Finished Mystery Socks, an Icarus, and some Sea Silk (and a partridge in a pear tree)
Although I finished these socks sometime last week, I'm just getting around to posting a picture of them. Behold! The Socks of Mystery!:
They're a cute pattern, although nothing so spectacular I would want to knit twice. Like I mentioned on the mystery sock blog, I did make a few changes - I prefer my socks very short at the ankle (long socks on my short legs make me look... stumpy), and I prefer a reinforced heel. Everything else is exactly as written. I didn't especially like the toe when I finished, and it seems awfully long, but it does show off the yarn nicely. I suspect my ribbing was not very good on these, and as you can tell from the picture they do sag a little around the ankle. If I were to do the pattern over, I think I'd do the k1tbl, p1 ribbing. I used that for the Embossed Leaf Socks from Interweave Knit's Winter 2005 issue, and those socks have a much better "grip."
Luckily for me, these socks did turn out mostly identical. I know how self-striping yarn can be the bane of the OCD Knitter's existence, and this yarn behaved (mostly) well. No fraternal twins (or first cousins) here.
I've also gone back to working on the Icarus Shawl. Poor Icarus has been sadly ignored in favour of more challenging patterns, but for reasons I'll detail below, is back at #1 in the WIP line. Here it is, with about one and a half more repeats of the plain section to go:
I'm really hoping the magic of blocking is going to work on this shawl. I know knitters everywhere have used alpaca and turned out just fine... only, it seems so SPRINGY. I despair of ever getting it to lie still and behave. I'm also debating whether or not I want to put in an extra repeat for length. I definitely have the yarn - I bought 1200 yards of the Misti Alpaca lace, and I would like to use up most of it. If any of you readers have done the Icarus, please let me know in the comments whether or not you added the repeat, and if yours turned out long enough.
The work that was SUPPOSED to be #1 has... well... fallen out of favour. It's a pretty enough pattern, the Paisley Long Shawl from Fiddlesticks. Last time you guys saw this, I was using Schaefer Andrea, but...
The Sea Silk arrived. I had originally intended the sea silk to be the Peacock Feathers Shawl (also from Fiddlesticks), but two problems happened.
1. I ordered this colour: Ocean
The picture below shows what colour I got, and yes, the colour is showing true in this photo. I should have just sent it back, but I had already balled one of the skeins, in a moment of true knitter idiocy.
2. I hate to say this, but I don't really like the yarn. It's much denser and heavier than I expected, so it REALLY didn't suit the Peacock Feathers shawl. There's an odd feel to it, and since the colour isn't really exciting me either.... I suspect it will be a while before I finish the Paisley Shawl.
I love the other Handmaiden yarn I've gotten (I used her Lace Silk to make my Shetland Tea Shawl), but I doubt I will be ordering Sea Silk again.
In happier news though, soon this may be "Duck Knits and SPINS!" I'll tell y'all more on Monday, until then!
They're a cute pattern, although nothing so spectacular I would want to knit twice. Like I mentioned on the mystery sock blog, I did make a few changes - I prefer my socks very short at the ankle (long socks on my short legs make me look... stumpy), and I prefer a reinforced heel. Everything else is exactly as written. I didn't especially like the toe when I finished, and it seems awfully long, but it does show off the yarn nicely. I suspect my ribbing was not very good on these, and as you can tell from the picture they do sag a little around the ankle. If I were to do the pattern over, I think I'd do the k1tbl, p1 ribbing. I used that for the Embossed Leaf Socks from Interweave Knit's Winter 2005 issue, and those socks have a much better "grip."
Luckily for me, these socks did turn out mostly identical. I know how self-striping yarn can be the bane of the OCD Knitter's existence, and this yarn behaved (mostly) well. No fraternal twins (or first cousins) here.
I've also gone back to working on the Icarus Shawl. Poor Icarus has been sadly ignored in favour of more challenging patterns, but for reasons I'll detail below, is back at #1 in the WIP line. Here it is, with about one and a half more repeats of the plain section to go:
I'm really hoping the magic of blocking is going to work on this shawl. I know knitters everywhere have used alpaca and turned out just fine... only, it seems so SPRINGY. I despair of ever getting it to lie still and behave. I'm also debating whether or not I want to put in an extra repeat for length. I definitely have the yarn - I bought 1200 yards of the Misti Alpaca lace, and I would like to use up most of it. If any of you readers have done the Icarus, please let me know in the comments whether or not you added the repeat, and if yours turned out long enough.
The work that was SUPPOSED to be #1 has... well... fallen out of favour. It's a pretty enough pattern, the Paisley Long Shawl from Fiddlesticks. Last time you guys saw this, I was using Schaefer Andrea, but...
The Sea Silk arrived. I had originally intended the sea silk to be the Peacock Feathers Shawl (also from Fiddlesticks), but two problems happened.
1. I ordered this colour: Ocean
The picture below shows what colour I got, and yes, the colour is showing true in this photo. I should have just sent it back, but I had already balled one of the skeins, in a moment of true knitter idiocy.
2. I hate to say this, but I don't really like the yarn. It's much denser and heavier than I expected, so it REALLY didn't suit the Peacock Feathers shawl. There's an odd feel to it, and since the colour isn't really exciting me either.... I suspect it will be a while before I finish the Paisley Shawl.
I love the other Handmaiden yarn I've gotten (I used her Lace Silk to make my Shetland Tea Shawl), but I doubt I will be ordering Sea Silk again.
In happier news though, soon this may be "Duck Knits and SPINS!" I'll tell y'all more on Monday, until then!
posted by Ducktastic at 1:13 PM
2 Comments:
Beautiful knitting -- and you have a VERY patient cat! :-)
What lovely socks!
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