Which-Crafts?

So I have finally done it. I have committed to knitting an object that must fit my body and won’t be hidden inside my shoes or under my pants leg.

Sleeves intimidate me, so I am going to knit a tank top. Plus its summer, who needs sleeves anyway!

And it is certainly challenging my resolve. I’ve already had to cast on 3 times. And now about 20 rows in, I have decided to rip it back to the edging and start again. This wouldn’t be quite so stressful if the yarn was a bit better. I am doing it with Valley yarns Longmeadow in a nice bright pink color. But the yarn tends to unravel a little, especially when I work with it a lot (like casting on 3 times).

I was looking at it last night and my short rows are unacceptably ugly and then I noticed a few other errors, the combo just drove me nuts! I have decided to rip back to the garter stitch edging and then try the short rows again using Nona’s Japanese Short Row technique.

I am having a blast playing around at Ravelry. I somehow got lucky enough to get high enough on the list folks asking for sign-ups that I got an invite about a week ago. And since then I have taken some of my free time to start inputing project information. (I have way more finished projects than I thought)

The site is incredibly easy to use and imho is very well designed. There are enough folks over there that preceded me that there is plenty of seeded pattern and yarn information to keep my data-entry down to an easy amount. I am enjoying getting to see everyone elses projects - but there are two things that I find even more cool/deadly addictive.

1. the Idea of the project queue. As I browse around the site and find new patterns I really like, i can queue up the project so I don’t forget about it. Also I can look it up in my queue and have the pattern information for when I am ready.

2. the forums - god such crack! Ravelry is a growing and changing environment and as a member we get to watch the development process and put our own two cents in where we think its needed. It is very neat to see suggestions go into production soon after and watch the communities needs and desires shape this site. It is interesting to see the debates about the best way to handle this or that and then see the discussions resolve and create a feature or a theory/methodology for how the site could work.

Right now the site is mostly an effort of love by the 2 creators (they are just starting to get some ad revenue) and it really amazes me what they have done with their combination of hobbies.

So if you are reading this and you have an account over there you can find me - my user name is whichy ;).

I just ripped out my Jaywalkers, it was a combo problem. I found a mistake (too many stitches between the decrease and the increase) and I couldn’t figure out how far back it started, I kept ripping back 2 rows at a time and then the combo of the pattern and the error was making it difficult to find where I made the error.  But the real death knell was that when I was trying them on they were getting harder and harder to get over my heel.  I think I’ll need to make them in the larger size, which is really really odd, cause the gauge and sts number should have them being way too big. I also think I’ll find the toe up pattern and give that a try.

 Got my sockapalooza yarn, its very very pretty  - I’ll have pics soon. Also got my yarn from Webs for Rowan’s Baby Bobbi Bear and my tank top, now I just need the needles and I can get started.

So I mentioned a few days ago that I would soon have a lot more time to knit on my commute. And this new job is why.  My new job will be doing about the same thing, for about the same money, but for a company that I think will be a much better match for my personality and work ethics.  The new job is much further away from home - in Evanston. I will be taking the train every day for about 50 min — perfect for getting some knitting done! I will also have a bit longer walk once I get off the train which I will provide some much needed exercise and exposure to sunshine.

Things I have learned about sock knitting (yeah I know I’ve only knit 3 socks).

• I like knitting toe up socks much better than top down
• I like 2 socks on 1 circular
• I love Koigu - but wish the skeins were a bit bigger
• It really is possible to increase tension and tighten gauge without giving myself hand-cramps
• If it isn’t long enough in the foot - go back and do it again - cause it just ain’t going to fit right. Don’t short the length no matter how much I am to ready be knitting the next bit.
• If it is too big at the toe, rip back and use less stitches.
• Trust the fit—not the numbers. Yes, I understand that I am apparently knitting a sock for some who’s foot is 1/3 my size, it still *FITS*.
• There is always another really pretty yarn to dream about using for your next sock
• Figure 8 toes rock!
• Every time I knit a sock I pick up one thing that I want to keep and use on the following socks - eventually I’ll have my own custom sock pattern made up of bits of everyone elses.  I already have “my toes” and “my cas-off” now I just need all the bits in-between.

So what have you learned? What are your favorite tips and tricks?

So I ‘ve been going a little berserk with the socks lately. I am all psyched up for Sockapalooza, but as I don’t have my yarn yet, the outlet isn’t there. But never fear, I am putting that excitement to good use while I wait for the yarn to arrive. There are plenty of sock plans to execute!. To soak up some of the energy and experiment with some of the ideas whirling in my head, I have 3 separate pairs of socks on the needles.

I have a Jaywalker on the needles, I have the first of the “Psychedelic Sunset” socks which are the “final test socks” - before I make my mom’s gift socks (fair isle sauvie island style). And now I have started up a test sock for my Sockapalooza pal. I am knitting the Jaywalker in STR Medium-weight. I think the color is Peacock. These are really fun to knit and I can really see why they are such a popular pattern. I am enjoying the way this colorway is stripping into the Vs . Although now that it is out of the skein the colors are much more pastel than I originally thought. I have been currently thinking of these as my Easter socks.

The Psychedelic Sunset socks are a follow on to my last pair of koigu socks, hopefully fixing a few of the quibbles I had with their execution and design—like where the “seam” was where I switched colors for the stripes. I will also be adding a fair isle leg to them using patterns from the Blue Moon Fiber Arts “Sauvie Island” sock pattern. If these go as I hope then I can get right on that pair for mom. I hope to have them done before Stitches this year (which would be 1 year from when I promised them to her). They are being knit in some terribly bright colors of koigu.

These are the little baby toes of my test sock for Sockapalooza. These are STR Light-weight in Azure Malachite. I think that the weight will be similar to the weight of the sock yarn I have coming for my Sock Pal. Right now I am thinking some sort of nice basket weave for the leg, but that might change by the time I am done with the toes. I am currently combing my knitting books for just the perfect idea. Right now these are my commute knitting. (speaking of commuting - I’ll be having a whole lot more time to knit soon, more details in follow-on post)

After a technically frustrating start - I am off to a start. I have my match and I have finally (after much deliberation) ordered my yarn (from ThreadBear Fiberarts). I picked Jubilee (I have no idea the yarn company) in color Wild Cherry. I am not exactly sure what sock I am going to knit yet, but there should be plenty (400yds) no matter what I am going to to do. I really wanted to pick something hand-dyed, and I really wanted to pick something that would be a little off the beaten path. I think I have succeeded - now I just hope I like the yarn as much as I like the picture.

About a month or so ago a few of us trekked up to The Fold, we of course purchased but-loads of yarn (I got the yarn for the PTBNL’s Blanket). While I was there, I was asking Toni about fibers she might recommend for spinning sock yarn, and I ended up going a little overboard.

Ultimately she said I would have to see what I liked best and of course I walked out the door with a whole variety of stuff to try:

• Superwash Merino
• Blue Faced Leicester (although now I wish I had waited, I found a source for *Superwash* BLF)
• Targhee
• Cultivated Silk Top
• Kid Mohair Locks
• Tencel

And last weekend at the Stephenson County Fiber Fair I added

• more silk (I decided I needed more)
• blending nylon
• Bamboo
• cotton
• Black Diamond

I am going to split it all up into sections and card it and run test batches. I will actually need a bit more superwash merino to get it all done, but I can get that later. I have already split up the first purchases into weighed, bagged batches of SWM/BFL/KidM0 and SWM/BLF/Silk etc. Now the carding will commence - I REALLY wish I had a drum carder.

There should be enough in each batch to knit a pair of socks (assuming I don’t flub the spinning and plying). I am planning on spinning them all in their natural colors, and then dyeing them. Eventually I’ll have time to turn them all into socks and see how they knit and wear, and hopefully by then I’ll know something about *my* ideal composition for sock yarn