Thursday, October 27, 2011

Christmas knits #4 and #5.

I was in a bit of a blue mood last night, so when picking my next Christmas knit pattern I wanted something pretty and fun. I considered using the bright orange and yellow yarn for a planned pair of socks, but chose to go with something "pretty" instead. I had been planning on making the jade colored men's scarf next, but decided even though it is a beautiful yarn it is not quite happy enough.

The pattern I ended up choosing was the "Flit + Float" from knitty.com. If you follow the link, you will see that this is a lacy and pretty scarf, meant more for looks than for warmth. Also notice that in the title I listed Christmas knits #4 and #5. I am making two scarves for two different people, one purple and one dark red.

This is the picture I took of the yarn the day I received it. It is Knit Picks Shimmer yarn in a lace weight. It is 70% baby alpaca and 30% silk. The color on the left is "Sherry" and the color on the right in "Elderberry." This yarn is very soft and luxurious feeling and a pleasure to work with, even if it is tiny.

This picture the flash shows the pretty sheen the yarn has. You can see both scarves being worked on here. I am using my new size 4 (3.5mm) Harmony Knit Picks needles. You can see those cute, neat, little balls of yarn...it took me an hour to wind each ball. I have a bit of a cramp in my right arm from winding those last night.

Of course this picture is just to show the yarn color without the sheen to it. I am pleased with the colors. "Sherry" is a very pretty dark red with some darker and lighter tones in it. "Elderberry" is a brighter color with some very pretty purple tones in it. I think the end result will be very lovely.

The pictures were taken after about 2 hours of work. I cast on and am working the first ruff, I will be done with it in 3 more rows. After that I will slip my needle back through the open cast on loops and start knitting the actual scarf. I hope to be done with this project by the end of this weekend. Once I get done with the ruffle and have some progress on the scarf done, I will post new pictures :)

Skullface update.

I was afraid it would happen, and it did...I ran out of red yarn. The real kicker here is that I was close to being finished. I had one pattern repeat left when I ran out of the tonal red yarn. I guess I was going to order more black for making a back for the scarf, I will order another hank of red as well. I am kicking around the idea of knitting the recipient's initials on the back of the scarf using the red yarn. I will have nearly a full skein of yarn left over when I am finished; I need to find some use for it.

Since this project will be on hold until sometime in November, I started another project last night. It isn't the project I was going to make next, but all will be revealed in my next post ;)

Update: 11-18-2011

I ordered the yarn to finish this scarf. I ordered one hank of the tonal red, and 5 skeins of black. The yarn won't be getting here until the end of this month, but I've got plenty to work on until then so it doesn't matter. I am glad to finally have the yarn ordered and on it's way here :)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Bad knitty kitty!

My cat loves to lay on my lap and watch the yarn strand move by as I knit. He is a great knitting helper. He keeps me company while I spend hours winding hanks into balls, he comforts me with his purrs when I am frustrated and rip out rows of work.

On occasion, my knitting helper releases his evil alter ego; the yarn shredder. This morning as I sat down to relax and knit on the "Skullface" scarf I noticed my one skein of black yarn was gone. Following the strand attached to my work, I discovered a tangled and shredded mass of black yarn under the coffee table. I don't have any clue how he managed to tangle it so badly, but it took me over an hour to get it "fixed" and wound into a usable ball. No more kitty on my lap today. I am still angry at him and can't help but glare when he walks by.

It's been a bad knitting day :(

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Latest Knit Picks order.

My order from Knit Picks came yesterday. No pictures :( Just haven't felt like bothering with pictures much. The yarn is spectacular and will make a very handsome scarf. I will no-doubt make the scarf with the jade colored yarn once "Skullface" is done, however long that may be.

Also included in my order were two sets of sock blockers, one large set and one medium set. They work quite well and seem plenty sturdy. You can see a picture of them in my recent post on the Tribute socks.

I have mixed feelings about the fixed circular needles I ordered. The 2.5mm looks great, but there is a weird problem with the 2.25mm size needle. One tip is considerably sharper than the other. I am a bit perplexed how something like this could happen. I would assume that the needles are all shaped the same way and would be identical to others in the same size. I am also a bit baffled by the lack of quality control on needles at Knit Picks. Everything else I've ordered from them thus far has been exceptional in quality, except for their needles. Remember that one Harmony needle tip that was separating in the grain of the wood? I did fix it with clear nail polish and it seems fine now, but I am wondering if I will get a messed up needle with every needle order I make; it is 2 for 2 so far.

Should I complain and return the needle because the ends differ so much, or should I just keep it and see how much it really effects the effectiveness of the tip? I am torn on what to do. I would like a perfect set of needles and to have consistent tip sharpness, but on the other hand there would be a considerable amount of time I would be without a 2.25mm needle while waiting for the exchange. I need that needle size for the sock patterns I have for Christmas gifts, and my time to complete those gifts is limited. The needles aren't very expensive, and I'm not sure I can afford the time it would take to return them. I need to see if the needles are usable as is, if so I will probably keep them. I don't feel like messing with them at the moment though. Maybe next week I will test them out.

Skullface scarf progress, with pictures.

I am nearly half done with the Skullface scarf. It is working up fairly quickly and I would probably be finished with it by now had I worked on it more consistently. There were a few days I didn't work on it at all.

Here is one repeat of the skull pattern. This is the only picture so far that accurately shows the red tonal yarn. You can also see that I did not do the shell edging like the pattern calls for. I want to keep it as straight edged and masculine as I can so frilly edges just wasn't going to work ;)

Here is my progress so far. Tonight I will be completing a section of black then starting the second half of the scarf. I decided the scarf was not going to be long enough, so instead of 3 repeats of the skull pattern, I am doing 4. Because of this there is a possibility that I may run out of red yarn before completing the scarf, but I'll deal with that when it actually becomes an issue.

I think the scarf looks splendid so far. I did not take a picture showing the back yet. I am almost considering knitting a back for the scarf because the wrong side does look a bit messy. I haven't decided for sure yet, but I will probably end up buying more black yarn and knitting a plain black back for the scarf just so it looks neater and more finished. If I were making this for myself I wouldn't bother with a back, but I like gifts to be finished and neat.

Tribute socks, pictures.



I finally got the Tribute socks blocked and pictures taken. Without further ado, here they are :)
 

Just a picture of the entire sock, on the blockers.
 
Without that horrid flash, this picture shows the color of the socks more accurately.

 Here you can see the heel detail better. The heel is nearly identical to the diamond waves socks I made previously, only those were toe up and these are top down.

 Here you can see the cuff. It looks fine, but hold the cuff fairly wide since the fabric is doubled over. It will be fine when worn, as it looks fine on the blocker, it is just strange looking before the sock was blocked and the cuff portion was wide while the leg of the sock was scrunched up. Wow, talk about a run on there!


As I've mentioned before, I will be making another pair of these socks for my youngest daughter for Christmas. This pattern was fun to work, but I am glad I am done with it for now ;)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Tribute progress.

I am making good progress on the Tribute socks. In fact I finished the heel section last night and am now working on the gusset. I hope to complete the gusset section today and may just keep working on the foot. I was going to swap down a needle size after finishing the gusset decreases, but am second guessing myself on that plan. I don't think it will be too loose now, and a smaller needle may in fact make it a touch too tight. I may not use a smaller needle size until I reach the toe area, if at all, depending on how it goes down.

I am antsy to get the socks done. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying the rhythm to the lace pattern and using the smaller needles after working with the size 10's. My problem is that I keep feeling that soft merino wool and I long to knit with it so badly! It is so soft and smooshy, and that tonal red is so pretty and happy looking. After using the creme colored yarn, I am dying for something more colorful!

I haven't not decided if I am going to post right after I finish the socks, or if I will wait and post pictures once they have been blocked. My most recent order from Knit Picks won't be arriving until the 20th, so won't be able to block the socks until then. I guess, it's not like I would have any shortage of projects to knit in the mean-time, lol

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Hooray for an order complete!

Yes! Knit Picks FINALLY got that jade colored gloss fingering yarn in stock and available for order! My needles, sock blockers, and yarn should hopefully be here early next week. I was getting worried I would never be able to make my order, so that is a burden lifted.

Since I am posting, I may as well update on my sock progress. I managed to do a full repeat of the lace pattern yesterday. I have one more repeat before I can start the heel section. I must have forgotten how long it honestly took me to knit up that last (child sized) pair of Tribute socks. I will not be getting the gusset section done in two days. I may get the gusset section completed in 3 or 4 days if I really push myself. I am not sure I will have as much time to dedicate to knitting as I would like. We were slack in our school last week, so need to do extra this week. Oh well, I will get the socks done when I get them done. No need to stress out... really.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Christmas knit #3.

I have decided which project to tackle for my third Christmas knit. I will be making the "Skullface" scarf from Knitty.com. I selected this pattern for a young man who loves math. I thought the pattern had a decidedly geometrical appeal to it and a sort of coolness factor that would be appropriate for the person it is intended for. I don't usually include pictures of the pattern, but for this one I will.


You can see what I mean about the geometrical qualities of the pattern. I will not be following the pattern exactly. I will be omitting the ties in the middle and the shell pattern on the bottom edges. I want to keep it a simple scarf with simple edges. I think the shell design on the ends doesn't work very well with the geometrical skull patter, especially since this will be a man's scarf. I will also be grafting the two pieces together instead of using a triple needle bind off. I will attempt to make both sides at the same time. I will have three strands of yarn for each side, so it may get a little tricky, but that's what makes it fun! This pattern is "Tangy" difficulty, so it should be a breeze once I get used to the skull pattern.

The yarn I will be using for this pattern is Knit Picks Swish Worsted. It is 100% Superwash Merino wool. I have 4 skeins of solid black, and one hank in the color "Gypsy" which is a tonal red. It will be great that this yarn is machine washable and dry-able, very nice for a gift item. Here is the picture of the yarn.


The man I am making this for likes red, so I think this tonal red should look nice. The colorway should end up making a marbled look which should look nice for the skull faces.

I mentioned before that this will be my first time using the intarsia method. I am not very apprehensive about it, as it sounds rather simple. It is simply using a separate piece of yarn for the area of color being worked, with wrapping the yarn around the neighboring strand to keep it all connected. In this pattern the color pattern is achieved by slipping stitches, the intarsia is only for one edge of black.  I am still not sure why it is necessary to even work the side edge in intarsia, but hopefully it will become more clear once I actually start the project. If it isn't necessary, I may end up not even using intarsia.

I won't be starting this project for a couple days. I have work to do on the Tribute socks. Once I get the gusset completed and need to switch to a smaller needle size, I will start work on this scarf. I don't imagine it will be more than 3 days. I will post once I do start the "Skullface" scarf, hopefully with a picture or two :)

Christmas knit #2 complete!

I finished the scarf last night, so Christmas knit #2 is complete! I already posted pictures of the hat, so I will just include pictures of the completed scarf. I think it turned out really well and I am hopeful that the recipient will like both the hat and the scarf :)

 The solid side of the complete scarf.

Showing both sides of the scarf.

I had a lot of trouble getting a picture close enough to show the edging. This is the best picture I managed to get and the flash is washing it out a lot. Oh well, I'm sure you get the general idea of what I did on the edging from looking at it.


Now that number 2 is complete I need to work on number 1 until as much as I can. I posted about this in a previous post. I am in need of a size 2.25 mm needle to finish the Tribute socks, so I will be working on them until I complete the gusset area. Once I finish the gusset I will set the socks aside and work on a different project until I get the needle needed to complete them. Hopefully I will be able to place an order to Knit Picks today and receive my order next week. I have selected Christmas knit #3 and will create a post for it shortly :) By shortly, I mean as soon as I click the "publish" button then the "new post" button ;)

Irritated with Knit Picks.

I really like Knit Picks as a whole. Their website is easy to use, their needles and yarn all seem to be affordably priced yet superior in quality...so why am I so irritated with them? Simply put, they won't sell me the yarn I so desperately want! I have been waiting for the Gloss Fingering yarn in the color Jade for awhile now. I want it to make a classy scarf for a classy man whose favorite color is green. It is the perfect color in the perfect blend for the perfect scarf for the man I intend to use it for. Only problem is that Knit Picks isn't making it available.

A few weeks ago the availability of the yarn was marked for October 5th. October 5th came and the yarn said "available soon." Part way through the day it changed to "available 10/10/11." I have a whole order waiting on the availability of this yarn, so I was a little irritated that it changed. Well, today is the 10th of October, and the availability tag has been reading "available soon" for several hours already. I am scared it will get changed again to next week.

I know that the yarn will be fantastic, as I ordered some in black previously. It has a beautiful sheen to it from the silk, and the merino wool is super soft. I haven't decided if I am going to use the black to make a scarf for my father, or use it to make a couple pairs of socks in the Tribute pattern. This would be perfect for my 5-year-old daughter who loves all things black, and I might like a pair of socks for myself or a lacy scarf even (or some lacy wristlets! I have never made wristlets before!.

I am especially frustrated over the fact that I have an entire order hinging upon the release of this yarn. Every order from Knit Picks over $50 gets free shipping. I have sock blockers, and two fixed circular nickle plated needles in my cart. I need $10 more to get free shipping. I would hate to pay for shipping for this order then turn around and pay shipping for the next order within a few days or a week. I am not so keen on paying shipping charges ever, so it would really irritate me to pay for shipping twice if I could have avoided it altogether.

My issue is that I need those sock blockers and needles to work on the 3 pairs of socks I have planned for Christmas knits. I could really use them for the Tribute socks I am working on now. I am using a 2.5 mm needle to increase the size of the sock, but would like to switch to a size 2.25 mm when I reach the foot area, then use a 2 mm needle for the toe area. I have both 2.5 mm and 2 mm, but I am missing a needle in that middle size. I am wondering how long I will end up waiting until I can order the needles and blockers I need. It will take me several days to finish the leg, heel, and gusset sections of the sock, so it will be a little while until I need the 2.25 mm needle. There is also the issue of the free shipping taking about a week until I get my order. I may be working on scarves only for a couple weeks.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Christmas knit #2 update.

I finally have pictures of the hat, and the scarf. I got the hat pattern from Knitty.com, link here. I do believe I am about 2/3rds done with the scarf, so I am excited to get it completed. Here are the pictures!

This is the Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky weight yarn that I used for the project. It is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool. I bought 2 137 yard hanks of both Coal and Smoky colors. I really like working with this yarn. I did find a few naps in it, but only one knot so far and it feels soft and springy and warm. I am thinking of using this yarn for the Scarlow jacket for my husband...providing I ever get around to it. I highly recommend this yarn, the quality and the price are both good.


 This picture is to show how I was knitting it on the 40" circular needles (size 10 tips). The pattern called for two circulars, but the cable is soft enough that allowing the extra to form a loop not being worked on, worked out pretty great. Yes, those are my pajamas, and yes that is a wet spot where I spilled water on myself, lol That's what I get for knitting into the wee hours of the morning.


 Just a close up of the needles, so you can see the beautiful colors and the sharp tips! I am still loving using these needles. They feel so slick and nice in hand and have been very comfortable to use.

This is the black side of the hat. I think it turned out very nice. I am making this hat for a man with simple clean taste in style, and I think he will really like this. I made this is size small, as the large size was working up much too large. I do believe the small will fit nicely. My gauge was slightly off working this hat, but after blocking it, the measurements were exact. I am very pleased with this hat, and I may just end up making another one later for my husband (different colors of course).

 
 This is the tonal side. I was afraid I wouldn't like the pooling of the colors, but it actually is kind of interesting and not tacky or ugly at all. I love that it is completely reversible with both sides being attractive.

 Tonal side with brim turned up, I imagine this is how it will be worn as the hat is rather longish without turning up the brim.

Lastly, here is the picture of the scarf. To make this I cast on enough stitches to work one repeat of the pattern graph, plus one more on the end. As I worked this I did a chain edge to hold the fabric together on the edges and to give it a more finished look. You do this by slipping the first stitch of the row knit-wise, and purling the last stitch of the row (this is done every row). I held both strands of yarn together while working the chain stitches. It holds it together nicely and looks pretty great too! For the pattern I worked up the same pattern as on the hat until I completed it, then just kept going making one side black and the other side tonal. When I reach the end of the scarf I will work the pattern again, just upside down. It will look slightly different, but that is fine. The scarf will be reversible, just like the hat.

I imagine I will have the scarf complete in a couple days time. I will post final pictures when it is complete. I still need to finish the Tribute socks. I will start working on them hard-core when I finish the scarf. I will decide which project to start next once I have the socks finished. I am leaning towards making another scarf, one in particular, but who knows :)

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Hat pictures delayed.

I have given up on the hat drying in time to take pictures before I head off to bed. I decided blocking it was important, but that double knit wool ain't a quick drier. I'll post pictures tomorrow :)

On an additional note, I started the matching scarf and am a good 7 inches or more on it. Hopefully the scarf knits up pretty fast, as I would like to move on to the next project soon. I will post pictures of the scarf tomorrow as well.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Yarn haul!

My box of wonderful knitting bliss arrived on Monday. I should have posted right away, but the yarn lured me in and I had to start knitting right away!

This is what I found in the box, knitting needles and a HUGE bag of yarn! Sure feels like Christmas yarn to me :D


 (click picture for larger version)

Top row, #1: Wool of the Andes Bulky, 2 each of Coal and Smokey (hat and scarf).
Top row, #2: Swish Superwash, 4 in black & 1 Swish Tonal in Gypsy (scarf).           
Top row, #3: Gloss Fingering, 4 in Black (scarf).                                                        
Bottom row, #1: Swish Superwash Worsted, 2 each of Lava and Hollyberry (scarf)
Bottom row, #'s 2,3, & 4: Stroll Hand Painted, 1 each of Lullaby, Make Believe, & Juice Box (socks)
Bottom row, #'s 5 & 6: Shimmer, 1 each of Elderberry and Sherry (scarves)

I took close up pictures of each group of yarn, and will include those pictures when their respective projects are being worked on. I have started the hat using the first group of yarn pictured, but nearly have it completed. There isn't much sense posting a "project start" post when I will be posting a "project completed" post in such sort amount of time. I literally have two inches and the bind off to finish the hat. I should get it completed and the post created by tomorrow evening (if I am slow). I plan to make a scarf to match, but more on that later :)

I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with the yarn so far. It all feels wonderfully soft and luxurious and the wool and silk blends have a beautiful sheen to them. I feel that the $162 I paid for all the yarn and the needles was a great deal. Everything is very nice quality and will make beautiful Christmas gifts! I can't wait to work with all the yarns and see how the completed projects turn out!

I will be making another order to KnitPicks for the Gloss Fingering yarn (top right black yarn in picture) in Jade. I also need to pick up sock blockers and a couple more needles for making socks.

Happy knitting!

Knit Picks Needles.

My order from KnitPicks.com came on Monday. I would have posted earlier, but didn't have time with all the knitting I've been doing ;p Yarn haul later :)

I have been using the new needles to make a double knit hat, and so far I love them. The cables are exactly the softness I was looking for and the tips are sharp, sharp, SHARP!! They are fabulous, and these are what I will be buying a full set of (eventually, piece by piece no doubt). I ordered the wood (birch) Harmony line in interchangeable circulars. I got sizes 4 (3.5 mm), 8 (5 mm), and 10 (6 mm) as well as a set of 40" cables (two cables, a key for tightening, and four screw on ends).

The needles are very light weight, sturdy, smooth, and pretty. The joins are smooth and the tips sharp. I have had one problem, but don't think it is worth returning over. I am using the size 10 needles, and there is a rough spot that has snagged a couple of times. I am not sure what caused it, but a piece of the grain of the wood has came up and been broken off at some point. It is small, and not super noticeable, so I will try to fix it with a tiny bit of nail polish to stop it from snagging. Not a big deal to me, and I am still really enjoying using them.

I also ordered a size 0 (2 mm) fixed circular in nickle. I tried several times to take photos comparing the needle tips between the KnitPicks and the Addi Turbo needles, but my camera just wasn't able to get a good picture that showed the difference. The sharpness of tips is a huge difference. Because of wanting sharp tips for knitting socks, I will be ordering a full set of the smaller range of sizes of the fixed nickle needles from KnitPicks. The tips are way sharper than the Addi Turbos, even a good deal sharper than the Lace needles which are supposed to have special sharp tips for lace knitting. The cables are softer (very nice for magic loop method) and they are cheaper. The Addi Turbo needles were $13.50 each plus $4 shipping, while the KnitPicks fixed needle was $5.99 and I got free shipping for ordering more than $50.

So far I really love the KnitPicks needles. They are everything I was looking for and they feel great in hand. I would definitely recommend these needles, especially since they are affordable!

Pictures of the needles fresh out of the box, still in their packaging :)

Click on the picture for larger size as usual :)

Silly knitter, Tribute socks are for kids!

Problems with the Tribute socks...I would say big problems, but it's quite the opposite actually. Yes, the socks I have spent over a week slaving over are child sized. I checked my gauge like a good little knitter always does, whole lot of good it did me!

I thought the socks looked fine, until I got partway through the foot area. I tried one on my (clean) foot, just out of curiosity. I will admit that I have big feet, but they are long NOT wide. The sock was a huge struggle to get over my heel. Even though I made the socks in the "large" width size, it barely fit over my heel in the ankle portion of the sock. Just for curiosities sake, I called my daughter into the room and tried it on her foot. Yes, the socks I was knitting for an adult, fit my 6 year old perfectly. So, I just knitted to the end of the lace section and made the toes. My daughter is very excited to be getting socks for Christmas, lol Only now I need to make a pair for the 5 year old as well.

Here are the pictures of the completed socks.

 Here you can see that the instep portion is fairly large. It doesn't look as odd on, and it fits my daughters wide feet well, so all's good.





This picture looks a little bit funny because it is on my hand. It looks better on my daughter's foot, but she is asleep like most people ought to be at this hour ;)


I would be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't disappointed that the socks turned out so tiny. I am rather let down because I spent a good amount of time on the socks and had went to the trouble to check my gauge. I checked my gauge on a swatch before I started the sock, and during the cuff area. Both times my gauge was spot on. Either my measuring tape is extremely screwed up, the pattern assumes women have tiny feet, or something else really screwy is going on with the yarn or my tension while knitting.

I have cast on a new pair of socks with what yarn I have left (approximately 1 and 3/4's balls of the Red Heart sock yarn). I will buy more yarn when needed IF this pair goes well. I cast on using larger needles this time. Previously I had used my size 0 (2 mm) Addi Turbo fixed circulars. This time I am using the Addi Turbo Lace needles in size 1 (2.5 mm).

On the new pair of socks, I am finished with the cuff and have half of the fist lace pattern repeat done. I tried this portion on and it seemed much better. I may go down to a 2.25 mm needle (would have to buy one special) for the foot portion depending on how it goes once the gusset portion is completed. Because I am using a larger needle than the pattern calls for, I will make the foot area medium width instead of wide. I think it should turn out alright, but I will be checking and rechecking the entire time I am knitting it! I am super paranoid of it being the wrong size now, lol

I most likely won't have new pictures of these socks for awhile. I don't have much done on them yet, and my yarn order came, so I am working on an additional present as well.