Thursday, February 25, 2010

2009's Lost Projects: Sock Edition

Since I was too busy to post almost everything I made last year, I thought I'd do a series of posts on these forgotten projects. This first installment includes the four pairs of socks that I managed to knit in 2009. I also finally finished my Snicket socks in December, but technically those were started in 2008.

FO: Vinnland Socks
Pattern: Vinnland by Becca Compton
Yarn: Claudia Handpainted Fingering in "Butter Pecan"
Needles: US 1 circulars
Started: 11/27/09, Completed 12/07/09
Mods: Used my own toe and short-row heel


Pattern: Retro Rib Socks by Evelyn A. Clark as found in Interweave Knits "Favorite Socks"
Yarn: Dale of Norway Baby Ull, 2 skeins
Needles: US 2 circulars
Started: 05/25/09, Completed: 06/18/09
Mods: changed to toe-up with a short-row heel

FO: Christmas Slippers for Grammy
Pattern: Two-Needle Slippers by Dagney Lilley
Yarn: Madelinetosh Worsted in Dahlia (name now changed to Madelinetosh DK; I completely agree that this is too light to be worsted.)
Needles: US 5 straights
Started: 11/04/09, Completed 11/06/09
Mods: Held yarn double since it felt too light to be worsted. Because I did this, I had to modify the top of the slipper because I ran out of yarn. I just ended the slippers earlier, and maintained the decreases during the top garter rows so they lie flat against the top of the foot. I also sewed on little circles of no-slip fabric in varied sizes on the soles to prevent falls. (Can you tell I'm now a nurse?)

Pattern: My own. CO toe up, knit in stockinette 4-5", add short-row heel, continue knitting stockinette 4-5", add 1-2" of 2x2 ribbing, BO.
Needles: US 1 circulars
Started: 11/10/09, Completed: 11/23/09

I think it's obvious, I really love knitting and wearing handknit socks. In fact, I am wearing a pair right now! I've already finished another pair this year, but that is a post for another time.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

My Wedding Shawl

I was so excited to finally cast on for my wedding shawl. I got engaged last June, but I didn't have time to sit down and really think about which pattern I wanted to use. I bought the yarn a few months ago. I think it was only $36 for 3800 yards of 100% cashmere. How could I resist!

In December I joined the Ravelry group "10 Shawls in 2010." So, while I had finally picked out a pattern, casting on had to wait a little while longer until the stroke of midnight on January 1st. She turned out a little shorter than I had hoped, but I am still loving it:


Pattern: Queen Silvia Shawl by Nancy Bush
Book: Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush
Needles: US size 2 circulars
Started: 01/01/10; Completed: 01/25/10

Mods: Since I used cobweb weight yarn, I decided to go down a needle size. Of course, that would make the overall dimensions smaller so I added 4 center repeats. I should have added 10! I also had to change the number of stitches picked up for the edging. At the beginning of the book, Nancy Bush recommended picking up 3 sts for every 2 selvedge sts. I basically did that, but had to add a couple of sts to make it divisible by 8 (number of sts in pattern repeat). I also had to change the bind off. The cone makes binding off with two strands a little difficult, so I whipped out an old skein of Misti Alpaca Laceweight, which is why my bind off edge looks a little thick.

So, there you go. This book is amazing, Nancy Bush is a pattern genius, and the Estonian knitters that she takes her inspiration from are... inspirational!