Sigrid

Hubby makes a great sock model! Look at those sexy legs!!!

Pattern: Sigrid by the ever talented Kirsten
Yarn: Scouts Swag in Hunker Down (purple) and Sage (green). I have quite a bit of yarn leftover! The skeins were huge!
Modifications: I knit the largest size for hubby and they fit perfect. My row gauge must have changed from the first to the second sock though - the second one is a bit higher than the first! I did swap out the main color for the toes and cuff. I also knit ribbing rather than the folded cuff. Originally when I did the first sock as a test knit I did do the folded cuff, but it didn't seem to stay up too well, so I cut it off (yikes!) and did 20 rounds of 2x2 rib instead.

Another pair of colorwork socks to add to the collection!

Join the Liberation

A while back, when I knit a certain single sock it was kind of an eye opening experience. Knit only one sock, the move on. No second sock to knit - not right away anyway. What a concept. Taking a break between socks. Evidently, there is a
whole group dedicated to this concept. I had never done that before. My methodical and analytical mind rarely takes things out of order or out of context. Sock one complete, must start and complete sock two. That is the way I had always done it. Now, however I am faced with a bit of a conundrum. (the photos are a little dark and the pattern doesn't show up as well as it does in daylight - something I rarely see these days)

The first Sigrid is complete. What a fun knit. The yarn, the pattern - it all came together perfectly. Hubby tried them on last night and they fit perfectly. Kirsten's pattern was wonderfully detailed and thought out. Check her blog later today or tomorrow. I have it on good authority the pattern will be available soon!! The stripes. I just can't get enough. Just look.

I think it's my favorite part. The way she instructs to do the heel flap and takes care of the edge stitches is brilliant. I will never do a colorwork heel the same way again! (I'm not sure if I totally missed the boat and it's the standard way to do a colorwork heel flap, but either way I love it and it will be the way I do them from now on!) The picked up edge is neat and clean, the one issue and icky point of my other colorwork socks.

My dilemma lies with starting the second one. Do I do it right away and get going, or do I work on a mitten or fingerless glove first? I'm very (very) tempted to start a new project. My needles have been itching to do some colorwork mittens or fingerless gloves for a while now. What to do, what to do. Do I convert over to the dark side and start something new and put the second sock on hold?

Now You See It!

After rescuing the camera cable, I got down to business and downloaded my newest Sigrid progress shots. It's coming along fast.

I love the chevron pattern down the foot, and the striping on both the heel flap and sole. Even for such a big sock, it's working up quickly. At this point, I don't need to look at a chart or anything. It's just plain knitting. (well, with two colors) I still need to have hubby try it on for a fitting (hopefully tonight) and re-measure where I want to start the toe. This colorwork sock has less give than the ribbed ones I have made him in the past.

I can't say enough good about this yarn! Yummy stuff! It's Scouts's Swag 100% Merino Superwash and it's knitting up like a dream. The twist is super tight and you can see how beautiful the colors are. It's maybe a touch thinner than my favorite, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock (the solids), but my gauge at 9.5 sts per inch is making a nice dense fabric that isn't too stiff. This sock should be done this week (maybe in the next day!) as I want to get my feedback to Kirsten ASAP so she can get this beautiful and fun pattern out to all of you!

With my world outside pretty void of color right now (except grey and brown) it is a perfect time to start a new year of crafty color!

PS3 began on February 1st. This year, Lolly has brilliantly come up with the theme of "Elements" for the color sceme. The first installment is Fire. I have to say, most of my favorite colors are contained here! Oranges, Yellows, Reds - love them all!

Because of that, I actually have a bit of stash for this first theme.

Plenty of sock yarn! What I am thinking though is maybe mittens or fingerless mitts. Branch out a little. There are several mitten pattern books on the bookshelf and have never knit anything out of them. I think it's time to change that!

This is a Test, It is Only a Test

Once again, I am dumbfounded as to why knitting colorwork goes faster than "regular" knitting. Two yarns, knit with two hands, following a chart, yet it seems to fly by! I think it is the anticipation - what will come next and seeing the pattern evolve and develop before you.

This is one fun knit. Nice chunks of colorwork mixed in with some plain rounds and some easily memorizable patterns.

The colors aren't as contrasty as Kirsten's original, but I'm kind of liking the subtle effect. The socks are pretty big - 96 stitches - yet seem to be flying along. Hubby tried them on last night and they fit. I'd like them a bit snugger, but I'm worried about them fitting over his ankles to put them on. I can always sew some elastic into the cuff if needed. The pattern is written wonderfully, and I have yet to find a sticking point or any errors.

I like the folded hem. I've never done it on socks before, and am not sure how well they will stay up, but the look is very nice and clean. The heel flap is next, and I'm really looking forward to this. For my colorwork socks, I basically made up as I went along how to do a colorwork heel flap. I learned how to purl with two hands, but I will admit, my flaps are kind of messy on the edges. I just couldn't decide how to work it best. So, looking at Kirsten's neat and tidy edges, I'm really excited for this part.

Hubby got some new lenses for his camera this week, so I played around last night with the super duper macro lense.

Pretty neat, huh?

For another pair of amazing green and purple socks, check out these - not usually a self striping fan, I am smitten.

Off to an indoor mid-winter agility trial this weekend. There is supposed to be a heat wave of temps getting into the 40's, so I'm pretty excited!

Locked and Reloaded

Thank you so much for all the compliments on the yoke sweater! It was really a fun knit, my first self designed sweater, and it was nice to have it come out the way I wanted - fit, design and all the little details. Perfection in sweater form. I did reply to all the comments, but my email got a little nasty and gave me some delivery errors. Unfortunately, it didn't bother to tell me WHICH emails weren't delivered, just that some didn't make it to where I had intended. So, if you commented and didn't get a reply, it probably got eaten by the email monster on the way.

With both my sweater and sock needles laying dormant, it was time to cast on for something new. I have had a 2.2 pound cone (about 1600 yds) of Naturelle 8/8 in the stash for a few years now. It's a super cuddly cotton blend that behaves much like Rowan Denim or the Elann version. Originally, I was thinking of doing maybe a Bomber Cardi, but the more I thought about it, I don't really wear cardigans.

Wrap sweaters have always appealed to me. They flatter pretty much every figure and are super comfy to wear (and I don't count them as a cardigan!). Looking around both the 'net and Ravelry I was hard pressed to come up with one that I really liked. There were different elements about each that appealed to me. I was ultimately looking for a comfy, cozy type wrap to wear on cool nights in the spring and summer. Bringing it to the Outer Banks this summer is a must. Something to throw on over a tank when it gets cool, or to put on when lounging around the house. Finally, after swatching and deliberating, I cast on.

This will be the Wrap Cardigan (not!) from Knitting Pure and Simple. Exactly that - simple. Since I'm not sure about my yardage, but have it from a reliable source that it shrinks about 15% in length, I plan on knitting to the hem (it's a top down design) then if I have enough yarn left, swatch and wash and see what happens. Bad way to knit, I know, but you gotta do what you gotta do. It's going pretty quick - I'm about to the top of the waist where I was pondering some shaping. Being a wrap, I'm not really sure it needs it though. Will the wrapping of the sweater itself be shaping? In the model it looks like she tied it loosely. In cruising the finished sweaters both on Flickr and Ravelry it looks like the waist bunches a little with no shaping. But, if I add shaping and it shrinks, will it be in the right place?? A little more research is needed for this one. Lucky for me, my local library has Denim People, so I'll check out what and where shaping is done in those patterns.

To keep me occupied, Kirsten has provided me with an amazing pattern to test knit. With hopefully not too much time these (another better photo of the colors is here)

will become this stunning sock

Sigrid

I have already completed the cuff and am itching to start the colorwork. Lucky for me, she is the consummate pattern writer and wrote it for small through large. She knit the small for her daughter, and I plan on knitting the large for my hubby. My biggest sock fan.

Speaking of socks, and colorwork socks no less, Pam left a special request in the comments of the Turret sock. With both mom and sis in the house, I was happy to oblige.

Colorwork Trio

R to L: From L to R: Turret Socks, Turkish Stockings, and Heart Crook Socks
It is kind of neat seeing them all together like that! Hopefully in not too long, I will have a fourth pair to add to the collection!

Soaky Yokey

(how exactly would you spell "yokey"?)

I knit like a fiend yesterday. This sweater was going to be done before I went to bed. Not just done with the knitting, but ends sewn in and blocking. I only ended up loosing about an hour of sleep. Well worth it.

A good twenty minute soak in, what else but Soak, and it was ready to block.

This morning I put a fan on it to speed the drying. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow and perfect for a photo shoot.

Thanks for all the collar treatment suggestions. What I ended up doing was going with a garter stitch edge (8 rounds total) and an applied I cord bind off as instructed in here (one of my most referenced books, by the way!). I love how the edge turned out. So, no formal or official FO shots yet, but soon....very soon....

While I'm waiting for the sweater to dry, I'm itching to start my next knit. As of this moment I have nothing on the needles! Patiently, I'm waiting for yarn from Scout to start a test knit for Kirsten. To make it worse, Scout posted a photo last night of the yarn she just finished dying. Go check it out here. I'll wait.

Amazing huh? They will become the beautiful Sigrid sock. Purty, huh?

I'm also swatching for a wrap cardigan. The two contenders are the Pure and Simple Wrap Cardigan and the Sarah Dallas Wrap Cardigan from Scottish Highland Knits. Here is a great shot of a finished one. The yarn will be some natural colored Naturelle 8/8. It was sold by Elann eons ago, and it's super soft. I am worried about shrinkage though. I'm not sure if it will shrink like Rowan Denim, which is 100% cotton, or only just soften with washing/drying. The Naturelle is 74% Recycled Cotton/24% Acrylic with 2% unknown fibers (huh?). I'm hoping the acrylic content will buffer the shrinkage. Anyone used it? Washed it? The swatch isn't telling much.