Vickilicious Knits

Knitting Experience (meme)

2008-11-19T14:30:00.000-05:00

I saw this over on Gypsy Coins & Peacock Feathers and thought it was an interesting list.

Bold = Have already tried this
Italicized = Plan to try this
Unemphasized = Have no desire to try this

- Afghan
- I-cord
- Garter stitch
- Knitting with metal wire
- Shawl
- Stockinette Stitch
- Socks: Top-down
- Socks: Toe-up
- Knitting with camel yarn
- Mittens: Cuff-up
- Mittens: Tip down
- Hat
- Knitting with silk
- Moebius band knitting (I've done it accidentally)
- Participating in a KAL
- Sweater
- Drop stitch patterns
- Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
- Slip stitch patterns
- Knitting with banana fiber yarn
- Domino knitting (I had to look this up, but sure)
- Twisted stitch patterns
- Knitting with bamboo yarn
- Two end knitting (this one is weird)
- Charity knitting
- Knitting with soy yarn
- Cardigan
- Toy/doll clothing (does our dachshund count as a toy?)
- Knitting with circular needles
- Baby items
- Knitting with your own handspun (I have never spun, and I'm not sure I want to)
- Slippers
- Graffiti knitting
- Continental knitting (I'm really happy with English though)
- Designing knitted garments (patterns coming soon)
- Cable stitch patterns
- Lace patterns
- Publishing a knitting book
- Scarf
- Teaching a child to knit
- American/English knitting
- Knitting to make money
- Buttonholes
- Knitting with alpaca
- Fair Isle
- Norwegian knitting
- Dying with plant colors (it was awesome)
- Knitting items for a wedding
- Household items
- Knitting socks on two circulars
- Olympic knitting
- Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
- Knitting with dpn’s
- Holiday-related knitting
- Teaching a male how to knit
- Bobbles
- Knitting for a living
- Knitting with cotton
- Knitting smocking
- Dyeing yarn (need to do more of this)
- Steeks
- Knitting art (seems like I should)
- Fulling/felting
- Knitting with wool
- Textured knitting
- Kitchener BO
- Purses/bags
- Knitting with beads (I'm doing this soon!)
- Swatching
- Long tail CO
- Entrelac
- Knitting and purling backwards (will have to if I want to try entrelac again)
- Machine Knitting
- Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegated yarn
- Stuffed toys
- Knitting with cashmere
- Darning
- Jewelry
- Knitting with synthetic yarn
- Writing a pattern
- Gloves
- Intarsia
- Knitting with linen
- Knitting for preemies
- Tubular CO
- Freeform knitting
- Short rows
- Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
- Pillows
- Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
- Rug
- Knitting on a loom (when I was a child)
- Thrummed knitting (honestly, I get irrationally creeped out).
- Knitting a gift
- Knitting for pets
- Shrug/bolero/poncho
- Knitting with dog/cat hair (maybe)
- Hair accessories
- Knitting in public
- Double knitting

It turns out I have a lot more experience than I might have thought, and I'm pretty open to trying new things. I'm looking forward to adding more techniques to my repertoire in my next few projects.

How about you?

Gift Knitting

2008-11-12T23:55:00.001-05:00

This year I've decided to replace my usual flurry of selfish knitting with handmade Christmas gifts.

I've made a rather ambitious schedule for myself, and while this is mostly a to-do list, it may inspire you in your own gift-knitting as well:

- for DAD - slip-stitch socks, Cobblestone Pullover, finish Oiled Wool gloves from last year
- for MOM - Baby Cables and Big Ones Too, Odessa hat (yay shiny beads!)
- for my BROTHER - oiled wool Broad Street Mitts, finish his birthday hat
- for a FRIEND - matching hat and fingerless glove set

I may also be able to tack on:

- for my GRANDMOTHER - tabi socks
- for an AUNT - lace picture mats (may do something else instead)
- for our DACHSHUND - a custom-sized cabled dog sweater (kind of a gift for my mom)
- for our KITTIES - catnip-filled mice

For the rest of my family and friends, I think I'm going to go with batches of these cookies, which are insanely delicious, or some other baked treat.

What are your gift plans?

A Hat Saga

2008-11-11T02:23:00.000-05:00

Much like the sock sagas of days gone by, I am not having an easy time coming up with a basic hat for my brother's birthday.

His request was simple. He sent me a photo of a hat he wanted, and we brainstormed. The original was wool, but he is a fishing boat captain, so I knew this hat would get damp and need to be washed frequently. We picked Cotton-Ease to make it machine washable, and I suggested gray, black and blue. I found a simple hat pattern online and thought I could whip it out in a few days for his birthday on November 3rd.

The first hat did indeed zip along (you must see where we're going with the "first" thing, right?). I figured out how to strand my knitting to make a diamond pattern that I thought was pretty spiffy.

The trouble was, the band of stranded stitches made this hat tight. Before blocking, it fit snugly on my head, and my brother has a much bigger head, with thick curly hair to boot.

I tried to maintain hope, soaking it and stretching it like crazy while it was wet, then periodically throughout blocking. Because there were so very many ends, I decided I'd have my brother try it on before I finished it completely, and as I feared, it was much too tight. It also seemed too long, so I made mental notes on modifications and resigned myself to knitting a second hat.

At his suggestion, I changed the pattern a bit, though I prefer the first. I moved up a needle size and knit it flat so that I could do proper intarsia, thinking it would all stretch uniformly. I resisted casting on extra stitches, as this pattern was supposed to fit a man's head and I was sure it was just the stranded bits making it too tight.

With many, many more ends to weave in, I stretched it around my brother's head before I even sewed it up, and it barely went all the way around. He looked at me grimly and said "Better get going on a third."

I am still hopeful that once it's seamed, it can stretch more than it did in that cursory fitting, but I worry that it's still going to be too small. I don't think I have enough gray yarn left and because I cut so many pieces for the intarsia bits, I don't think I can reuse hat #2's yarn.

Technique-wise, I have no idea what I would do differently besides casting on more stitches. I preferred stranding to intarsia, but I didn't exactly love either one.

Sigh. Good thing hats go quickly, right?

FO - Flower Basket Shawl

2008-11-09T22:20:00.001-05:00

I thought I would barely eke out this shawl when I only had 20 days to knit it. Then I had a break-up and moved over 100 miles away, so I thought I'd never get it done.

Perseverance and a long train commute can do wonders.

Pattern: Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark, from Interweave Knits Fall 2004 and available for purchase from Fiber Trends (here on Ravelry)
Size: approximately 63-inch wide triangular shawl, 31.5-inch long at center point
Yarn: Colourmart Silk 32/120NM DK weight 8-ply, color moss green, 100% silk; I used about half my cone, totaling approximately 80 grams/2.8 oz or 328.6 yards/300.5 meters.
Needles: size 7 (4.5mm) Knit Picks Options nickel-plated circular needle
Modifications: Changed yarn weight, added two repeats of Lower Flower Basket chart

Started: October 5, 2008
Finished: October 24, 2008

I think even if I weren't driven to finish this shawl for an October 25 wedding, it would have gone pretty quickly.

The lace was intuitive and easy to memorize within rows. It still amazes me that such lovely shapes can be created with simple yarn-overs and decreases.

The pattern calls for holding lace-weight yarn double, but I decided I'd rather use a single strand of DK for neater lines. That gave me the opportunity to use this delicious silk, which made the whole project feel special.

I did get to wear it to the wedding, and I must thank my friends for unwittingly taking FO shots which I unscrupulously borrowed.

Note to self: learn how to wear shawls.

As you can see, the size is okay, but not quite as large as I would have liked. I thought part of it might have been issues with blocking, seeing as the only surface available the night before the wedding was my mattress, leaning against the wall in a hallway. I blocked it vertically, without measuring, trying to just stretch like mad, and I think I could have done a little better with that.

Still it was passable, and I am suitably charmed by turning a green blob in a sink into an adult-size shawl (or shawlette, whatever).

The yarn was as luminous and lovely as I thought it would be. It was a tad splitty, I suspect because it is actually a lot of very thin singles plied but not really spun together. I've never knit with pure silk before, so this might be a common experience, but it certainly wasn't enough to deter me.

The color is a fantastic, delicate spring green that makes me happy every time I see it. I think it is now listed as "pistaccio" on Colourmart's site (their spelling), but there are so many delectable shades of silk there you really can't go wrong.

The whole cone, of which I used about half, cost $20 including shipping, so I will definitely be able to make something else with it too. That's a pretty great value for such a special-feeling project.

I would enthusiastically recommend this pattern for beginner and experienced lace knitters alike. While I wish I'd made my shawl bigger, I am still happy with the finished project and look forward to many more lace shawls in my future.

Previous Entries on this Project:
- Lacemaking
- Another new home

Oh hi, I'm the one who lives here.

2008-11-08T23:50:00.003-05:00

I have an interesting predicament where, for the first time since starting this blog, I have more knitting than blogging to show for myself.

My crazy long commute has been good for knitting progress, but bad because I leave before the sun and come home well after it's set. The days when I am home, it keeps raining (and even snowing!) which again, good for knitting, bad for photography.

I have at least one FO to show, one almost-FO, and quite a few new WIPs. Let's hope for some decent light because they are feeling unloved.

I also decided I was finally ready to knit for other people: socks and a Cobblestone Pullover for my Dad, an adorable sweater for my Mom, fingerless gloves for my brother, a Christmas gift for my best friend, socks for my grandmother, and a handful of other little things. I'd better get at it!

Lacemaking

2008-10-24T01:20:00.003-04:00

I mentioned that I've been working on a project that was getting a bit emotional. This is about where I'd left it when I moved out:

What makes it even more emotional is that it's a lace shawl that I was making to wear to a wedding this Saturday.

I invested all my nerves and emotions and more than a few long train rides into knitting this silly blob of lace. This evening I happily bound it off, in a sense closing that chapter.

I'm going to block it later tonight and wear it to the wedding on Saturday. I can't wait to see how it comes out.

Another new home

2008-10-17T02:10:00.003-04:00

For me knitting is a way of finding order in the world. It helps me maintain control and focus my emotions and energy on something predictable, finite, and productive. If I do everything the way I'm supposed to, I can have the results I desire (or even better).

Each tiny little stitch harnesses my joys, anxieties, trepidations, and scattered thoughts, and when I look back at pieces I've knit, I am transported to the time in my life when I was making them. These loops and bumps record my experience, and they are invested with what I brought to them.

I have a project that I stopped in the middle of a row, and I'm reluctant to even pick it back up again because it was what I was working on last week when I realized my living arrangement (and as a consequence my relationship) wasn't going to work out.

On Monday, my cat and I moved from Connecticut to my parents' house in New Jersey. My boyfriend and I are taking a break after dating for four years and living together the last three. In my heart, I knew this time was coming, and I am sure it is the right thing to do, but it still really hurts.

This weekend will find my mother and I packing all my belongings (most still not unpacked from the last move) into a U-Haul, and it will be done. I have no idea what the future holds (apart from a wedding we're going to the next weekend), and I have so much schoolwork and thesis stuff to catch up on that I don't really have time to process my thoughts and feelings.

This may be overly personal to share on my knitting blog, but I felt like it would be dishonest to show photos of stitches and projects without giving the emotional context behind them. It happens that my commute will get even longer, so we'll have lots of stitches to mull over in the coming weeks and months. And maybe somewhere in there, things will start to make sense again.

FO - Shock the Monkey Socks

2008-10-12T13:22:00.004-04:00

I thought it was time to give the world's most popular sock pattern a try.

Boy my feet are getting happier and happier by the day.

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A., from the winter 2006 Knitty (here on Ravelry)
Size: lady's size 9 with 9-inch foot circumference and 9.5-inch foot length
Yarn: Zwerner Garn Opal Neon 4-ply fingering weight, color 1937 dye lot #1, 75% wool / 25% polyamide; I used about 3/4 of a skein, totaling approximately 74 grams/2.64 oz or 347.5 yards*/318 meters.
Needles: Knit Picks 6" nickel-plated double-pointed needles, set of 5 size 1.5 (2.5 mm)
Modifications: Worked toe-up, with short row heel, 1x1 twisted ribbing and stretchy bind-off

Started: September 24, 2008
Finished: October 3, 2008

* Incidentally, this is the exact same yardage I used for my Bella Catena Italiana socks. Spooky.

When I saw how many people have knit Monkey socks before me, raving about how great the pattern is, I wondered if it could ever live up to the hype. I am so happy that not only did it meet my expectations, it completely surpassed them.

I decided to make these toe-up, even though that would mean flipping the chart upside-down. While there are patterns for toe-up Monkeys, I really did want to try the original chart as designed. I rather enjoy the look of the pattern done toe-up, as it makes little V's and upward-pointing triangles. Somehow that seems optimistic.

The lace pattern is about as intuitive as I've ever seen and addictive as all get-out. I had previously said that Bella Catena Italiana were the fastest socks I'd ever knit, but these Monkeys were decidedly speedier. I mean, 10 days?? Insanity!

I think I was just into the groove, and I was visiting my parents, so sock-knitting seemed to be a great companion to talking story, watching the debates, and whining about my thesis. Mostly though, I'm going to go with the addictiveness of the pattern, which begged me "just one more repeat, just a few more rows..."

I'm sure others have deconstructed the glory that is the Monkey chart before, but I think so much of its beauty comes in the plain rows. Each patterned row is followed by a rather plain sequence of knits and purls that absorb the increases and decreases. Within an eleven row repeat, there are basically only 4 rows with patterning, 3 which are knit completely plain, and 4 which are so simple they may as well be plain. This is a lot of fast and easy knitting, but with a great pay-off, as the lace becomes structural, textured, and really quite lovely.

The fit on these is fabulous, and I think I'm either really lucky with the ratio of pattern repeats to my foot's length, or I've figured out exactly where to start the short-row heels on socks. My boyfriend recently took a jab at me, saying that all I ever knit is socks for myself, and while he's right (and I felt appropriately selfish), I worry that I may not be able to get this kind of fit and comfort knitting for someone else, if I don't have them around to try it on as I go. I guess I'll have to give it a shot and see.

Back when I bought this yarn, I said:

This yarn is so cheerful and bright. It is positively electric with happiness, glowing with warmth and intense color. I feel as though it would be impossible to have a bad day when wearing socks knit in such a merry yarn.

I worried about how it may work into a pattern, and yes, the colors are pretty crazy, but I'm happy with the wacky stripes. As I knit, I realized that the colors formed a primary rainbow of red, coral, orange, yellow, and a gorgeous teal blue bouncing back and forth. As they laid side by side, they looked less neon to me than in the skein, but they still didn't look muddy or cancel out each others' saturation, which is an enjoyable thing about such pure color.

The put-up with Opal is nice and generous at 465 yards - with 7 repeats on the foot and 8 on the leg, I still have a quarter of the ball left. It felt nice to knit with, sturdy and well-spun, and they are wonderfully comfortable to wear.

I even like the way these socks look on the inside.

I had named these socks after one of my all-time favorite songs, "Shock the Monkey" by Peter Gabriel. Cause yknow, neon, electric, shock...? Really, I think it was because I knew one day I would want to gratuitously link to this video on my blog. Hehehe.

I feel silly saying I highly recommend this pattern, since really, doesn't it recommend itself? But I do, and I enjoyed it immensely, and I'd be surprised if I didn't knit another pair. They were fun, the fastest socks I've ever knit, and even in such a crazy yarn, I think they look pretty smashing. Happy feet indeed.

Previous Entries on this Project:
Ahem, none. Kind of sneaked on and off the needles.

FO - Bella Catena Italiana Socks

2008-10-09T17:54:00.000-04:00

I finished these orange socks the other day, and my feet are so very happy!

Pattern: Bella Catena Italiana by Terry L. Ross (here on Ravelry)
Size: lady's size 9 with 9-inch foot circumference and 9.5-inch foot length
Yarn: Mondial Extrafine 8-ply DK weight*, color 804 Orange dye lot #57, 100% Extrafine Merino; I used almost 2 skeins, totaling approximately 91 grams/3.168 oz or 347.5 yards/318 meters.
Needles: Knit Picks 6" nickel-plated double-pointed needles, set of 5 size 2 (2.75 mm)
Modifications: Worked toe-up, with short row heel, 1x1 ribbing and stretchy bind-off

Started: September 8, 2008
Finished: September 26, 2008

* This yarn is listed as DK weight in Ravelry, but I found it to be straight up fingering weight.

I don't think I've ever knit a pair of socks as quickly as these, for which I suspect I have my new train commuting time to thank.

It is also immensely soothing to have reached the point in sock knitting where I can work them by habit: cast on 12 stitches with figure-8, increase the toes, work the pattern stitch up to a set point on my foot, use the equations I've memorized to work the short-row heel, and coast on up the leg to finish with ribbing and a stretchy bind-off.

I think the ease of this process makes toe-up sock knitting vastly more enjoyable than cuff-down, as the trickier structural parts (which in my preferred short-row heel method are really quite easy) get out of the way early and allow for a nice expanse of the fun stitching which drew me to the particular pattern in the first place. I don't have to worry about running out of yarn, picking up stitches, gusset and toe shaping, or Kitchener (which oddly, I don't mind at all). I should be careful to avoid proselytizing, but I suspect I am a full-on toe-up devotee and at this point I struggle to imagine knitting a sock any other way.

As for this particular pattern, I absolutely love it. The lace is fun, intuitive, and a really big impact for simple maneuvering. The name means "beautiful Italian chain," and I found myself driven to continue in the 4-row repeats, striving to add one more link - okay and maybe another - before I reached my train or subway stop.

I could have made the legs longer, as I actually had a good deal of yarn leftover, but I am happy with where they hit on my legs. The lace is stretchy, but not overly so, and the fit is really comfortable without being loose or snug.

The length of the foot is exactly right and the toes and heel feel fantastic. Actually, it doesn't feel like I am wearing socks (apart from the warmth and coziness), which I guess is a pretty high compliment.

The yarn is absolutely exquisite. It is incredibly soft and decadent to touch. I think it is more customarily used for fine-gauge tops or accessories, which I imagine would give it an insanely lovely drape and feel. It has a nice spin to it, though, which makes it plump and resilient, and this is part of why I was confident that it would hold up to being socks just as well.

The color is a nice kind of orange, saturated without being garish and subtle without being muted. I knit these socks as part of the Sock Knitters Anonymous orange socks challenge for September, and I later added them to the Solid Socks group's September pool as well. (By the way, the Solid Socks group is really lovely, and I just discovered they are doing monthly color KALs in solid and semi-solid sock yarns all year.) Seeing so many orange socks all over Ravelry has me thinking more and more about colors, and I am happy to come out of the experience as much in love with orange as ever.

I would definitely recommend this pattern for beginning and experienced sock knitters alike, as the lace is easy, quickly memorized, yet consistently enjoyable. I had such a great time knitting these socks that I have renewed my resolution to knit 12 pairs this year. We'll talk more about that soon though.

Previous Entries on this Project:
- Second Sock... Speed-Up?
- Orange Socks

Second Sock... Speed-Up?

2008-09-27T23:25:00.004-04:00

There are many knitting myths to which I do not subscribe. The most predominant has got to be the greatly bemoaned "Second Sock Syndrome."

While a cute name and oft-sympathized malady, I find my behavior to be exactly the opposite of that described by the lethargy which sets in upon completion of the first sock, especially the supposed reluctance to cast on and then complete the second sock of the pair.

Instead, the closer I get to finishing the first sock, the more antsy I am to cast on the second. Once I have worked out the amount of pattern repeats for the foot, the stitches on the heel, and the length of the leg, I cannot wait to breeze through the second sock on an autopilot-like level of gleeful enjoyment.

I'm calling it the Second Sock Speed-Up, and I will champion its cause. All the drudgery and monotony of the first sock is removed by being half-finished with the pair. Each stitch toward the second sock is faster and ultimately easier because you've done it before and there are no surprises or confusing bits left, just smooth sailing.

Which is to say... stay tuned. I have something nice to show you.

Orange Socks

2008-09-13T16:21:00.005-04:00

Though I have many other things to show and talk about, most of my knitting is still packed in boxes from the move. I did manage to fish out some orange yarn and my size 2 DPNs to start the September Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdown orange socks challenge.

I had planned to use this yarn for a pair of Snicket socks (Ravelry link), but I could not figure out how to do the cables without a cable needle and I was feeling tremendously impatient. I searched around Ravelry for a simpler sock that would be knit over 60 stitches and found the lovely Bella Catena Italiana pattern (here on Ravelry).

The name means "Beautiful Italian Chain" and it is knit in an Italian virgin wool, so it seems fitting upon a return from Italy. These socks are moving pretty quickly and I think I may just finish a Sockdown challenge in one month this time.

(On a technical note, I am having some mystifying issues between Blogger and the FTP upload to my server. When I look at this site, I'm seeing a post that I've deleted in Blogger, as well as physically deleted from my server... yet I can't get it to go away, hence the duplication. It's also doing flukey things with comments.

If this blog goes silent for a while, please check my sidebar or Blogger profile for notes on what's going on.)

Back to a new home

2008-09-10T22:16:00.006-04:00

I wanted to drop in quickly and say I am back from Italy (it was AMAZING) and coping fairly well with having moved to a different state, having everything we own still mostly in boxes, and now enjoying a commute that is about 2.5 hours each way.

I would be lying if I pretended I didn't secretly relish the train time, as I'm envisioning piles and piles of knitting getting done, but it is worrying for the rest of my life.

The chill in the air is inspiring beyond belief - I am nuts about fall, and it seems I'm not at all alone in that. I will post an FO and some new WIPs soon, whenever I get to the "knitting stuff" strata of Ye Olde Box Mountain.

Arrivederci!

2008-07-26T10:26:00.003-04:00

I am leaving for Italy this afternoon!

At the last minute, I decided not to bring any knitting, and while I'm already sort of kicking myself for that, I know it will be for the best. It will give me time to draw and to learn French for a very important exam (upon which the rest of my degree and the next year or more of my life depends).

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer, and I'll see you in September! Ciao!

Keeping Busy

2008-07-15T22:47:00.003-04:00

I feel bad doing these drive-by posts where I slap up a few photos and scurry back to what I've been doing, but I am exceedingly busy with work, getting ready for my trip, sorting out a mess with my student loans, and figuring out where I'm going to live once this lease ends.

I guess the good thing is that the prevalence of anxiety and insomnia lately results in lots of knitting.

While I sort out what to do with my Eleanor socks (I am going to knit a third one to match the more open eyelets of the second sock, I think), I have continued working on my self-designed socks. Look - they're actually looking like socks!

I've decided to name these Springtide socks. In designing them, I was going for something that evoked the new life of spring growth, delicate chutes emerging from the soggy ground and vibrant leaf tips glowing in the sunlight. I hope to have these finished soon, as the deadline for their particular Sockdown contest is rapidly approaching.

I also cast on a really cool pattern for July, Scrolls Socks (Ravelry link) by Charlene Schurch from her book More Sensational Knitted Socks.

I love the swooping movement in this pattern, which is deceptively easy to knit.

It's amazing to me how such different patterns can emerge from simple combinations of knit, purl, increases, decreases, and YOs. I am utterly charmed by these.

I'm planning to bring the Scrolls socks and a few other small projects with me to work on in Italy. I am also planning to bring my newly-finished Jellyfish shrug (which we will talk about in all kinds of depth soon).

For now, a peek...

Yeah, I'm pretty happy about that.

Almost Eleanor

2008-07-10T04:05:00.000-04:00

Well this has never happened before.

I made a pair of socks, in a pattern and a yarn I absolutely adore, but I am not happy with the socks. I finished these on June 30th, and I've been unhappily thinking about them since then.

(Please excuse the lousy photo - I was rushing to submit it for a Sockdown entry.)

I love almost everything about these socks, but I made one big error. I tried to make the eyelets mirror images of one another, so they would cascade from the center down to each foot. Unfortunately, the way the pattern progressed, it made one set of eyelets (at left) very open and well-formed, the way they were intended. The second (at right) are smaller and tighter, more like a squinting aperture than a true eyelet.

I knit the smaller eyelets first, and as I saw the pattern changing on the second sock, I liked it so much that I figured I'd deal with the difference and try to compensate for it with a severe blocking of the first. Nothing doing. If I want these socks to match (and I do), I have to re-knit one of them.

As much as I love knitting socks, three of a kind may be too much for me.

FO - Cropped Raglan Sweater for Elise

2008-06-27T23:26:00.000-04:00

I am very glad to have finished Elise's cropped raglan sweater today.

I took photos before blocking, but I think you can see I'm pretty happy with it.

Pattern: Cropped Raglan Sweater (Ravelry link), free pattern from Lion Brand
Size: Large (41")
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted 10-ply worsted weight, color #8067 Sea Spray (dye lot 3740), 60% Pima cotton 40% Modal; I used just under eight 50-gram balls, totaling approximately 400 grams/14.08 oz or 600 yards/552 meters.
Needles: Knit Picks Options interchangeable circular needles, in US size 7 (4.5 mm) and 8 (5.0 mm)
Recipient: my aunt Elise
Modifications: none

Started: February 1, 2008
Finished: June 27, 2008

The usual disclaimers apply, in that I started this months ago and put it down for a long time, then finished it this week.

My aunt lives in Hawaii and works in an air-conditioned hospital. She mentioned how her shoulders and upper arms often freeze at work, so I wanted to make her something light and appropriate to the tropics, but substantial enough to keep her warm. I also wanted a soft and easy-care yarn, and I knew she adored this cotton/modal blend when she was admiring my grandmother's shawl.

One of the most interesting aspects of this project for me is that I've made this pattern before, a little more than a year ago, and in acrylic. I really enjoyed knitting it in cotton and seeing the way it was intended to drape. As much as I love my first version, I found the cotton to be swoon-worthy in wonderful ways.

There were several technical differences this time around as well. Apart from general speed and confidence, now that I know how to seam, I knit the sleeves flat rather than in the round on DPNs, which I found made them go a lot more quickly.

As I only just learned how to properly pick up and knit stitches last week, it was quite a different experience doing the front band ribbing. I picked up 2 stitches for every 3 rows, which gave me about 74 stitches when the pattern called for 94. I feel like if I had picked up more stitches (as I'd done in my acrylic version), the ribbing would sag in the heavy cotton.

I used a stretchier bind-off on the arm and waist ribbing to make for a more comfortable fit. I learned this bind-off from toe-up sock knitting and figured it would work as well for upper arms and to give the waist some stretch. I wanted this sweater to be easy to pull on and off, fitting with the easygoing drape of the cotton. I worried that this bind-off made it flare slightly, but I can happily say that all evened out with blocking.

I think this is a great pattern. Because it's such a versatile design, I find I wear mine all the time, over girly dresses or casual tees. I chose this soft greenish blue color because I think it's beautifully subtle. I hope it will function almost as a neutral with the rest of my aunt's vibrant wardrobe, making it easy to coordinate and enjoyable to wear. I also thought it would look great against her lovely tan complexion and blue eyes.

I am completely thrilled with the yarn. It is so nice to use and makes for a decadent finished project. I got to see how well it held up with my grandmother's shawl, so I know that my aunt's sweater will look great for a long time too.

My only concern is that this sweater may be a touch too big for my aunt. I tried it on myself to compare it with last summer's version, and it's slightly looser and more drapey all over. I think it'll be okay, if a bit more casual in feel than mine was. I really hope she likes it! I'll try to get photos of her wearing it when I give it to her for her birthday this weekend.

(By the way, for any Cure fans out there, I can't look at this project without thinking of "A Letter to Elise," but yknow, a sweater for Elise. Heh.)

Previous Entries on this Project:
- So close
- WIP it Out
- About those resolutions...

So close

2008-06-27T17:51:00.002-04:00

I have so, so many things I want to talk about. I'll start with this.

I just sewed the second seam, and now I must weave in the ends and block it. Kind of in the nick of time, as it's a birthday gift for this Sunday, and I'm leaving to visit its recipient (and my family) tomorrow.

Whew. More soon.

WIP it Out

2008-06-13T15:27:00.000-04:00

I think that show and tell is probably the best course of action to describe what I've been up to lately. (Isn't it always?)

First, I've taken appraisal of the yarn situation in my apartment and determined there is entirely too much. I posted this photo to Ravelry, but neglected to post it here - this is my entire sock yarn stash:

Yikes. I have another labeled version of it all as well. My boyfriend did take a few photos of my entire stash covering our bed, but the colors are grossly inaccurate. If you can stand an HDR, here it is. Seeing it sprawled out reaffirms my decision not to buy any more yarn for a good long while.

A recent day serving jury duty provided ample knitting opportunity, where predictably I worked on green socks. I am well past the heel and up the cuff on my first Eleanor sock, which is good, as I am trying to finish them by the end of June.

I also worked on a design-your-own sock challenge for Sock Knitters Anonymous, and it has involved a little math and a lot of frogging.

I got pretty far along when I realized a minor (and mostly undetectable error) that I knew would drive me crazy. I was so frustrated that I ripped all the way back to the beginning. I think I've got the pattern sorted out completely now, so once I cast back on these should be pretty fast-moving.

I also have socks in other colors currently going - Spiral Boot Socks for the Knitting 19th Century Novels KAL for Around the World in 80 Days.

I've loved reading the book when I have a spare moment (or can't sleep), but I have not made any real time for these socks yet, and it's unlikely I will finish them by June with everything else I'm attempting.

My green fixation has combined with my need for practicality in a One-Tone Ribbed Shrug from Fitted Knits.

This shrug is an enjoyable knit, and it's moving quickly. The latter point is crucial because I really should be using those needles to finish this other little sweater, whose recipient is visiting my parents in less than two weeks.

This is the Cropped Raglan Sweater from Lion Brand, and I've knit one for myself, so I know I love the pattern.

The one that I knit last summer was all acrylic, and this is in Knit Picks Shine Worsted (a cotton/modal blend), so the drape and feel are completely different. At first I didn't think I liked it, and I worried about the color, but now that I've had some time away from it, I think it has the potential to be a really lovely gift.

On some weird compulsion, I forced myself to cast on the Lace Ribbon Scarf even though I already had too many projects going. I messed up not once, twice, or even three times, but more than four times, resulting in complete froggings. Of course then it became a vendetta. I had to make this scarf.

I think I've got it now.

This is a red cotton yarn, and I really love the way it feels. The color and the texture remind me so much of Kabbalah strings it's uncanny.

As this post probably makes perfectly clear, I've got a lot of projects going on and have failed miserably at my three-projects-at-a-time goal. I think this is an accurate reflection of the rest of my life at the moment as well. I hope to knock out some FOs quickly so that I can get it all back under control.

Oh, and I've also got this to deal with.

Sigh. We'll talk more about that soon.

A Kitty Dream Come True

2008-05-31T15:44:00.000-04:00

During a recent attempt to reorganize my stash (we'll talk about that soon), I covered our queen-size bed in yarn, then wandered off, as I'm prone to do.

I came back to find our little Iggy beside himself with glee, relaxing on a bed of yarn.

Smokey joined him later, and the two of them spent many blissful hours living the dream.

Not surprisingly, they honed right in on the very dearest part of my stash, concentrating themselves among the sock yarn and laceweight. These cats have good taste.

(More photos in Eric's Flickr set of cats)

Practically knitting

2008-05-30T16:08:00.006-04:00

Lately I have been all about the KALs and fun projects: Sockdowns, Sexy Knitters Club, Knitting 19th Century Novels, Summer of Socks... and then for my own diversions, scarves, design projects, and lots of frivolity.

While these are a great time and I really enjoy the process, I'm not sure that what I'm producing is as, well, practical, as it could be. I should say that I don't think knitting has to be practical, nor that it should. However, I have some goals that I set for myself this year, and to this end, I'm not reaching them.

For example, I want to seriously reduce my stash. We're going to be moving at the end of the summer, and my mother has offered to refinish a gorgeous glass-doored secretary desk that I want to use for yarn, needle, and pattern storage. Unfortunately at this point, my stash couldn't possibly fit, and it's more than a little unwieldy.

I decided that primarily I want to knit up the acrylic portion of my stash, and I have made some progress with that, but really nowhere near enough. If all I'm casting on lately are luxurious socks and little lacy items, I'm never going to get to those big hunks of Caron One Pound lurking in a suitcase.

The other thing is that my wardrobe is in serious need of certain basic items. I know that I could just buy them and spend all my knitting time on other projects, but part of why I started knitting is so that I could make exactly what I want, the way I want it, to my measurements.

So from this point onward, I am trying to be realistic and casting on sensible projects as much as I can. They're not going to be boring and utilitarian - rather, still fun and exciting - but they're going to use up my stash, fill gaps in my wardrobe, and be worn more than once.

I'm going to continue with the KALs I have in progress, but I'm going to try for more practical, wearable knits within these contexts.

Phew. I guess I just had to put that out there for myself.

I've got this thing for green...

2008-05-25T18:06:00.000-04:00

I have jokingly said before that this blog could more accurately be called "Vickilicious Knits Green Socks," and umm, I'm doing little to change that fact.

These are Brigit socks (Ravelry link) by the late Gigi Silva, aka Momma Monkey. I'm going to rearrange the motifs to be centered on the foot.

Because I'm a little worn out on cabling, though, I also cast on Eleanor socks (Ravelry link), also by Gigi Silva, in Dream in Color Smooshy, Good Luck Jade.

This yarn is absolutely heavenly, and the subtle modulations in color are fantastic.

I'm knitting them toe-up, and I'm planning to make the eyelets mirror images of one another on each foot. I have a feeling these are going to become very well loved socks.

But wait! I don't just knit green socks!

Heh, I knit green tops too.

FO - Spring Twists Socks

2008-05-23T20:16:00.001-04:00

This afternoon I finished my Spring Twists socks.

I'm more than a little charmed.

Pattern: Spring Twists (Ravelry link) by Jeanie Townsend, through the Townsend Socks KnitAlong Group on Yahoo
Size: lady's size 9 with 9-inch foot circumference and 9.5-inch foot length
Yarn: Jaeger Siena 4-ply fingering weight, color 431 Sage, 100% mercerized cotton; I used two 50-gram balls and 26 grams of a third, totaling approximately 126 grams/4.4 oz or 386 yards/353 meters.
Needles: Knit Picks 6" nickel-plated double-pointed needles, set of 5 size 2 (2.75 mm)
Modifications: Worked toe-up, with short row heel

Started: April 3, 2008*
Finished: May 23, 2008

* - I actually started these with a different yarn on bamboo needles, then restarted on metal needles on April 24th, then a third time with the current yarn and needle configuration on April 25th.

Confession: In my haste to catch the afternoon sunlight, I may not have woven in my ends. These will look a lot neater at the top once I've done so.

I'm really glad I decided to switch yarns. My original yarn, while delectable and beautiful, just wasn't holding the stitches strongly enough to make it worthwhile. While they may look complex, these socks are essentially 1x2 ribbing, with 4-stitch cables every fourth row.

This was my first time cabling in socks, and I must admit, it wasn't exactly love at first twist. It involved a lot of grumbling, dropped needles, and expletives.

You start with four stitches in a row on the left needle, which we'll call ABCD, with A and D being knit stitches and B and C purls. You manuever them in such a way that once they've been worked, they "read" DBCA on the right-hand needle.

The instructions for the twist involved slipping them onto a cable needle, then moving them back one at a time to be worked. I found the cables became infinitely more bearable once I started rearranging the stitches on a DPN all at once, then purling and knitting straight across. It achieved the same result, but faster and a lot more easily, which made me much happier.

My boyfriend Eric helped me make this video to demonstrate what I'm describing:

(The song is an Aphex Twin remix of Nav Katze "Change.")

Yes, I really do knit that slowly. I got a little clumsy while transferring the purl stitches, but I hope you can get the gist of it.

Here, you move the first three stitches to the DPN, knit the last stitch (A), transfer the first knit stitch (D) from one end of the DPN, spin it around, and transfer stitches C and B from the other end. Then you purl B, C, and knit D. I have to say, I really enjoyed the propeller-like twirling of my DPN in the back of the stitches.

This yarn is not generally used for socks, rather for fine-gauge summer garments and accessories. It is highly inelastic and hurt my hands if I did too many cables or pulled too tightly. When knit at a tight, sock-appropriate gauge, the yarn is thick and durable, while still nice to use.

The comfort of the finished socks is out of this world. They breathe fantastically and feel wonderful on my feet. These socks do have a slight tendency to slouch if you dance around in them (as I was doing), but I think that could be controlled by choice of pattern and cuff length. I would say this is a gamble that paid off, and I'm glad for that as I have three other colors of this yarn in my stash, all intended for socks.

Cotton socks seem to be thicker than their wool counterparts, and I imagine the same qualities which give great stitch and cable definition also make them firmer and denser than a stretchier fiber.

The pattern as written is clear and easy to understand. I modified it to work these socks toe-up with a figure-8 cast-on, increased to 64 stitches around. I carried the pattern up the foot, turned upside-down, such that I worked three rows of ribbing, then a twist row.

I used a short-row heel from my standard formula. In this case, my heels were worked over 32 stitches, and I worked the short rows until I had 10 stitches on each side and 12 in the middle. Because I started my heel at a logical break in the pattern (just after the fourth twist on the second double-twist motif), it was easy to resume the ribbing and twists straight out of the heel.

I was pleasantly surprised by the lozenges that formed between the twists when I stretched the sock over my foot for the first time. When I was selecting this sock for the Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdown, I didn't have a lot of finished socks for comparison, and there were none that showed the sock on the feet. I think I would have been disappointed if they came out the way I was expecting, as I seriously love the organic movement of these swooping curves which travel into twists.

I would recommend this pattern for patient, somewhat experienced sock knitters. There is nothing particularly difficult about it, but the amount of the socks which are purled, combined with the possible complexities of cabling, make it slightly more difficult than your average stockinette-based sock.

As for me, I am onto something simpler, I think, for my next project...

Previous Entries on this Project:
- Switcheroo
- More Socks on the Needles

FO - Kaffe Fassett Toe-Up Socks

2008-05-13T19:58:00.000-04:00

I decided it was time to finish my toe-up Kaffe Fassett socks.

I am so, so happy I did.

Pattern: Universal Toe-Up Sock Formula by Amy Swenson in the summer 2006 Knitty
Size: custom fit to a lady's size 9 with 9-inch foot circumference and 9.5-inch foot length
Yarn: Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett 4-ply fingering weight, color 4261 Landscape Caribbean, 75% wool 25% polyamide; I used every inch of two 50 g/1.76 oz skeins, totaling approximately 460 yd/420 m.
Needles: Knit Picks 6" nickel-plated double-pointed needles, set of 5 size 1.5 (2.5 mm)
Modifications: None, as they were custom fit to my feet.

Started: December 3, 2007*
Finished: May 8, 2008

* - I put these socks on hold several times. I finished the first sock January 2, 2008, but did not cast on the second until March 8, 2008.

These were the third pair of socks I started, but they've become the sixth pair I've finished. I can actually see some differences in technique between the two, especially in the heels. It feels really good to know I've become so much more comfortable with sock-knitting in just a few months.

My speed also picked up dramatically. I knit the second sock from about an inch before the heel upward in two evenings. When I think how long I spent slowly eking out rows on the first sock, this is really gratifying.

I've raved about how much I love this pattern before, and I still highly recommend it. I now prefer a figure-8 cast-on to the short-row toe in this pattern, though it's not the short rows themselves. My issue is purely to do with unpicking the provisional cast-on, which I never seem to do quickly or efficiently.

The condensed technical details for these socks were:

A = gauge of 8 stitches/inch
B = 8.5 inch long cuff
C = 72 stitches around
D = 36 stitches for the toes and heels
E = 14 stitches in the middle of the short rows (11 stitches at each side)

These socks are really all about the yarn, which I adore beyond sense or reason. The colors are so intensely saturated and vibrant, with such interesting combinations of hues and spacing in the stripe pattern. Kaffe Fassett is truly a genius with color, and this self-striping yarn showcases his talents in a streamlined, effortless way.

I decided a plain stockinette sock was the only way I'd be happy. I switched to 2x2 ribbing where my calves needed more room, and I kept on knitting until I had about two inches of yarn left on the first sock. While I'm glad I used every last inch of this yarn, it did cause some problems in trying to match the second sock up to the first.

I am, admittedly, more than a little obsessive about my stripes matching, but I think I can live with the ribbing not matching. I cobbled together scraps to recreate the stripe pattern up to that point, but I ran out of yarn and had to finish with a completely different yarn. I think that unless you're really closely examining these socks (or I just told you all about it), this isn't the kind of thing anyone would notice, and it doesn't really spoil the effect for me. In a way it's kind of nice because I will always know which sock is my right and which is my left.

(I also know that up to that point, they are perfectly, row-for-row matched.)

This was a very satisfying, meditative project, mostly worked while reading or on public transit, but it remained interesting and fun because I loved watching the stripes change and new color combinations appear.

I definitely want to try other colors of this yarn. I think it makes just plain spectacular-looking socks.

Previous Entries on this Project:
- More Socks on the Needles

Summer of Socks? Yes please!

2008-05-10T16:53:00.000-04:00

A few years ago my mother and I were talking about how we each have rather embarrassingly large shoe collections. Neither of us go shopping very often (since I started grad school, I'd amend this to hardly ever), and we're not big fashionistas in any appreciable sense of the word. But we both just have this thing for shoes. Shoes of all shapes and styles, multiple colors of the same model, closets full of shoes.

We reasoned that shoes always make us feel good because our feet don't change sizes if we're stressed or retaining water. Our feet don't bulge or gap buttons if we're wearing the wrong undergarments. And our feet are (if I dare say so myself) rather attractive.

It follows, then, that my love of shoes should also be reflected in the recent emphasis (obsession?) I've placed on sock-knitting. I do have a huge amount of sweaters, blouses, and other projects in my queue, which I do plan to continue, but I am consistently, thoroughly satisfied by sock-knitting, and it tends to feel like the perfect project, all the time.

When I came across mentions of the Summer of Socks over at Zarzuela Knits and Crochets, of course I had to sign up.

I know I am going to knit at least a pair of socks every month for my personal goals and Sock Knitters Anonymous Sockdowns. I also have some sock projects planned for other KALs which I hope to cast on soon.

And while I neglected to take any knitting with me to Italy last summer (what was I thinking?!), socks are portable enough that I'm sure I can bring them on my travels this year. Summer of socks, here we go!

Natural Dyeing

2008-05-06T02:36:00.000-04:00

If you didn't guess from my previous hints, this weekend I ventured into yarn dyeing, more specifically dyeing from natural sources.

This semester I was taking a class called the Chemistry of Artists' Materials, Techniques & Conservation, where we studied historical methods and materials, as well as the chemical and conservation issues they present. In a unit to do with organic materials in art, we learned about the chemistry of dyes and inks, and I was utterly fascinated.

For my final project and paper, I decided to expand on a natural dyeing lab with my own project and additional research (in class, we dyed multifiber strips with madder, weld, cochineal, and had an unsuccessful attempt with indigo, then compared alum, iron, and no mordant for shifts in color - you can see photos and brief notes from that here).

I decided on a standard method, since this was a chemistry project, but on hindsight I do wish I'd tailored my recipes to the particular dyes used. I documented the process in perhaps excruciating detail, as I really wanted my results to be unambiguous and repeatable. All of these pictures enlarge considerably.

I began with two 100-gram skeins of 4-ply fingering weight undyed 100% Merino wool (Knit Picks Bare). I split this into four 25-gram skeins by weight.

I used the legs of an old piano bench to wind my yarn into skeins, then sectioned and tied them each in four places using figure-8 loops.

They were really cute all dressed up and ready for dyeing.

I thoroughly washed the skeins in a mild dish detergent. After scrubbing, I let them soak for 20 minutes to ensure that they were completely wetted and cleansed. I then rinsed completely.

I prepared a mordant from a recipe by Ida Grae in her book Nature's Colors: Dyes from Plants. I mixed enough to mordant four skeins at a time:

1 gallon water
1 ounce (28.4 grams) alum
1/4 ounce (7.1 grams) cream of tartar

I simmered the yarn and mordant together for two hours at a temperature just below boiling. I kept thinking to myself "Mmm, yarn soup." I allowed the yarn to cool in the mordant bath and soak overnight, at least 12 hours.

Meanwhile, I got to work preparing the dye liquors. For this project the dyestuffs I used were:

black tea
spinach mixed with dandelions
alkanet
Osage orange
annatto
kamala
sandalwood
cutch

Part of my research included the backgrounds, history of use, and chemistry of each substance. Specifically, I was interested in OH end groups that allowed for covalent bonding between an alum mordant and the fabric (I have diagrams and all kinds of nerdy stuff on this, which I may post in the future). Apart from the black tea and spinach-dandelion concoction, all of these dyestuffs were purchased through Dharma Trading.

I used equal weights of dyestuff to the amount of yarn being dyed, in this case 25 grams of each product. I simmered each dyestuff with 1 quart (32 oz) water in individual dye pots for one hour.

Here you see the beautiful, colorful brews.

Black tea / Spinach & Dandelions

Alkanet / Osage orange (cooled)

Annatto / Kamala

Sandalwood / Cutch

I let these mixtures cool and sit together overnight, at least 12 hours, to ensure maximum extraction of dye.

I filtered each dye using coffee filters and a kitchen strainer. I saved the remaining pieces on filter paper, with paper toweling and wax paper underneath, set on my windowsill to dry. Supposedly, you can reuse some dyestuffs for weaker, though often still successful dye extractions.

Once I had my clean dye liquors, I was ready to finally get dyeing!

I put one skein of yarn in each dye liquor and made sure it was completely covered in the pot. Here I patted myself on the back for the forethought to measure ahead, as I knew how much dye liquor I'd need to cover a skein of yarn. I got an amazing thrill out of looking at the yarns in their little enamel pots, trying to predict what colors I would get.

Black tea / Spinach & Dandelions

Alkanet / Osage orange

Annatto / Kamala

Sandalwood / Cutch

I simmered the yarns in the dye liquors for one hour at a temperature just below boiling. I let the yarn cool in the dye baths, then steeped the whole situation overnight, in this case eight hours.

(Yarn soup for sale).

I prepared a rinse for each yarn using about a gallon of water and 2-3 ounces of white vinegar. I did all this with a plastic bin in my bathtub, with a plastic tablecloth covering the floor and the door closed to avert cat or boyfriend-related disaster. I wrung out the excess dye from each skein and re-sealed the dye liquor container, again with the intention of reusing the seemingly not-yet-exhausted dyes.

I first did a thorough vinegar rinse in a plastic tub (wearing gloves), squeezing, pressing, and gently agitating the yarn. Once the initial dye bleed seemed to subside, I rinsed the yarns with cool water from the shower, squeezing them and examining the rinse water. I continued rinsing until they ceased bleeding completely, which I hoped meant that the dyes were adequately set and will not bleed in the future.

I hung each skein to air dry with acrylic waste yarn from my towel rack. Once they were completely dry, I was thrilled with the results.

I reskeined each yarn and got to work comparing the colors I achieved with samples from books and wrote the conclusion to my chemistry paper.

I learned so much in my research, and I'd really like to spout on and on about it, but for now let's say I mostly got the results that I expected, with a few pleasant surprises. My Osage orange and annatto were much brighter and more vibrant than I expected, and I think my favorite was the beautiful warm rosy pink from sandalwood.

This yarn was definitely a labor of love, but it was a fascinating project and I hope I did well with the chemistry part of it.

Now, for some gratuitous yarn photos:

BLACK TEA

SPINACH & DANDELIONS

ALKANET

OSAGE ORANGE

ANNATTO

KAMALA

SANDALWOOD

CUTCH

If you may be interested in natural dyeing, in addition to the Ida Grae book I mentioned above (which can be hard to come by if you don't have access to a good library), I would highly recommend the very useful and inspiring book Natural Dyeing by Jackie Crook.

Now that I have the supplies, the method, and an intense curiosity, I think there will be much more dyeing in my future. As for these yarns, well yes, I have a plan for them too...