Embossed Leaves Finished

Pattern: Embossed Leaves
Yarn: Louet Gems fine/sport weight
Color: Robin
Needles: Knit Picks circulars 2.75 mm

I finished my Embossed Leaves this morning. I tried to finish them last night after we returned home from a birthday party for a friend. I noticed a mistake a few rows back and decided that five margaritas and putting stitches back on the needles did not mix. I think it was best that I decided to wait until this morning. Perhaps it would have been even better if I had just stopped at two margaritas. I'm feeling a little green around the gills this morning.

The only modifications I made to the pattern was to skip the fiddly cast on and first two rows. I used my usual cable cast on and just started the twisted rib. I think it worked out quite fine. The author of the pattern doesn't even recommend the silly cast on in the book.



I knit these socks as a going away present for Oldest Son's Latin Tutor who is moving away. I thought the color and pattern would remind her of fall in NH. I liked this pattern so much that it may be the first pattern I ever repeat. I really want a pair for myself. Now I just need to decide if I should knit the pair for me right away while the pattern is still fresh in my memory or take a break to knit something different. I am very happy that I have more Louet Gems in the stash. This is a lovely, wonderful yarn to knit with. I look forward to spending more time with it.

Cable Rib Socks

Pattern: Cable Rib from Interweave Press Favorite Socks
Yarn: Yarn Pirate's merino/tencel blend in Malamute
Needles: Size 1 & 2 Knit Picks circulars

I was so happy to finish the Cable Rib socks this morning that I went right outside in the below zero temps to try to get a good picture of them. I have found this colorway difficult to photograph and I wanted the pattern to show up too. I just parked my butt in my driveway and took some photos.

I don't usually worry about running out of yarn on my second sock but I started worrying as soon as I finished the first sock. I made these socks longer than my "normal" socks (a little over 7 inches from top to heel) and the ribbing and cabling use lots of yarn. Thankfully, the worrying was for naught as I had a nice ball of yarn left over.

When I first started knitting with the merino/tencel yarn I wasn't too fond of it. It felt kind of stringy. As I got used to it, however, I came to love it. I'm not sure what the purpose of the tencel is but the socks feel wonderful. The cables and ribbing make these very leg hugging socks - no worries about these puppies slipping down. I really enjoyed the pattern. It was simple to memorize by the first repeat. I love so many of the patterns in this book but I was looking for something that would work with this yarn. I think I made a good choice.

This will be my last Project Spectrum project for this triad of blue, gray and white. Truth be told, I am bone tired of these icy cold colors. I'm ready for SPRING and some new, brighter colors. My current sip is not very colorful but it is greenish in a khaki sort of way. I'm using Claudia Handpainted and going toe up because this time I know to be worried about the yardage. I'm almost to the heel of the first sock. I'm feeling confident that this short row heel will go much more smoothly than my last short row heel that had me pulling my hair out.

Just wait until you see my new yarn for my next project. I promise it's bright and cheerful and very, very springlike. It's made by Perchance to Knit - I bought it when The Loopy Ewe had their giant update a few weeks ago. It's certainly not like any yarn I've knit with before but I needed to make a drastic change to chase away these winter blues.

First Cable Rib

The first Cable Rib sock is finished. I really wish I had a better photo to share but it's WAY too cold to go outside to take a photo. I'll get a good shot when the pair is complete. Let me just say that I really like the pattern. It's quite simple with a 6 stitch cable on each side of the leg and the cables cross every 10 rows.

I have totally changed my mind about the yarn. I'm using Yarn Pirate's merino/tencel blend in a colorway called Malamute. If you had a Malamute dog you'd totally understand the naming of this yarn. I didn't care for the yarn at first but as I knit with it and got used to it I decided I really like it. This pattern pulls in quite a bit with the 2x1 ribbing and the cables but the yarn seems to have nice elasticity. It definitely has good stitch definition (even if the photo doesn't show the cables very well). I wish I had a digital scale because I'd like to weigh the remaining yarn and sock to compare them. I'm just hoping I have enough to complete the second sock.

Speaking of worrying about running out of yarn ... I want to start a pair of socks with some Claudia Handpainted that's been sitting in my stash. I tried to start a pair of socks a couple of weeks ago with it but had gauge issues. The yardage is also an issue with me (with my size 10s). I've decided to bite the bullet and do these socks toe up. I hated the last pair of socks I knit toe up and vowed never to do it again but this yarn is really calling for it. I'd prefer to do them toe up but with a heel flap and gusset. I just want a plain vanilla pattern, toe up, with heel flap and gusset. I'll be searching. I need pictures and very small simple words.

Project Spectrum Knitting Goals

Project Spectrum has officially begun and I hardly know where to start. After two pictureless posts in a row, I have plenty of photos to share today. It seems like a good time to go over my Project Spectrum knitting goals for the blue, gray, white triad. After two pictureless posts in a row, I have plenty to share today. Remember you can click on any photo for a larger image.

1. Finish the stealth scarf in time for my husband's birthday in 5 days. It now measures 53 inches and I'd like to get to 64 inches if I don't run out of yarn first.

2. Finish Jared's Silja socks. I've got the first one complete and the second one just rows away from starting the heels. I'm having a good attitude about this duty knitting as Jared routinely checks my progress to tell me what a good job I'm doing.

3. Finish the barely started hat for Dulaan. I found this turquoise yarn in my stash. Although I never knit with bulky yarn and it hurts my hands if I knit with it for very long, I figured I could eek out a toddler hat. I'd like to complete one charity project for each PS triad.

4. Knit socks with these beautiful yarns. I've had enough of smelling them and touching them, I'd like to knit with them. I won't cast on with either, however, until numbers 1 and 2 above are completed. I still haven't decided what they'll be. The Yarn Pirate yarn may become Monkey socks or Conwy socks. Any thoughts? The J. Knits is tougher because I want a pattern that takes full advantage of the color - probably something cabley.

5. Knit at least one of the socks for the current Nancy Bush KALs. I'm not really terribly interested in either but I'm considering the Gentlemen's Plain Winter Sock (pictured on the right). Maybe if I find the perfect yarn at the yarn store sale this weekend. If I don't find the perfect yarn, I'll just knit a different Nancy Bush sock.

Retail therapy

I found some inspiration in a little retail therapy.

When I heard that the Interweave Press book, Favorite Socks, was released early I wanted it right away. While I was in the city yesterday for my father's funeral, I went to one of my favorite local yarn stores in search of this book. There it was, just one book, on the sock shelf in the store. I picked it up and carried it around for awhile. I perused some yarn but didn't purchase any. Not one skein. All I left the store with was this book. And that was enough.

Now I have access to some wonderful patterns and plenty of inspiration. I know that many people have knit most of the patterns in this book before (waving lace and go with the flow) but there have got to be many of us who haven't had access to the patterns before. I can see a wonderful Favorite Socks KAL starting up as soon as more people own the book.