Finally, Spring Rib Socks! And Extreme Close-Ups!

Our first extreme close-up is of the socks I just finished. The pattern is called Spring Rib socks, and I got it on Ravelry. The close-up shows how beautiful the Creatively Dyed Luxury yarn is (and I have already gone on and on about it in previous posts, so I'll stop). It also sort of shows the cable. It's got a seed stitch border, then a little cable. It's on the outside of each sock.

I will say that I modified the pattern a lot. So much so that the second sock is just one of my standard top-down socks with the cable pattern placed on the side to match the other one. I was too lazy to repeat the complex sizing things I did to the first one. And heck, you can hardly tell the difference.

Here's one of the socks in a more normal view. I made them rather short, because there is only 360 yards in a skein of this yarn, I guess so it wouldn't cost too much, given its content. In the end, I had quite a bit left over. I could have made them at least two inches longer and still had leftovers! I guess these will make pretty additions to my mitered square blanket that I haven't worked on in a long time (but a bunch of my knitting friends started their own versions recently, making it hard to resist working on it--but I want to wait until I got more samples).

I did a better job grafting the toe on the second sock, but I think I pulled the yarn too tight, due to using the knitting needle method of grafting. I'll keep working at it. At least this one looks "proper."
This extreme close-up is the sock I started today. I just don't feel like doing a complex pattern, as I mentioned yesterday. This tweed yarn has a base of white with a blue strand, which has been overdyed with black, red, orange, purple and pinkish. It's Lana Grossa Meilenweit Colortweed that I got at the LYS some time ago. Very happy, I'd say.

The funny thing is that after the Creatively Dyed socks, this yarn felt all scratchy and rough. I haven't knit with "normal" sock yarn in so long I forgot what it felt like! Actually, this is sort of scratchy for sock yarn. I figure that means it will wear well and last a long time. Fun knitting, not knitting that is a test of skill and intellect. Everyone needs that sometimes!


This extreme close-up is the little hat from yesterday up close, since EMJH had asked to see what the topknot looked like. If you look at the original, you can see the individual hairs on the Blossom. It really is a cute little design element, where it gets small then gets bigger again. Easy! the last two rows are in the fuzzy yarn, which makes the flower effect.

I Totally Messed Up, But, Here's a Hat

Oh, woe is me. I completed the back of the Bridget Cardigan. Then I measured it to be sure it was still on target. To say that it was not is an understatement. The width at the chest should have been 19" and it was 17". The bottom edge was right, but my gauge was 23 stitches per 4" not 20. I had rather completely departed from my gauge. Craptastic. I knew the yarn was a borderline DK weight in the first place, so I guess I need a larger needle. Luckily I have a lot of yarn, so I'll just start again with a larger needle. I think this time I may go ahead and make the body all in one piece, too. I'll know if it's going to fit much sooner that way. I'll then make the sleeves seamless, as well. Bummer. I just sat there yesterday afternoon and stared at the knitting for a long time. I know everyone has stuff like this happen, but, sigh. I wish I had figured it out sooner. Oh well, another fine Learning Experience for me to learn from!

Remember this--even pretty good knitters, including ones who make gauge swatches, end up with a wrong size and have to start again. it's not the end of the world. Just a tad tedious.

To make myself feel better I decided to make a cute hat, using a very simple pattern and yarn I am familiar with, so I couldn't mess up. It turns out that a student had asked me to help her get started on a hat yesterday and picked a pattern out of the booklet "Noro Revisited," by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton, which had been lounging in the LYS for quite a while. I showed her how to do it in one piece and use mattress stitch to finish it, and since I still had gift certificate money, I decided to get yarn to make myself one, and I also bought the booklet. Once I got home and saw the disaster that was Bridget (and today is her feast day, too, poor dear saint), I decided I needed to cheer myself up and make the hat. I used this very bright Kureyon colorway along with Blossom in a color that perfectly coordinates. Blososm is an odd little yarn. There's a very solid core and all sorts of fluffy surroundings. It is only used in the middle of the hat. But, it looks really nice. I got a kick out of the top of the hat, a little tube that gets bigger and looks like something a character in a Dr. Seuss book would wear. I think there should be a little flower growing out of it.

It's a nice, warm hat that fits perfectly, so I am sure I'll wear it. I have another really cute hat I want to make, too. I do not in any way need this many winter hats. I do wear them on cold days, especially if I have to de-ice the car. But, I could probably do with one hat per coat. That's about where I am now. But they cheer me up. Nothing wrong with that!

I'll re-start Bridget this week. First I think I'll finish my poor socks. I am at the toe now. I am ready to do another pair, for sure. I think I'll make something simple in a happy colorway. That seems to be the theme of the moment in my knitting!