It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a …. Post!

The top 10 reasons I haven’t posted in a while:

1. Knitting (or more like serial casting- on)
2. Some family things
3. Cats
4. Work
5. Work stuff that needed doing at home
6. Home stuff that needed doing
7. Lack of inspiration
8. The camera needs a new battery
9. Non-knitting (aka petting the stash)
10. The weather

Seriously, I know it’s sort of cliché to whine and make a bunch of apologies for not posting often enough, which actually, in reading others blogs it does seems to be in season.  There really have been a bunch of things going on lately that have kept me from taking the time to put my thoughts together and remember to take pictures and actually sit down at the computer and pull a post together.  I’ve had about five versions kicking around in my head all week and just couldn’t get the other parts together to actually write one. 

I finished a pair of socks.  These were my purse / work project during knitting Olympics so I had to put them on the back burner for that last week or so of the games.  It didn’t take long to finish these once I could devote a little bit more time to them. 

Pattern:  Rib & Cable Socks by Nancy Bush (Interweave Knits Fall 2005)

Yarn: Dream in Color Knitosophy in Strength

I really liked this yarn and am anxiously awaiting the reorder to arrive at the shop so I can stash some more in another colorway.  It’s the same base as Smooshy with a little bit different dyeing approach.   The pattern was good until I got to the heel and toe parts.  I modified the toe and would definitely modify the heel as well if I knitted it again. 

I got caught up on the knitting of my Big “V” vest, but made a mistake on the neck shaping of the fronts and need to rip back about 2 inches.  It’s currently in time-out; therefore no picture. (besides it is really boring)

I knit a cute intarsia hat for baby Sylvia, but had some serious issues with the pattern construction (knit flat-seamed).  Seaming hats is not a talent I possess apparently. This turned out so horrible that I refuse to even share a photo. But, I do have sufficient yarn for a redo. I put the whole project on hold for now while I rethink the process for knitting the pattern in the round. 

I made some progress on the Loksins socks which I cast on sometime in the middle of the pair of rib and cable socks.  Sock #1 is nearly finished and will probably be done tonight.(Yarn is Cascade Heritage Hand Paint)

 As of last Tuesday the Big V and Loksin socks were the only projects on the needles, so I got a little itchy and have since cast on for:

The Knotty but Knice socks from Interweave Knits Fall 08 (project name Forget me Knots) this is a pretty fun pattern once you get going.  I actually started it twice.  I cast on, knit the cuff and started the first pattern repeat thinking there was something not-quite-right going on.  Then I looked over the pattern info again.  D’oh.  I’m knitting a top-down version and sort of just winged it on the cast on. I knit the cuff in k1, p1 ribbing which looks pretty nice, but if you look at the flow of the pattern, it would have been better to cast on and knit the ribbing according to pattern rows 1-3 which then flows directly into the pattern.  The picture below illustrates that pretty well.  Top (on dpns) is the first go; bottom (on ML) is the second with the corrected ribbing.  I also changed needle size to get a little bit better stitch definition (and fit, too).  Little things can make a big difference. 

The Pukas sweater from the current issue of Knitters (more Dream in Color, loving it).

 (left sleeve)

And I’ve been working up the samples for my April color work class.   

Whew!  I think that’s it.  I know I have at least two more projects ready and waiting to be started. But… maybe I’ll try to finish something first.

Happy Knitting!

 

Nana