Catching up, part 2

As I had said, I got a lot of knitting done over Christmas; not all of it resulted in finished objects but I reached a few milestones.

Works in Progress

Custom-fit gloves:


I really hate when my wrists get cold in the winter, sticking out between my coat and my gloves. So I'm making gloves with extra-long cuffs to help alleviate that problem.

I'm using one of my favorite Interweave Knits patterns, a 2003 do-your-own calculation glove pattern for any gauge. I'm using Trekking Color and #1 needles, and I'm happy with the subtle variegation I'm getting. I've also modified the palm section with short rows to better mimic the shape of a hand. More about that when I get both gloves finished I think.

Pomatomus Sock:


Here is my most recent attempt to try and show the true color of this yarn, Brown Sheep Wildfoote, which is unstoppably difficult to photograph. I think I made a mistake on these socks; I didn't like the fabric I got on #2 needles so I switched to #1... and now, as you might have guessed, they're a little snug. Oh well. I'll finish the second one, and move on. Maybe give them away if they really don't fit.

Serrano Sleeves:


Blocking to the proper size!

The pattern says that the sweater pieces will look unimaginably small before they're blocked, and that's certainly true. I'm about 5" into the body and I can't fathom how it's going to fit around my body, but I'll run with it.

I like the pattern, the lace, the yarn, and for a sweater on #2 needles, it's working up very quickly. Or maybe that was just the hours and hours of TV I was watching over vacation.... In any case, I'm excited to wear this sweater when it's done.


Gifts

My boyfriend's dad made me a really cool box for Christmas for me to store and display my socks in:



It's made of walnut and cherry and a few other things, and has a little inlay at the corners. It's the coolest thing I've seen in a while, and looks great with all my bookcases and other wood stuff in the living room. This photo is a little misleading: I have more socks to display, but they were all drying from being washed.

In that photo you can also see a few of the lovely things I got for Christmas: a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Potluck on top; 2 skeins of Claudia Handpaint in Bearded Iris on top, second from the right, and 2 balls of Lang Jawoll in lavender, in the middle on the bottom, destined for Eunny's Bayerische Socks.

And last but not least, some Crystal Palace Kid Merino:


Which will become Melissa Wehrle's Grannie Smith Cardigan, for which I already have the pattern.

I'm excited to knit lots of things from my stash in the new year -- I have enough yarn for three sweaters, 6 pair of socks, 3 lace shawls... I think that will keep me busy for a while, and it will help my other goal of saving enough money to visit my boyfriend extensively when he is living in Spain this spring and summer.

Heel Stitch
I use heel stitch to reinforce the heels of my socks because it's tight and dense. Usually you work it on a top-down heel flap; on an even number of stitches it's:

Row 1 (RS): *Sl 1, k 1* to end
Row 2 (WS): Sl 1, p to end.

For my toe-up short row heels, I started it after I began increasing on the second half of the heel, adding stitches into the pattern as I could.

I think I may have run out of catching up; now I'll have to knit some more.

Comments

reluctantMANGO said…
Lovely update! The sock display piece is amazing... it reminds me of the cubby-holes we had in grade school :) A fitting backdrop for your beautiful socks!

Oh, and thanks for the heel lesson!
3:45 AM
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