socks!

So this sock business is pretty fun.  I turned the heel on the "class sock" last night and, I have to say, the feeling of accomplishment that goes along with a successful turn is out of all proportion to its actual difficulty.  Here’s the mini-sock monster:


I’m really quite pleased with the whole process; no wonder people knit so many socks and enjoy it so much.  I have to admit that this phenomenon of the many-socks always kind of baffled me.  38 pairs?!  How could one knit so many socks?  Now I get it …

And, even better, I’ve found a use for all of that Patons yarn I bought a while back.  It’s not sock yarn, but it seems quite workable on #2 needles.

I’m still waiting for Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. 

What is that behind the sock monster?
Oh yes, it is another cup of coffee …

but just one.  I even used the small pot to avoid possible multipile-cup mishaps.  And I’m going to eat something.  It really was just the comibination of empty stomach + 3 cups of coffee + heat + exams anxiety + LYS time-wasting that caused the problems.  I’m sure of it. 

You don’t want to know about the book.  Trust me.  It’s called Discourse Networks 1800 / 1900.  That should be enough.

socks and coffee

do not go well together.  Especially when it is 90 degrees or so outside.  I spent a fruitless  couple of hours in my not-so-favorite LYS thumbing through pattern books and fondling the yummy yarn — I obviously can’t afford the 35 or so skeins necessary to make actual garments.   Eventually I left with some needles and nothing else … such restraint. 

In an attempt to calm down from all that coffee, I started the "class sock" from Sensational Socks.  So far, so good.  The cheap-o Patons yarn from Michael’s is working out surprisingly well.  I bought some #0 circulars and ordered Cat Bordhi’s book to attempt the two circulars sock method, but figured I should try to get through a practice sock first. 

I’m in such a panic about my impending exams that I’ll do just about anything to avoid my reading.  Hence the unnecessary trip to the store … which got me near, but not actually on, campus.   I just daydream over Rowan and Rebecca, imagining the life photographed so flawlessly and promised with each completed sweater.  I mean, I know that finishing a sweater isn’t going to make me a better person or that as soon as I put on said sweater, my troubles will not magically disappear.  But I keep on dreaming.  If only everything could be so perfect …

I bet they don’t have to take special topic exams.

Or buy cheap yarn.

24 hour party people

So, I haven’t done much interesting knitting.  I’m kind of in panic-mode over my up-coming exams (in October) and have attempted to channel this energy into knitting — or at least buying stuff related to knitting.  I got a rather spiffy pattern from WEBS: marianas top down sweater, "designed to delight".  Sounds good to me.  It’s intended for this lovely Rowan yorkshire tweed chunky that’s been sitting around my house:

It’s already been knit into three different sweaters and frogged each time … perhaps it’s just begging for the nautical themed pullover.  Unlikely. 

(flaming)

The yarn was just so flipping expensive that I feel I have to really, really, REALLY want to wear the finished product.  I guess I’ve kind of figured by now that nothing will meet these exacting (and mysterious) standards; I should just get it over with and knit something. 

Which is exactly what I’m doing with my lovely Rowan handknit cotton:

It’s color "chime" — why it’s called that I don’t know — a very mellow blue. 

It started life as a free-form cardigan for my sister, but has morphed into bad penny (by Stephanie Japel, in knitty), quite without my realizing it.  The yoke is almost done — just a few more inches to go.  The yarn is the thinnest I’ve used for something this large; the gauge is something like 5 sts = 1" using #5 needles.  I’m usually all for the instant gratification of chunky yarn and big needles (which does, however, lead to the inevitable: "Oh-my-God-I’ll-never-be-able-to-wear-anything-this-chunky-without-looking-like-an-elephant" hesitation), but I’m liking the smaller needles and finer yarn so far.

I think I might keep it; I had another project in mind for the sister anyway.  And what does she need a cardigan for in California?

I’m sticking with this one.  It will be completed.  Oh yes. 

pictures!

In thinking about the "broke"-ness of the blog, another possibility occurred to me: namely, the broken state of most of my knitting.  I think I have an issue with completion, as if the finished project can never be as perfect as I think the yarn deserves.  I have gotten half way through countless sweaters only to find an imperfection or better pattern; I rip everything out and start over. 

For instance:

the raglan decreases are slightly off in one row.  A row at the very beginning of said decreases, of course.  <sigh>  I will have to do a bit of frogging.  And remember not to knit while carrying on a conversation.  Especially if I have to count.

The foiled raglan is on the lovely Matador bolero from the latest issue of KnitScene; and yes, it is knit in the Most Beautiful Yarn in the World.

 

So close to completed (only the neckband to go) and yet, so very far away.  Ugh. 

The yarn is still gorgeous, though, which is why I feel the frogging must be done.  This is yarn that demands justice be done to it.  This is yarn that requires a finished garment as lovely and as perfect as itself. 

I found it at Northampton Wools
and simply could not resist it’s multi-colored splendor.  It was, of course, out of my price range, but, then again, so much is that it seems silly to insist on the point.  It’s 100% wool and very, very soft to the touch.  I don’t know how it would work close to the skin, but as a mini-sweater, I think it will do wonderfully.

While in New England I also picked up some lovely hand-painted yarn at the Green Mountain Spinnery.  It too is lovely beyond measure and is destined for my very first pair of socks.

I also picked up some of the spinnery’s Mountain Mohair (in spice) for a future project.  Perhaps a wrap sweater. 

Not at all frugal, but wonderful yarn nonetheless. 

broke knits …

So it seems that this blog could have all kinds of possibilities: how to knit on a budget, what kind of cheap stuff looks great when knitted (despite the 100% acrylic content), etc. I don’t really think I’ll get around to any of that. I’m just not very creative with names and tend to spend too much money feeding my luxury yarn fetish. Like the Most Beautiful Yarn in the World: Naturwolle #3 Kunterbunt, which I bought at my new favorite shop: Northampton Wools. Beautiful. Photos will appear soon.