Yarn: Koigu KPPM in shade 822
Pattern: 60 st sock with 2x2 ribbed leg and instep
Needles: Size 2, Crystal Palace DPNs for one sock, Magic Loop for the other one

This is my 6th pair of handknit socks. Someday I will branch out and knit socks that are not either ribbed or stockinette. Really, it could happen.

Here we have two variations on a scarf.

Top: Size 5 (3.75mm) needles

Bottom: Size 4 (3.5mm) needles

Interlocking Balloons calls for a Size 6 (4mm) needle, which seemed large for this Alpaca silk. So I started with size 5s. And then I thought that even the 5s were creating a loose and drapey facric, so I tried it out on 4s for comparison. The 4s produced a bit tighter, but overall very similar fabric.

In the end, I decided that its the super soft nature of the yarn itself that causes this endless draping, and intervention on my part is a lost cause. Size 5 needles it is.

The Interlocking Balloons pattern (from Scarf Style) is pretty cool. It took a good repeat before I really got the hang of it. Now I only check the chart once in awhile to make sure its going alright. and its totally addicting! This is about halfway through the 6th repeat (9 repeats total).

Its going to need a good blocking to open up the pattern. Here's a close-up, pre-blocking.

I'm really into finishing things lately, so this may be done sooner rather than later...

The minisweater is done! I took so long to knit this, it might as well have been a full sweater :-)

The Specs:

Yarn: Harrisville Highland in Cocoa (2 skeins) held together with 2 strands of Habu Textiles laceweight silk (1 skein)

Pattern: Minisweater by Glampyre

Gauge: about 18sts/4" on size 7 Addi Turbos. This gauge was on the tight side. If I did it again, I'd move up to size 8 or 9 needles.

Opted for a button closure.. one button on the outside and one on the inside.

Lately I am totally about finishing things. and I am not jumping into starting new things. Then I realized why: the next 4-6 weeks are serious marathon training weeks. This is when the milage gets serious, with an 18-20 miler every other weekend. Its not that I won't have *time* to knit, but its the additional mindweight of an unfinished project. I need to be able to concentrate on training fully, and not feel pulled away.

So, I am a one-project-at-a-time girl until mid-October! Those projects that are halfway done right now, namely Raspy...ummm, lets pretend like they don't really exist.

Updated to add:
Here's a photo of the two yarns together. I like the combination in the finished knit fabric.. the silk *does* make it softer. While knitting though, I wouldn't say that the silk enhanced the knitting experience... it doesn't have as much stretch as the wool. If you decide to try a wool+silk combo, I suggest going up a needle size.

The lighter, shiny bits are the silk.

The River Stole from Rowan 38 is underway, only a few days after the official KAL start.

This my first time working with Kidsilk Haze. It is a bit tricky, isn't it? The stitches really want to stick together. They are all best friends. And they are all practically weightless, just floating around, a couple of them bound to the needle, and the rest going about on their way. Maybe it will get easier as the scarf progresses and weighs more. So far its not my favorite yarn ever, but it is certainly challenging. I am reserving judgement on KSH for now... perhaps post-blocking it will be love.

Jody mentioned going down a couple needle sizes. This makes total sense, as the yarn overs are huge on this US size 10.5 needle.

I am using a 24" Addi Turbo needle. Something with a pointier tip might be better, but rampant laziness prevents me from going on an all-out needle search. Addi Turbo, its the choice of champions, not just the choice of those who happen to already own one in the necessary size. Just go with me on this one.

Way back last May, I started a pair of socks. The Whitby socks from , to be exact. You don't remember them because I never posted about them. There wasn't really anything interesting to say. I finished one sock, started the other, and was wholly unimpressed. They got put away in favor of something else.

This weekend, as part of my continuing quest to *finish*, I took them out of hiding. I intended to use the yarn to knit the instead. But you know what? These socks are okay! They'd make decent winter socks. Plus, one is already done... Onward to finishing!

Here's the already finished sock:

The second one is almost to the heel:

Maybe they are not my favorite pair of socks ever, but the pattern is fun. It goes really fast. I am using size 3 needles, and recycled sweater yarn.

The main pattern is made up of two 6-stitch cables, separated by a panel with a knit/purl pattern. This knit/purl pattern is ingenious.. its a 5-row diamond whose sole function is likely to keep track of rows. Each time the diamond is complete, its time to cross the cables. No row counting required! Love it.

Interlocking Balloons is done! This is the scarf I knit for Kris as part of the SYNO swap. Now, Kris is one of the hostesses for this swap, so I was extra careful to make sure my knitting was up to spec.

Specs:

Pattern: Interlocking Balloons by Shirley Paden from Scarf Style
Yarn: Baby Silk from Du Store Alpakka, 3.5 skeins
Gauge: Not sure exact gauge, but used Clover Bamboo, Size 5, 24" circular.

The balloon pattern is quite smart. The knit stitches are maintatined over the course of the pattern, but the number of purl stitches between them change, and that creates the balloons. After 1 repeat, I figured out what was going on, and after 2-3 repeats, I didn't have to check the chart at all. Its just complex enough to be interesting.

A good wet blocking is really needed to open up this pattern. I laid it flat to dry, and pulled the balloon edges out by hand, no pinning. The final post-blocking fabric is gorgeous and drapey. The silk content of this yarn gives the scarf a nice weight. and its sooo soft. I can just imagine Kris wearing it all winter.

It will be on its way back to Norway soon!

I am down with following directions. If a pattern specifies a needle size, I really love it when I can get gauge on the same size. River is a scarf/stole, so I didn't even check gauge, just started out on the 10.5 US needle it calls for.

But, the thing is, well... I don't really like the fabric the 10.5 produces. It is all loose and airy, and truthfully, it reminds me of a novelty yarn scarf. The resulting stole would be exactly like the image in Rowan, no question about that. However, It seemed a bit too much about the yarn for my taste. It said: "Hey, I totally knit this!! Doesn't this yarn rock??"

So, I did something drastic, something I noticed a couple other people doing with River. I went down to size 7 US needles. Quite a difference.

Top: Size 7 needles.
Bottom: Size 10.5 needles.

Now, on the 7s I prefer to think it says "I casually purchased this at a really nice store.. yes, its gorgeous and I plan to wear it all winter."

This is all a matter of personal taste, of course, but since I plan to wear River as more of a scarf than stole anyway, it works.

This weekend I'm heading upstate and hope to capitalize on two train rides worth of River progress. and if I'm lucky, get to that magic point in lace knitting where you memorize the repeat.

Doesn't it seem like I just barely started knitting these socks? Just one of the joys of pickup and finishing a languishing WIP - it feels like a new project, but is done in half the time!

Yarn: Recycled from an Old Navy Sweater
Pattern: Whitby Socks from by Nancy Bush
Needles: Size 3 Clover DPNs

Notes: Great pattern, easy to memorize, and just complex enough to keep your attention. I counted the cables to ensure identical socks: 10 repeats from leg to heel, then 9 repeats before the toe.

One quite annoying feature of Sock 1, in fact the main reason why they went unfinished for so long, is the loose stitches at the join. I was especially irked by the way the ssk stitches on the gusset pulled away from the rest of the stitches. By some stroke of luck, this was much less apparent on Sock 2.

 

Same exact yarn, same exact needles. I can't imagine my sock-knitting skills improved that much between May and now. Maybe my knitting got tighter? Its a mystery. The important thing is, these socks are done!

We interrupt this knitting blog for a dispatch from my younger sister SQ, who sends gratuitous detail shots of her first-ever sweater project. She is working on the "Go Faster" sweater from Rowan 38. Yes, its intarsia. She has no blog (ahem, I can totally remedy this for you, S), but sent visuals via email during what must have been a study break in her busy college schedule.

Here's some speed reporting on her progress.

Day 1. SQ starts strong with a couple rows of ribbing in what looks to be Knit Picks Andean Silk. She's using a rather unconventional multi-DPN method of knitting flat.

Day 2. SQ tackles the first bout of intarsia with some mystery white wool, and hmmmm, that green yarn sure looks familiar. Its recycled from that Old Navy sweater, the same yarn I just made the Whitby socks out of! That former sweater sure is seeing a lot of action lately.

Day 3. The intarsia goes on. In a brave move, SQ modified the gauge from the original 2sts/inch to 4sts/inch and is working with size 9 needles.

Day 4. Almost done with the front! The top section looks like its knit in butter yellow Classic Elite Montera and unlabeled maroon wool. SQ's boyfriend objects to the masses of llama hairs shed by the Montera, but to no avail. SQ keeps on going, determined.

Day 5. SQ conquers the front of the sweater. Although she claims that intarsia is "not that bad", I don't believe it. It looks like craziness to me...but hey, every family can only have one intarsia knitter, so I am in the clear!

Intarsia sweaters are not without issues.. SQ informs me via telephone that the finished front is about 3 inches wider that her other sweaters. It wraps around to her back a bit when she tries it on. Apparently, there was some mix-up choosing a size. I should have told her about the trickery that is knitting sizing. Is it back to the drawing board for SQ? Or maybe a large comfy sweater is in the cards? Has anyone had success modifying a too-wide knit sweater?

The same day I sent off my sockapal2za socks (admittedly, quite close to the deadline), mine came in the mail.

I sent these:

and got these:

This exchange is really cool. You make a pair of socks, and get a pair in return. Although I understand how that works, actually receiving the socks from my pal was like an unexpected bonus. a really nice unexpected bonus!

Shannon knit them in the Friday Harbor Pattern. from Blue faced leicester yarn. They fit perfectly! The yarn is soft, and I think they'll be very warm in the winter.

My favorite part is how the pattern extends over the toe area.

Thanks, Shannon!

Also today we have a new blog debut. I recently designed Caitlyn's new site, Knot Without My Knitting. I am not going to lie - I am super pleased with it :-) Do check it out!

Stephanie tagged me, and hey, why not, I am answering.

Ten Years Ago: I was a young girl of 16, going to catholic school, taking all the hard classes, and scoring straight A's. I worked part time and drove my family's old car to school. My friends called it "the box". I had just gone on my first date with a senior from the boys school next door, and thought it was way more serious than he did.

Five Years Ago: I was going to Arizona State and majoring in photography. Looking back on it, this was a fun and free time in my life. I had a darkroom in my closet, rode my bike to class, and frequently showed work at campus galleries. The weather was gorgeous every day. Things were falling apart with my long-term bf, but I didn't really get it and kept trying to make it work. We drove around in his car and listened to great music. The professional world loomed, and I applied to grad school in distant states.

One Year Ago: In much the same place I am now.. living in NYC and a member of the working world. I was a year out of grad school, training for my first marathon and loving every minute of it.

Five Snacks: 1) The Orange Scone from Au Bon Pain, 2) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream, 3) Haribo gummi bears, 4) Fast Food (only occasionally!!), 5) The green tea frapuccino from Starbucks.

Five Songs I Know All The Words To: 1) Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, 2) Eye of the Hurricane by David Wilcox, 3) Under Pressure by Queen, 4) Babylon by David Gray 5) Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac

Five Things I Would Do With $100 Million Dollars: 1) Shop with abandon (obviously), 2) Travel everywhere, 3) Buy my mom a new house in AZ, 4) Purchase an apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn, 5) Oh yeah, invest.

Five Places To Run Away To: um, I have no idea how to answer this question. 1)My dad's house upstate, 2)Colorado, 3)Germany, 4)somewhere tropical, 5)home

Five Things I Would Never Wear: 1) Pretend leather anything, 2) Midriff-revealing tops, 3) Jeans that don't fit well, 4)Clothes with huge logos, 5) shoulder pads.

Five Favorite TV Shows: 1) Six Feet Under, 2) House, 3) The Sopranos, 4) Law and Order, 5) Gilmore Girls

Five Biggest Joys: 1) Lying in the grass on a gorgeous day, 2) The post-run nap, 3) Knitting, 4) Successful design, 5) Good art, 6) The way my cat is so happy to see me at the end of the day, 7) Really connecting with someone.

Five Favorite Toys: 1) iPod, 2) Knitting things, 3) sketchbook, 4) sewing machine, 5) a juicy black pen.

I'll tag Purly and Amelia (she's knitting my SYNO scarf), that is, if you haven't already done this! And if you're opposed to these things, I won't feel bad or anything.

Yes, River is only supposed to be 12 repeats. Mine is at 17 repeats, and I plan to keep on going until nearly running out of yarn. No yarn added to the yarn stash is a good thing!

I decided to knit River as an alternative to joining the shawl-knitting bandwagon. I was uncertain if I'd ever wear a shawl, though I'd love to knit one and probably will at some point. This looked like a happy medium, plus a good chance to try out Kidsilk Haze. The jury is still out about KSH, but this scarf/stole is going to be lovely. I tried it on last night, and its already a favorite. I can't wait for the weather to be cold enough to wear it!

The first ball of KSH got me through about 10 pattern repeats. if my calculations are correct, there's only 3 more to go!

I cannot for the life of me memorize this pattern repeat. I still move a little post-it note on the chart with every row! It must be non-memorizable, that's all there is to it.

Man, do I have some nice sweaters. Handmade, high quality, stylish. I am sure not going to be cold this winter. Its just too bad I can't wear them yet. Quite unfortunately, they are all still yarn.

Salina.. ah gorgeous orange/red felted tweed. Quite perfect for fall.

Demi.. heck of a lot of bobbles and cables, but cute nonetheless. This versatile sweater is great for hikes in the woods upstate, or maybe with black pants for work. 6 skeins of Peace Fleece are at the ready.

Lace Leaf Pullover.. in the unconventional new color that is light grey. Best suited for lounging by the ski lodge fireplace. 8 skeins of Light Grey Heather Gjestal Naturgarn No. 1 are, um, in the mail on their way to my house, and surely will take no time to knit at all... that is, well, once I get started.

Hot Lava Cardigan.. yeah, I could totally wear this on quasi-cold weekend mornings when walking down to get a bagel and coffee. It pulls together a jeans/tshirt/messy hair look with ease. or, well, it seems like it would. The plan is to change the seed stitch cuffs and collar to ribbing.

Sweater with wide collar.. from Rebecca 29. Quite luxurious, since its knit with off-white Jaeger Luxury Tweed. Adele's lovely version was the inspiration for this sweater.

The Hourglass Sweater, take 2.. or some variation thereof. This time with the real called-for yarn. Grass green Noro Cash Iroha with a skirt in early spring nears perfection.

Raspy.. Hey I actually have started on this one! Its got those dropped stitches and machine washability on its side. This bright blue top could work with dark brown pants on a casual Friday...

If anyone spots those knitting fairies who come over and knit while you sleep, do let them know there's fun to be had at my house.

Pattern modification is so not my thing. My thing is more like pattern-following. I have unending respect for the wisdom and intentions of the pattern designer. They know what they are doing. All I want is a copy of their sweater. The numbers in the pattern might as well be set in stone. and yet here I am, in pattern modifcation limbo.

The yarn I want to use for the Lace Leaf Pullover does not match the pattern gauge. The pattern calls for 10 stitches per 4", but I am getting a good 12 stitches per 4". oh dear. Luckily, Colleen once emailed me the secret to changing any pattern to your desired gauge. ah ha. And it totally works! Just multiply the number given in the pattern by a gauge adjustment ratio (your gauge/pattern gauge). Its almost like following the pattern, just with a calculator! This I can handle.

So I reworked the smallest pattern size(38") to the new gauge on pieces of scrap paper and backs of envelopes. The numbers all seemed to line up. I even washed the gauge swatch. 3 stitches per inch and holding.

But then I woke up this morning and wondered, "Do I really want a 38 inch sweater? That seems large. Should I go down to 36 inches...?" Since my gauge is tighter, less ease is needed, right? I checked my current sweaters... the largest of them is 36", and its loose. A 38" sweater might be really really comfortable, or it might spend lots of time in the bottom dresser drawer.

FYI, I've never been a bigger-is-cozier type person in regard to sweaters... I am more a beleiver in smaller-is-cuter. I come from the school of loose, long, comfortable pants and small, fitted shirts.

But maybe the spirit of the Lace Leaf Pullover intends for an oversized look. Maybe I could change my ways. Maybe I'll go with the 38". Or maybe I should just give it up and knit this sweater instead.

My intarsia-knitting sister has entered the blog scene! Check her out over at Dopamine Fiend.

SQ posted more details about her "Go Faster" sweater and a hat that I certainly wouldn't attempt casually. Watch out, she makes intarsia sound easy!

(Dopamine Fiend is named after SQ's favorite neurotransmitter, dopamine. :-)