snow!) for me to attempt to model it. Perhaps next spring?

Project Specs:
Pattern: Tivoli/Picovoli by Kathy aka Grumperina
Yarn used: Elann Luna, 57% viscose/43% cotton
Needle size: Either US 5s or US 6s, but unfortunately I no longer recall
Size Knit: 40, but my gauge was a bit different from pattern
Modifications made: umm, not many, but because I fell in between 2 different sizes, 36 or 40 and the pattern does call for negative ease and the gauge was different, I cast on for the larger size, but maybe did an additional decrease round or two and added a couple more rounds of increases through the bust. I can’t say for sure what I did, but when I first tried it on prior to blocking, I was not too thrilled, it was t-i-g-h-t and I figured I needed to lose weight to wear it. I was pretty bummed, but after the crab stitch and single crochet edging was put on and blocked, I tried it on and it fit great! It really does look good on and I’ve worn it a couple of times before the weather turned. I love the top and the color, I have to say is a great one for me. It’s sort of a burnished orange and with the viscose a shiny yarn and the cotton matte, it has a great sheen to it, but sort of muted. I love it!

Secondly for the ISE, I knit my pal a Triangular Scarf. In looking for a pattern that would suit my pal, Suzanne (not to worry, she’s already received the package), I wasn’t sure what to select. I searched high and low on the internets, through pattern books, but couldn’t settle on a pattern. I already knew what yarn to use since my pal liked autumnal colors, I had Plain and Fancy Sheep & Wool (one of the best yarns known to wo-man) in the colors my pal was requesting. But as it is a variegated, I kept debating between patterned stitches, cables or lace and nothing just really struck me.

After much debate and I was just going to use a semi-lacy pattern, I found a pattern on Interweave for a Wild Cherry Triangular Scarf Pattern (careful, this link is a .pdf!)that sounded just up my alley. As the yarn used in the original pattern was a boucle yarn that the pattern shows off in the yarn to best advantage in stockinette, so too did I think that the triangular scarf would look nice in stockinette. Also my pal stated that she didn’t think it got very cold in DC to her, as she’s originally from Maine. My thought was that perhaps a triangular scarf would be nice to wrap around her neck inside or outside of her coat as an extra layer of warmth.

Once again, sorry for the goofy pic of me, but that’s not really a surprise. I tied it around my neck just to show how I imagined it would be worn.

and below is just a pic of the scarf/shawl right off the needles:

Project specs:
Pattern: Wild Cherry Triangular Scarf
Yarn used: 1 skein of Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool (the pattern uses 1 hank of yarn that 1,440 yds, but only used 1/5 of that amount, roughly 288 yds. P&F comes in 400 yd. hanks, so I knew I’d have plenty)
Needle size: US 7 (4.5mm)
Time to knit: 1 week (incl. wash & block)
Mods: just made the scarf longer than called for in the pattern by about 20 or so rows, but stopped before it got too long

My pal received it and says that she liked it. I sure hope so.

FO Report x 2

Hmm, a couple of things I’ve been meaning to blog about. I did finish Tivoli quite a bit ago, but sent it to a friend to do some extra crochet around the neck, sleeves and bottom to help keep the top from rolling. I really do hate rolled edges, it’s so unfinished to me and I like a straight edge and non-rolling. I’ve *got* issues, I know . Onward to Tivoli. No pics with me modeling it as it’s now too cold (it snowed today, we got almost 3 inches of snow!) for me to attempt to model it. Perhaps next spring?

Project Specs:
Pattern: Tivoli/Picovoli by Kathy aka Grumperina
Yarn used: Elann Luna, 57% viscose/43% cotton
Needle size: Either US 5s or US 6s, but unfortunately I no longer recall
Size Knit: 40, but my gauge was a bit different from pattern
Modifications made: umm, not many, but because I fell in between 2 different sizes, 36 or 40 and the pattern does call for negative ease and the gauge was different, I cast on for the larger size, but maybe did an additional decrease round or two and added a couple more rounds of increases through the bust. I can’t say for sure what I did, but when I first tried it on prior to blocking, I was not too thrilled, it was t-i-g-h-t and I figured I needed to lose weight to wear it. I was pretty bummed, but after the crab stitch and single crochet edging was put on and blocked, I tried it on and it fit great! It really does look good on and I’ve worn it a couple of times before the weather turned. I love the top and the color, I have to say is a great one for me. It’s sort of a burnished orange and with the viscose a shiny yarn and the cotton matte, it has a great sheen to it, but sort of muted. I love it!

Secondly for the ISE, I knit my pal a Triangular Scarf. In looking for a pattern that would suit my pal, Suzanne (not to worry, she’s already received the package), I wasn’t sure what to select. I searched high and low on the internets, through pattern books, but couldn’t settle on a pattern. I already knew what yarn to use since my pal liked autumnal colors, I had Plain and Fancy Sheep & Wool (one of the best yarns known to wo-man) in the colors my pal was requesting. But as it is a variegated, I kept debating between patterned stitches, cables or lace and nothing just really struck me.

After much debate and I was just going to use a semi-lacy pattern, I found a pattern on Interweave for a Wild Cherry Triangular Scarf Pattern (careful, this link is a .pdf!)that sounded just up my alley. As the yarn used in the original pattern was a boucle yarn that the pattern shows off in the yarn to best advantage in stockinette, so too did I think that the triangular scarf would look nice in stockinette. Also my pal stated that she didn’t think it got very cold in DC to her, as she’s originally from Maine. My thought was that perhaps a triangular scarf would be nice to wrap around her neck inside or outside of her coat as an extra layer of warmth.

Once again, sorry for the goofy pic of me, but that’s not really a surprise. I tied it around my neck just to show how I imagined it would be worn.

and below is just a pic of the scarf/shawl right off the needles:

Project specs:
Pattern: Wild Cherry Triangular Scarf
Yarn used: 1 skein of Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool (the pattern uses 1 hank of yarn that 1,440 yds, but only used 1/5 of that amount, roughly 288 yds. P&F comes in 400 yd. hanks, so I knew I’d have plenty)
Needle size: US 7 (4.5mm)
Time to knit: 1 week (incl. wash & block)
Mods: just made the scarf longer than called for in the pattern by about 20 or so rows, but stopped before it got too long

My pal received it and says that she liked it. I sure hope so.

FO Report x 2

Hmm, a couple of things I’ve been meaning to blog about. I did finish Tivoli quite a bit ago, but sent it to a friend to do some extra crochet around the neck, sleeves and bottom to help keep the top from rolling. I really do hate rolled edges, it’s so unfinished to me and I like a straight edge and non-rolling. I’ve *got* issues, I know . Onward to Tivoli. No pics with me modeling it as it’s now too cold (it snowed today, we got almost 3 inches of snow!) for me to attempt to model it. Perhaps next spring?

Project Specs:
Pattern: Tivoli/Picovoli by Kathy aka Grumperina
Yarn used: Elann Luna, 57% viscose/43% cotton
Needle size: Either US 5s or US 6s, but unfortunately I no longer recall
Size Knit: 40, but my gauge was a bit different from pattern
Modifications made: umm, not many, but because I fell in between 2 different sizes, 36 or 40 and the pattern does call for negative ease and the gauge was different, I cast on for the larger size, but maybe did an additional decrease round or two and added a couple more rounds of increases through the bust. I can’t say for sure what I did, but when I first tried it on prior to blocking, I was not too thrilled, it was t-i-g-h-t and I figured I needed to lose weight to wear it. I was pretty bummed, but after the crab stitch and single crochet edging was put on and blocked, I tried it on and it fit great! It really does look good on and I’ve worn it a couple of times before the weather turned. I love the top and the color, I have to say is a great one for me. It’s sort of a burnished orange and with the viscose a shiny yarn and the cotton matte, it has a great sheen to it, but sort of muted. I love it!

Secondly for the ISE, I knit my pal a Triangular Scarf. In looking for a pattern that would suit my pal, Suzanne (not to worry, she’s already received the package), I wasn’t sure what to select. I searched high and low on the internets, through pattern books, but couldn’t settle on a pattern. I already knew what yarn to use since my pal liked autumnal colors, I had Plain and Fancy Sheep & Wool (one of the best yarns known to wo-man) in the colors my pal was requesting. But as it is a variegated, I kept debating between patterned stitches, cables or lace and nothing just really struck me.

After much debate and I was just going to use a semi-lacy pattern, I found a pattern on Interweave for a Wild Cherry Triangular Scarf Pattern (careful, this link is a .pdf!)that sounded just up my alley. As the yarn used in the original pattern was a boucle yarn that the pattern shows off in the yarn to best advantage in stockinette, so too did I think that the triangular scarf would look nice in stockinette. Also my pal stated that she didn’t think it got very cold in DC to her, as she’s originally from Maine. My thought was that perhaps a triangular scarf would be nice to wrap around her neck inside or outside of her coat as an extra layer of warmth.

Once again, sorry for the goofy pic of me, but that’s not really a surprise. I tied it around my neck just to show how I imagined it would be worn.

and below is just a pic of the scarf/shawl right off the needles:

Project specs:
Pattern: Wild Cherry Triangular Scarf
Yarn used: 1 skein of Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool (the pattern uses 1 hank of yarn that 1,440 yds, but only used 1/5 of that amount, roughly 288 yds. P&F comes in 400 yd. hanks, so I knew I’d have plenty)
Needle size: US 7 (4.5mm)
Time to knit: 1 week (incl. wash & block)
Mods: just made the scarf longer than called for in the pattern by about 20 or so rows, but stopped before it got too long

My pal received it and says that she liked it. I sure hope so.

test

Blogger seems to not be updating my feed today, so just a test. The new post should follow below.

Thanks.