Year of Projects: Week 3

The "photo-shoot" is finally done. What did I learn from this experience? Check out my bags of WIPs. I really need to finish some more projects before I start with anything else.

(Neatly put together)

(The hidden explosion of projects)

The Bex

Started October 1, 2012.  I had to battle with this yarn; not while knitting but when trying to wind the skein into a cake.  I ended up with so much yarn barf that I looked at it in disgust and left for New Jersey to visit family.  Those 2 balls you see is what I have remaining.  I hope it's enough to finish the 2nd sock.

The Stitch Surfer:

Started on November 30, 2012.  The only reason I stopped was because I had never finished a toe up sock before and was not grasping how to bind off.  Suffice it to say, it's doesn't make it past my foot, much less my leg.  T suggested that I just unpick the bind off and redo it...talk about a "duh" moment.

The Dark Isle:

Started March 17, 2013.  I specifically dyed the yarn for these socks...well not all of it, just the gradient yarn.  I think it turned out pretty good.  I just have to find the time (and get my 2US needles free again) to finish them.  I don't think it will take too long.

Forget Hermione! These are for me

Started April 12, 2013.  I started these as a dye challenge.  It was supposed to be dye and knit a project in a month.  I was doing so well! And then I broke not 1 but 2 of my DPNs.  I started going on the circular needles and I was not enjoying the process.  I lovingly bagged up the project and said "forget it" until I could get some DPNs.  Now I have them (as seen in the above picture) and I don't have the time right now.  I want them done by the fall so I can wear them.

Basically Perfect Baby Socks

Started May 21, 2013.  This should have been a quick project.  I finished the first sock within a couple days and the other one is still on the needles (the 2US needles that I need to get free to do the Dark Isle socks).  I can get it done but I think it's the boredom of stockinette (and laziness) that keeps me from doing it.

Shapely Boyfriend Cardigan

Started April 2, 2013.  I had been making good progress on this cardigan.  I am at the waist shaping and I want to continue however the call of the Cookie Socks is a bit stronger. I was hoping to have this done in for the fall but I think I'm going to have to be a bit more realistic on the time constraints.

Anklet #1

Started May 30, 2013.  I'm pretty certain these will be cute when finished.  I already started decreasing for the toe.  I'll like to have the mismatched pair finished soon mostly due to the fact that I don't like the yarn that is being used for the cuff, heel and toe.

Tiberius

Started June 18, 2013. Love the look of these socks but there's not rush on these ones.  That's pretty much it for now.  How much writing is expected for ribbing?

...fascinating

Started June 10, 2013.  Yes!  I finished the first sock and I'm just past the ribbing on the second sock.  I want these done ASAP.  I want a new pair to wear, despite the fact I have barely worn the Pirouette and Tulip socks that I finished less than 2 months ago.  They are so squishy and soft and pretty :D  By the way, I am a convert to Tanis yarn now that I've finally knitted with 1 of my 3 skeins.

Blankie

Started July 13, 2012.  Wow! It's been just over a year and look at how big it's gotten! As of the time of typing this update, there is 107.5 squares and by the time I finish this knitting year, I want to be at 250 squares.  Note: I am so short that even when standing on a chair, I still couldn't get the entire thing in one picture.

Now onto the forgotten projects.

Slide Socks

You can already see that one of the socks is off the needles.  I was trying to do these socks 2 at a time and I was not successful.  I will make these socks out of this yarn but I think I'm going to try winding them into balls and working on each sock seperately.

Anisette Cardigan

As I have mentioned before, the back is utter perfection...but I just don't think I really want the cardigan out of this yarn and it would be nice if the sleeves were the correct size.  I'd rather just toss out the whole thing and make it again from a different kind of yarn.  Nothing wrong with the pattern.  It's lovely but I'm just not liking this project.  I just want to know what I can do with this yarn.

Come-a-long Update

The Tulips have finally been finished. It was my only...no one of the only - projects I worked on in the past week. They are slouchy in the leg because I should have gone for a smaller size but I don't care.  They'll be like my Monkey socks which are great for wearing around the house.  What makes me prouder is that I dyed the yarn all by myself (and I have no notes as to how I did it in the first place so I can't repeat the process).  

I made a joke about all I would have to do to make me feel more accomplished was to raise the sheet and spin the yarn from it's wool.  Someone thought I actually spun the the yarn.  I am definitely not at that point yet.

The other project I was working on was the Anklet.  And I don't have enough yarn to make it to the toe.  Therefore I am going to have to go to the ball that the cuff and heel came from, take off mini balls of yarn (because whoever donated the ball to the library knitting circle and then to me seemed to cut randomly into the ball and I can make little balls around 2g a pop) and do part of the foot as well.  I don't think I'm looking forward to repeating that for the second foot.

Once the Tulips were done, I immediately casted on for a new pair of socks for the Sock Club.  I am doing the Spock Socks, in a science officer blue (because that is the only colour that make sense).

I'm still trying to decide between to balls of yarn for a Command yellow for the other pair for the month called the Tiberius (obviously in reference to Capt. James. T. Kirk).  

This on is a Knitpicks Stroll Tonal in Golden Glow.

This one will require more work as in an overdye. This one is from Tanis Fiber Arts, Blue Label in Buttercup.

Suggestions?

Projects Completed for 2013:

Newton Socks | Ernie Socks | Pirouette Socks | Tulip Socks

WIPs:

 Dark Isle Socks | Stitch Surfer | Hermione's Whatever-whatevers | Shapely Boyfriend Cardigan | Blankie | Bex | Anklet #1 | Baby Socks | ...fascinating (the Spock Socks)

Anklet commentary

I wanted to keep an on going commentary on the anklet sock construction.

Anklet #1:

Needle: 1.5US Kollage Square, circular which I believe equates to a 2.5mm

Yarn #1: some old sock weight Superwash wool that doesn't say that it's Superwash; although the label does say it's machine washable

Yarn #2: Fleece Artist BFL sock yarn in Daffodil from T's left over stash - 19g

Basic Pattern (adjusted from Anklet a Day by Jessica Marks)

Cast on 64 stitches with unknown "Superwash" yarn

[k2, p2] to end of round

Repeat rib for 6 rows

Change to main colour (Fleece Artist BFL yarn) and knit 2 rounds with main colour

Heel Flap (standard heel flap)

Change to contrast colour

Row 1: [Sl1, k1] until 1 stitch remains, knit

Row 2: Sl1, purl to end

Repeat for 2.25" (19 times for me) ending after row 2

Turn Heel

Sl1, Knit 18, k2t, k1, turn

Sl1, purl 7, p2t, p1

Sl1, knit until 1 before gap, k2t, k1, turn

Sl1, purl until 1 st before gap, p2t, p1, turn

Repeat last 2 rows until all stitches have been worked, ending after working purl row

GUSSET

Knit 9, place marker for beginning of row

Knit remaining rows

Pick up slipped stitches, place marker to mark right side of foot. Change to main colour

Knit to the left side of the top of the foot, place marker to mark left side of foot

Pick up slipped stitches, knit to end of row

Row 1: knit until 3 sts before right marker, k2t, k, sm, knit to left marker, sm, k1, ssk, knit to end

Row 2: knit to end

Repeat last 2 rounds until 36 sts remain for foot.

FOOT

Knit all rounds until 2" before length of foot

TOE

Knit to right side of foot. New beginning of round. Change yarn to contrast colour

Round 1: Knit to end

Round 2: [ssk, knit to 2 sts before end of the top of the foot, k2t], twice

Repeat until desired length, end after a decrease round

Graft toe

SOCK 1 complete

Repeat the same thing for sock 2 but with a different main colour

Noted changes that I want to try:

- knit on a 1US, on a 72 cast on. I think I'd like it to be a tighter stockinette

- change turn heel from Sl1, Knit 18, k2t, k1, turn to Sl1, Knit 17, k2t, k1, turn

- either increase cuff to 10 rounds or after 6 rounds, knit for 4-6 rounds

- make sure for the main colour to have at least 20g of yarn

I think that's it for now however other than the turn heel change these will not come into effect until the next pair. I just need to finish the first sock first...and hopefully I'll have enough to make it to just before the toe.

TV and a simple sock

I finally decided to catch up on Vampire Diaries. I missed this show and I want to watch the Originals spin-off. Catching up on a TV show and knitting work very well together.

I continued to work on Anklet #1; a nice simple stockinette pattern. As I pulled at the yarn before continuing another round, I am starting to wonder if I have enough yarn to knit with before I reach the start of the toe. Oh well, you learn as you go.

So it's next week?

One of these days I'm going to wake up and find 50 stitch markers in my bed!

Instead of working on the 2nd baby sock yesterday at the Thursday knitting circle, I cast on for the anklet. I'm using my Kollage square circular needles. It feels weird to not be using DPNs for socks. 

I usually don't have to mark the sides for the gussets but because this circular needle is so small (I think a 16"), I got to use them. Unfortunately for me, I forget that they're there and they keep dropping off somewhere on my lap which falls to my bed and then disappears into the same vortex that line socks disappear into. I've lost 2 so far. I'm doing my best to be a lot more careful.

But they do look beautiful, don't they?