Noodling about, thinking about a dreamswatch shawl

I have some Koigu that I’m swatching today. I will see how the swatch(es) knit up (size 0 needles, but they’re square needles so the gauge is really small), and then think about what I want to do next. It may all depend on what the yarn feels like when it’s washed. Options include:

• Dreamswatch (7 to 15 repeats of the pattern) for a kind of shawl or stole if the yarn does not wash up to be as soft as I hope
• Socks (that’s a ravelry link — it’s for the Interweave Knits Windowpane socks, and would need a background color)
• A baby hat (no pattern in mind, but it needs to be soft!)

I kind of wish there was more olive in the yarn, because that would have made it visually fight less. It’s always interesting the difference between the nicely coiled hank and the yarn balled up or knit up. Of course, it’s always interesting to knit up items that have marinated for a long time in the stash drawer. I can’t remember which pattern I originally thought I’d do. So, think the dream swatch shawl would be a good idea?

DreamSwatch finished

DreamSwatch finished

Originally uploaded by rjknits

This was a very satisfying project. The yarn was a great gift from a friend, and it ended up working well with the pattern.

The person I gave it to (late holiday gift) just couldn’t figure out how I knit this, because it ends up looking woven, knit AND macrame’d all at the same time. Of course, I didn’t tell her that the way I knit it was by listening to Dr. Who Christmas specials on BBC Radio.

Definitely thinking about using the pattern from the swatch for a sweater, possibly on the sleeves or in the center of a v-neck.

Update on the Dreamswatch

Dreamswatch in progress

I’ve finally made a bit of progress on the Dreamswatch. I’m up to 25 inches, and hoping to finish it up today. Maybe pictures soon?

I love this yarn (Panda Cotton), given to me by a friend last year. Just a lovely gift — especially the colors. I’m having fun thinking how nice it might look on the recipient too, due to coloring and straight red hair.

If it looks really cute on me, I might need to buy some more Panda Cotton, maybe in Muir Woods so I can make another one of these now that I’ve memorized the pattern. Or, maybe I’ll invest in enough to make a vest with the center panel in the Dream swatch pattern (or, while I’m at it, maybe I should just adapt some thicker weight wool to that, so I don’t really tackle a project that becomes huge because I’m using sock-weight yarn). It’s a hobby, right?

Letting the Silk Out of the Bag

Today’s post is going to be loaded with things in progress. With my new schedule, all photoshoots are being done in my home office, with the flash (and I’m seeing spots right now). Some items may be letting themselves out of the bag prematurely. For starters, there’s this:

Silk, slightly washed out by the flash

Which may or may not become a gift for someone. It’s still in process, and hopefully there will be enough on this skein to finish.

Nicknamed “Arches,” because I first thought that I’d get in a couple of arabesque arches in the thing. I don’t think that’s been accomplished, so maybe I’ll just call this thing, made out of the silk from the swap table, “Archie” after a character from Eight Cousins.

The next item is a picture of the Dream Swatch (design by Wendy Bernard of Knit and Tonic). It’s going slowly, but it looks like it may be turning out ok:

Dreamswatch in progress

I had quite the run on knitting it on Sundays, during Dr. Who radio broadcasts for Christmas. Alas, it isn’t finished yet. But I love how the colors are turning out in this yarn. Just yummy. Again, this was destined for someone, but I found I needed more time to make sure my tension was correct with this yarn. Oh well, probably a book was a better bet for this person anyway.

Louet Gems yarn in caribou, pewter, and aqua

And then, what’s this? Louet Gems, destined to be mittens, I think. This was my last big purchase, mentioned before and finally photographed. Colors: aqua, caribou, and pewter. I think there’s a pattern for something like that in Ravelry, and I’m hoping I have enough knitting mojo to tackle it! So, what do you think — do I need to buy some white for snowflakes if I try to do a silhouette of trees against a blue sky? Any amazing mitten patterns for sockweight yarn I should know about? I’m being fickle with deciding what this lovely stuff is going to be.

Future projects

Binoculars and mug

Originally uploaded by rjknits

Projects I want to work on:
1. Finish the Hiiummas Stashbusting socks.
2. Finish the arches scarf (which is looking more like pillars, but never mind).
3. Finally get gauge for Rusted Root, and make some progress.
4. I have 2 vests’ worth of lovely yarn, gifted to me in 2008. And, since I’m pretty spectacularly cold at the office, it would be great to use up this largesse.
5. Attempt to do more photography of my knitting. I mean, I’m able to take pictures of mugs and binoculars that look great… why not woolly things?

So, any challenges that you’re looking forward to?

Heels and Toes

The Amazonian socks are finished. Heels and toes are done, as well as the weaving in of ends, mentioned earlier. Shh: they’re now bathing in their wool wash, although rumor has it that while I was away, the Gardener wore them pre-washing without dying toes.

I’m impressed with the color-fastness of the yarn, from Araucania. I’ve looked at their website, and I don’t see the Ranco Multi that I used. It’s probably still out there, just check the shelves at your local LYS.

Even though it isn’t as thrilling as knitting lace or cabled socks, I think the Yarrow Ribbed Sock pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks has the potential to be a default pattern, depending on how the heels hold up. The heel pick up is definitely elegant, and I’m trying to figure out if I could incorporate a different heel flap into it. If you want to see socks that were knit better and have better photographs, go to irisines stricksalon. If you want to see them knit in pink screaming yarn, check out Fuzzy Noodle Knits (she used Flat Feet Sock yarn, where you get a flat pack of yarn machine knit and dyed, your unravel it, and knit it up again). [To non-knitters: yes it sounds like a cult of wacky. No, it isn't.]

In non-knitting news, yes, there was fine china for our dinner, good wine to drink, and classical music on the radio yesterday. It was a good day to pause and be grateful. Now, I’m back to work.

The Attic Looks Like a Wedding Cake

They’ve just pumped foam in the attic, in some places against exposed beams, so the foam is hanging out

Closeup of the Precious

around the light fixtures. And they’ve scraped the foam against the attic ceiling to cut off excess. It looks like a butter cream frosting experiment gone wrong, with splinters.

Silk or Rayon? Still beautiful.

My current knitting is a little something from some unidentified lace weight (silk?) yarn that someone left on the swap table at the retreat. No identification on the little cake of yarn, but it’s luscious. I’m so amused, I’ve been doing imitations of Jo Ann Worley from Laugh-In (can’t find the yodel that I’m mimicking). Yes, I do embarrass my family. Whatever.

I’d love to thank the person who left this preciousSSSs on the swap table. They may have had to buy extra to finish a project and then couldn’t look at it ever again. Or, perhaps, they didn’t like the color. Me, I’m giggling. Well, that and quoting Gollum.

Thanks, OK? The socks in just plain regular yarn (leftover from another project) do not benefit from my lack of monogamy. But look at this new yarn — it’s just shiny and it feels nice. I think we can understand why I’m fickle. Right? I’m not precisely sure what the yarn will grow up to be, but we’ll see. If it turns into something good, you might not see this yarn again for months.

A Certainty of Flurries

Believe it or not, it started to flurry outdoors while I tanked up at the gas station. This could be the last snow I see of the season, of course, since I live over the Mason-Dixon, but it made me feel kind of festive. So did tanking up the car for less than $22.

I now feel better about buying 3 hanks of Louet Gems (colors are caribou, aqua, and pewter) to make mittens — possibly the Squirrely Swedish Mittens (Ravelry link here and normal web link here). [For those without Ravelry, it's like Facebook for crocheters and knitters. We mostly talk about crushes we have on indie dyers, speculation about which designer is the witchiest, and politics. There are currently 217,000+ people on this worldwide community, with pictures of yarn, projects, etc. BTW: yes, the French and Germans do make some more interesting patterns than we can get in the USA.]

Today’s joys: little promises of snow without inconvenience, presents (for me), and I’m spending part of the day trying to memorize words for a concert. Since it isn’t all wine and roses, I’m also dealing with work stuff while listening to more work being done in the attic. Tomorrow, another crew of workmen come back to the attic again. Today I’ve alternated between being trapped in my office by a ladder and being trapped from the bathroom pretty much all day. I’m cold, there are no bathroom facilities, and I may or may not be able to get a drink of water. I think I’m trapped in a gameshow. With yarn.

Dabbling in Fair Isle

Tidal sock, showing off on a beach towel

The Tidal Socks continue, and I’m getting close to the first sock’s finish. This is a pretty satisfying water sock for Project Spectrum. Next to do: the second sock.

I may need to continue on the Amazonian socks I started a while ago instead. The Tidal Socks are sort of an experiment project, but the Amazonian socks actually may be needed pretty soon. There’s been a chill in the air for the past few nights, and the Gardener wishes to have a new, warm pair of socks for Autumn.

Amazonian Sock Draped on a Radiator

Amazonian Sock stats:

• Auracania Ranco Multi, bought at Vulcan’s Rest in Chesapeake City, MD
• Pattern: Yarrow Ribbed Sock from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks
• Started: April 4, 2008
• Ripped back near the start of summer, and just lost interest in re-knitting in the heat

Sorry for the kind of poor photos of both socks. The Fair Isle ones blurred out when I didn’t use flash, so I selected the more washed out version.

So, what’s on your to do list for the fall? I find this season to be just filled with hopefulness, mystery, and new energy. Maybe I’ll have another attack of finishitis and haul out a whole lot of languishing projects and either finish or frog them.

Tidal Socks

Tidal sock with seashells

For good, or ill, the tidal socks (Project Spectrum — water element) have been cast on. I may end up with socks to give to the bazaar this November. Or I may luck out with the gauge. One never knows with color work.

Stats on the yarn are here: http://wordtapestry.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/eine-kleine-destash-project/

The pattern is loosely based on Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s recipe sock, with lots of yarn stranding thrown in with two variegated balls of yarn. Beg pardon if my swearing over tangles burns your ears.

And, here’s hoping all your projects for September are filled with optimism (even if the projects are for work).