Saturday, January 14, 2012

a week of knitting

Two posts within one week!!? Yes, yes there are. All your dreams are coming true.

I've actually knit quite a bit this week, or since the last post. I started the scarf that I was thinking about, the honeycomb scarf with the bulky Schaefer. I started and restarted it, about four times, to get gauge. The pattern used super-bulky, and if I wanted the same width with the bulky, I had to cast on with two more pattern repeats. I used... I think size six or seven needles. I wanted a nice tight tension. But I wasn't sure about it because the pattern and the colors just didn't work very well. The color was too busy, and you couldn't really make out the pattern:


So I ripped it out and decided to make a Calorimetry instead, sort of on impulse. Literally over 14,000 people have made them on Ravelry. Insane! Anyway, both of my hats are slightly dysfunctional. The lavender silk slouch is stretched like crazy and falls off willy-nilly, whereas the cast on for the Noro entrelac hat is really tight. Plus it always looks weird when I have a ponytail. So I whipped it up, over the course of about 2 episodes of True Blood:



It's like a hat/headband/earband thingie. It works up very quickly and it's a cool concept. Very easy too. I put in a button on the back:


It's cute but the colors turned out to look a little young, and it looks a little weird on. It just reminds me of those headbands you wear when you're skiing, to keep your ears warm. They are a little nerdy. I'm sort of disappointed with how the colorway knit up, because it looked so pretty in the hank but it just looks like a kid's hat now. However, I'll still wear it. It's really comfy, and good when you've got your hair up, which I usually do.


I also started another pair of fingerless gloves, with the Zara. I spent a long time looking for patterns. I wasn't sure what I was looking for... something with cables or lace. I found a lot of cool patterns, but the problem is that I can't print anything out and looking at complicated patterns or charts online while simultaneously trying to watch a TV show or movie on the same laptop is pretty annoying. I need a printer.






So I just kept going back and forth between "Community" and the pattern for this. It wasn't that complicated. It's really nice, soft, great stitch definition, but I don't know when I'm going to get around to the second one. Soonish though, because my other ones, the alpaca pair, are really shrinking now-- the rain is not having a good affect on them. They're getting really beat up, and they're also a little itchy and stay wet for a REALLY long time. So now I have to do the second half of this new pair. And I feel like that might take a while, since I'm concentrating more on the blanket now...


And I'm still chugging away at the afghan. I'm on the sixth ball of yarn, out of twelve. Here it is on the couch, its future home:







I took that picture a few hours ago and it's even longer now-- it really works up very quickly. It's about 25, 26 inches long now. As for width, I don't know because I can't stretch it out, but if gauge is correct it should be about 60" long. I think it'll probably end up longer than that. Basically, when it's done it will be a good size, and really cozy besides. Not itchy at all. The only issue is actually getting it done. For the last few days, I've been going at a rate of about a ball a day, and if I keep that up it'll be done within a week, since I just joined the sixth ball. I have 12 balls of this yarn and I might as well use it all. So it's only a matter of devoting the time. I'm planning on doing laundry tomorrow, so I might just sit at the laundromat for two hours and knit nonstop, which should accomplish a lot.


That's what's up. I have some more yarn coming within the week, so I should be starting a bunch of new projects soon. I ordered some self-striping sock yarn from Knit Picks to make a pair of over-the-knee socks. My idea for keeping them up is adding an elastic thread to the yarn once I reach the top ribbing, so it'll be tighter. I don't know how that will work in reality but I'm looking forward to giving it a try. I also want to make a new bag. I'm thinking a basic over-the-shoulder bag, in a light color-- I ordered this really beautiful white/gray colorway in I think a worsted or bulky weight-- with cables. For the strap, I'm thinking I'll buy a few lengths of leather string and weave or braid them together, and then join them to D-rings for a more finished look, And, of course, I'll put in a fabric lining and a zipper. But this is all hypothetical and in the future. Once I get the yarn I'll have more ideas of what to do with it.

Knitting, huzzah!

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