Distracted Sock Knitting Snafu

The socks are zipping along.  Finished sock #1 this weekend and immediately and Magically cast on #2.  If you are a sock knitter you know that the toe takes almost no time at all.   It does not matter if you end with decreases and Kitchener or work toe up or even work short row decreases and increase to graft to the sole.  Those few stitches take no time at all.

Then comes the flying along in pattern.  I am making Sunrise Socks from Wendy Knits.  Easy peasy knitting for  one so quickly distracted as this old Cajun.  Let it be known that there is a hand written note - penned by yours truly - indicating the exact number of pattern repeats to work before commencing on the gusset.  An actual note written down on the pattern.  After all, I might want to use this pattern again and why should I fret over measuring my foot when a simple read of the personal note will suffice.

Yes, that note will suffice in the future.  Today the note was useless.  Entirely useless because a certain conversation became all consuming and the knitting was relegated to mere back story.  Round and round on the sock whilst I listened intently to the fore story of conversation.  Luckily, the easiness of the pattern requires very little notice during the working.  My eyes were fixated upon the speaker, my ears intent upon each nuance and my fingers doing the knitting.

And then it happened.  The old brain kicked in with a rational moment.  Me thought that surely, by this time and amount of knitting, it is soon time to attend to the gusset and not the flow of words.   I forced myself to attend to counting of pattern repeats.  One, two, three, four, etc., until I reached eighteen.

Bummer.   It is sing along time!

A frogging I shall go.  

A frogging I shall go.  

What Ho? 

And shucky darn.  

A frogging I shall go. 

 

But It Is Cashmere!

And so I had to have it.   It being  a mere 25 g of Filatura Di Crosa  Superior.  And, if you are not familiar with this lace weight, it has 30% silk.   Yes, it is a bit dear to the pocket, but only one ball is needed for the intended usage.   You can read a review here, so no additional words from me.

I succumbed.  Yarn stores that have many samples for touching and fondling are my favorite type of stores.  It does not matter if the sample is of a pattern for sale, class being offered or simply gauge swatches of each yarn available.  I love a good sample of the merchandise.

Actually, I only bought the lace weight cashmere because of a pattern sample.  It's a lovely serpentine scarf pattern from Lyn Perkins who is local to Huntington Beach, CA.   The sample was on display at Alamitos Bay Yarn Company, where one can enjoy knittin' on the dock of the bay - - literally.  This sea kissed store is packed with samples, enthusiasm and lots of opportunity for building your yarn experiences. 

This smooshed together two inches is the first fourteen rows of Ms. Perkin's serpentine scarf.  This will be mine - all mine with no thought of gifting it away.  Already I am happy with my ability to work a 12-stitch cable.  No thanks to any grand perfection on my part, but wholly due to the Addi lace points.

So, with this new narcissistic project added to the cardigan, socks, blanket and a sampler scarf, my knitting life is getting a bit hectic.  To top it all off, tomorrow brings a class on reading Japanese knit patterns.  My head is spinning and my fingers are knitting.   It is a good thing that the summer evenings are long lighted.  More time to get it all done.

One Day......

One day I will chain up for this crochet afghan.  A friend has is as a hand written pattern that came from someone who......  Well, you understand how these patterns get passed around.  Notes are added by one maker, copied by another and told to someone else.  Before you know it, the project is completed in every color way imaginable. 

I have seen this made up in greens.  That version is stunning.  The wild Caribbean  shades of one crib sized version are too wild for my sensibilities.  None the less, the pattern still rings true.

The title on the poorly faded copy that my friend has is "Indian Blanket"  Something about this geometry is soothing.  Perhaps it is the repetitive stitch, the sequence of color change or just the mystique of the hand written pattern.  I love it.  

If you are interested in learning more about it, give a call to this store.  I think they even offer a class.  

My biggest worry is selecting two contrasting colors and then the shades/tints needed to repeat the pattern.  It would be stunning in Cardinal & Gold!   This brown & blue scheme is peaceful, so it is an option.  

Yes, one day I am going to decide on color and get a chain going to make this pattern.  

But not during a desert summer - so maybe next winter.

Rae Wears Rae

The new pattern is actually wearable!  

And even better, Rae wears Rae and it fits. 

This designer is proud.

This knitter is proud.

 
This mother is proud.   

Ruffled Mini Shawl

What does forty-eight hours of Holiday eating, sleeping, shopping and knitting equal?  It equals this.

A ruffled version of the Weavers Wool Mini Shawl that can be had in it's unruffled form here.  I've already made two previous version of this quick knit.  This one still needs to be blocked and embellished - but 'tis done.

I cast on for this on Saturday afternoon and was finished with the knitting by Monday noon.  The ruffled edge was just a whim and a bit of girly girl to change the plain garter.  And to top it off, there are beads yet to be added.

For the first row of ruffle, all that I did was increase every second stitch.  Three or four rows later I increased every fourth stitch just because it needed a bit more.  Don't even ask how many stitches that made.  I never did count it up.  If I had, the BO would have seemed too daunting to tackle.

When working the ruffle, the increase lines (YO, K1, YO) were maintained and so that pattern runs right through the ruffle.

I like the way this turned out and the impact of the YO holes within the ruffle is tres chic!  After all, it is the detail work that makes or breaks the final result.

Still looking for the beads for the edge.  And how best to apply.  I am torn between crocheting on single beads so that the exact spacing is controlled.  But then, the option to purchase beaded fringe and sew it on sure would be quick! 

Perhaps, while I watch this Plymouth Mushishi dry, the bead dilemma will be solved.