Swatching around

In between whittling down my sock WIP list, tapmouse & I were having a little bit of fun combining various STR skeins for the STR Ulmus KAL on Ravelry.

My first choice based on a stash pic I took a few months back is Dutch Canyon & Mossay:


My original second choice was Potomac and Petrified Wood. I discovered this while rooting around my stash and talking to tapmouse about her potential Potomac combinations.


She then suggested Potomac & Mossay, while perfectly fine, didn't give me the aha! or instant love reaction for me.


So then I started seeing knitters starting their Ulmus,' especially tapmouse's Footzey Foo & Harlotty combo and someone's Petrified Wood & Lucky combo and was inspired to try Potomac and Falcon's Eye. Now this was interesting.


So the swatching began with Dutch Canyon/Mossay first:


I then started the Potomac/Falcon's Eye swatch with the intention of also swatching Potomac & Petrified Wood, but because my Dutch Canyon/Mossay was already coming out deeper & darker than I had anticipated, I decided to stop with just the 2 swatches.


In fact, I've already decided that both swatches will eventually become full-blown Ulmus shawl/shawlettes (depending how far I get with the lightweight yardage). What'll be fun & interesting is when I get further along to take a pic of the "back" side of the shawl. Sometimes, the color combo on the reverse side is just as interesting, if not more so.


While up at the cabin for the long holiday weekend, we stopped in downtown Sonora to do some business. Usually we drive through downtown on the way to one of our family adventures, so I took the opportunity to drag the family into By Hand Yarn which I've only managed to get to once before. It's a really nice roomy lys in the Sierra foothills.


I went in with the intention of just browsing & checking out stuff for inspiration when I momentarily fell off the yarn diet wagon. I will say however, that I forgot that my Monkeys can be quite the yarn enablers. Monkey1 directed my attention away from their Shibui stock (no Wasabi!) to a cute little baby sundress store sample done in the Caribbean & Fuchsia colors in Tahki Palma yarn. It's their new organic cotton yarn (I assume the base only as I'm doubtful of the dyes are) and the store sample felt quite lovely.


I grabbed what was left of the Caribbean & a few Fuchsias in hopes that I have enough for a tank top for Monkey1. I'm sorta winging it based on a couple free online patterns & my gauge since Monkey1 is in that dreaded tween size range where there are barely any free or pay patterns around.

Jubilant Shawl

I finished the shawl on Mother's Day, but didn't get around to blocking it 'til the next day. Monkey1 decided to be the model rather than the photographer, so scale the shawl against a 4'9" grade school child.


Shawl that Jazz by Samro, one of the loveliest knitters around
BMFA BFL Sport in Jubilation - ~1.35 skeins
size 9 & 11 KP Harmony circs
version: the rufflier one


I was initially concerned about a slight difference between the 2 skeins I had bought at Sock Camp. (Pic immediately below.) Since it was a last minute buy (as in the last day before BMFA packed up), I rushed through and didn't check carefully. With the shaping involving short rows, it would've been a total PITA to alternate the 2 skeins, so I took a chance and started with just one.

It didn't matter at the end because I didn't need to start the second skein 'til the edging. (Obviously, gauge came to the rescue 'cause I knit a little tighter than the pattern spec.)


What it look like unblocked:


And as a Mother's Day gift to myself I got another Namaste Laguna in Eggplant from Woolgirl's Mother's Day sale. I was definitely in a color-coordinating mood.


One of these days, I will knit a matching pair of socks in the Jubilation mill end that I got at Stitches West the month before Sock Camp which matches so well. Sometimes it's more surprising when hand dyed yarns actually do match across fibers and dye lots.

Now back to my sock WIP's which haven't moved forward very quickly and to a new shawl KAL. Ulmus, here I come.

Cleopatra's Stockings

The pharoah is demanding but is worth her weight in rockin' socks!


pattern: Cleopatra's Stocking by Yarnissima
yarn: Socks that Rock lightweight Incredibly Shrinking Violet - 1 sk + a yard or 2 of the emergency keychain skein
size: large for stitch count, medium in foot length
needle sizes: 2.50 mm circs for the majority of the socks, 2.75 mm circs for the 1" twisted rib cuff

modification:
Per Yarnissima's original design, knit the leg charts 'til leg measured no more than ~3 in. This meant I ran short by just a little bit! I was on the last row of the twisted rib cuff and had to use my emergency keychain skein that comes with our sock club kit to finish the last row & do the bind off. I had bought another skein just in case, but decided I wouldn't wind it up for just that little bit of length.

These socks were well worth the challenge of a certain twisted stitch I wasn't fond of and the focus that was the transition from leg to cuff. I continue to love Yarnissima's designs. I just need to knit the rest that I have in my stash.


And I did cast on for my Shetland Triangle yesterday for Ravelympics 2008 bright and early in the morning. I worked on both the shawl and the rest of the second sock during the delayed West Coast broadcast of the opening ceremony. Say what you will about the role of politics in the Olympics and all, but under the direction of Zhang Yimou, the opening ceremony was utterly spectacular.