On (and Off) my Needles, June 2017

I've been posting a lot about my fiber adventures lately, and I realize it looks like I spend a lot of time adventuring and little time making. I'd like to rectify that by beginning a monthly post about what is on (and recently off) my needles (or drop spindle!).

Off My Needles, Alex the Mouse:

I've been doing my best to follow along with A Year of Techniques, presented by Mason-Dixon Knitting and A-C Knitwear. Every month a new knitting technique is introduced with a new project. May's technique was the pin-hole cast on with the Alex the Mouse by Ella Austin. I didn't get started until mid-May, and I completed my Alex in the first week of June. (There were a few times I had to frog due to color-work tension, and I lost count of the number of rows in the legs, so they were a little uneven and I frogged there too*), but I am so happy with how Alex turned out. June's Project is the Talmadge Cloche by Romi Hill, the technique is knitted edging (instead of casting off the 'traditional' way you do a decorative edge). It is late June and I have only now gotten all the goods together for the cloche, but I don't mind. I first want to get a few things off my needles before I start another project.

(*See below for a neat way to keep track of rows) 

I knit Alex in Coop Knits Socks Yeah ( I loved this sock yarn, great stitch definition and so soft, I would definitely purchase it again. It has a nice heather-y look to it).

The yarn I have for the Talmadge Cloche is a Madeline Tosh Sock in the Well Water colorway from my stash, it has been waiting for a good use and I know this is a perfect match! (Now I just got to find me some pretty buttons)...

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Works in Progress # 1, Always a sock:

I've mentioned before I knit while walking to campus (okay I knit while walking most anywhere), but in order to do so I have to have a 'brainless' knit to work on, enter stockinette stitch socks!!!! In other words I'm one of the many who commonly have socks on the needles. 

I have been wanting to knit socks with Zauberball Sock, by Skacel, since the first time I came across it! A month or so back I found it on sale  and jumped at the chance to purchase a skein. I purchased the 1564 colorway. For these socks I am doing a short row toe and after thought heel. I recently learned that after thought heels are great for keeping the stripy pattern consistent in self-striping yarn (with a heel flap and gusset self striping yarn may end up with a zig-zag around the heel and ankle). Between that and having never done and after thought heel before I thought 'why not'? 

My thoughts on short row toes (and maybe on the after thought heel when I get there, since i believe it is short row as well). This has been a lesson on how knitting in the round may result in a different gauge than flat knitting. This is mainly attributed to tension differences between knitting and purling. This is absolutely true for me, as evidenced by my loose toe bed and immediate (very noticeable) gauge change from the toe to the foot. I don't mind so much in this case being that they are socks, but I would like very much to figure out how to get a nicer/cleaner transition in the future.

One last comment on these socks, but applicable to any project where keeping track of rows is important. Freya, from one of my favourite video podcasts, Freya Spins, at one point mentioned a way she keeps track of rows with scrap yarn and a tapestry needle. I thought I'd try it and I love it! I've been counting every 5 rows and simply stitch the scrap yarn between knit stitches to mark my progress.

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Works in Progress # 2, Stole Print-o-the-wave by Eunny Jang:



So, this project has been 'on my needles' for quite some time now (It languished in the corner while Alex was being worked on, and ignored while I knitted a pair of socks from hand-dyed). Mostly I can blame this on my being a one project person up until recently, by recently I mean a week or two. I am so happy I have found my way to having multiple projects going at once, in large part because this beautiful print-o-the-wave stole by Eunny Jang, is finally being worked on again!!!

I can comfortable say I am about 65% of the way. I had a few challenges to overcome in the beginning that were fixed using a life-line and stitch markers. (I don't know if I'd ever attempt lace with out these techniques now). The body is made of two mirrored panels with a provisional cast on in between. The pattern is a pretty simple 12 row repeat, and 16 stitch repeat BUT it  definitely requires attention. So I turn on the telly or some you tube and knit away. After the body is complete there is a knitted edging to be done before finishing. 

I knit this stole using Juniper Moon Farm lace Yarn in the Findley colorway.

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On the Spindle, Home dyed colorway - 'Spring Highway':

I like to say 'Spring Highway" like Jack, from Will & Grace, does 'jazz hands'. I was returning home from a weekend visit with my parents, and it was a perfect NE spring day. That young green, and that spring yellow filling in whatever spaces it could find. The sky was that perfect sky blue with cotton ball white clouds. For some reason I thought to myself "I must create a colorway from this!!!!" So I did.

I am so proud of this colorway, not because it is beautiful (it's not), but because I imagined it, and I created it, and it really has turned out how I envisioned it (though the yarn bloomed more in the setting than I had expected). The initial intention was to make a pair of socks from this (I have grey reinforcing thread), and maybe I still will. For now I have one more skein to spin and then... we'll see!