I’m hooked

Okay, my first pair of socks has been completed. I put them on before washing them, and said to myself – “They’re a little itchy, I don’t know if this will work.” Then I washed them, and put them on and…I was hooked. I love my socks! They felt wonderful.

But then, at the end of the day, I took them off, and they were about twice the size as when I put them on. I was sooo bummed. But, I gave them another chance, washed them again, and voila, they look like new.
I was eyeing the elastic that you can use with yarn to make them more stetchy, and don’t know if it is worth it.

I have been spending some time with my two older kids, teaching them to knit. My 8yoDD already has two projects on the needles: a “purse” and a hat for a baby cousin due in Sept.

My 6yo DS has also created “something.” I cast on 10 stitches for him, and knit the first row so he wouldn’t have to deal with the tension issues of a cast on row. Then I taught him (I thought) how to do the knit stitch. He sat beside me knitting for a couple of rows, and then I let him take off on his own. A couple of days (and about 4 rows) later I took a look, and he somehow had about 18 stitches on his needle. I did some k2tog to reduce it to about 12 sts, and handed it back, with the reminder to only wrap the yarn one time, and to make sure he took the needle out of the stitch and slipped it off the left needle. Well, I think by the time he finished, I cast off about 20 stitches (I was afraid to count). And this is his “square” as he calls it. I am impressed – it was his first attempt, and he only just turned 6 last week. He managed to drop a stitch or two, and at one time I had to tink back where he had used the long tail from the cast on, but overall, not bad.

Since then, there have been a number of false starts, but today we cast on again with some yarn that he picked out at the LYS for $2. So, we might get a scarf yet!

I also got some stuff at the LYS today, but I spent a bit more than $2. But I got my first set of Addi Turbo circulars (size 1 for socks) and I am in love with them. My sock really seems to be cruising along (using the magic loop method). I wanted to get two sets, but they only had one, and since the store is going out of business, I will have to look elsewhere for my other set. I also got some Baby Night yarn from Crystal Palace Yarns that is so soft, and I got some angora for a sweater I decided to make for myself (maybe when I finish my husband’s sweater). I have no pictures of my haul because I had to hide it away before my husband saw it – although my oldest DD ratted me out!

 

Thanks for the input

Thanks so all who provided comments about how to harvest/recover used yarn. It has given me, and DH, new hope about using this yarn again for the sweater.

It is funny, this yarn is DK weight, and the first time I knit with it, I thought, wow, this is thin yarn, this is going to take forever. Which is did, but I don’t think that was because of the yarn. When I picked it up two days ago, after finishing Icarus, the yarn felt so thick, I couldn’t believe it. Of course I know that it will still take forever to knit the sweater.

Finished Icarus photos

I have finished Icarus! I am so amazed at what the blocking does for the whole process. So is my husband – he just couldn’t see how my big lump of knitting was going to look anything like the photo in the magazine.

I made this for my mom’s birthday, which is today, and I completed it Tues, blocked it Tues, and got it in the mail overnight to her yesterday.

Here is the shawl (no it isn’t huge – it is being modeled by my 8YO DD). I added beads to the edging, like many other people – Thanks Miriam for the directions on how to do this!

I started this project on June 26, and finished on Aug 15. I have to admit I neglected my family as much as they would let me during this last week, and I definitely neglected my house. I used a 80/20 Mohair/Nylon yarn by Filatura Di Crosa in a dark red. It turned out to look great, but was very hard to fix problems because it was so fuzzy and didn’t frog very well.

I am hoping someday to make another one of these for myself. Someday…

I started working on the epic that is my husband’s sweater, I knit about three rows, then decided to measure guage, and boy was it off. So I frogged the 10 or so inches that I had knit of the back. …A little back ground…I made this sweater for my husband 3.5 years ago (at his request), and it was huge. I don’t know if my guage was off, or if he just chose the wrong size, or both (most likely) but it would maybe have fit a 300 lb man, and my husband is only 200 lbs. I spent a year working on this sweater, spent $100 in yarn.

My husband tried to wear it, but finally gave up with instructions to either give it away, or throw it out. I couldn’t do this, so I tried washing it in hot and drying it. I did not know about felting at this point, and the yarn must be superwash, because it didn’t felt. So I frogged the whole thing – I think it was about 23 balls of yarn originally. I started again. I used the same needles, assuming I had guage, because I had the first time (supposedly). Obviously I didn’t.

I now need to decide what to do. The yarn has all the squiggles in it from having remained in a knitted state for so long, and through a wash and dry. I can’t decide whether to wind it into skeins, wet it and dry it with weights so the squiggles will go out, or just to junk the whole thing. I talked to DH last night about it, and he just said “Forget It”. I think he has given up on me and the sweater. Oh well, I’m going to knit a baby blanket in the mean time and stew on this issue.

Icarus is DONE!!!

I have finished Icarus. She/he(?) is blocking right now.

I know the center line is crooked, I fixed it just after I took the photo.

This is for my mom, whose birthday is in two days. I hope that I can get it dry and into the mail (overnight) tomorrow. Otherwise, it will be a day or two late.

I stayed up until 1:30 last night working on this. I finally went to bed when I was halfway done casting off. Then I picked it back up this morning – the casting off went so much faster when I was awake and could focus!

I was really unsure of whether the mohair would look good in this pattern, since it is so fuzzy. But it does. I am still in awe that I was able to create this shawl. I had never knit lace before, and now I am hooked. I am even more in awe of Miriam who designed this shawl! It is an amazing creation.

I have gotten about 4 books from the library on knitting lace and I can’t wait to do more. I plan to do a pair of socks for my oldest DD that will incorporate some lace next.

Photos of some projects

Well, I am finished with Chart 1 of Icarus. Here is how it looks as of right now.

I am using a yarn by Filatura Di Crosa called Baby Kid Extra, which is 80% kid mohair and 20% Nylon. It is kind of fuzzy. I love the feel of it, but am afraid that the fuzziness might hide some of the georgeous detail. I hope that with the blocking, the detail will show up better. I don’t know how well the next photo shows the detail, but it does show how irregular my stitches are. 

This is my first ever lace project. I have hope from all the other blogs I have read that the blocking will even out my stitches. I also have plans to add beads to the edging, but have not figured out where in the pattern to put them.

If there is anyone who has put beads on their Icarus is willing to tell me exactly how/where they put them, I would be most appreciative.

I am also about ready to start the cuff ribbing for my sock. Woo Hoo, I am almost done with a sock! I can’t wait to get started on the next one. I got about 1″ completed today during swim lessons.

I am using the Toe-Up sock pattern in Wendy’s Wendy Knits book. I think I really like this method, but am going to play around with top down, and also using the Knitty Magic Cast-On for toe-up socks.

I took my kids with me yesterday to the LYS and got some Clover bamboo needles, in size 1 because I really wanted to use 5 needles, and the set I was using only had 4 needles. I also made a couple of purchases of yarn.

I bought a skein of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in Brights (an end-of-day skein) to make a pair for my oldest DD and a skein of Trekking XXL in a beautiful purple/plum colorway for another pair for me. I also got a Wonder Knitter (spool knitter) from Clover for my kids to use. And of course I will be using it too.

First Posting

Well this is my first blog. I am currently working on a number of knitting projects – my husband has asked me to limit them to one at a time – he just doesn’t understand. My father always boasted that I could multi-task as a kid, and I am just trying to live up to it!

My current projects include:
1. A pair of toe-up socks with Regia sock yarn – my first pair – one is almost finished
2. Icarus shawl for my mom’s birthday – just about to start chart 2 – her birthday is in 2 weeks
3. A sweater for my husband – the second time I have knit it (don’t ask)
4. A baby blanket for a future neice/nephew – due in early Sept
5. A prayer shawl for a neighbor
6. A shrug for my youngest daughter – just needs the ends woven in
7. A little clutch for those oh-so-infrequent dressy evenings out.

okay…maybe that is just a few too many projects at one time!

Pictures with more details will follow as I dig out the projects and the camera at the same time.