sock dilemma

I have finished (bar the weaving in ends and blocking) a Noro sock.
It doesn't fit. Well, it does, but it's a squeeze to get it onto my foot. The knitted fabric is also a bit stiff and dense for my liking. I'm wondering if it would have been better on 3mm needles. So do I:

1. Persevere, knitting the second sock to match. Blocking might relax the fabric a bit and make it a little bigger. If not, I give the socks away to someone with slightly smaller feet.

2. Rip and reknit on larger needles. A 64 stitch sock on 3mm needles fits me when I use Colinette Jitterbug. It might work for Noro. (NB, I really should have swatched, shouldn't I? But I tend to treat the toe as a swatch for socks.)

3. Rip and reknit on the same needles, but using 68 or 72 stitches. (72 initially looked too wide, which was why I went down to 64. I wish I'd used 68 instead though).

Thoughts?

What I'm up to

Noro stripey sock, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I'm still knitting. I've several things on the go. This is the most frequently knitted on.

It's a toe up sock, in Noro Silk Garden Sock, shade no. 87 (better record it while I can still find the ball band) in four row stripes, alternating opposite ends of the ball. I'm carrying the yarn up the inside, trying to weave it in nicely so the tension's right. I'm also minimising the jog by picking up the stitch below the first stitch on the second round of the new colour and knitting it together with the first stitch. Makes more sense with pictures, I think. This is it.

I love watching the colours change. It makes knitting a plain sock (which I almost never do) that bit more exciting. The red line you can see is where the afterthought heel will go. I want to make a stripey heel, with stripes that go all the way round (like the toe) so an afterthought heel was the way to go.

Also on the needles: a February Lady Cardigan (Ravelry link), mittens (still), a 4 ply Honeycomb Henley (Ravelry link). I think that's it. Oh and a 3 dimensional scarf thing. Must take some pictures of it.

knee high stripes

As per usual, I've got several projects on the go at the moment: mitten 2 of a pair of stranded colourwork mittens, a cabled cardigan which has sleeves and most of the hem of the body but has got stuck because the pattern's odd, a lightweight probably short sleeved (I'll see how the yarn goes) jumper (sweater) in 4ply which is going very slooooowly and this sock, which is getting most of the knitting love.



I gave up on the cabled cardigan when it got too complicated to knit while watching tv and started a 2x2 ribbed sock instead. As I have 2 100g balls of the yarn (Wendy Happy) in the same colourway (I've got a couple more too), I thought I'd try a pair of knee high socks. I got to the top of the last yesterday and I'm pleased.

The yarn was a gift, one for a birthday, one from Christmas I think. It wouldn't have been my choice for sock yarn - it's bamboo (rayon) with 25% nylon. Obviously designed for socks, the self-striping pattern is probably optimised for 64 stitches, but looks ok on this (which are 72 in the foot and grow to 120 at the calf). It seemed a bit thin and not at all bouncy/stretchy, hence the decision to knit it in rib. Knitted up, it's not bad. It's cooler than wool. I can imagine wearing these in spring/summer with a red or pink cotton skirt. The yarn's a bit splitty, which is a con when knitting in front of the telly (mostly watching Alias with Rob), but it's fun watching the colours change.

Not sure what happened in the middle of the leg - there's suddenly an extra long orange and red bit. It wasn't a break, the yarn was continuous. There were a couple of knots, where I removed a section to make the colours continue as if there hasn't been. Oddly, both of the sections I took out looked like a whole red section. It's like this yarn wants to be red. I prefer the pink/coral/purple sections.

New skills: first time adding calf shaping. I used The Keyboard Biologist's handy calculation tips. Could probably have worked it out myself, but it's nice to have your hand held.
I used Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off at the top, which does what its name suggests. It's simple to execute and very stretchy. I'm not sure whether I like how it looks, unstretched, but when it's on it looks fine, which is what you want.

On to sock 2. Further notes are on Ravelry.

false start

soon to be frogged, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

This is the cuff of a Kingdom glove I started a few days ago, but am about to frog.

There are several reasons for this.

1. The yarn (Colinette Jitterbug in Purple Tan) is just too busy for the intricate cables. It's too varied in colour to be a true-semi solid, but it's not highly variegated, so I thought it might work. However, having knitted a bit, you just can't see the cables properly. And if you're going to put in all the work to make tiny intricate cables, you want to be able to see them.

2. Jitterbug is just too dense at this gauge. I haven't actually measured my gauge (naughty!) but I'm knitting it on 2mm needles. I usually knit socks in Jitterbug on 3mm needles, where it's much happier. It might be OK on 2.5mm, but on 2mm it's just too stiff. I suspect this contributes to...

3. It's hurting my arms to knit it. All those tiny little cables are just too much for my wrists and elbows. Probably compounded by the fact that I've not felt very well this week (a cold making me feel woozy) and concentrating on knitting cables is hard work when your brain is fuzzy.

So, time to frog and move on. Lovely pattern, gorgeous yarn, just not the right combination.

On the plus side, I've been looking for a cable pattern that turns a right angle and this pattern has one on the cuff. It's not quite what I want for the project I have in mine (a hooded cardigan with a cabled edging that runs along the bottom, turns a corner to go up the fronts and then edges the hood) but it gives me some idea of how one might work.

socks in progress

socks in progress, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I've been knitting again. I stopped for a while thanks to tennis elbow, but I'm back, thanks to a visit to the Colinette mill shop on the way to North Wales.

The rainbow coloured socks are the result of that trip - bright coloured socks for my beloved.

The purple socks have been around for a while. I bought the yarn last summer (also at the Colinette shop). I decided to make socks with contrast heels and toes (and probably cuffs) to make the most of the yarn.

The lilac twisted flower socks have been causing me pain. The combination of dpns and little tiny cables does my wrist and forearm no good at all. If I find some 2.75mm circs, I'd far rather finish on them.

Further notes on flickr.

a change of craft

All pinned on, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I haven't done any dressmaking for ages, but when HP asked me to be her bridesmaid in August, I jumped at the chance to make my own bridesmaid's dress. I'm using Vogue 7848 (as used by Jen). It's a simple style and similar to a dress I already have which suits me. I think it will suit the other bridesmaids too, and be simple to alter, if needed.

I'm trying it out with an old sheet and if this one goes well, I might wear it to a friend's wedding in April.

Of course, the trouble with old sheets is that some parts are significantly more worn than others. I cut the front centre panel out of the middle of the sheet since it's cut on the fold and I wasn't really thinking about it. This means that it is much paler and thinner than the panels surrounding it. If I weren't hoping to wear this dress, that wouldn't bother me too much. But I like it so far. I don't think there's enough fabric left over to cut another front panel, so I might just have to live with it.

winter jumper

winter jumper, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Here's what I'm mostly knitting now - a jumper (sweater/pullover) for me. The pattern is Wisteria by Kate Gilbert from Twist Collective. The yarn is gorgeous. It's Airedale Aran, a soft 3-ply Bluefaced Leicester yarn from Texere in a pinky-purpley colour called Berry. The yoke zipped along, all those beautiful cables and now I'm into the relatively boring body section, which makes good DVD watching or talking to friends knitting. I've got vague thoughts of trying to do NaKniSweMo and finish it by the end of November. Maybe. There are various bits of Christmas kntting which should probably be a higher priority though.

cardigan sleeves

ridiculously bright cardigan sleeves, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

As promised, photographic proof of progress. I think I need to work on my technique a bit, the colours are a little washed out. Still, the hand-dyed cardigan has sleeves.

fake fox in progress

fake fox in progress, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I've wanted an excuse to knit one of these for ages.

It's the Vegan Fox from Knitty.

hand-dyed cardigan in progress

hand-dyed cardigan fronts, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

This is what the little strip of knitting in the last post has grown into. Onto the back next.

a pile of hand-dyed yarn

a pile of hand-dyed yarn, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Terrible photo cos all I've got is PhotoBooth on my Mac (anyone want to buy me a digital camera for my birthday?). But here is the yarn I dyed with Rosie last weekend.

I'm turning it into a cardigan, or more likely the body of a cardigan in stripes of the different yarns. The narrow vertical stripe is to make the most of the short colour sections in the rainbow coloured yarn I dyed. I didn't like the mixture of colours when I wound it into a ball, but when they line up they're gorgeous. So, this is my first garment sized intarsia project (does it count as intarsia if it's all in one stripe?). I tried out my technique on a little hat last week. The bottom has a knitted in hem to keep it neat (first time I've done that on a large garment too, though I've done it on socks). I think I've got enough yarn to make 2 fronts and a back, with some left over to do little stripes on the sleeves. I'm not sure what the sleeves will be made from yet. Something plain, maybe more off-white aran, though I've not got many balls that match, or maybe something else. I'm basing the pattern on the Go-Everywhere, go with everything cardigan (Ravelry link) but since I've already deviated from that by changing the gauge, adding stripes and a hem, and will probably add a little waist shaping, it's really only a guide.

one for me, one for Piglet

ribbed jumper for me, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I've been knitting Bottoms Up from issue 1 of Yarn Forward for a while, it's 4ply so it's going rather slowly. I like it and it fits well, but I'm using Rowan 4ply soft which is Merino and rather warm, so I'm thinking that rather than following the pattern, I'm going to do my own thing and make it a long-sleeved v-neck jumper. I think I'd wear that more often than a short-sleeved top in very warm wool. My plan is to knit the arms next (using the same ribbing pattern) and then put it all on a longer circular needle and knit the yoke, with decreases up the front to make a v-neck. I want the vertical ribs to narrow towards the neck but I also want the front 2 central ribs to divide and continue all the way along the side of the V. Makes sense to me anyway. I thought I'd try it out on a Piglet-sized jumper first, so here he is.

ribbed jumper for piglet, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Started: 7 September 2007 Finished:9 September 2007

Pattern: Made it up

Yarn: Oddments of purple 4ply left over from Arisaig

Needles: 2.5mm circs

I must admit it doesn't fit very well, but it helped me work out what I wanted to do.

update needed

Hello there! I've been away on holiday. Looking around here, there's some updating needed. My list of work in progress is hopelessly out of date, the FO list needs some updating too. I've got one almost FO and a WiP at the point of deciding what it's going to be (short sleeve top as written or long sleeve top which would involve buying more yarn and making up the pattern, but which would probably be more useful), neither of which have really been blogged so far.

Pics and thoughts soon. Perhaps.

one roza

one roza, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Proving that slow and steady gets there eventually.

Cast on date: 9 May 2007
Cast off date: 9 July 2007

I wonder how long the second one will take me?

And then there's the continued non-appearance of my yarn for sockapalooza. I wanted to have the socks done by 20 July since I will be busy at a work conference from then until the beginning of August. No yarn so far, not much time to knit and an essay to write, also by 20 July. Hmm. Sock pal, I think your socks may be a little late arriving.

slow sock

slow sock, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

I'm still knitting, a bit. This is still my first Roza's sock, which is growing slowly, but steadily.

I really must start my sockapalooza socks soon. I've got a pattern in mind, I just need the yarn to arrive.

purple stuff

aka startitis or things I meant to blog about but never did.

I think it's obvious what my favourite colour is, don't you? Here we have various projects. From the top centre, a swatch for the Back to School U-neck vest from Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel (recent acquisition, love it!), going clockwise, a small amount of sleeve for a cardigan based on the Treeline striped cardigan from Purl bee, a feather and fan comfort shawl in various oddments, and quite a bit of Bottoms Up, a top from the first issue of Yarn Forward. The last of these is what I'm knitting on most at the moment. It's in 4ply, Rowan 4 ply soft to be precise, and so is a slow grower. I'm not letting myself start the vest until at least one of these is finished.

I'm not sure whether I like the cardigan or not. I like the design and these colours, a dark purple and a lighter lilac, but the yarn is rather scrunchy superwash wool. Still, the first ever cardigan I made was in very squeaky acrylic in day-glo muppet colours and I wore that quite a lot. Still would if it wasn't now ridiculously loose. I expect I'll persevere, cardigans are useful. Plus there's loads of both those yarns sitting in a plastic bag under my desk and it's a good way to use them up.

I do like the top. I think it might be autumn before it's the right sort of temperature to wear it, though with the random weather we've been having lately, who knows. Cotton would be the obvious choice, but I had 4 balls of 4ply soft sitting around (an eBay aquisition), so bought 2 more to go with them and began (different dye-lot of course, so I'm alternating old and new).

This pic makes the shawl look like a big purple mess. It's nicer in person, honest. I seem to have got a bit obsessed with shawls. This is my third this year.

What else am I up to? The Shetland shawl needs an FO post. My first Roza's sock is still slow. I need to start my sockapalooza socks, once I've decided what I'm making.

I was supposed to be knitting less this year. So far, I'm not convinced I am. Ah well.

Roza's sock in progress

Roza's sock in progress, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

To prove I'm still knitting, here's progress. I'm 2/3 up the heel flap on my toe-up Roza. So far, it fits perfectly. Look at that line of increases. I was reading somewhere about putting guesset increases or decreases in places other than all in a line beside the instep stitches, so thought I'd give it a go. I wonder if makes much difference to the fit? Probably not since it doesn't alter the direction the stitches are lying in. This has become my at work lunchtime knitting, so it's going to be slow.

The Shetland shawl from the last post is finished and awaits blocking. I was going to block it on Sunday night, except we were supposed to be having some small visitors coming for breakfast on Monday (the children of friends of my housemate) so pinning things to the living room floor didn't seem a very sensible idea. In the end, my housemate was ill and small visitors came there none. Still didn't get round to blocking. Maybe tomorrow night.

sock and triangle

sort of Roza's sock, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

See, proper content.

This is my take on Roza's socks from Interweave Knits Spring 06 (by the infamous Grumperina). I switched it to toe-up, just because and increased the stitch count to fit my large feet. It'll probably have a flap heel. I've never tried Brioche stitch before, I rather like it.

another Shetland triangle, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

This is another Shetland Triangle, rather smaller than the last one. It's in the small ball (40g) of 4-ply hand-dyed Shetland wool I bought from Shilasdair on Skye last summer. I think I'll have to find something to go with it to make it a decent size. We'll see. It's going pretty quickly so far. I began on Saturday afternoon, knitted through Eurovision and then did a couple more repeats on Sunday afternoon. Lace knitting in the warm, when it's pouring with rain outside. Bliss!

spring sock

spring sock group portrait, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Elfine's socks* by Anna Bell, Curious Yarns sock yarn in Sprung. Perfect for seaonal socks. Funny how some socks take forever and others just fly off the needles. I started this one a week ago and finished it on Wednesday night. Sock 2 is already growing.

I was going to give this sock an outdoor photoshoot in the garden, but yesterday's sunshine has disappeared, to be replaced with grey mist. Instead, here are a snake, a horse and a sheep from a string of animals representing the Chinese calendar.

*I wonder what socks Elfine would wear after Flora Post takes her in hand and transforms her from a wild marshticket to an elegant maiden? Fine silk stockings perhaps, with a secret border of leaves and sukebind.

prefelting

prefelting, originally uploaded by the pig wot flies.

Work in progress. I sent this through the washing machine last night and it's currently drying. Here's a prefelting pic so you can see how it shrinks.