FiberHound

Drive-by Posting

Super-quick post as I don't want to spend the day on the computer.  Ergo, socks:

Socks That Rock Lightweight (I think) in the colorway Chanticleer (I think), purchased from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in simple stockinette on size one needles with an eye of partridge heel.  I like these, but this really seems like a heavy fabric.

Socks in progress:

Claudia Hand Painted in Bearded Iris purchased from Simpatico Yarns.  Since I took this picture yesterday morning I've finished the cuff and done a few repeats of an eyelet chevron pattern from Vogue Knitting:  The Ultimate Sock Book.  The reason I've done so little on this pair so far is a serious case of sock ennui which led to curative swatching for future projects.  That's not really cheating, it's planning ahead.

Socks in the Wild

After months of blogging laziness, I've decided that it's time to get back into gear with recording my finished objects.  Therefore, socks:

Classic Elite Alpaca Sox, colorway Baby Blues (I think) purchased at the Loopy Ewe.  Size 1 needles, Basketweave Rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch, completed sometime last year.  This yarn is very soft and knits up quickly.  While I know that alpaca is very warm, I was surprised by how warm these socks are.  When the Cayo bear first started on his steroids and needed to be outside lots, I stayed outside with him.  These socks kept my feet perfectly comfy in less than 40 degree (Fahrenheit) temps.  I have several skeins of this in solid colors that I'm looking forward to knitting up.

Dharmafey's Cosmic Fibers, colorway Ambrosius, purchased at dharmafey's etsy shop.  Size 1 needles, Garter Rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks  by Charlene Schurch, completed in early January of this year.  This yarn stripes extremely well, and the pattern gave the fabric a sort of tweedy effect that I love.  These belong to The Boy.

Spritely Goods' Sylph (I think), limited edition colorway Tidepool, purchased from Spritely Goods.  Size 1 needles, Pomatomus  pattern, started and finished this year.  This yarn is very soft.  I love the way it worked in this pattern--between the waves of the pattern and the ripples of the yarn shades, it's like looking at water lapping on the shore.  Very appropriate for the pattern.  I still have enough left in this skein for another pair of socks, which is very cool.  I have loads more Spritely Goods yarn to knit up; her colorways are gorgeous.

Louet Gems in Cherry Red, purchased from the Loopy Ewe, Twisted Flower pattern; started in 2007, finished in 2008.  These weren't really difficult, just sort of fiddly. 

More detail:

I do find that I need to go down a needle size or two with Cookie's patterns.  Fun knit!

Dream In Color Smooshy in Happy Forest, Embossed Leaves pattern from Favorite Knitted Socks by Interweave Press.  Started and completed this February.  I love this yarn--luckily, I have more.  The pattern was fun, too.

Currently on the needles:

Socks that Rock in Chanticleer (I think) from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in basic stockinette.  This yarn has been in time out for about two years.  It didn't want to cooperate in any pattern (too much pooling), so I finally gave in and went with the stockinette.  I really like it this way, and I must admit that a plain sock is very fast to knit.  Started last Sunday, should finish this weekend as there's less than one sock to go.

Next on the needles:

Claudia Hand Painted in Bearded Iris, purchased at Simpatico Yarns .  I haven't picked a pattern yet.

I've set a goal for myself of reducing the stash this year as I'm out of storage space.  Of course, that hasn't stopped me from purchasing more.  Currently, I'm only allowing myself one new skein of sock yarn for every five pairs of socks I knit.  I'm also planning on finishing the three sweaters and one bag that have been stuffed into corners for ages in between sock knitting bouts.  No new sweaters cast on until those are finished or frogged.  We'll see how that goes.

 

 

Dirt and Figs

 

Finally, pictures of the finished Dirt Sweater (aka, the FLAK sweater).  It really is the exact color of the dirt in our yard.  I have to wonder what the people who name yarn colors are thinking--mocha heather?  Dirt heather.  But I like it, and more importantly, so does the Boy.

I did find that the yarn got very fuzzy during the knitting of this--almost like it was fulling on its own.  As the sweater is meant to be a heavy outdoor work sweater, we'll call that good.  One thing I would have done differently (had I but known) is to work less extra material at the armholes.  Assuming that the Boy wears the sweater over a long-sleeved shirt, however, the bulk around the armholes may be less noticeable.

I also would have been more careful when picking up stitches for the sleeves.  I don't like the fact that there almost appears to be a seam line there.

All in all, though, I'm happy with how the sweater turned out, and I learned a bunch about the design and fit of aran sweaters.  Janet Szabo did an excellent job of explaining the concepts step-by-step, and she didn't leave out what to me is the most important part of any instruction--why things are done the way they are.  I'll now be able to take this knowledge and apply it to other types of sweaters.  Thanks, Janet!  I really wish there were more designers willing to teach this way, via the internet--it's something I'd happily pay for. 

In other news, figs!

Eye Candy

This is the package I received from my secret pal, the fabulous Mindy.  Bruce, the Texas sage, is modeling the gorgeous scarf she crocheted for me out of a lovely wool/alpaca blend in the color "Syrah" from Nashua.  It is indeed the exact shade of a glass of syrah, and the corkscrew effect is just too fitting for the color.  The scarf actually makes me think of wine being poured into a glass.  I love it!  It makes me once again consider learning to crochet. 

Mindy also included a copy of the Yarn Harlot's Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much, which I did not have and love!  I also received a tin of mints (Mindy, if you lived closer to me I'd think you were trying to tell me something!) which I tucked in my knitting bag, and a really nice card.  Mindy, you've been a great pal and I'm really glad to have "met" you through the exchange.  Thanks so much for all the effort you went to--I'll definitely be wearing the scarf as soon as the weather cools down!

When I wasn't drooling over my package from Mindy, I spent the weekend finishing up some lingering projects.  Above, you see the Happiness Pillow, the Leaf Bag and my Arctic Pearl socks.

A close-up of the Arctic Pearl socks, knit in British Blue Faced Leicester purchased from the Natural Dye Studio (http://stores.ebay.com/The-Natural-Dye-Studio), colorway arctic pearl.  This company hand-dyes their yarns using traditional procedures and botanical dyes.  I've ordered two batches of yarn from this company and have been very impressed with their product, service and speedy delivery.  This particular yarn is thicker than the usual sock yarn--I knit it up on size 2 1/2 needles using Wendy Johnson's (www.wendyknits.net) toe-up sock pattern and worked "little shells" lace around the leg.  The pair above is longer than I normally make my socks, and I still have enough left from the two skeins I ordered to make a pair of ankle socks.

And here we have my Happiness Pillow, originally meant to be my downstream One Skein secret pal's August package.  However, as I can't sew to save my life, I ended up using two skeins for this (one for the front, one for the back), so I'm keeping it and am sending her something else.  The pillow is 14 inches square and was knitted with Blue Sky Alpaca's Organic Cotton in the color "bone" on size 7 needles.  I thieved the center motif, Elsebeth Lavold's happiness symbol in a ring from Viking Patterns for Knitting, and added a border of moss stitch. 

The moss stitch border was continued on the back and back flap and finished with wooden buttons.  The yarn was lovely to work with, but I'm not currently planning to buy it again.  A yarn shop owner advised me (after I'd asked about the possibility of her stocking this yarn) that she is unable to justify the very large minimum wholesale order which Blue Sky Alpacas requires.  The Blue Sky Alpacas representatives told the yarn shop owner that the minimum requirement was so large because they did not want every yarn shop carrying their yarn.  This smacks of exclusivity to me, and I will be contacting Blue Sky Alpacas to see if they have an explanation that I find more satisfactory.  If they do not, they may exercise their right to run their business as they see fit, and I will exercise my right not to provide them with my business.

Final object for this post...the Leaf Bag!  I knit this up in Artful Yarns Olympic, colorway Mexico City, on size 6 needles.  The drawstring bag pattern is from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.  I attached glass leaf beads to the drawstring rather than the tassels called for in the pattern and am quite happy with the results.  The only change I would make to this pattern were I to do it again would be to reduce the amount of material in the roll-top of the bag.  I feel three inches is overkill. 

I made one of these bags in Tahki Cotton Classic for my grandmother a couple of years ago.  She thought it was a hat.  Hopefully, the intended recipient will not have the same impression. 

I also finished the Boy's FLAK sweater, aka the Dirt Sweater, this weekend.  It's currently blocking, but pictures are forthcoming.

The Shallow End of the Pool

Well, I've been feeling rather out of sorts lately--dissatisfied with just about everything--and I'm cycling rapidly in and out of a case of the blue fussies.  I think it may be time to make a change, but I don't really have an inclination to start any grand self-improvement project.  It's too hot and I'm too lazy.

I think what I may do is start lining up my fall reading.  In the summer, I tend to read mostly trash:  romantic suspense, time travel romance, paranormal romance, maybe a thriller or two.  Looking over my list of completed books, I'm definitely staying in pattern, although I think the books may be even trashier than usual.  (Please note:  When I call these books trash, I do not mean that they are without merit.  For me, the tag "trash" means light entertainment, with a plot that's usually quickly forgotten and no real underlying theme.  So why do I read trash?  It's summer, it's hot, I'm in the hammock or in the pool.  I don't want to drop a hardcover with re-reading possibilities in the water after Brodie the wonder dog cannonballs into the pool with me.)

So, anyway, time to line up the fall reading.  So far, there will be, I think, some historical mysteries, perhaps a biography or two, some travel writing, a bit of animal behavior, and Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe's series.  Oddly enough, right now I don't have any of the specific books I'm considering on the shelves.  Tomorrow, I'll have to start a new Amazon wish list, and perhaps order one or two of the books so that I can intersperse a more meaty read with the rest of the end of the summer trash.  Now, to come up with the next self improvement project for those who are too lazy to care.