Now, I know how some people feel about bobbles. And I really can’t even verbalize why, but I love them - I just do. As a result, I fell in love with Bobble Blue within seconds of receiving my 2006 Spring edition of IK and began knitting it not long after. After a delay due to a mental block with the sleeves, it was completed in the Fall of that year - And then it sat for a few months because the ribbing was too loose and the buttons too heavy, which resulted in some unattractive droopiness after only a few minutes of wear. I finally frogged the button bands and neck edging and then proceeded to pull it out periodically and make half hearted attempts at a new edging, which I was never really happy with and would inevitably rip out. I was quite pleased with the sweater itself though - I think many of us get attached to our knitting firsts, and this had a few - First cables, First bobbles, First set-in sleeves, First knitting of anything in pieces and therefore, First seaming. I sort of defined this in my head as my first “real” sweater (whatever that means), and so I couldn’t bring myself to give up on the body of it and frog the whole thing.

Finally last week, inspired by the color and simplicity of the lavender Cotton Gima stitches, I pulled it out once more and a little while later a simple crab stitch edging had worked it’s way around the edges. Then, on a whim, I started adding hooks & eyes (the only thing I had on hand), First three, evenly spaced down the front, then two more in the gaps, then those gaps were subdivided once more and it began to look like it might work - all told, it took 18 closures to even out any gaping, but I think it was worth the effort.

Pattern: Bobble Blue, by Mari Lynn Patrick

Source: IK Spring 2006

Needles: I’ve forgotten, but US7’s ring a bell.

Yarn: Knitpicks Shine Worsted in Wisteria

I think I have relayed this before, but beware! Shine Worsted GROWS. I purchased the yarn at the same time in two colors for two separate sweaters - this and the Sandra Sweater, and though it has held up relatively ok to the wear I put Sandra through - I don’t see myself using this yarn again.  It fit my budget and my color choices, but if I had them to do again, I might have chosen a more durable cotton/linen blend for Sandra and a cotton/wool blend or other wool blend for the Bobble Sweater. When using Shine, I recommend making a sizeable gauge swatch (a sleeve, even) to test true gauge. On the Sandra sweater I had to take more extreme measures, but here it was sufficient to take in the sides a bit by moving the mattress stitch seam in an inch or so from the hem to the ribcage - luckily it does not add too much bulk.

Mods: Here’s the before taken in the Autumn of 2006 (carefully adjusted to hide the droopy-button issue - I wish I’d taken a true representation shot before frogging, but I was too frustrated at the time, you’ll have to take my word for it):

And the after:

The biggest visible modification was the change-up of the edging. The ribbed bands were removed completely and replaced with a simple crab stitch edging and hook & eye closures (which I will now have to be excessively careful with when washing, etc - perhaps not the most practical choice, but it works).

I also added short rows at the bust to prevent cardigan-ride-up in the front, and though not a planned modification, I also had to take in the sides a bit as mentioned above. Even with this modification, there is a good 4 inches of ease in the body.

Learning experiences: For some reason that I don’t recall, I made a conscious decision not to knit the ribbing with smaller needles as directed in the pattern - this went for both the bottom bands, and the button bands. I learned from this sweater and the aftermath of trying to finish it, that I might want to follow the instructions on that point next time! The tighter gauge = added durability for the edge, and also added body to ribbing that could be a bit loose due to the frequent change between knit and purl stitches. I was ok with the bottom bands, though I could certainly see the value in making them tighter, but the button bands just wouldn’t do, and the buttons, though lovely, were metal and were far too heavy for the yarn - you can’t see how pretty they are if they droop!

Time to Finish: Just over 2 years.

Verdict: Warm affection, but not passion. This sweater is not ideal for my shape - My ribcage and hips are on the petite side, but my shoulders and bust are broad in relation to my body.  Added to that, I have a very short torso - so I need to be a little careful about shaping. Without good waist shaping I tend to look very square in the torso. I think this sweater does add some unneccessary bulk on top, but strangely, I’m ok with it here. Maybe that just means that I’m growing more comfortable with my shape as I get older. I DO have broad shoulders - not much I can do about it. So, not my favorite FO, but finishing this one and feeling comfortable wearing it - even a bit pretty - made me happy nonetheless, and removing a long-standing WIP from the list made me quite pleased!

This was not my longest-standing WIP, but nearly so. I think there’s only one that outdates it. What are your longest running projects or longest hiatus before finishing? Was it worth the wait? Did you learn anything in the interim that you wish you knew when you started the project?

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Now playing: Rogue Wave - Publish My Love
via FoxyTunes

I attempted an indoor shoot of my new socks yesterday in the afternoon light, but someone decided to be a camera hog:

This was actually quite an unusual turn of events. Middy is usually quite prissy & standoffish when I pull out the camera, but since I was using stealth mode (aka the camera remote) she didn’t seem to notice that she was actually working it for an audience - since you all don’t see evidence of our other four-footed child very often, I thought you might enjoy. This may be my new strategy in snapping pictures of the Middy-cat-o! We took a time out for some play and pets, and then I decided that my normal sock-picture-studio was boring and decided to move the shoot outside.

I love my new springy socks - They look right at home growing here in the garden! Get a load of this lovely stitch pattern (click for big):

Pattern: Belvedere, by the talented Kirsten at Through the Loops!

Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug in Velvet Olive. Recognize this? I’m a green fanatic - 90% of my knits are green, but this one in particular is a fairly recent repeat. This is the backup skein I got for Tessa’s Rivendell socks in case I ran out. I only needed one skein and so I had more green yarn to use for selfish purposes. I was previously unaware of Jitterbug’s reputationally skimpy yardage, but I’m happy to report that one skein was plenty for this pair, which comfortably fit my US Women’s 8.5 feet; and just enough for the larger gauge and size Rivendell’s - @ US Women’s siz 9-9.5, I’d say.

Needles: US1 Bamboo DPNs

Mods: None! I moved down a needle size since they were coming out a bit big on the US2’s, but aside from that, no change.

Time to knit: Hmm about 4-5 weeks, I guess. These progressed rather slowly because of the spring yuck, general busy-ness, and the sidetrack of the work on Summer Sky, but they were great commute knitting! They were knit almost exclusively on the way to & from work with Tad driving - when I wasn’t snoring away in the passenger seat.

Verdict: Beautiful! The sock love grows. The stitch pattern is gorgeous on and off the foot, and I adore this heel - this slip/twisted stitch pattern was new to me, and aside from being very pretty, seems very sturdy and strong - I think it will hold up quite well. Thanks go to Kirsten for a lovely and well-written pattern!! I’ve been looking forward to making these since she introduced the pattern last fall - and they did not dissapoint. Belvedere was worth the wait, a very satisfying knit!

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Now playing: Andrew Bird - Fake Palindromes
via FoxyTunes

I’m very pleased, and so excited to say that my P.S. Mitts pattern is now available through The Sanguine Gryphon’s Etsy Shop!

**3/17/2008 - Edited to update pattern link above to Gryphon’s front page on Etsy - my apologies for the link to the sold out listing!! This one should work much better - Thank you GaussKnits for calling my attention to this!**

P.S. indeed, as it seems that spring has sprung here in North Carolina! I have it on good authority that it is still winter in many parts of the world though, and so perhaps this little pattern will be right on time for those of you who may still be in the mood for mitts!

As is the case with so many things, the pattern took me a fair bit longer than I had planned with calculating the additional sizes and the actual pattern writing, which I wanted to be as clear and informative as possible. Add to that some short winter days and rainy weekends and it took even longer to get some suitable pictures, but I am quite pleased with the time spent and the result! Gryphon’s yarn again is a huge draw (this is her Eidos merino sock yarn, in colorway Meno), it was the inspiration for the design, and the two-ended knitting shows it off to lovely advantage. I really enjoyed working in this technique - I have been exploring and researching it further and intend to do more with it in the future, the design possibilities range from simple and classic to innovative structures and geometric patterns - very, very cool.

As with Chrysalis, a tutorial and technique analysis will be forthcoming (There is a VERY brief intro to two-ended knitting here in the WIP post) - I intended to include more detail here but to do it justice, as with the pattern, I need a bit more time I’m afraid!

Oh yes, P.S!

Thank you to all who have so kindly inquired and given your thoughts, advice, etc. about our little man, thank you so very much for your thoughts and good energy. He continues to improve (exhale!), and there’s a update over at tadandmel.com.

And, my very talented husband has created a new video/photo splash page (best viewed with the music!), which may be best appreciated by family & old friends, but thought you may like to see it as well.

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Now playing: eastmountainsouth - Winter
via FoxyTunes

Finally, my first REAL refashioning (that is - not mending or maintenance)! I took a knitted item and re-used old items from my wardrobe and sewing box to complete it - and it was a lot of fun (despite my somewhat lukewarm feelings about the result)!

The knitting on the sari-scarf was completed weeks ago, but even after a wash, I found it to be a bit scratchy on my neck, so I tabled it for a bit to brainstorm a solution. The idea came on a sort & purge of my closets a few weeks ago - I have a couple of old fine gauge merino knits that have been hanging around awaiting frogging, and as it happens, the sleeves of one that had already been separated into pieces were about the right size to create a lining for the scarf. They weren’t quite long enough on their own, so I pieced them both together and trimmed them to a rectangular shape.

I had a day off this week for appointments and errands and such and took that opportunity to break out my little sewing machine for the first time in over a year, an event accompanied by a modicum of foul language as I’ve now forgotten how to thread it, wind a bobbin, etc. You would never know I was a budding seamstress as a teenager. One day I’ll show you pictures to prove it - because truly those days are long past and now, this is all I’m capable of! It’s not by coincidence that there aren’t any detail shots of my stitch-wizardry. I used bias tape to seam the lining to the scarf, overlapping the edge for a bit of contrast. I’ve also forgotten how to make neat corners and was too impatient to look it up, so they are far from perfect, but they will suffice. Impatience was always my downfall when it came to sewing, why this is different for me with knitting, I’ve no idea.

The closure is also a re-use - a surprise find in my (grandmother’s) sewing box, added by me a few years ago from a velvet jacket that has long since gone to goodwill. I loved that jacket. It had these lovely frog closures on it, and this one was a spare.

So, the end result of this knitting/refashion? I admit that I fancied it a bit more gypsy-chic and a little less clown-ruff… A little more Tudora and a little less muppet barf. But it is cozy and warm and bright and happy - and doesn’t shed as much due to the lining. It may grow on me. Or I may have to yank that pretty closure for another purpose! I’m very happy with this project in intent & practice (recycled yarn, recycled lining and closure), I’m lukewarm on the end result though.

Pattern: Improvised

Needles: US9

Yarn: Recycled Sari-Silk from the Wool Peddler @ 2 skeins

Construction: Knit a rectangle - picked up stitches and increased rapidly along two edges to create the ruffle.

Now, this next one, I am very happy with!

Coop Cables has remained one of my favorite FOs to date - it was completed in November 2006 - prior to the death of the old blog which means it’s undocumented except for some mediocre pictures. But it saw a ton of wear in it’s first winter - It’s warm, a flattering color and shape, understated and suitable for work wear. The unfortunate result of the regular wear was some extreme and un-flattering pilling of the Baby Alpaca Grande (deliciously soft, terribly pilly!), not to mention a fair amount of stretching in the shoulder seams due to the weight of the sweater. Relegated to the knit shelf, it was when I reviewed those previous knits that I resolved to remedy the situation and make it wear-worthy once more.

With the help of some twill tape, I reinforced the shoulders of the sweater to help it keep it’s shape and give it some more structure, keeping the armhole seams where they belong. Then, I took a shaver to it - I’d been warned against it, but the sweater stone that I tried didn’t seem to do the trick, and in fact made it worse (was I doing something wrong?), so I proceeded with caution and I won’t bore you with the details of what a slow process that was and how many times I had to empty the little lint trap. But it was very worth it.

Hurray! No more fuzzies and one of my wardrobe staples is back in regular rotation (at least for the few weeks before the temperature climbs)! I don’t know if you can see the difference in the cables from the before shots above - they are so much crisper and cleaner now, the pills are all gone, and the shoulder seams actually stay put!

I’d love to hear about some of your favorite FOs and how they have held up over time. What if any maintenance (other than washing) have you had to do to keep them looking lovely?

Tad has also jumped feet first into the refashioning effort - he’s been very into the whole thing and even made his own very detailed re-fashioning post here! And folks, I didn’t help him one bit, he figured it out all on his own. I’m so proud!

In other news, I’ll have a write up soon on the P.S. Mitts (now available through the Sanguine Gryphon!), and Chrysalis II is steadily moving toward completion at the rate of a pattern repeat or two per day - so, my WIP list is steadily shrinking, which is good as new ideas are percolating!
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Now playing: The Weepies - Stars
via FoxyTunes

Tessa is my Sis. More technically she is Tad’s sister, my sister-in-law. But, she is the closest thing I’ve got to a sister and if I did have one, our relationship is very like I would imagine (or hope) a sisterly relationship would be.

Sis is by far my biggest knitting fan. She regularly brags about my knitting and my blog to anyone and everyone who will listen. It’s really quite overboard and makes me a bit uncomfortable especially when within hearing distance - but, even as my ears are turning pink, I must admit that it’s pretty special to have someone think what you’re doing is so cool, however biased they may be - even because of it. How wonderful for someone you care about to take such an interest in something that you enjoy.

Late last summer I was browsing on Ravelry for my next sock pattern and I stumbled on one called “Rivendell”. It piqued my interest instantly due to the name, and on closer inspection of the lovely stitch pattern, I knew immediately that these socks were for Tess. First, because she loves socks almost more than anyone I know - and these were some beautiful socks. But more importantly, because neither her feelings for socks nor for my knitting can begin to compare to her devotion to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies. In fact, a word to the wise - if LOTR is not a topic that you are equally passionate about, you may not want to mention it, or any words that could be easily associated with it, especially Aragorn, in her presence Truly though, I make light, but you have to know Tess to understand that her love of the movie adaptations goes far beyond her admiration of Vigo with long hair, it has more to do with the underlying themes of Good v. Evil, Sacrifice, Love, and Friendship.

So, a few months later and one panic over a lost pattern which later resurfaced, I began the socks in anticipation of her birthday. Though she got to try one on the day that we celebrated, she didn’t receive the completed pair until last weekend (I comforted myself, “well, they really weren’t for her birthday anyhow”)…

Pattern: Rivendell, by Janel Laidman.

FYI, this pattern was available last year only as a kit from Chameleon Colorworks, which is now under new ownership. I had a very positive experience with the new owner, Nancy Colburn, when I thought I had lost my paper copy of the pattern that shipped with the kit. She did not have the rights to the pattern to be able to help me with an electronic copy but was most willing to work with Janel and try to work something out to get me another copy - In the meantime I found it, naturally! I am not sure if there are plans to release the pattern for sale again or as a download, but I will say that I hope so - I think Janel’s design is a real stunner and it was a very enjoyable knit.

**ETA - I just took a swing over to Janel’s blog to tell her how much I enjoyed these, and guess what? She has an upcoming sock book that will include the pattern!! And the teaser shot is very cool - it looks like there will be some other wonderful patterns included as well.**

Needles: US2 DPNs

Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug in Velvet Olive - 1 Skein, ladies size 9-ish. I wasn’t sure I would get the whole pair out of 1 skein, and in the end it was pretty close - but there is enough left over for darning should it be necessary. As I mentioned, the pattern shipped as part of a kit, and though I thought the original yarn was lovely in it’s own right and will enjoy using it on another pattern, my preference was to work Rivendell in a semi-solid yarn to let draw attention to the lovely stitchwork.

Gauge: 8 sts/inch

Mods: I worked the sole & toe in reverse stockinette rather than stockinette and I’m very happy with the choice, though my hands weren’t and I was cursed with ladder problems (which, by the way, look better after blocking, but I can still see them. durn.)

Loves:

- The stitch pattern (as I mentioned!). It’s my favorite part of these socks and it’s just gorgeous. I believe it takes a special kind of creativity to come up with something like this in your own brain and I admire that ability!

- The heel gusset. Though the reverse stockinette caused some difficulty with ladders, it created the nicest gusset I’ve done so far. There is no gaping at all, it’s a nice tight join accomplished by purling through the back loop.

SO, have my feelings about gift knitting changed at all (I am a self-proclaimed Selfish Knitter)? Well, if I were a Gift Knitter, I will say that it would give me so much pleasure to knit for someone that I know will enjoy the gift as much as Tess seemed to enjoy this one. A talented crafter in her own right, Tess appreciates the sentiment of a carefully chosen and worked handmade thing - and seemed to feel, well, loved. Valued. Which is the point. Because she is.

Remarkably, I didn’t even feel a twinge of regret as they passed into her hands. I would do it again in a heartbeat to make her so pleased. Just for the record though, I don’t think this makes me a Gift Knitter. I think these socks were that perfect gift that you stumble on when you aren’t gift shopping - the one that’s actually a little selfish really, because it makes you think of someone you love, and you pick it up because it makes you smile to think of them and of the look of surprise and happiness on their face, the gift that makes YOU so happy when you find that you were right - it really WAS the perfect gift. In this case that gift just happened to be one that required a little extra effort from me.

Did you notice? Tess picked her sweater to go with the socks. I told you she was pretty great.

Love you Sis.
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Now playing: Sarah Bettens - Someone to Say Hi To
via FoxyTunes

Shirley May (Beasley) Remington

Linda May (Remington) Chase

Melinda (Chase) Hunt

I love how our names are tied to one another. I love how my knitting ties me to them. Though the exact history of this sweater has been lost over time, it holds no less importance or sentimental worth. It came to me nearly complete, having been knit and partially seamed by one of the first two women. I do not remember Mom working on this particular sweater, so it seems more likely to me that it was Nana’s, but it’s not certain. What is certain, by the look and feel of it - the condition of the yarn and style of the stitch holders, is that it was left unfinished for years. It could have been something that was worked on when I was a child or even before I was born. I wonder why it was never finished, but at the same time I’m rather glad that it wasn’t, so that I could. I took my time with the finishing, seaming it carefully, knitting a collar, picking the perfect buttons. My guess is that this was knit for herself - as the fit of this sweater would have been perfect on either Nana or Mom. And it’s perfect for me. Wearing it, I feel warm, strong, capable, and loved.

I’m calling it Remington.

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Now playing: The Cinematic Orchestra - To Build a Home
via FoxyTunes

This is rather belated, but I have been wanting to take a time out to say thank you all so much for your positive feedback and comments on Chrysalis. I appreciate it more than I can say - it’s one thing to come up with a design that you yourself are happy with, but it’s quite another to hear positive feedback from other knitters! I understand that a few folks have purchased the pattern (and I’m so thrilled at the thought of seeing other Chrysalises - Chysali? - out there!) and this post is in an effort to offer some support to you as you knit or simply to provide a little technique study for those who might be interested.

But first, a little sidebar - If you have considered making this pattern, or if you just love Gryphon’s gorgeous yarns, this is a great time to purchase. Through February 20th, she is generously donating 50% of all yarn sales to help a family who desperately needs it. She has some gorgeous new colorways of Gaia, the fabulous cashmere/silk yarn used in the Chrysalis pattern. This one’s all mine - Moss on Bark. I love it every bit as much as the original and perhaps more!

So here goes - Two videos. Increasing and decreasing in Brioche Stitch as used in the wrap is not difficult, but is challenging to describe with the written word. I have done as clear a job as I can in the pattern, but it’s hard to tell how another knitter will interpret these instructions and you may read it differently. I am a visual learner myself - so for any others of you out there, here are guides to decreasing and increasing in Brioche Stitch. The videos do assume a basic knowledge of Brioche Stitch itself as described in the pattern, which will be discussed here in greater detail at a later date. (These are up on my YouTube page as well if you should have trouble viewing them here, however the picture quality is not as nice.) *

The first video below walks through decreasing in Brioche Stitch, and the second walks through increasing.

 

 Decreasing in Brioche Stitch: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Increasing in Brioche Stitch: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

(*)Although I’d like to just throw these clips out there and pretend it was no big thing - it actually was! The videos themselves weren’t hard, but figuring out conversions from my camera format so you can see them here without degrading the picture to the point that it was not at all helpful was something - if I told you how much time I (and, let’s face it, TAD - my in house tech support, what a guy!) have spent on it, you’d probably shake your head and tell me exactly where I could have found the easy answer! Anyway, I’m so glad we figured it out because I enjoyed the video-making process itself, Midnight enjoyed doing some voice-overs, and though there are things I would change or do over now that I see them here, I hope that they are clear enough to be helpful. I also think it might be a nice study for the PS Mitts when the pattern is ready or for future projects. So, this is a long way of asking - What do you think? Helpful? Not? Did you have any trouble loading or viewing them?

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Now playing: Garden State - Such Great Heights - Iron And Wine
via FoxyTunes

You all made me feel so much better about my mending pile and my poor attention to it. It seems I’m not the only one who no longer even remembered what was in there to be repaired! And it is somehow reassuring that I’m not the only one walking around with staples (or paperclips) in my hems!

As I was organizing my closets (and going through the piles - particularly aforementioned, now infamous mending pile!), I had the pleasure of consolidating my handknits. It was really gratifying to see them all together, reflecting on how much I’ve learned and how many of them actually get worn, so much so that I thought I would share. I’ve always loved those great pictures of folk’s handknit socks in their sock drawers, this is my equivalent I guess!

Click on the links below to go see the detail notes in Flickr!

Clothes Closet:

Coat Closet - Scarves, etc.!

Do you store your handknits all together, and if so do you have pictures to share? I’d love to see them!

Oh, P.S! Remington just needs blocking and buttons, and the Sari-Scarf is finished for all intents and purposes, but I have a plan to decrease scratchy-ness and shedding - Photos soon!

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Now playing: Hot Water Music - Rooftops
via FoxyTunes

I’m pleased to announce that Chrysalis is now available for purchase at the Sanguine Gryphon’s Etsy Shop. Chrysalis is a versatile wrap that can be worn multiple ways dependent on your mood and your style. It is worked in a circular brioche rib, with a spiraling pattern providing visual and technical interest. This piece is worked in Gryphon’s gorgeous cashmere and silk yarn, Gaia, in the Turk’s Cap colorway.

Many thanks Gryphon, for your interest in my design, your kind support throughout the process and the enjoyment of working with such a lovely yarn - What a positive experience! Read more about my impressions of the yarn here.

I’m sure you can tell by my uncharacteristic brevity that I’m a bit at a loss for words…. Just very, very pleased!

*Some pictures used with permission (the ones that aren’t me - heh!) - copyright The Sanguine Gryphon. Click on the smaller photos to enlarge if you please.

It’s Socktoberfest! How about some socks?

My Kaylee’s are finished, and thus also my very first handspun, handknitted project (and it’s been a long time coming)! I know that this is just a tiny knit, and that there are amazingly talented people spinning and knitting positively gorgeous things with their handspun all the time*, but to me, this very first one feels a little like a graduation (not like grad school or anything - maybe more like kindergarten?) I spun a quantity of yarn that could be used to knit something other than a coaster! And I knitted socks with it! Damn!

My apologies if I seem a smidgen carried away - I’m just thrilled! I love spinning - I loved the whole concept before I ever tried it; and when I sat down with a drop spindle nearly a year ago and somehow actually made a tiny skein of yarn, I was completely overwhelmed and amazed. It wasn’t pretty, it certainly wasn’t even (to call it rustic would be kind), but there it was…. YARN! Fiber turns to string, loops of string become cloth, fabric that takes shape as a wearable article… It’s all a bit of magic worked by human hands. It’s so exciting to have these little socks on my feet and think that I made them! And not only that - I made the yarn that made them! I’m still grinning from ear to ear (and clapping my feet)! The yarn, it is not perfect. Neither is the knitting. But damn if these aren’t wearable - very cute - handspun socks!

The next step is to go from start to finish!! It’s time to tackle those alpaca and shetland fleeces that have been hiding in the attic until I gathered the courage to do something with them!

Oh yes, I’m getting carried away. This is an FO post isn’t it? I almost forgot!

The stats:

Pattern: Kaylee by monkeytoes

Note: Kaylee is really more of a roadmap built around a lovely stitch than an actual pattern (information only, not a complaint). The .pdf is a one pager, really more of a guideline. No gauge is given, and no specific instructions on the toe, heel or ribbing. This made it a bit fun actually, a little choose your-own-adventure. I’m supposed to start with the toe - how do I do that? I think there was a reference in the Summer IK…. Hmm, found a couple articles on Knitty as well - what about the heel, how does that work, exactly? I had fun researching and figuring out what to do here. I think patterns like this build on all the great information out there, and make us industrious knitters. If I wanted to knit something very specific (Chuck’s for instance?) more details and specific instructions would be necessary.

Gauge: 24sts/4inches in stockinette

Needles: US2 DPNs (the pattern is written for 2 circs, but can easily be done on DPN’s)

Yarn: My own! Blogged here and here, Calendula by Bonkers! - 50/50 Merino/Tencel. Navajo plied and divided into two balls of equal amounts by length.

Mods:

• My gauge was larger than the pattern intended - or written for bigger feet, thus I removed the 2 knit stitches from each side of the instep pattern to fit my foot. In hindsight, this was probably not necessary - the socks don’t feel tight, but the stitches do seem a little stretched width-wise.
• I chose to continue the lace pattern across the back of the leg after completing the heel.

New Skills:

• Eastern Cast-On (from Ann Budd’s Article, Working Socks from the Toe Up, Summer IK 2007) - I had trouble finding an online resource for this, please let me know if you know of a good one.
• Short-row heel, from the same article.
• Invisible sewn bind off, I have a couple books and magazines with this technique, but there’s a great tutorial here.

Verdict: Love ‘em - I’ve mentioned before that orange has never been my color, but since I first saw the roving these colors just made me smile. Now I have happy feet!

The evolution of the Kaylee Socks:

*seemingly gratuitous links? Check ‘em out, seriously. If you haven’t seen these yet, you should. You won’t be sorry!

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Now playing: The Shins - Turn A Square
via FoxyTunes

P.S. Amazing show Friday night - I have to admit that I don’t enjoy their latest album as much as the older stuff, but when they played the newer songs live, they sounded great and I felt like they held up well. Love the live music!