Hooray for WIP Wednesday! I actually have pictures taken this week. Amazing! Usually I get caught a little flat-footed due to the fact that my schedule is all over the place.
First up, a pair of plain old vanilla socks in Trekking XXL. Not very exciting, but we can’t have everything. I actually do still have some design-knitting that I really ought to be working on, but with Yule looming, I’m not going to argue at getting a jump on possible presents.
I made the decision that this year I’m not going to go too spectacular with the socks. Folks need comfy, warm, functional footwear just as much (if not more) than they need lace and cables. I admit, usually the lace and cables are more to entertain me during the knitting process than they are for anyone else’s benefit.
I also decided to cast on the first Bonus sock for the Super Sock Scarefest (there are still a couple of days left to sign up, hint hint).
The pattern is called “Wednesday“, and if you can see the little illustration on the pattern in the photo, you can probably tell that they’re inspired by Wednesday Addams. The pattern calls for sport weight yarn on size 2 needles, so I dug into my small stash of Paton’s Kroy 4-ply for a couple of skeins in the “Flax” colourway, and the Knitter’s Pride needles that I figured were actually a size 2. They’re working up fairly quickly and at a good gauge. Huzzah!
And now the more involved project: A shawl for Zwee. When she came home to visit for her birthday, I gave her the choice of socks or a shawl(ette) / scarf. She chose the latter. The yarn is the handspun merino top I recently finished spinning.
I don’t figure that showing in-progress photos is out-of-the-question. After all, the magic really happens in the blocking. So that means that there may be plenty of in-progress shots that look like silly string, but there won’t be a finished object shot until it’s been blocked and sent. I chose the Brandywine Shawl pattern because it has a little bit of fancy, a little bit of plain, and can pretty well be knit until you run out of yarn. Hooray for getting the most out of what you use!
Knitting with my own handspun is definitely a good experience. The yarn was, in a way, telling me what it wanted to be when it grew up. Also, it gives me a good idea of how my spinning is going. I’ve learned that I really do need to add more twist to my ply, at least with 2-ply. It feels wonderful on the hands, though, and any knots or weirdly-spun patches are my own damn fault.
I signed up and my first Wednesday sock is just done the gusset decreases. I’m using Cascade 220 Sport, color 893…which is a lovely burgundy 🙂
Sounds lovely! I can’t wait to see them 😀
Might I also add that I dislike 2 stitch cables?
I actually like them. They’re easy…you don’t even need to use a cable needle. Are you actually moving one stitch off the needle and holding it in back, or are you using the “k2tog but leave on left needle, knit first stitch, slip from left needle” method?
Sigh I “might” have been doing it the hard way with a cable needle. And not any cable needle, but one meant for an aran weight sweater. Look I don’t get a lot of sleep… The synapses fire slowly these days =P Thanks for the reminder oh wise one <3
owies…yeah, this is the perfect place to use your twisted stitch techniques 🙂
And get some sleep! Your mini-people have to rest sometime!
The shawl looks like it’s going to be gorgeous!! And I have to say I agree about socks, most people who don’t knit will appreciate a plain pair of warm socks above something fancy! Do you have a trick to keep the heel from wearing through? That is my biggest problem!
For plain old vanilla socks, I usually knit the heel as a sl1,k1 heel, or I do an eye of partridge heel If you’re actually finding you’re having trouble with the actual heel turn wearing out (in other words, below the heel flap), you can always reinforce the area on the wrong side with reinforcing thread (if you have any) or with leftover yarn from the project. Think of it as darning the sock before it gets a hole. Ours usually wear through the toes, so I generally don’t worry about reinforcing the heels 🙂
I agree with you on the socks. And they plain ones are wonderful projects to knit while watching a movie.
They sure are…until I wind up having to do the heel turn in a dark theatre. That’s why I have self-striping yarn for nights out at the movies…perfect for toe-up with an afterthought heel 🙂