Still No Sock Knitting

I started knitting the Via Diagonale bag by Wendy Wonnacott from Knitty's Spring 2005 issue last week and I'm at the binding off point. I could not stop knitting on this project! Everything else got put on hold. I'm using two stash yarns: a Chinese red Pingouin mercerized cotton from Elann left over from a sweater I made my Dad 5 years ago and some cabled cotton, also from Elann, that I helped a friend dye a nice soft teal blue and she gave me the leftovers after finishing her sweater. I saw the bag in someone's project pages when I was browsing for ways to use a certain yarn on Ravelry and was reminded of how much I liked it originally.

I love using slip stitch/mosaic patterns and this one was no exception. Once I got the rhythm going I didn't even need to look at the directions. It helped that I'd made some socks using the same pattern a few years back. The double stranding helps give the bag structure even in cotton yarn, although I will have to line it and put something in the bottom to help the bag keep its shape. Since I had more yardage than the pattern called for, and I like bigger bags, I'm making it taller. I plan to insert plastic aquarium tubing into the handles, or maybe use purchased handles. The colors are a bit brighter in real life, as you can see from the frogged red bag's picture, and there are very subtle variations in the hand dyed blue yarn.

Using Ravelry's interactive features, I was able to click on the yarn info page for the pattern and see what weight yarn the designer used, something that's not always obvious with patterns. Then I could just go to my stash page and figure out if I had enough yardage to make the bag. This is only one of the reasons why I love Ravelry! If you haven't put your name on the waiting list I'd encourage you to do so. It took six weeks for me to get an invite but it was worth the wait. Once they are out of the Beta stage the site will be free and open to all.

I plan to make the bag again in Kureyon and a solid colored wool, using larger needles, and felt it. Slip stitch designs really work well in felted bags. I've also been working on my mitered garter stitch vest and a modular sweater using a big bag of miscellaneous purple and blue green yarns. Pictures pending

In order to make the Via Diagonale bag I had to frog this bag project, which had been on hold since I didn't think I had enough yarn to finish. I'm much happier with this new project. I have a golf ball sized amount left of the red yarn and one skein left from the teal, enough to bind off and make the handles.

Number Nine Socks

I finished the RPM socks from Knitty last night, pair number nine for the 52 pair plunge. Sorry the picture is so bad. The dark colors in this Fleece Artist yarn don't show up well on screen. It's the colorway Parrot: blues, greens, fuschias and purples, all very luscious. These are definitely winter socks, though. The yarn is really thick and squishy, especially in the spiral rib pattern.

A finished pair is a good thing, since the new summer Knitty came out and there are several good sock patterns included. The Spring Knitty also had some great sock patterns (not to mention some great cardigans.) Of course, I didn't start a new sock project from either of those sources. I started knitting a lace sock from the 365 Stitch patterns calender. (January 17th, Feather Lace.) I'm using some aqua Sisu yarn that has silver thread wrapped around it that I just got a few weeks ago. It's looking good so far, although not quite like the pattern image. I may need to block the lace.

I'm also working on my Jaywalkers in Jitterbug in Jay (Colinette). I thought the color name was appropriate. It's an incredible mix of turquoise, teal, purple, jade, olive and kelly green, and the Jaywalker pattern shows off the stripes very well. The color doesn't really look like any blue jay I've ever seen, though. I still remember the somewhat domesticated bird that would hop into my mom's kitchen through the open window and eat all the butter off the dish.

Finished Socks!

of the 52 pair plunge challenge!

I finished the toe on sock two of my vine lace stripe socks last night while watching the season finale of The Riches. (Interesting show, very different.)

I also finished sock number 1 of the RPM socks I started a few weeks ago (my mindless knitting project). They are made from Fleece Artist Merino in the parrot colorway, blues, greens, purples, magentas. Just lovely. I have cast on for sock two, so hopefully that pair will be finished next week. Because of the broken spiral rib pattern, the socks look really funny off the leg, very poofy. They look great all stretched out, though. This yarn was so dark it was hard to see any patterning at all, so I think the simple spiral works well.

Sunday Seven Eleven

Seven Things I'm grateful for this week:

1. Cookie A's creative sock patterns. I'm working on the Monkey pattern from Knitty's winter issue right now.
   
2. Shelridge Farms soft touch ultra hand painted sock yarn. I'm using this for my Monkey socks.
3. Pony Pearl double point needles in small sizes and 6" length. They are perfect for the Monkey socks.
4. April 15th is on a Sunday this year.
5. Clarinex allergy medication
6. Lettuce fresh out of the garden
7. Spring asparagus

Sunday Seven, Part VI

Seven things I am grateful for this week:

1. Spring flowers
This picture was taken last spring in my garden. This year the freesias and madeira lilies are already in bloom, but the bearded iris usually bloom in April and May. I've taken the iris rhizomes that produce this flower with me wherever I've moved for the last 26 years. The very first time the iris bloomed in my garden was the day my DD was (almost 26 years ago.)

2. Knitty On Line Magazine
The new Spring issue of Knitty is out! More sock patterns to try, OH NO. Fingerless gloves, a great lace scarf, kids clothes, a wonderful briefcase bag, an interesting shrug, great cardigan sweaters, and more. I even have some of the yarns in my stash.

3. Caring, generous knitters everywhere
4. Good friends (who knit)
5. Creative Yarn Producers like SWTC, K1C2 and Habu Textiles.
I got the newsletter from SWTC with a new Tofutsies sock pattern today.
6. Sunsets
Last night the sunset was just incredible over the ocean. I'm very lucky to live where I do.
7. Daylight Savings Time (except for the lost hour of sleep today)

Provisional Cast Ons

I made a pair of the Fetching gloves from Knitty. If you have never tried cables, this is a good place to start. Cables are not hard, especially this simple one. They are just mysterious. It is basically ribbing, and in one row out of 5 (or 8, or 5) you do a little dance with an extra needle. A double point needle will do, or a toothpick. I used the Paton's SWS yarn, soy silk and wool.

I had to use waste yarn in another pair of gloves this week. I tried a suggestion from the big knit list. This only works if you use the long tail cast on. The waste yarn should be smooth (cotton is good), light colored (or contrast colored) and about the same size as your project yarn. Take the waste yarn and the project yarn, tie them together in a slip knot. Use the waste yarn around your thumb so it is the bottom part of the cast on, not the part that makes the stitch on the needle. Untie the slip knot at the end (don't count it as one stitch) and let the waste yarn hang free. Cut the other end of the waste yarn about 3-4" long. Knit your project, then, when you need to undo the waste yarn cast on, pull the loose end out from each stitch one at a time, slowly. Slip your needle into each loop of project yarn as you pull it free. It will not unzip like a crochet cast on, but it is much easier to start. I actually put my needle into all the stitches, then pulled out the waste yarn stitch by stitch.

I think I will try it on my next pair of socks, so I can knit top down from the ankle, then knit toe up until I run out of yarn. No leftover yarn!

Felting with SWS Soy Silk and Wool

I would be careful double stranding the SWS soy/wool. I tried double stranding a short striping yarn (caron's Felt It) and one strand of yarn kept stretching more than the other one, throwing the matching color stripes I started with out of whack. This may not happen as much with the SWS yarn, because the color stripes are longer.

I also "felt" the swatches at Michaels and decided against felting any of my SWS yarn projects. I have found that using slip stitch patterns works well to double up too light yarn without obscuring the pattern. They felt beautifully, and are much easier to make than a fairisle type stranded bag.

Here's a link to one: http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTlittleslip.html
and another http://elann.com/ShowFreePattern.asp?Id=41024

Neither of these would work (IMHO) with the SWS, but this one should: http://notanartist.blogspot.com/2006/04/andrea-bag-pattern.html

Knit and felt a swatch first.