FO: Flat Feet

These were cast on as an experiment - I wanted to know how the Kollage square circular needles felt: were they easier on my hands/wrists/other? What I discovered is that, for me, these circulars are unusable - the cables are too soft and would rather kink through my stitches than let the stitches travel onto the needle. You win some, you lose some.

To finish the socks I ordered some (square) double-pointed needles (DPNs) and continued from the tiny amount of the toe I'd started. It's been a while since I knit with DPNs, and even longer since I knit socks with them (I've become a fan of the two circular method for small diameter anythings).

It was surprisingly refreshing to go back to this method. I do still find this a tricky way to try socks on - typically I'd worry that the needle would snap, in this case the needles were metal so I just had to worry about stitches jumping off the needle (or the yarn snapping). Aside from that though I do find DPNs a nice way to work.

And I really like the square DPNs - really lightweight, simultaneously grippy enough to hold onto stitches when you don't want to lose them and yet slippy enough that the needles don't hold you back.

Just don't make me try the circs again.

Pattern: Mock Cable Socks by Wendy Johnson
Yarn: Conjoined Creations Flat Feet
Mods: Gradual increases as the leg progressed.
Project: online on Ravelry.

Postcard from China

It's been quiet for a while, I'm on my second big trip of the month:

From top left, clockwise:

1. Lights in Yuanmingyuan park
   
2. The Great Wall of China
3. View of the Marble Boat from Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace
4. Close up of characters on an arch/bridge in Yuanmingyuan park

FO: Augustine

This was a combination of two ideas:

1. Use up one of those single skeins I bought without a plan.
2. Knit a scarf/shawlette that I can wear easily on a regular basis.

The pattern works pretty well with this yarn (although I do like the ones I've seen in solid yarns) but I haven't blocked it (yet?) and it rolls/scrunches quite a lot which hides any of the 'point' around the neck.

I do, however, wear it. It's less noticeably soft than I imagined but it goes well with some of the pink tops I've acquired since spring.

Pattern: Augustine Shawlette by Valdis Vrang.
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Suri & Silk in colour 05.
Mods: Slight size mods (this is narrower than the pattern called for) and also the point much less defined (mostly because I didn't have yarn to get wider and I wanted the length).
Project: online on Ravelry.

FO: Allgäu Socks

His socks are done!
I really like this pattern, it's very effective and the braid at the top is really cute. It's pretty unstretchy and I'm hoping that it might help keep the cotton in this yarn under control.

Pattern: Allgäu Socks by Susi Ferguson
Yarn: Kraemer Yarns Saucon Sock in Ginger (MC) and Harvest Gold (CC)
Mods: Nothing intentional - a couple of mistakes.
Project: online on Ravelry.