Floret Socks - One Leg Done!

Even with all the other knitting going on, I have not been completely neglecting my Floret Socks.  These are mostly podcast knitting, when I don’t need to be paying close attention to something on TV.  The dark yarn can be a bit of a challenge at times, but that is what good lighting is for.  Overall I am very happy with how these socks are turning out.  Here is a picture of the patterning.

That repeating motif will continue all the way down the foot to the toe.

Pattern:  Floret by Makenzie Alvarez

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

 

Acorn Sweater - Cast On!

Sometime in the past year, I saw this yarn on the Daily Dream email from Sundara Yarn, and just fell in love with the color, so I bought 4 skeins.  I thought it would make a beautiful cabled vest, and even had a pattern picked out (Caol Ila by Thea Colman).  I set the yarn aside until I finished up some other projects, but back on November 9 I caked up one of the skeins and knitted a swatch.  It was a dream to knit with.  The yarn is Extra Fine DK Silky Merino, and is 75% superwash extra fine merino and 25% mulberry silk.  When I pulled the swatch off the blocking square I knew that I wanted to make something simple, in stockinette, to let the glorious subtle colors of this yarn take center stage.

So, back to Ravelry I went, gauge swatch in hand to find a sweater pattern that would work.  I found several potential patterns, but in the end I settled on the Adult Acorn Sweater by Kalley Reedy.  It is a yoked pullover, with a little bit of decorative stitching after the yoke increases.  I have never knit any of her designs before, but the pattern is very well written.  I also wanted something mindless for reading and TV knitting, and this checks that box.  So, after finishing up my Tahari Tank, I cast on.  It has worked up quickly so far.

The neck hole does look small, but I have tried it on, and it fits.  It is a crew neck, with short row shaping for the back of the neck.  I used the tutorial she recommends in the pattern for the wrap and turns, and then had to find one for that last wrap when you start working in the round again.  The link in the pattern takes you to a video on the Knitting with Suzanne Bryan channel, and I found one for working that last wrapped stitch on Andrea Mowry’s channel.

Pattern:  Adult Acorn Sweater by Kalley Reedy

Yarn:  Sundara Yarn Extra Fine DK Silky Merino 

Needle:  US 6 (4.0 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm - for the ribbing)

Tahari Tank - Finished!…and Frogged

I finished up my Tahari Tank, using my handspun Rambouillet, this past Saturday, and blocked it.  It was dry yesterday, so I tried it on.  There are many things that I love about this project, but there are some things that I just can’t abide.  I love the fabric.  The knitting looks great, and I am super pleased with my handspun yarn, and my dye job.  But the armholes are too big, and they gape, and also come down a little too far for my comfort.  Not really indecent, but just outside of my comfort zone.  Of course, being a breast cancer survivor, and only having one boob, does affect how things fit.  I could wear a knitted knocker to be symmetrical, but then I would have to wear a bra, which I don’t, because I don’t need to (because my remaining one is small).

It doesn’t look too bad on my dress maker dummy, but on me, not so great.  And then there is the whole retro bathing suit vibe.  I do like the stripe of lilac, but it hits right across the middle of my buttocks.  The top itself comes down to just past.  And while I did work increases to try to keep the ease going over the hips, I was only partially successful there, so there isn’t as much ease over my hips, tummy and buttocks as I might otherwise like.  I also didn’t realize how far this yarn would go, and realized that I could make a pullover, which I think I would get more wear out of.  So, in the end I decided to treat this as a giant gauge swatch.  I measured my gauge and went hunting for another pattern, which I found, and it was already in my library, which makes it even better.  It is a simple V-neck pullover, that is very customizable, so I can use up as much yarn as possible.  I’m not sure if the lilac will make another appearance - maybe as ribbing?  We’ll see.  Anyway, I spent most of yesterday picking out the tubular bind-off, which took me quite a while, although I did get pretty good at it.  And now the yarn is re-skeined, and had a bath, and is currently drying on my yarn drying rack in the bathtub of the spare bathroom, which is also where I do my dyeing.

The yarn held up beautifully to being frogged, which also makes me proud of my spinning.  The moral of this story?  Don’t be afraid to frog.  That is one of the best things about knitting, you can get a do-over, provided that the yarn takes frogging well (there are some that don’t).  I like the pattern, and will probably make it again, in some other yarn, and as a proper tank top.   It was very well written, and I mostly liked the fit, except for those armholes, which to be honest, I had some doubts about when I was working them.  Another moral - listen to your instincts.  Would I have kept it if the armholes were better?  Probably not.  I did think about just taking the top in under the armholes, but there were those other fitting issues that I couldn’t really fix that easily.  But all in all, a great experience.  I learned lots and I really enjoyed the knitting itself, even if the top didn’t come out quite as I had envisioned it.

Pattern:  Tahari Tank by Tanis Lavallee

Yarn:  Rambouillet, handspun by me

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm)

Floret Socks - Cast On!

So yesterday I cast on the Floret Socks by Makenzie Alvarez.  This is the first pattern of this designer that I have knitted, but she has some really beautiful patterns in her Ravelry store.  I am through the ribbed cuff and a few rounds in to the chart.  The pattern is well written.  This skein is one of the Spring’s Promise trio.  The yarn might be a little dark for the patterning, but I’m good with it, even if it is a bit challenging to the old eyeballs.

Pattern:  Floret by Makenzie Alvarez

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Moderne Socks - Finished!

I finished up my Moderne Socks yesterday morning while watching the rest of the Fleece & Harmony wool cast, and the latest John Arbon Textiles vlog, and then random classical guitar and lute videos.  This is it for the Janel Laidman sock patterns.  I do have one more skein of club yarn, but I think I will use it for  a Cookie A sock pattern instead.  I looked at the Janel Laidman pattern that it was intended for and it just didn’t excite me at all.  This skein of Expression Fiber Arts came as part of a trio called Spring’s Promise and when I was putting the remnants of this skein back in the box I pulled out the other two skeins and decided that they really need to become socks, so I caked them up and went pattern searching and found patterns, that were already in my library, for both.  So even though Socktober is over, I will continue with the sock knitting.

Pattern:  Moderne by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Moderne Sock - Second Sock - Heel Turned!

And here is proof that I have not forgotten the second Moderne Sock.  I did actually cast on pretty much as soon as I had finished the first sock, and I’ve completed the leg and turned the heel and am working the foot.  I have just started the gusset decreases, which are all on the top of the foot.  Now that I have the Tahari Tank through all the interesting parts I can turn my attention back to this project and get it finished up so I can start the last Janel Laidman sock club sock in my stash.

Pattern:  Moderne by Janel Laidman

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Resilient Sock

Needle:  US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

Tahari Tank - Armhole and Neck Ribbing Done!

I have not forgotten about the second Moderne Sock, but I did get just a bit distracted by this project, which I cast on back on October 28.  The first breed of sheep that I spun in my Breedschool was Rambouillet, and it was a delightful spin, resulting in three pretty consistent skeins of sport weight yarn and one smaller skein approaching fingering weight.

Last month I dyed the three larger skeins up, first in Lilac, and then because I really didn’t like the pale color, I overdyed them in Eggplant.  I had been searching for the perfect pattern and when I finally found it I immediately cast on.  So far the knitting has gone extremely well, I was able to get gauge using a larger needle than that called for in the pattern, but my yarn is also a bit heavier than that called for in the pattern (which calls for a fingering weight).  The fabric is wonderful, and the fit is pretty darn good.  The pattern instructions are extremely well written and easy to follow, and I was just having so much fun knitting that I didn’t want to do anything else.  Now I have this to the point where I’m just knitting in endless rounds (until I decide it is long enough and start the ribbing), so it is perfect mindless TV and reading knitting.

The ribbing is 1x1, and is bound off using the Tubular bind off.

Pattern:  Tahari Tank by Tanis Lavallee

Yarn:  Rambouillet handspun and dyed by me

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm) and US 4 (3.5 mm - for the ribbing)