12 November 2010 · 3 Comments
Look, an actual real live finished hat! There’s a bottom part and a middle part and a top part. It fits on human heads. It does not squeeze them nor slide off. It covers that ‘top of head’ through ‘top of ears’ region and does not wander over and impede the eyes or attack the neck. It is, more or less, a successful and functional hat.
Also note how dramatically the color changed between the partial picture and this one. It’s not just different light/camera settings. This yarn (Malabrigo Twist in color Indiecita) just seems to do this. It happened with the mitts too. It’s a bit of a mystery really, as there was absolutely no dye in the rinse water. The color just came out more muted after a soak (cold water, no soap). Luckily I like the muted version better, but I’m still puzzled.
10 February 2010 · 7 Comments
As promised – Graupel. Just in time for your Olympic knitting pleasure!
I’m sure it’s terribly conceited of me to say it, but I’m awfully pleased with these. I know, I like them all (I’m hardly going to put out a pattern I don’t like, now am I?), but these are really rather special.
They start out with a lovely crisp ribbing. It’s a ridiculously simple 4 row repeat that you’ll have memorized in no time at all. Once you’re done with that, you make a nice neat heel flap with a tiny little decoration down each side to keep things interesting. A basic gusset is next. Then comes my favorite part – the nifty arch shaping. I promise it’s easier than it looks, and it produces a really marvelous effect. After all that excitement you’re due for a quiet spell, so after the shaping you just knit straight until you’re ready for the toes.
These work for men or women (really, if you do them in a dark color, they look textured not lacy and will pass muster with most guys). They’re written for 2 sizes, and by using either thick or thin sock yarn, you can create them in most any size from a women’s small through a men’s large. The pattern also includes instructions for continuing the ribbing straight down the foot without the arch shaping, just in case you want some more conservative socks.
If you need to make some yourself, just click here!
2 February 2010 · 5 Comments
I warned you this was coming.
I really did.
There is a new sock.
It’s soft and warm and lovely. I admit I’m biased, but I am fairly hopelessly smitten with it. It’s all done…but you can’t have it quite yet. It’s exclusive to Gaia’s Colours Sacred Sabbats Yarn Club members for the next three months.
I probably shouldn’t say anything. It’s probably just mean to show you the pretty sock when I can’t give it to you just yet. But today is the release date, and I’ve been keeping quiet for weeks and weeks. Such silence is quite against my character. I simply can’t suppress my natural tendencies any longer. I have to show them off.
I’ll content myself with just one more picture for now, though I’ll likely come back and prattle about them more when they become available to everyone.
26 January 2010 · 2 Comments
So the weekend bit didn’t work out. It was cold and rainy. I am valiant enough to hang about in the snow to get pictures, but not the rain. The snow came back today, so I dashed out for a quick snap, just to prove that they really are done. Alas, this is not a pattern-worthy photo, so I still have to wait a bit before I can start wearing them full time. It is, however, enough to tease you with. See?
4 January 2010 · 6 Comments
As promised, pics of the finished socks!
Alas, taking pics in the snow is rather challenging. I thought the snow would provide a lovely atmospheric background and bounce lots of light around and make things all easy and pretty. Um. No. Not so much. Instead it was cold, kept falling on the socks and the camera, made the colors look funny, and just generally inconvenienced both the photographer (The Boy) and the model (me).
It did, however, demonstrate the astonishing insulative power of wool (in case there was any doubt). My feet were not cold at any point during this photo shoot (my legs were another story). I could even walk in the snow and it wasn’t really any colder than walking in shoes. However, it turns out snow sticks to wool in a rather astounding way. Two steps in the snow and I was a white fluffy mess. Now I take pictures in part to document my knitting and in part because it’s fun to play with the camera. But let’s be honest, I also take them to try and convince you to buy my patterns and make your own socks. This picture isn’t likely to convince you to do anything other than move to a warmer climate. I include it merely to demonstrate the amazingly velcro-like effect of wool on snow.
30 December 2009 · 1 Comment
The purple socks (they will be called Caprice, which I’ll explain in due course) are done and drying on the blockers. I’m quite smitten by them. So smitten, in fact, that I may go ahead and release them earlier than I had originally planned. I’m starting to think early January might be a more fitting date than mid February. What do you think?
There is one sad thing about them being done though. Their completion means that I am not currently using my new Signature needles. They went into the socks the day I opened them and haven’t been far from my hands since. I’ve got another pair of socks on the same size needles and I’m considering switching out for the Signatures. I’ve heard it’s courting disaster to switch needles in the middle of a project, but I think I’ll take my chances.
As I mentioned earlier, the Signatures were a birthday present. I actually had a very knitterly birthday. I got the Barbara Walker stitch dictionary I was missing. I’ve now got the whole set, and they hold pride of place on my knitting shelf. I also got Lily Chin’s Tips and Tricks book, which is just marvelous. I took her class earlier this year and was very pleased with it. The book is even more information packed than the class was. The final bit of stitchy goodness was finding another stitch dictionary (Harmony Guides Lace & Eyelets) at the used book store on my birthday. Obviously the knitting Fates were watching out for me.
Pictures of Caprice will be up shortly (lovely though they are they don’t look all that impressive on the blockers).
