UFO Smackdown

Mystery Stole #4 aka Serendipity Stole

unblocked:

blocked (for now):

Dream in Color Baby in Wisteria
size 6 KP circs
no mods

However, the center kitchenered join needs to be re-done after a few re-do's to fix what I originally thought was a too tight kitchener row. Turns out the last row before I kitchener somehow got pulled too tight & makes certain portions looked seamed in. I'll have to rip the whole kitchener row & re-knit the last row on the shorter half. But not for now. I need a break from this after I finished the second half in 1.5 weeks after picking this back up.

And totally frogged is a test sock I did for someone on knitty 3 years back. The designer had abandoned her pattern & I never got around to replacing her one design element for a different one I would like or a generic St st leg & ribbed cuff.

I decided to frog the whole thing since I assume my gauge wouldn't be the same & I didn't want to keep the short row heel anyway. This yarn will go back in the stash 'til the Monkeys decide what they want out of it.

Digitessa

It only took me over a year to finish the pair, 4 months after I finished the first. Which is why this was in my UFO-in-denial project. I kept it as a WIP on my Ravelry project page and only once-in-awhile put it to sleep. But Nathania's call for a UFO Smackdown on Twitter & a Facebook group got me going. So glad I did.


pattern: Digitessa
yarn: Wollmeise 100% merino sock yarn in Digitessa (the yarn & pattern came together in a kit)
needles sizes: 2.50 & 2.75 mm KP circs


Yarnissima (Marjan) isn't lying when she says this pattern is demanding.

Modifications:
Because my row/round gauge was shorter than the pattern spec, I ended up at a different spot on the top of foot chart. I had failed to make clear notes on the first sock, so when I did the second (finally), I didn't quite get it to match. :p

And to alleviate any problems in getting the sock on, I switched to the larger needles on Chart 5B instead of Chart 6 as suggested in the pattern. That's right, there were at least 6 charts for this design. I won't complain though as the alternative would be to have the charts printed in teeny-tiny font which would've created issues for me if I had to enlarge them on a copier.


So now that my UFO-in-denial is done, I cast on the second half of my Mystery Stole #4 (aka the Serendipity stole) a year after I finished the first half. Sense a trend? Hopefully I'll finish this second half before the year is up.


Also done is my spinning class with WonderMike. I may not be drinking the Kool Aid yet, but I do appreciate all the skill and hard work that goes into hand splindling. It does seem to be quite an attractive craft as Monkey1 asked me to show her how. I may need to sign her up for a class sometime 'cause my teaching her is like the blind leading the blind at this point. :p


So to distract her from my lack of spinning skills, she and Monkey2 got to split the wares in Woolgirl's Hello Kitty Valentine's kit. I get to keep the yarn (Curious Creek Fibers in a special Woolgirl colorway & yardage) and project bag of course.

On the WIP slow boat

It's going to be a busy month for me with family events and special knitting for others so my WIP's will be progressing rather slowly.


As part of the Makin' Cookie's Ravelry group KAL, I'm finally working on Cookie's Hedera socks in Fleece Artist merino (I have no idea which version but it's the skinnier one) in Lily Pond.

I did goof up the gusset decreases 'cause I thought I wouldn't need to decrease all the way down to 60 stitches so I didn't move the first & last held instep stitches to the gusset/sole. It turned out I was a little too loose at 62 & so added the last set of decreases in. The only drawback to that is that I don't have the pretty gusset decreases like in the pattern. Sometimes I need to learn to trust in the designer, especially Cookie.


My second chart repeat on my Digitessa sock went a lot faster than the first once I got the hang of Yarnissima's notation & logic. It's on hold 'til I have some time to devote to knitting off 3 charts (2 gussets & the instep).


And I finally got around to finishing chart 6 of my Mystery Stole 4. The yarn for the second half is wound and once I mentally prep for that first bead row where you place them practically every other stitch, I should be ready to cast on for the second half.


The only thing that isn't on the slow boat is the beret I cast on at the Stitches West after party at Purlescence. I did have to cast on twice as I was trying another tubular cast on method, this time in the round. Too much laughter is detrimental to doing it correctly the first time round.

Star-Crossed Slouchy Beret (Rav link)
Dream in Color Classy in Black Pearl - only 1/2 skein
size 9 & 11 KP circs
this tubular cast on in the round 'cept corrected by her commentary
other mod: lengthened the ribbed cuff to 2"

Someone needs to put a fork in me anyway.

I really want to be done, but I'm afraid I'm not. There's something about holiday knitting that suddenly makes product/production knitters question their entire being. I'm sure the Yarn Harlot's written about it so I won't go further other than to say that it certainly does a number to one's psyche.


Symmetrical Braided Gauntlets
Crystal Palace Merino 5 Solid
size 7 dpns
for Monkey2's youngest teacher

The last of gift mitts for this season are done. Though the other ones I made were redirected from my co-workers (they just got the shaft this year) to the Monkeys' teachers.

I forgot to mention I finished this pair of fingerless mitts while on T-day vacation.


pattern: Cafe Au Lait mitts (sorry, Rav link)
yarn: Lana Grossa Numero Uno
needle size: 4 KP circs 'cause I couldn't find my old Clover dpns (note - must try KP Harmony dpns)
for: Monkey2's teachers along w/Evangeline & Symmetrical Braided Gauntlets

I really like how it fits. The lace pattern is stretchy and it gets bonus points for a nicely calculated thumb gusset. Of all the fingerless mitts I've knit this season, this and the Maine Morning Mitts are the only pairs that I can wear comfortably w/o any mods if and when I knit a pair for myself. Evangeline will need a gusset along with the extra cable repeat(s) and the Symmetrical Braided Gauntlets will need a re-porportioning and increase in needle size.

The reason I had chosen this pair of mitts was the lace pattern was the same (if not similar) to the one used for the Cowl of Kindness and the Zig Zag Cowl (both Rav links) which in turn is a stitch pattern used in one of Charlene Schurch's sock books. I just told tapmouse2 that if I had known she would use the stitch pattern for her gift cowl, I could've saved her the math and pointed her to the 2 cowl patterns.

Nottingham hat deux
Knit Picks Swish in Delft Heather
size 9 KP circs
for Squid because Monkey1 snagged Nottingham hat une

And just when I thought I was done with the gift hats for the season, Monkey1 redirected Le Slouch from her cousin to her after school teacher. Apparently her after school teacher has a small noggin. Then again, Le Slouch is stretchy enough I got it to fit my average sized head comfortably enough after a wash & block.

I knew that I was tempting fate when I cast on for Felicity (loads of Rav links today) in good old basic Patons Classic Wool black for myself the other night. This hat may end up with our cousin to replace Le Slouch that she didn't know she lost out on. Then again, I could cast on for another Le Slouch, but in St st this time as seed stitch has the same mind-numbing effect as a 1x1 rib...well, anything.


And all the while I'm knitting all these gifts, DH keeps asking me "Is that my sock you're working on?" Hah. But I have been working on it in between everything and got most of the foot knit up at Purlescence Yarns last night at Late Night Knits to the accompaniment of a lots of soprano & alto knitters singing Christmas carols.

I got smart this time around and knit this pair of DH's socks on Mountain Colors Bearfoot on size 2 needles. Larger gauge on larger needles = less tedious sock spousal sock knitting.


I also finished hint 5 of my Mystery Stole 4 (Serendipity) during T-day vacation. Unfortunately, I haven't touched it since. With hint 5, I was a least able to work 1 row every few days. Not now and not anytime soon either 'cause I just signed up for Yarnissima's Digitessa KAL on Ravelry. I told Irishgirlieknits that I am crazy. And I am. Especially since Mom's flying in tonight (ugh, e3 hours late!) and so I probably won't get any knitting at all done while she's here.

Being Unoriginal

So Monkey1 is righteously scolding me 'cause I have caught what I thought was their mild cold and it's been kickin' my arse. Well, technically it's more like they've sent some gorilla cousins to sit on my chest all day & night. Ugh. I haven't been in the mood to knit at all, but I'm surprised I've actually accomplished something or another. This time my hat knitting karma was behaving.


Unoriginal Hat
Sheep Shop Company Two in Primavera
size 11 KP circs

No mods made. I'll have to gift this to a friend with a long head since the pattern isn't so much narrow as it is long.


The surprise is that I actually finished Hint #4 of my Mystery Stole 4 KAL. Right now it's 21" long unblocked. I don't think it'll block out significantly longer since my swatch didn't either. But it won't bother me since my SotSii stole was also on the small side.

But what I really wanted to post about is that Cookie A said we could share this about her upcoming book set to release in April 2009. I'm so excited! The pair I sample knit for her is Lindsay.

Progress report

The hat has been officially deemed "girly" when Monkey2 asked if this was her sissy's hat.


pattern: Nottingham hat
yarn: Knit Picks Swish superwash in Darkest Navy
needles: Knit Picks size 9 Harmony circs
pattern: size - child


The hat was a nice little break and got me motivated to finish my Hint 7 early. I finished Monday night, but haven't gotten around to blogging about it.


I also finished hint 3 of my Mystery Stole KAL 4, but it took the rest of the week. For some reason, this just slogs along, even without beads. But I do like it. (Pardon the non-dry-blocked shots, but I am being lazy. :p )


Thank you so much, Cockeyed, for nominating me for an award! I promise I'll get that post up soon.

It's going to be all about the stoles...

'cause my Gumdrop socks are done. And just in time for the September Rockin' Sock Club shipment since our packages are suppose to mail out Tuesday domestically.


pattern: Gumdrops by JC Briar
yarn: Socks that Rock lightweight in Goody Goody
pattern size: medium
needle size: KP 2.25 mm circs 'cause I was going for a tighter gauge
no mods 'cept playing the gauge game

So all that I have on my needles now are Monkey1's second fingerless gloves, but that's for soccer practice, and my 2 stole KAL's.


I got hint #2 of my Mystery Stole 4 KAL completed yesterday. Looking forward to starting hint #3 'cause there I won't have to deal with beads for awhile on this stole 'til hint #5.


The stole I am aiming to finish on time however, is my Secret of the Stole iii. I finished hint #5 earlier this week, marking the halfway point of this KAL. We have a wedding to attend mid-October so this will be the stole I'll be using. The monkeys' flower girl dresses are primarily dusky pink and cream, but the embroidered flowers have rather sagey green leaves that I can match with my stole.

Now I just need to shop for my own dress for the wedding :P and the monkeys' dress shoes.

In the land of beaded lace

I believe tapmouse already mentioned the word "insanity." Clearly I am. As is the first beaded row where we have to place a bead on every other stitch. That's ~58 beads on one row! Then we have to repeat it for the other half of this stole.


I'm glad I stuck to my Dream in Color stash yarn though. The Pansy Golightly isn't as variegated-looking with more stitches on the needles. And the irridescent purple beads I picked give a nice subtle shine which is perfect for me since I'm not much on the bling...unless it involves some wicked gorgeous eyeshadow.


And that lovely little 4.0 Friday night made me so nervous that I stayed up late enough to finish hint #3 of my SotSiii. On the plus side, it means that I can knit hint 4 at a nice leisurely pace and finish that by this upcoming Friday night.

Sweet Tart

In the oh-so-stinkin' cute category:


yarn: Socks that Rock lightweight in Hot Flash
pattern: Sweet Tart Anklets by Marilyn Kaleikilo (aka Hot Flash the Sockateer), one of the July sock club patterns
size: small + 4 extra stitches
needles: 2.25 mm dpns for inside picot cuff, 2.50 mm dpns for rest of socks


Swatching up for Secret of the Stole-iii
yarn: Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in discontinued colorway Moss
beads: 8/0 transparent green w/gold(?) lining from Glorious Beads - my delighful local bead store
size 5 Knit Picks metal circulars (still haven't gotten around to getting the Harmony wood set) to get close to Nautical Knitter's swatch size

I'm not fond of knitting with this yarn. I can feel the residual oil or something in the yarn, but the swatch does look better when I wet blocked it. It opened it up and the yarn didn't get super fuzzy which my initial concern with using this stash yarn.


Because the Alpaca Cloud was the only solid colored lace yarn in my stash, I am at a conundrum with what to use for the Mystery Stole 4 KAL. As much as I love this Rare Gem Laci that I bought at sock camp, I think the lighter bits would make the yarn too variegated. In any case, I would go with the darker green beads (my pick) for a more subdued look rather than the brighter but pretty blue (Monkey1's pick) for whatever beaded stole or shawl I would end up doing.


I am leaning towards the Dream in Color Baby in Pansy Go Lightly since Dream in Color's yarns tend to knit up as semi-solid rather than variegated. I had one skein in my stash from Woolgirl, but unfortunately at the time, Woolgirl was out of this particular colorway. I did find a second skein that closely matched the color fo the first at Purlescence, so I will probably swatch this yarn & corresponding beads first.