Work In Progress

Christmas wrapup #2 (FO)

I ended up cleaning and cooking during the conference football games and didn't knit as I'd expected. That's a little unfortunate because I think the Superbowl is going to be really boring, so if I have time to knit I won't really be interested in the game. And no, I don't like football, I was just excited since a local team was in contention.Funny how group psychology works.

The Mittens (because they've earned proper name status) trudge on.

There are two more knits I have. I made some reading mitts for a good friend of ours. When she opened them, they were folded so as to appear (to her) like socks.  She was quite excited.  And then confused. I'll need to tuck that piece of info away for future gift giving opportunities. Which, is not to suggest that such a piece of info will formulate into a pair of socks.  Because, that is how I roll.

Susie's Reading Mitts.  A great little pattern that is apparently the subject of much copyright debate. You've probably noticed that all my gift patterns this year were free. Knitting from stash and free patterns were additional goals of holiday knitting and I was mostly successful, except for some cotton yarn. When I found these, the original designer posted the pattern and said it was free.  When I couldn't find my pattern on Christmas and checked Ravelry, the pattern is now listed as unavailable.  Now they are again listed as free and there is a link to a different designer that claims it is their pattern. I'll admit that it seems a bit of a petty tug-of-war is going on, though I've only read one side of the story.

These mitts are beautiful and I think they look amazing with the yarn. The free pattern is written in one size. I didn't check gauge (same song as before) and I'm a bit unhappy with the fit at the wrist.

I don't know if that is a gauge issue or a function of how my hands are shaped or the pattern. I suspect gauge since Partner looks smashing in them.

Another gripe, and this is all about me. I suck at finishing.  No, really, I do. 

You may recall the hole that appeared while doing the photoshoot for OWLS. I gerryrigged those holes closed with lots of weaving of the ends.  I attempted to overcome the problem with the thumb gussets by twisting stitches on the first of the mitts, and didn't like the result.

For the second mitt, I used a tapestry needle and knit stitches across. A better result, but there has to be a better way.

For comparison:
I'm practicing on The Mittens, and am only marginally more satisified. On Mitten #1, I used a tapestry needle and 'traced' around the knit stitches on the gusset. I have a book on finishing techniques. I probably ought to read it.

I am happy with my technique for folding over and creating the pretty edging. I just split the yarn in half to have thin 'thread' with identical coloring. You can see 1) how I wove the stitches and 2) the difference between sewing with the full yarn (left half) and split yarn (second half).

The next item you've already seen a snapshot of, possibly without realizing it.

It was this year's secret knit. I mostly finished this while in Vancouver.  But, I left the brim until the last minute so Partner was banished to the bedroom for awhile (under the guise of wrapping his other gifts).

I used the stitch count from Turn-A-Square + 4 stitches. I also did this hat top down. I then added a repeat from Alice Starmore's book once again. And I finished with the Latvian Braid bindoff from Donna Druchunas's Bosnian Slipper Socks.

I really enjoyed semi-designing this hat while also working on my colorwork and learning a new technique. The yarn was chosen to match a scarf I made him before I was blogging.

I also used a peony pattern that I thought most resembled the cable shaping (without being as complex!).

The yarn was a gift from my good friend Nova - a combination of some possum yarn that she discovered she's allergic to and part of some hand spun she gifted me with years ago and I've been dying to use. It was only 62 yards and I never could quite find a pattern.  I thought this would use it all up, but I ended with about half of it left.  The colors are beautiful and I need to figure out a way to highlight the last bit.

I made it a bit too long because the last two beanies I made him were too short. So when he pulls it down, he ends up flipping up the brim a little bit (as in the picture above). The colorwork section is just slightly puckered so some of the stitche are pulled into the fabric and not as clear. Something to work on because it detracts from the colorwork, but fortunately it's not bad enough to effect the wearability of the hat.

I also think that since I was using thicker yarn, one less round of the primary color before the bind off would have been better. I saw the original socks at Sock Summit and the bind off isn't as obvious on the socks and I think I prefer that, though Partner said he doesn't mind.  Now he has a matched set (sort of):

So there you have it! The last FOs of 2011. I think I missed a couple baby hats and some dishclothes, but the knitting yardage for 2011 was: 3336

There are several FOs near completion so hopefully I can get my 4,000 yards for 2012 and get my reward (more on that later).

Now, to get The Mittens done so I can have the first FO of 2012....

Pattern: Susie's Reading Mitts
Yarn: Mirasol Cotanani, 110 yards
Modifications: none!
Knitting yardage total 2011: 3176

Pattern: my own: increase style (reverse of decreases) from Turn a Square; peony pattern from Starmore, Latvian braid from Donna Druchunas, US7
Yarn: unknown handspun ~30 yards; Cherry Tree Hill Possum worsted ~130 yards
Modifications: N/A
Knitting yardage total 2011: 3336

Christmas wrapup #1

Perhaps it's appropriate that I'm finally getting to a Christmas wrap up the morning two days after we took our tree down.  Yes, I'm one of those people - the one that only takes the tree down on the night before the last day they will come and recycle it. Maybe in a different post I'll tell you about our Christmas tree ritual. In fact, here is a quick pic of me saying goodbye to our Christmas tree for this year.

So, before I went to Vancouver with my mom, I showed you what I'd set out for myself and noted that it would represent 1/3 of my annual knitting if I got it all done.
So, perhaps nobody is surprised that I did not meet this unrealistic crazy lofty goal.

I did make all but three gifts before Christmas. One of the late gifts was fine because I wasn't seeing the recipient until after Christmas. The second was okay too because my friend is super understanding (and, fortunately, suffered from the same problem so we were both a little late with our gifts). The third one is a bit of a problem. Because, you see, I still am working on it. It's beginning to feel awkward.  And, quite frankly, I've become less productive as I'm consistently resisting the siren song of other knits.  I want a sweater for myself in a bad way.

But, let's wrap up 2011 first.

First up, knits I did during the year, with nobody in mind. This was a great way to add something a little special to a gift bag and I was quite happy with that. Dishclothes for my friends Nova and Janice:

For Janice (the teal/brown ones), I also tried to make a handtowel, though she mentioned she uses it to keep her teapot warm, which I think is a smashing idea. I knit both at random and I love the completely different effects. I even imagine I can see a guitar in the handtowel. I'm not super happy with the handtowel, because I think it may be an awkward size. All are knit in that lovely, now mindless, double bump dishcloth pattern. As Rachel has said, I keep saying I'll try a different pattern, but keep going back to the tried and true instead.

I also tried a bee stitch cloth.  I swear I saw this on someone's blog, but now can't find it. Unfortunately, I apparently never took a picture of it other than hidden in this picture of holiday knits - it's the all blue one at the bottom of the pile!
Okay, first of the new stuff: loofahs for my brother and sister. I was going to make my sister a wash cloth, but loved the loofah so much, I couldn't resist. Knit back and forth with short rows, you then sew it shut. This doily: 

becomes a loofah with the simple addition of a cord run through the eyelets:

Evidently, I failed to take a picture of my sister's completed loofah. The only difference is that rather than crocheting a string, I decided to create a braided cord for her.  I'll admit it looks more finished, but have you ever tried to braid 2 feet worth of tiny yarn? Ack! Not sure it's worth it. I did get this in progress picture of my sister's loofah.  I truly think this pattern could easily be adapted into a baby hat.  Don't you agree?

Next is the knit I blame for all my problems. If not for this, all knits would have been done on time. Completely untrue, I'm sure, I would have done something else. This became the bane of my knitting existence. A hat for my SIL.  This is version one:

Too short to even fit over my ears.

 And too wide to cover even Partner's head.

Before you even ask. No, of course I didn't swatch - it's a simple hat!  She's a woman, I cast on for the woman's size. So, I tore it out, and knit the child's size. After I was nearly done, I decided I had enough yarn to knit 2 more rows of the pattern, to lengthen it a little.

I was wrong.

So I tore out the crown decreases a third time, took out the two extra rows, and did the crown decreases again.  The final product, still a little short, but fitted. Please also notice the artistic arm shadow that Partner is quite proud of. :)

I didn't get a picture of her wearing it. This is good because... drum roll... it was still loose on her head. The next size down is for "toddler." My SIL is over 6'.  I have no idea what is wrong with the pattern.  I'm going to blame it on the pattern because I used the yarn weight and needles called for in the pattern.  No matter what, I can't think my gauge is off by over an inch.

I'll take a break to talk about this yarn - Fiburanatura Sea Song.  Super soft.  Good eco friendly yarn (or so I think, I haven't researched it) with cotton and sea kelp. Splitty as hell. Even with simple knit stitches, I had to watch to not split my stitches. Of course, it became progressively worse as I reknit with the yarn. That being said, it held up well to four attempts worth of knitting. It retained it's shape and doesn't look scruffy after a wash. So, probably good for simple knits, I wouldn't try it for anythng complicated. I hope she's able to use it....

Up next is a gift for my Mom, one I'm particularly proud of - double knit color work potholders.  My mom loves tea. I really need to get these pictures into ravelry because the designer ought to get some recognition for a really neat pattern that she's sharing for free.

I accidently started with the CC on the second pot holder. It took me several rows (and more than I was willing to tear out) to realize this is actually a problem, so that the pot holders aren't identical. It was also less than a week before Christmas so it's now a "design feature." Here they are, after a soak, 2 days before Christmas.

Another new technique was used in making my Dad's hat. My dad always has cold ears. My mom has made him a double knit hat, but she said it's really his ears that are the problem.  Enter the brilliant Melissa's idea - thruming for ears! Now, I had no idea how to thrum and I wasn't sure how to make this not look weird.  I ended up with some pretty thick thrums in the beginning, because I was taking too big of pulls. The YarnHarlot's thrummed mitten guide was very helpful on how to knit with thrums.

I then took a simple peony pattern out of Alice Starmore's book and incorporated it into a hat.  I cast on 108 stitches, completed the peony pattern, and then dropped down to 104 stitches and followed the decrease pattern from Turn-a-Square. It ended up creating a slightly larger 'zone' that poofs around the ears.  I'm happy with how it turned out.  I do wish I'd twisted the thrums a little bit tighter so there was more stitch definition and not as much fuzzy 'poofying' on the right side of the fabric.

Dad's hat was actually knit over two days.  Have I told you how much it helped for Partner to do nearly all the driving up to and around Oregon? Yep, he deserves some thanks for these knits happening!

The next knit was a hat for a friend. I've mentioned to her that I'm a bit of a selfish knitter, which may have set me up great for surprising her. She just started knitting last year and is an amazing knitter - she's making fair isle sweaters already! I wanted to make her a fun hat, and Wurm fit the bill perfectly!

I cast on on Christmas eve, got up early on Christmas day to double over the brim (super easy, actually) and mindless knit and purled all day Christmas. That night, I had a finished hat!  I love the hat, but do think it would be more funky to have followed the pattern for the full 10 repeats.  But I had one skein of Cascade 220 and it probably needed the 240 called for in the pattern.

Here it is modeled very Dr Seussical (apparently - I've never read the books, but that is what everyone who saw it thought).

The super quick crown decreases create a funky effect.

And a closer shot of the doubled over brim which is 1) super easy, 2) helps snug down the hat and 3) is really warm.  It's a very finished look and I'll probably steal it for some simple beanies in the future.

I think that is enough for this go around. Next time: fingerless mitts, a secret knit, and (hopefully) the final Christmas knit!

Pattern: Double bump dishcloth
Final measurements: both dishclothes are 34 stitch cast ons, the hand cloth is 43, all on size US6s
Yarn: purple is Sugar n Cream Ombre - ~45 yards, teal/tan is Lion Brand Solid - 236 yards
Modifications: None
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2205

Pattern: Bee stitch dishcloth
Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream, some left over blue, 60 yards
Modifications: none, US6s
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2265

Pattern: Loofah or washcloth
Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream naturals - 68 yards, Sugar 'n Cream solid for my brother - 72 yards
Modifications: none, US6s for both
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2405

Pattern: November Hat
Final measurements: Child's size on US5s
Yarn: FiburaNatura SeaSong, colorway Night, 109 yards
Modifications: None.
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2514

Pattern: Double knit potholders
Yarn: Sugar 'n Creams solids, 206 yards total of two colors
Modifications: An extra repeat on the leg
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2720

 Pattern: Thrummed hat, decreases from Turn a Square
Final measurements: Men's
Yarn: Cascade 220, charcoal, 126 yards plus unknown number of ounces of roving
General specs: Cast on 108, decrease to 104 after thrumming, US7s
Knitting yardage total 2011: 2846

Pattern: Wurm
Yarn: Cascade 220, 220 yards
Modifications: seven repeats of the knit/purl sections, US 7
Knitting yardage total 2011: 3066

Mystery Proposal (FO)

Seems things always take longer than I think they will.

For example, this is a blog post about 10 months in the making. I took so long to write it that our computer ate our photos and I lost some pictures I wanted to share. Actually, it just ate some pictures I really want, period.

Last October I took part in Through the Loops mystery sock KAL. I used Karin's lovely yarn from Periwinkle Sheep - plum crumble, the yarn that first took me to her website. The same Karin of Sock Summit indulgence.

I started the socks on the flight back from Australia. I'd finished Partner's Christmas socks that morning on the train to the airport. Now, I was prepared to settle in and crank out a lot of sock on the 16 hour flight. I swatched and swatched after screwing up my KAL socks last year. I tried 64 stitches on size 2s. Too big. 64 stitches on 1s. Too big. 64 stitches on 0s? Too small. Finally, 72 stitches on size 0s? How could that be? I've never used 72 stitches or size 0s. I started but couldn't shake lingering fear that I'd screwed up my swatch and my 72 stitch socks would be far too large. I put the sock away when I was about half way down the leg.

The socks languished. I dreaded putting the sock on waste yarn, pulling it on and discovering that - despite my measuring and remeasuring and measuring again – I had screwed up and would have to tear out hours of work. Finally, before Christmas I mustered the courage and... it was almost too tight? How could that be? But it fit, so I knit. And I was working on my socks when Rocky and I drove up north for Christmas.

Christmas Eve we woke up and Rocky said he'd like to take the coast route. I admit to being slightly annoyed that he thought he would mention he wanted to take the 13 hour route and not the 7 hour route on the day we were leaving. I told him it was impossible. He seemed so disappointed that I jumped up, did some quick figuring on the computer and said if we hustled, we'd make it.

We're on the road and he mentions stopping at Stump Beach. Suggests we go for a talk. A talk? Or a walk? Well, despite our timeline, I can't resist a stop at Stump Beach.

So walk we did. And took fun pictures. And watched the crashing waves. And he asked me what my favorite memory was from the beach. And asked me to check our self portrait on the tripod.

And I turned around after checking the camera and there was a box. A little box. That kind of box.

And I said yes.

{insert beautiful, happy picture of the smiling couple here.}

And we kissed and laughed. I cried like a dumb girl. We walked some more and then walked back to the car to keep driving.

{more happy pictures of the ring, the beach, each other}

Well, here is a picture of us at Stump, but not that day.
Rocky drove and I knit on my mystery socks.

I figured if I was going to share the story here it made sense to show the finished socks too. Of course I thought I'd be done long ago. Rmemeber what I said about things taking longer than I think. You saw the first sock before sock summit.

But good news! I did manage to finish them before the wedding!

I'm getting married in just a 10 days.

 

I think the days may be speeding up! We're doing a very eclectic wedding and that takes a bit more effort. It's one of the reasons I've been quiet around here – there hasn't been a lot of knitting lately!

I wouldn't be a knitter if I wasn't going to knit my wedding shawl.

Remember how I said that it seems things always take longer than I think they will? In it's current state it looks suspiciously like a lace choker.

Sigh.

Fortunately I have two knitterly friends attending and both are bringing green shawls “just in case.” They know me so well!

These are special socks, forever linked to the day we became engaged. We've known each other for nearly 10 years. It's been a journey and I can't wait for the next step.

Pattern: Through the Loops, Mystery Sock 2010
Final measurements: 72 stitches on size 0s
Yarn: Periwinkle Sheep, the Old Watercolors, Plum Crumble, 399 yards
Modifications: An extra repeat on the leg
Knitting yardage total 2011: 1924

Starfish (FO)

Before we get started, I want you all to head over to Earthchicknits' blog.  Two reasons - 1) You can score some wonderful roving/yarn/FO. (yes, I get another entry for mentioning her contest to you here). 2) If you have kids, or play with kids, or go to beaches where you see random kids you don't know, you should read her gripping account of almost losing her son to a collapsed sand hole. And then check out the pictures of her cutie pie son and celebrate with her (she has another son too, that is just as cute). Don't worry, I'll just wait for you to get back.

Okay, thanks for coming back.

Over a year ago a coworker saw a starfish and asked me to make her one.  I've mentioned before I'm a bit of a selfish knitter and kind of let the deadline go.  A year has gone by and we've become closer. So, when she was leaving to take another job, I decided it was time to make my first toy.

Finding a starfish pattern is a bit difficult.  There were no good free ones.  The original one she showed me was $8.00 and the comments mentioned it was fiddly and, quite frankly, most don't look that nice. So I looked through and finally found one that looked promising. $1.99 and shipping on Ebay and I had a copy of a 1987 knitting book. Oh yeah. [cue Dirty Dancing]

Happily, when the book got here I discovered that it calls for boucle yarn.  Guess what I've had in my stash since the first month I started knitting and found a sale at Herrschner's? I didn't even know what boucle yarn was. In fact, for some time after I got it in the mail, I wondered what you'd use "fuzzy" yarn for.  Wow, consecutive sentences ending in a prepostion. Sweet.

Partner questioned a green starfish but it is my friend's favorite color.  And I found a picture of a green brittle starfish to prove that they exist.

 
While I ended up being happy with the result and my friend loves it (!), this was not the best written pattern. I've heard before that patterns have become more clear in the past few years.  Which I find ironic since Ravelry and other forums mean a knitter can almost always get help on a pattern. In the 1980's or 1880's, I think clear patterns would have been even more necessary.  I digress. I'm really not sure if I did my increases on the correct side. A minor issue.  A bigger problem was the decreases. The instructions: "Cont dec in this way, working 1 st less between each decrease" seem clear until you realize that if you actually "dec in this way", you will run out of stitches between decreases to decrease. Fortunately I was able to foresee this and decided on an alternate decrease location and continued on. The directions were even less clear for the top side.

I made some modifications along the way.  The patterns calls for the entire thing to be knit in reverse stockinette.  I don't loathe purling the way I used to, but what is the point of doing something in reverse stockinette that will be seamed later? So I did mine in stockinette with the intention of flipping it over for seaming.

This is the top. The center seam is done by keeping the center stitch as a purl (or knit if you reverse stockinette). I will say the seam shows up better on the reverse stockinette side.

When I went to put the ends together, I decided that I liked the knitted side better for the back.  So, the top is reverse stockinette and the back is the stockinette side.  Both Partner and the recipient liked the back more.

For the seaming I used embroidery floss instead of the boucle yarn.  It was easier to use and I thought it would be less bulky. I've never stuffed a toy and went to town on this one. I think it's pretty stiff. I don't know if you'd start a kid's toy that way for the hammering it will take, but I think if I were to make this for a kid, I'd use less stuffing.

On to the pattern source.

Most of the patterns in Nursery Knits are not loaded in Ravelry.  In fact, there are 48 patterns and only 8 are in Ravelry right now. So I'm going to help you out. There are actually some really nice looking patterns in there. Such as this cute boys sweater and christening gown.

And then it descends into the world of the peculiar.

I've threatened to make an adult size version of this diaper pant and bib (really, that's what it's called in the book)...

 
Same for this one. That kid's look says, "really, this is hotter than hell and these don't look like balloons." 

Somehow carrot dresses aren't as sweet as pumpkin baby hats...

The 80's called, they want their horrible sweater back.

Overall though, there are some decent patterns in there and it was definitely worth the $5 total for the starfish pattern.

Pattern: Stella Starfish
Final measurements: I forgot to measure... about 12 inches across.
Yarn: Lana Grossa Bouclerino discontinued
Modifications: Done in stockinette, not reverse stockinette. US4s instead of US3s. 
Knitting yardage total 2011: 1421

 

Abigail Pixie (FO)

Yesterday I took the blanket off the blocking wires.  To answer Rachel's question, I didn't quite get the blanket done before the 17th, but I was close.  I would have been done on the 16th, but after finishing the number of pattern repeats called for, Partner and I both decided one more 16 row repeat would be better. I was working on the edging as we drove back from a friend's wedding in Burbank on Sunday, but Partner wasn't feeling better so I ended up doing most of the driving.  Hours of knitting time lost! hehe (he's feeling better now!)

I'm happy to say that picking up the crochet needle after a nearly five year absence wasn't nearly as awkward as I feared.  Perhaps the 20 years of practice before I tossed crochet aside for knitting helped.  I promise not to stay away as long dear crochet hook!

The blanket got quite bigger after a soak and block.  The original pattern said it would be 36 x 31 inches with the recommended needles, which I used. (swatch, for a blanket? - never!) Blocking was a bit of a pain since I've misplaced my T-pins so I ended up opening a bunch of safety pins and using those instead; they work, but it's slower going.  Final measurements were a nice 39 x 39 inches!

Sorry this is so fuzzy - I didn't realize how bad the close up pictures were.

Overall, this was a very simple pattern, and very intuitive.  Unfortunately, I couldn't do this without the pattern.  For whatever reason, I could not memorize the 3-5 stitches on either side of the repeat.  It changes with each even row, but it's really just a portion of the main repeat.  I can't explain it!  After those 3-5 stiches, I could tell where I was and work the main repeat without the pattern until I got to the other end of the row and then I had to look again.

I wasn't sure about the crocheted picot edging while I was working on it.  I thought it looked sloppy and wasn't sure if it was the edging or the acrylic/nylon yarn or both.  When I blocked it, I wove the blocking wires through every picot.  I think that really helped and in the end believe the picot edge gave the blanket a MUCH more finished and pretty look.

Thoughts on the pattern: It took me a long time to decide on this pattern.  One of the benefits was that it was free.  However, there ended up being quite a few errors in the pattern.  I started this pattern while visiting my parents and was trying to use the chart (both for practice, not being a chart reader and because it's easier to use a chart when talking with people).  I immediately realized that the repeat was not marked correctly.  I re-charted but then discovered that the chart and the written instructions were not accurate at the end of the repeat.  I've tried to show the corrected written instruction on my Ravelry project page, though I'm still trying to overcome the formating that happens with asterisks.  I'm also going to contact the designer, though I haven't gotten around to that yet.  Despite the problems with the pattern, it is easy enough to fix if you have some self-confidence and the most basic ability to "read" your knitting.  I would have been at a loss a few years ago, but about 1/2 hour and some squinting on the first repeat and I'd sorted out the problems.

A note on the crocheted border.  I learned to knit and read patterns at the same time.  I've only followed directions for a crochet pattern once.  So, I did a single crochet when the pattern said to, but I'm not sure if my idea of a single crochet is the same as an actual single crochet. I thought about looking up what the crochet world says is a single crochet but in the end didn't bother. I also didn't turn my work after crocheting the single crochet border; I liked the look of border better with the picot crocheted in the same direction as the first round.  If you turn the work, there is a slight ridge but it is smoother if you don't turn the blanket. However, I did notice the border curled a little bit.  I don't know if this is because of not turning my work, or the yarn, or if it would happen regardless.

One last picture.  The blankie doesn't have center stage.  And that's okay.

 
Little Abigail Rose was born via natural birth early on Sunday, April 17th.  8 pounds, 2 ounches and 20 inches!  Mama, Dad (my coworker), older brother and baby are all doing great.  I was so happy to meet her yesterday.

Pattern: Elven Pixie Baby Blanket
Final measurements: 39 x 39 inches. 740 yards for this project, a bit less than the pattern suggested.
Yarn: Lion Brand Baby Soft Solid.  I think acrylics are the way to go for non-knitters, but I suspect that this yarn may have trouble holding the picot edge after it's washed; I hope not!
Modifications: Pattern corrections, 13 repeats of the pattern. 
Knitting yardage total 2011: 1298

Baby Fluted Stockings (FO)

I've mentioned I've got a rash of a babies in my life.  But, of the five, only two are even in the same state as me.  And for one of the babies, I've never even met Mama.

Not having my own computer, I've lost track of a couple blogs.  When the computer first crashed, I thought it was temporary.  By the time i realized it wasn't, I kept thinking a new computer was just around the corner.  But life got in the way, and it's been nearly a year since I've had my own computer.  Anyway, one of the blogs I lost track of was Tink's until I found it again around January.  Then, catching up I went through the classic, "She looks pregnant.  I should congratulate her.  Oh, but what if I'm wrong?"

I wasn't and she's had just the cutest little baby girl!

I'd kind of agonized over what to make for the newest Tink.  It's kind of an odd thing when you feel like you know someone, but then realize there are vast chunks of things that you don't know about them.  But I do know Mama likes green.  At first, Little Miss Tinks was going to get this.  I tried to make it when i went to Hawaii, but quickly realized I didn't have nearly enough yarn.

And then another blogger was complaining about having left over sock yarn all the time.  Ding!  Of course!  Favorite sock pattern.  Socks to match Mama!

I didn't realize, when I started, that I really would end up having socks that matched Mama's.  I started to run out of yarn, so i started from the other end with the other sock and made sure that I made the green parts the same length.

I then switched to some other left over yarn I had.  With family in Oregon and the Super Bowl fresh in people's minds, I guess it was inevitable that people thought I was making Ducks or Green Bay Packers supporter gear.  I wasn't.  Unless, of course, Mama Tinks is a fan of either.  in which case, that was totally my plan all along! 

So, on to the pattern!  I cast on 42 stitches, thinking 7 repeats would be large enough.  In hindsight, 48 would have been better so it would have been easier to divide for the heel, gusset, and foot.  I dispensed with the calf shaping, deciding that wasn't quite necessary for a baby. 

I did six rows of ribbing, three repeats for the leg and then started the heel flap.  When I got to the heel and realized it was going to be hard do divide the stitches in half, I fudged things. I'm a little fuzzy on this part, but I think I worked the heel over 24 stitches but did only 18 rows for the heel (another three pattern repeats). 

Finally, for the foot, I agonized over the length, but went with 3 3/4 inches long.  I've read newborn feet range between 3 1/2 and 4 inches.  Of course, too short, and they never get worn, too long and they won't fit until the calves are too tight.

Lacking a newborn to model, Cleeyore faithfully stepped into model.

 
Unfortunately, that's my only picture of the finished sock.  My phone ate all my other pictures, but Sasha did deem them baby worthy before they were mailed off. Happily, Mama recognized the pattern, so I think I wasn't too far off and I'm quite happy!

Pattern: Gentleman's Shooting Stockings with Fluted Pattern
Final measurements: baby sized, about 3.5 inches from cuff to heel and about 3.75 inches from heel to toe.
Yarn: Newton Cashmere Merino
Modifications: Above.  I also didn't decrease for the toes too much.
Knitting yardage total 2011: I'm not sure, but I'm going to go with around 50 yards. So 558

Hawaii Watch (FO)

I've been slacking a bit on the blogging and knitting front.  Which is bizarre, because I have so much I'd like to share with you.  Well, on the life front... not so much on the knitting front, unfortunately.

I also feel a little bad, having kept these pictures to myself for so long, since somehow, many of my blog friends live in cold climes.  It seems unfair to have kept these pictures to myself when some of you could use a little sun therapy.

First on the knitting front.  I went to Hawaii with this: 
I may have been (as always) a little overly optimistic about what I would accomplish.  Seriously, I was seeing friends that I see once a year - why did I think I would knit and not drink mai tais?  Not that they are mutually exclusive (well, after two of the latter, it is), but it was a bit dark.  And then I found out that a guy I've known for about 10 years was retiring.  Anyway, that is my excuse for only having this to show after five days which included two flights:

That thing on the top is for a different post and the bright green was a failed attempt at a baby knit (not enough yarn).

But that dark green tube in the foreground became, since my return, a watch cap for Partner.  Last year, after I knit a watchcap for my brother in law, Partner said, "I'd love to have one of those."  Had I only known, I would have skipped all the 1/1 cables of Koolhaas!

Some FO shots from a spring-like day (Tinks - that train is heading your way!):

 

after all the ways I tried to save this, this is the only one that Typepad would accept, but it kind of looks cool
doesn't he look fierce?  Feast your eyes, Tyra!

But, you may not be here for the knitting this time.  I also have some lovely shots from around Hawaii.  I didn't have much time and, sadly, most of the places I wanted to visit weren't as I remembered them (some from just two years ago, some from more than a decade).  But I can't deny the sunny weather was nice:

I took some pictures near Diamond Head.  A guy passing by noticed my poor attempts to do a self-shot and kindly took a picture.  I like the picture but rather wished I'd arranged the bottom of my dress a bit more modestly (not for modesty's sake - I'm wearing a swimsuit - but for my self-esteem).

This is about my 10th attempt to catch some sailboats off Waikiki beach at sunset.  It looked better in person.

I went to the aquarium, where I saw this little guy - a frog fish.  It can stay stationary for days.  This guy moved while I was watching and he walked on those fins.  It's pretty wild.

It took two attempts, but I made it to Hanuama Bay.  Unfortunately, the snorkel shack was closed so I swam around for about 45 minutes with my swim goggles on.  Better than nothing, but not nearly as much fun as I've had when snorkeling and following the same fish around for 20 minutes.  My travel guide tip: after Hanuama Bay, there isn't much worth seeing on Oahu.  My Mom would suggest the Bishop Museum and we both liked the Polynesian Cultural Center.  But Oahu is either dirt poor or over-the-top-consumerism.  But really, spend no more than two days on Oahu and then head elsewhere. In my opinion.  I did find a neat little town on the North Shore this time, but after eight visits, I really hope next time to go to a different island.

I made two stops at Bubbles Ice Cream Shop.  I discovered this place about 5 years ago.  A locally owned place that makes their own mochis - yum!  I get six at a time (because mochis count for dinner when you're not at home!)  I recommend guava and chocolate mint.

why yes, I do believe those are stuffed animal nether regions in that picture.
Composition skillz, I haz them.

And, my favorite pictures of the trip.  Of course, I forgot my camera when I had the chance to take pictures at Diamond Head Lighthouse.  So, camera phone pictures: the lighthouse at Diamond Head

 
sunset at Diamond Head

Pattern: Classic World War II watch cap (rav)
Final measurements: medium
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted - just bought at Stitches West!
Modifications: none
Knitting yardage total 2011: 508

Hollyberry (FO)

This post will be as quick as the knit!  A bit of a drive by post on a hat that's been done for over a month and should be on it's new owner's head.

I'm in the midst of a baby boom.  I have no less than five babies coming into my world between December and April.  Perhaps it's bad of me to say, but fortunately many of the recipients aren't knitters.  Well, none of the recipients are, actually, having not yet discovered their toes, much less knitting needles.  But most of their mothers aren't knitters. 

I feel some of the pressure is off to produce the perfect knit.  I figure I just need an easy-to-care-for, stretchable item.  And even better, I'm getting a chance to use of some of my acrylic.  Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe acrylic has it's place, especially for the non-knitting gift recipient, particularly recipients that may forcefully project some fluid onto your knitted gift. But I like working with wool.  Or alpaca.  Or silk.  So I don't usually dip into my copious stash of acrylic. 

Fortuitously, after finding out that one of these babies had the nerve to come into this world before I even knew she was coming, I found the best quick baby gift.  Particularly good when the baby is already here and you run the risk of knitting something too small.

Cleeyore, so obliging to be my baby model

I had one mis-step when my first Gooseberry attempt came out a little too blue for Miss Holly.  I don't think I'd care if someone mistook my girl for a boy, but I think this particular Mama might.  The second attempt went quite well, I think.  As fate would have it, all the new babes are girls so attempt #1 is in reserve.  No worries, a hat takes about a day and is a great mindless knit.

So, one Gooseberry for little Holly Christine down.  I'll keep you posted on the baby knitting factory production line.

Pattern: Gooseberry (my rav)
Final measurements: one
Yarn: TLC Baby Solid, I think (mine is older, leftovers from a blanket that were in ziploc) Pretty soft, actually.
Modifications: none
Knitting yardage total 2011: 340

Kirkstone (FO)

I like to come up with goofy names for my items, but since this was a test knit, I figured I ought to use the pattern name in the post title.

I'd call it Kate's Kirkstone though. :)

I think I've mentioned the amazing Lily before.  If you haven't discovered this 12-year old wonder, you should.  Maybe she's 13 by now... seems like she's been 12 about a year.     

On to the pattern! In early January, Lily was looking for test knitters for a pattern.  I jumped at the chance so I could have an alternative to my rastah/soup kitchen hat for going to work.  She was great to work with, always responsive to my emails when we were sorting out the pattern.  She's just pleasant and the kind of person that you're happy to be buying patterns from.

I decided to be bold and go with a yarn that was less than the pattern called for because I loved the color and wanted to stash bust.  I picked this yarn up in Australia on my first trip three years ago.  The yarn was super-splitty, so a pain to knit with but the stitch definition is awesome.

This led to my one modification of the pattern (which i'm pretty sure you're not supposed to do with a test knit).  I did a knitted cast on instead of a long tail cast-on.  As it turned out, I had enough yarn and the long tail cast-on would have been better to make the bottom edge sturdier.  So, don't follow my lead.

Other than that, I didn't make any modifications, including to needle size.  The hat took awhile because of cables every other row, but I became a master at a needleless cable.  I mean, really, a cable needle is more hassle than it's worth on a 1/1 cable!  I finished the hat in 8 days, but that's because I went away for a girl's weekend and had a lot of time - it was about 15-20 hours of knitting.

In the end, my hat ended up being a little too loose, and slowly slipped off over time.  I took all the FO pictures with the hat as written. The picture below is before blocking and you can see it isn't gripping properly.

But when I was done with the pictures (including those below), I decided to try something new and did a slip stitch around the inside of the brim.  I had enough yarn, so I did that twice.  It helped quite a bit, but I would definitely go down at least one needle size on the brim if I were to make it again.

Verdict: I love this hat! It's a very finished design - I like the attention on the decreases, to preserve the zigzag pattern to the end.  I grab it nearly every day when I head out the door.  Obviously it's my most professional knitted hat, but I also wear it walking around town - even date night!  I'm still not convinced I look good in hats, but I feel very Gaughin, with my jaunty painter's beret.  The below pictures are after blocking and necessary to get the slouchy look.

 

For 220 yards/200 meters, you can feel jaunty too.

 

And if you have enough hats and can sew, you need to make this bag that Lily has designed when the pattern is out.  And then you need to blog about it so I can covet your version as well.  I stole the picture from Amanda's (Lily's mum) blog:

 

Isn't it awesome?

Pattern: Kirkstone (rav)
Final measurements: one
Yarn: Heirloom Easy-care 8-ply (mine is an older skein form, like sock yarn)
Modifications: as noted
Knitting yardage total 2011: 208