FO: Harvest Dew Socks

My first FO in a while:

These socks were knit for April's Rose Hiver sockdown theme. The pattern is really straight forward without being boring and I'm very happy with them.

For a bit of a new experience, I started these top-down socks with a provisional cast-on and dived straight into the leg chart without any ribbing. I knit the pattern as written from then on until the toe which I shortened a little. Once I'd grafted the toes I then went back and picked up the live stitches from the cast-on and knit the ribbing. I really like this as a way of knitting socks. I'm pretty sure I get a better fit from top-down socks but I also never seem to use up as much yarn because I always seem to have a leg pattern that is tighter than I thought. Knitting this way I should know much more quickly if I've cast on too few stitches for the leg (rather than have the ribbing trick me into thinking I'm OK) which will allow me to knit longer top-down socks.

Pattern: Harvest Dew by Rose Hiver.
Yarn: Eden Cottage Yarns (was Wild Fire Fibres) Fantasia in colourway Samhain.
Mods: Knit toe as written until 21st per needle then repeated only the decrease row until 13st remained per needle and grafted the toe shut. Provisional cast on (as above).
Project: Online at Ravelry.

On Socks and Swatching

Last weekend was a trip to the in-laws for Mr Me to do some odd jobs and sort through bits and bobs. I took along plenty of knitting and had high hopes for finishing off some socks and swatching for the next few projects.

I did get the swatches done. This first one is for Laika:

The yarn is Schoppel Wolle Admiral in colourway Turquoise from The Sock Yarn Shop. I've swatched on 3mm and 3.25mm needles since the pattern calls for 3mm and I've noticed recently that I've typically needed to drop one needle size for most patterns. I've not measured the swatch yet but I'm pretty sure this will be my next project.

The second (final) swatch is for Paulie:

I've bought two completely different sets of yarn for this (I blame Mr Me for the second lot, he was definitely enabling) and in both colours bought two options for contrast stripes. This is Stylecraft Life 4ply from the haberdashery stand at our local indoor market (for a nice cheap cardi I can wear and wash over and over again without worrying too much). The colours are Cobolt (the grey is the same in both halves of the swatch) and Zing (yellow) and Melon (pink).

I'm not totally settled on which colour I'm going to use yet. Pre-swatching the yellow was an afterthought - I picked out the grey and the pink and then added the yellow just before purchasing. Now I've swatched I'm quite fond of the yellow. Thoughts?

And the socks...? Not finished - I guess I was being a bit ambitious.

Rediscovery

This weekend I took some time to explore the forgotten portions of my stash. I'm often rifling through the fingering weight baskets but it's rather less often that I look at the rest of the beautiful things I've picked up over time.

When I started buying yarn I knew nothing about fibre and little about what there was to like (or not) about yarn. Soon after I took a long trip out to the US and discovered a fantastic yarn shop - my lessons in yarn began there.

Initial purchases were often from the bargain bins - some perhaps a mistake, but others are clearly just waiting for the right project to come along. I've recently knit a very successful summer project and this heavy-worsted cotton feels like it fits right in with this trend:

Queensland Collection Pima Fresca in colourway Sapphire
from Natural Stitches, Pittsburgh

On a subsequent trip to the states my yarn purchases were more about buying good quantities of well-known American yarns to be able to knit a garment with sometime in the future when I'd got my brave up:

Dream in Colour Classy in colourway Midnight Derby
from Natural Stitches, Pittsburgh

More recently my yarn purchases are typically focussed on a specific project that I've deluded myself into thinking I will start right away. Strangely I'm often wrong...

Noro Kureyon in colourway 206.

In this case I was pretty sure this yarn was about to become an Entrelac Scarf. I'd never tried entrelac (I still haven't) and it seemed like a great project to learn a new skill. Soon after purchase doubts crept in and having rediscovered the yarn this weekend I'm now wondering about a Lanesplitter skirt instead.

How do you buy stash?

Growing Things

I recently switched desks in my office so that I could see out of the windows. One entire wall of our office is windows. With my new easy-reach windowsills, and a sudden interest in growing things (I think I've suddenly turned middle-aged), I've set about seeing what I can achieve.

First, my chilli's and a lone pepper (one of eight planted). These were first in and are the most recent plants to start looking like plants rather than just pots of soil. There's a slight chance that it's one chilli and a few peppers coming up, my labeling wasn't quite up to the job when I started planting.

One of a my Chillis?	A lone pepper?

Next, some sugar snap peas:

And finally, some very keen tomatoes:

There's a few more bits and bobs that haven't shown themselves yet, I look forward to introducing them when they do :)

Easter Break

I'm back at work following a much appreciated Easter break. Following a successful swatching process, I started my Blisco in the break and got more done than I could have reasonably expected:

Perfect for a one-armed bandit!

The pattern is clear and well-written and has a quirky start to catch your interest. The yarn is knitting up nicely and should wash well too - what's not to like?

FO: Calorimetry

My Blisco swatch is drying. In the meantime, despite lovely sunshine last week, this week I'm back to wearing the winter accessories:

This is my Calorimetry, knit with what remained of the Malabrigo twist after my Bandana Cowl. The yarn is still gorgeous and I like the pattern (mostly).

This is warm and practical for those days where I just can't face leaving my hair down. Only slight issue is it's a little big/slippy-offy. I'm not sure if this is my button placement or a feature of the ribbing stretching out once on my head.

Pattern: Caliometry by Kathryn Schoendorf.
Yarn: Malabrigo Twist in the Olive colourway.
Mods: Cast on fewer (92) stitches and knit fewer repeats of rows five and seven.
Projects: online on Ravelry.

Not Socks

I've not had much luck with socks lately. The lovely Effervesce socks would make excellent flight socks but are a little tighter than I usually like for everyday wear. At this point I can't bear to frog them so they're sat in time out until my feet shrink or I get a grip on myself and get on with what must be done. In the meantime, I started some alpaca socks to cheer me up: long story short, they didn't. They pooled something chronic.

So I've gone back to a yarn I know: Patons Linen Touch in colourways Carnation and Lilac.


And a pattern I don't: Blisco by Lily Kate France.

And I've swatched. Three needle sizes, measured before washing and blocking.

Now I just have to pop it in the wash and hope I can find the right gauge in there somewhere.