Tfwshnbn's blog

did I mention these updates were, er rare?

Pirate's Queen Booty Bag, pattern by Pat Kight. Finally finished and (as of last night, center picture) felted.

Mitered squares sock-yarn-user-upper, in progress. Not just yarn from all of my socks, but from many of my friend's socks.

Firestarter socks

Firestarter Socks, completed, knit in Panda Wool.

Juno Regina shawl, pattern by Miriam Felton, knit in Zephyr silk/wool blend.

another in a long line of rare updates

from the front

Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket, knit in Plymouth Wildflower DK.

Plain stockinette socks with short row heels, knit in cotton/wool blend yarns.

booty bag

Pirate's Booty Bag, in progress.

Waterfall Rib socks, from Sensational Knitted Socks, completed. Modified to be knit toe-up. Knit in Neighborhood Yarn Co. Studio Sock.

Stocking and felted bowl knit for the Columbus Women's Chorus silent auction.

Japanese Vines scarf, knit in Lornas Laces Shepherd Sock.

Cordobes Hat with Scarf, completed. From Folk Hats, knit in Kraemer Mauch Chunky (hat) and Kraemer Summit Hill (scarf).

knitting and dyeing

Completed Widdershins, knit in Universal Yarn, Inc.'s Pace on size 2 circular needles, magic loop method. As I was knitting the tops of the socks, I kept trying them on--they would seem long enough, but just another cable repeat...just another cable repeat...just another cable repeat...and then I finally decided they would do.

 

I took a yarn dyeing class at the Knitters Connection conference last Sunday, taught by the gals from Cider Moon.  It was a lot of fun! The skein on the left is composed of 5 types of protein fibers (wool, mohair, alpaca, silk, rayon) and was handpainted with dyes, then the dye was set in the microwave. The skein on the right (worsted weight superwash wool) was dyed using the bowl method, where you put your yarn in a bowl with water etc, pour in dyes then smoosh them around (with gloved hands) and again, the dye was set in the microwave. The colors on that one came out a bit dark, probably because I forgot to add water to my dye concentrate before adding it to the bowl, oops. I'm thinking about knitting a long-ways scarf using the yarn on the left, and perhaps a moebius scarf with the yarn on the right

a rare knitting update

These are Fair Isle socks from Sensational Knitted Socks, by Charlene Schurch. They were knit on size 0 circulars with Wildfoote yarn. This was discontinued yarn that I got for $2/skein over Christmas, from a yarn shop in La Jolla, California. I usually do two socks at once, but was really glad I didn't this time, since the 3 yarn strands had to be detanged/unbraided every few rows. I'm not sure yet what I think of the socks--they are pretty snug in the patterned areas, and not so snug in the heel and cuff. I need to see how they behave after blocking.

This is the felted swatch from my just-started Booty Bag. I'm knitting this in Cascade 220, in lilac and charcoal gray. The technique is double knitting, which is new to me. Not too hard, but it did take a little getting used to. It looks like the gray is going to felt a little tighter than the lilac, but I think it will end up OK.

I'm also working on a pair of Widdershins, in charcoal gray. I'm just past the heel, working them two at once, magic loop method.

knitting update

Wow, I haven't updated in forever! I haven't been posting, but I have definitely been knitting.

Here we have the Oriel lace socks, from Sensational Knitted Socks, knit in Knitpicks Gloss, which is a merino silk blend. They were fun to knit. They did end up a little big, which seemed odd because I maintained gauge the whole time. One pattern rep fewer would definitely have been too small.

These are Yarn Over Cable socks, from Sensational Knitted Socks, knit in sock yarn from Laughing Rat Studio. They fit very well. I like how the color repeats ended up in narrow diagonal stripes, except for at the cuffs. The yarn over cable is simple enough that the yarn colors didn't distract from the pattern.

cold

It's a little cold in my apartment! Fortunately, I have warm knit things to wear.

and now, for something that's not Sock Wars

I started these socks between Sock Wars pair #1 and #2, and finished them last night. They're from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks, the Chevron pattern with a "forethought" heel. I am not enamored of the forethought heel, though I do admit that if the yarn had longer repeats, the spiral heel would have looked nifty. These were knit in Memories yarn from Knitpicks, in the Rocky Mountain Dusk colorway.

chevron socks

I die, I die; alas, I die a blue-striped death

obligatory toe-up pose

I received my death socks on Monday. Alas, my days as a knitting assassin

my sock death

are done. My death was ably carried out by Bunnie.

Sock warrior annaoj, limping, reports her third kill

And I think this will have to be my last, because my shoulder just can't take it any more.

These socks were knit to doom Jules Vern. They were started by JP (skull sock top).

The SOCK WARS intarsia pattern is by fullofstitches and was knit in yarn from the original pair.

The skull pattern is by Cynthia Combs and was knit in yarn from pair #2.

sock wars, round 3

sock wars, round 3

sock warrior annaoj reports her second kill!

sock wars, round 2

The plain sock was knit by my victim Javajem, the sock with intarsia was knit by me. I did the letters in the leftover yarn from my first pair. They've been mailed off to doom JP.

 

sock wars, round 2

sock warrior annaoj reports her first kill

sock wars round one complete!

I have doomed Javajem with these socks! I picked up the yarn early Friday evening (dk merino, in something of a mulberry color), started the socks Friday night (top down, 2 at once, magic loop method), got through the heel turns at Stitch & Bitch Saturday afternoon, and completed the socks last night. She'll be sending me her socks to complete; unfortunately, they're for someone with pretty large feet! My doom will depend on the speed of my assassin.