wip.fo wednesday

ashby, ashby, ashby.

i swear it took me longer to complete this shawl than ANY other i’ve ever knit.  it’s partly the sheer size.  i tend to revel in the speedy shawlette over the tedious shawl but i thought with this, the border would make things more interesting.  what i wasn’t prepared for was how tiring said boarder would become.  cables?  i don’t mess with those.  charts?  not unless absolutely necessary.  working bottom up?  not really my fave if i’m knitting a shawl or a sweater….  so why did i choose a pattern that incorporated all three?  um, look at it!  that’s why.

and i think what really killed the enthusiasm was that i royally screwed up about two repeats of the boarder in.  for some reason it just knocked me out of my usual rhythm.  i must have re-started the boarder half a dozen times before getting it right and being able to move on with my life.  don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the pattern!  it’s not the pattern’s fault.  the pattern is absolutely simple and spectacular.  there’s something wrong with me.  i became a total spaz.

last night i even decided the colors were putrid.  i was pretty close to ripping the entire multi section.  seriously.  hubs held strong and told me the colors were lovely and that i was just really, really sick of looking at it.  he was (shhhhh) right.  i was able to zip through the… uh… last hundred or so rows this morning and have it blocked by noon.  once it was dry, i picked it up and wrapped myself in it like a little bat and all the agony melted away.  i used sock yarn even though the pattern calls for worsted and i went down a couple needle sizes but it’s still quite large.  it’s light and soft and delicious.  mmmm.  so, with all of that said (brace yourself) - i’m actually thinking about making another in some worsted wool.  i love the idea of an even larger one in some really wooly warm stuff for late fall or winter.  ooooh!  just the thought…. 

so, if you’re so inclined to make one of these for yourself, here is the ravelry link

now that i’ve got that ashby finished i sort of sit around staring at the floor.  then yesterday i decided i should once again go on the hunt for the perfect man socks.  i’ve been trying to knit something for my dad for about two years now.  his wife was easy - and now her shawl is collecting dust on the yarn rack.  i felt sort of weird sending something to her and nothing for him…. my dad is a no nonsense fella who is very bright and logical.  oh, and a cattle rancher… in colorado.  so, i’ve been thinking warm, rustic, durable… hmpf.  i’ve cast on about a half dozen projects and none seem to fit the bill.

however, i think my search has ended.

these socks are smashing!  they’re so fine in fact that hubs felt a sting on jealousy.  i promised him a pair once these are finished.  i’m using some knitpicks wool of the andes sport that i had on hand and i honestly can’t remember what the brown is.  it was actually yarn i bought for this very purpose two years ago and it ended up sharing the dust collecting duties with my step-mother’s shawl.  i’m not totally sold on the knitpicks yarn though…. and i’m not even going to have enough for a second sock (ehem) but it feels so good to be on the right track.  oh!  what pattern is this??? right, right. here you go. 

happy knitting, friends xo

back on the wheel!

remember this yarn?? gorgeous.  i knit (one) sock with is and it was absolutely delicious!  i had fully intended on knitting another to complete the pair, but i plyed the rest with this instead: (it’s my artistic a.d.d. kicking in…)

the result?

it’s all that beautiful gray bfl i’m so very fond of but about half way through plying - most likely when the coffee kicked in - i realized the brown (olive) was spun in a z twist.  what the smack??? i remembered that i had actually spun that bit on my drop spindle back um… last winter?  oh well.  what’s done is done.  i will say this though, it made for some highly energetic yarn.

after that mess, i decided to spin some singles of pure merino and kettle dye each separately, then ply them.  spin, dye, ply.  salmon & olive (i know.  i can’t get over it.  i’ve tried different amounts of dye, different dip methods, dry wool, soaked wool.  WHAT’S THE SECRET???)

keep in mind, both hanks were still damp in the above pic.  hubs took one look at the pair and nearly lost his breakfast.  horrid combo!  well, i did my magic twist-the-two-hanks-together and voila!  cupcake! he agreed much to his surprise.

so… that was my morning.  spinning dyeing and plying.  all done before i had to pick alizah up from school.  i also knit the most darling “tip-toe” anklets you’ve ever seen for mae but we never got pics.  she’s passed out in my bed next to the dog and as far as i’m concerned, she can stay there.  i’m beat!

xo

Update on Friday, August 12, 2011 at 10:51PM by pinkbrutus

awake, but dark… lord how i hate these pictures BUT, i may not get another chance like this!

THE TIP TOES!

these are dark gray & she absolutely loves them.  i’m working on some now in a slightly different style & with some of my handspun yarn.  one down one to go.  maybe we’ll get good pics tomorrow… 

knitty gritty

alright.  i’m SO close to finishing my brown sweater - as in about 14 rows close but i’m too lazy to take a picture and it’s dark out now anyways and the dog has been barfing from eating MORE bread dough so… tomorrow.  i swear it.

i babysat again today and mae had the brilliant idea to play dough.  at our house, that means mix up flour and water and make REAL dough to play with - hence the dog eating it again.  he’s so stupid.  the boy thinks dogs just don’t remember what they ate that made them sick.  lord.  the girls had a splendid time though!

sticky hands!

and i’d like to announce sock completion!

i know…. whoopty doo.  people knit socks every day and don’t expect a round of applause.  i’m just not one of them.  now, boy?  carl?  are you out there?  knit some damn socks!

i squeezed in some spinning time the other night ta-boot.  i haven’t sat at the spinning wheel in ages.  it felt good.  100% bfl - 4oz of it.  then i kettle dyed it (or half of it) and now that it’s dry i’ve knit up the sweetest little self striping swatch i’ve ever laid my eyes on.  the yarn is spun single ply worsted in DK weight for those who care about such details.

what to knit? i’ve got about 250 yards here. i’m sure it’ll come to me but i’m open to suggestions, too.

i’d also like to point out (while i’m here) that i have FINALLY caught up with all the “extra” blog duties.  my 31 days of photastic fun has finally been updated and my 31 days of lists.  my butt fell asleep on that one. yikes! now, i think i’ll make my way downstairs to see what all the fuss is about.  hubs finally got one of those nerd headset things for online gaming.  need i say more?  didn’t think so.

xo

dye olive!

olive green, i hate you.  oh, and i love you because you’re complicated and hard for me to wrap my mind around so - i’ll keep you.

yep.  all of these lovely reds, golds, and browns produced by the same dye.  olive-freaking-GREEN.

my last post shows the ONLY green produced by the “green” dye under the jar picture.  i have yet to recreate that moment.  more practice is in store for me.  until i get just the right mixture to make that green sing i’m going to enjoy the rich hues it’s giving me now.

also, i knit up a 3 cornered hat - pattern by miss ez

it’s actually quite small… knit for maybe a 2T  i love it though and think it can be worn quite pirate-ish.  i think i need one in my size now!

mae quote of the day:

mae: “did those guys cut our basil?”

mom: “no, why?”

mae: “i know those guys did it last time!  when those jerk offs were homoing our lawn!”