Ready or Not, I'm Blogging

For some reason I wanted to wait to post until I had finished Chevron socks to show, but it seems that may be awhile yet, so ready or not, I figured it's time to blog. The socks were to be done for the SAM4KAL, and I had aimed for September, and then October, and they are still not done! They are like the never-ending socks, I tell you what. I am finished to the point of grafting the toe on the second sock, but there is a glitch in the system. The heel just isn't fitting properly. I knew it wasn't when I finished the first sock and was able to try it on, but I wasn't sure what to do about it, and tried fooling myself into thinking "they'll be fine". (Maybe it was the fact that I broke one of my first short wooden sock needles trying the sock on before it would fit over my foot that caused this foolish attitude?) This is my first sock with an afterthought heel, and really, I love the way they look, especially when a contrasting color is used for the heel, but this just wasn't working for me. So, once I got the second sock done past the heel and got that on my foot, I realized they won't be fine. Luckily, Random Knits is one of the blogs I read regularly, and Donna recently had the same issue with an afterthought heel from another pattern. (You can see the contrasting heels that I mentioned on her Slinky socks.) I e-mailed Donna yesterday, and she was kind enough to give me some pointers about how to go back and re-knit the heel and shorten it up some. If you click the photo below to enlarge it, you will see how the heel is rather long and "pointy". It seems there is just too much 'fabric' there. Armed with Donna's hints, I will undo the kitchener (yikes!) and tink back (rip?) and see if I can shorten the heels so that they are appropriately round and cup the heel like they're supposed to. I am not sure what caused this issue, as the rest of the sock seems to be on gauge and fitting good. My pattern is from Sensational Knitted Socks, but I know Donna's was not. I love this book and don't mean to say anything negative about it at all - I'm just sayin' this pattern did not work out for me this time.

I've also been working on the baby sweater for my nephew. I've got one sleeve completed, and I'm about half done with the second, then on to the hood. I was surprised to see this pattern calls for a drawstring. I thought they were no-no's for kids this age - I am making the biggest size, for a 2 year old. I asked a few people and they thought it was OK, and I have decided I will go ahead and knit the casing and put in the drawstring, and mom can take it out if she doesn't want him to have it. I may do some research on that issue. Certainly I don't want him to hurt himself.








Next socks on the list are for my older sister, Deb. All of my socks so far have been for myself, except for one pair I made for my teenage daughter. My daughter hasn't worn hers yet - she is stuck on white athletic socks, and I keep telling her she needs to expand her horizons, especially with her black "dress" boots. She only has athletic shoes and this one pair of boots, so obviously her horizons need more expanding than just my socks, but that is another issue entirely. (Don't tell her I said that.) Anyway, when my sister was over the other night I brought out my ever-expanding tub of sock yarn (I need a bigger tub already) and had her choose her yarn. She chose this Mountain Colors in the Steelhead colorway. It is certainly lovely yarn, and I think it will make beautiful socks. Deb has always appreciated good socks, and I hope she won't be disappointed with what I knit up for her.












Finally, I got another picture of the baby sweater from a few posts back being worn by my adorable nephew showing his true disposition, along with my puppy, Zeppelin. (I was so tickled the other day to find another train button for the top button hole! I haven't gotten the sweater back yet to put it on, but was pleased to have solved that dilemma. ) Anyway, I can't help but sharing this, as they bring me great joy and this picture is a keeper!

Finished Objects

I have finished objects! They have actually been done for some time, just not blogged about until now. I felted the clogs a week or two ago. The Nature Spun yarn felted fast and wonderfully I thought - just one trip through the washer on a short cycle. This pattern was so much fun to knit, and everytime I felt something I want to immediately do it again. It is just so magical. I have yarn for another pair for my other niece, and a pair for my daugher in her college colors. For my daughter's I bought some fun, under-stated novelty yarn (yes, there is such a thing) that I will add to the cuff.

I also finished up a baby sweater I had started last year. I really only had a few ends left to weave in and the buttons to sew on. I set the sweater aside while the baby grew a bit, and suddenly was rushing to finish before he grew too much! It is made with Plymouth Encore, an Acrylic/wool blend, so it is machine washable and dryable and is a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern. It was knit from the top down, all in one piece, and then you go back and add the hood. This is my second "real" garment. I started this so long ago I seem to have misplaced one of the buttons in progress. I am sure I had bought enough, but when I finally got around to sewing them on, I was one short. I guess my thinking at that point was you probably wouldn't ever button that very top button anyway, so he got it without the top one. Once my nephew is done with it I may get some plain buttons to sew on, but these little trains were too cute not to use, even if I was one short. Lesson learned here about letting projects languish too long I guess. I should note that I used the "auto adjust" feature in my photo program, and while I like what it did for the colors and the crispness of the image, it seemed to make the sweater look very "acryl-icky". It doesn't look that way in person, and it doesn't really have much of an acrylic feel to it either. It is soft and cozy.

And this is not knitting related, but I also have a room full of rubber stamping supplies. I have hardly touched a rubber stamp since I found knitting, but I had a baby shower this afternoon, and decided to make a card to go with my gift. I did knit an umbilical cord hat out of Cottontots yarn that I attached to a very full bow on the outside of the gift, but the gift itself was a bouncer, not a handknit item. This photo doesn't enlarge very well - I took it in a hurry before I rushed out the door for the shower. It's a bit blurry, but you get the idea.

Rip It! Rip It!

I have been knitting, just not posting. My SAM4 KAL socks are the socks that won't end it seems. I love the chevron pattern, the first sock is done, and I have a good start on the second, but they are taking forever! I missed the deadline for September, so I guess they'll be October socks. I won't post pictures until they're done.

I sort-of finished a tank top that I had been working on. I'm not fond of it really, and need to rip the finishing edge on one of the sleeves - I didn't do a good job picking up the stitches and I guess I didn't really notice it until I was done with the second one. I'll photo that and post over the weekend so you can see what I mean. I also have a problem down at the cast on edge where I have a goofy loopy thing that I can't seem to get rid of. I will take it into the yarn store on open knit afternoon and see if they can help me correct that. I am tempted to frog the whole thing - I'm just not happy with it. Anyway, I'll get a picture and post it before I correct the messed up armhole so you can see what I did.

I had promised myself I would finish that tank top before I cast on for a baby sweater I had been wanting to do and/or a sweater for myself I have yarn for. When I finished the tank, even though it wasn't quite right, I justified the casting on of the baby sweater. I was happily knitting along on this pattern (#211) and had company on the way. I turned the page to see what I was going to be doing next, and read ahead a bit, and then went back to knitting and waited for my company. Company came, and I didn't get back to the sweater until much later that evening. I continued to knit the following night, and then last night as I was knitting on it, realized I had made a critical error.









I had skipped two lines on the one page of the pattern when I was reading ahead, and they contained the buttonhole for the placket at the neckline. Unfortunately this little item will be ripped out tonight and I'll be starting over from the beginning this evening. It is such a minor thing, but so crucial to the design, and I just don't see any way around it. Live and learn!