Almost FO

OK, so they are currently blocking, but otherwise the Endpaper Mitts are done. Check out the insides:



I didn't know what to do with the float when I hit the purl stitch so I just ran the yarn along the back. Still I think it looks cool.



Since hubby isn't here (working the weekend, boo), you'll have to make do with just a photo of the finished mitts.



Look a little closer:



Why yes, they do look ever so slightly different. I switched which color I held in which hand while I was doing the stranded work and it makes the yellow ochre color stand out more on the second mitt. I guess its a good thing I ran out of yarn, now the fact that the ribbing at the thumb and fingers alternates looks like I did it on purpose. Even though they are different, I like them and I'm hoping the lucky recipient will like them too.

I also started on a sock. Just the plain socks according to the Yarn Harlot's recipe.



Unfortunately, the fabric is looser than I would like so I have already frogged this bit and need to start again with size 1 needles. (The pic shows the beginnings of a sock using Sweet Georgia yarn in Stillwater and size 2 needles.)

Bound to happen

OK, I weighed finished mitt #1. It came in at a healthy 22g. I weighed the remaining skeins, 27g, with 13g of Yellow Ochre and 15g of Peacock. Of course, I did not weigh the skeins when I first got them, simply assumed that I got the 25g on the ball band. So I should be good, right?



(I think mitt #2 looks longer because I haven't stretched it out width-wise by modeling it.)

What's wrong with this picture?




Yep, that's about a foot of yellow ochre left and the whole ribbing left to go. I was concerned early on that this pattern used more yellow than peacock but thought that with more than half of the yellow ochre to go, I would be OK.

Actually, I was concerned that I wouldn't have enough when I finished the first mitt and toyed with changing the color scheme. What I did not show you was my attempt to make the mirror-image of mitt #1. I got through the first repeat of Chart A when I decided it wasn't going to work. First, the colors didn't look as sharp, you know what I mean? Second, and more important in my decision to frog, the peacock is ever-so-slightly thicker. I imagine this has something to do with the dyeing/heathering of the yellow ochre vs. the peacock. Although I can't get a photo to show this difference, it became very apparent when I did 14 rows of ribbing in the peacock. It looked like I had used a heavier yarn or done more repeats. So, I went back to the original color scheme.

I'm thinking about taking out the last few rows of the ribbing on mitt#1 and then finishing with a strip of the peacock. That should give me enough of the yellow to start the ribbing on mitt #2 and then finish off with a strip of the peacock so that they match. I've also toyed with undoing the bottom ribbing of both and redoing them in peacock since that part of the mitt probably won't show as much as the top portion. Thoughts, suggestions, preferences?

FYI, undoing the sewn-off cast-off is a huge pain. At least the yarn made it through all the pattern repeats, right? I wove in the ends while I was knitting so undoing more than one row is also a real pain. Next time I'll show you the insides, I think it looks cool.

Must...resist...

It was so close to being done, I just couldn't stop myself. I finished the first Endpaper mitt. Although I was feeling a little better, the knitting has set me back again. However, isn't it great? (Of course, I need to weave in the ends and block it but I think it looks pretty good.)




(Its pretty hard to take a picture of your right hand with your left hand when you are right-handed. Stuff like that must be really annoying for left-handed folks since the button is the "wrong" side.)

I learned the tubular cast on and cast off for this and I have to say that I am pretty please with how they look. I also practiced weaving in the ends as I went, using the Philosopher's Wool method (you should try the link in IE to see the video). Other than where I did the purl stitch for the phony seam, the floats are small and even. I totally want to start the second one but I know that in the end it will only make things worse so I must continue to avoid the knitting. Maybe I can crochet instead?

Also, have you seen this site? I've seen Cookie A.'s designs on Knitty (here, here, here, here, and here) but these are even better (I think). I am seriously tempted to buy the German Stocking (the Yarnharlot beat me to it), and the Rhiannon. Wouldn't it be cute to make the Rhiannon for my niece, Rhiannon? Too cheesy probably but still tempting...

Moving on to the next one

I know that the Alpine Lace is languishing by the wayside, but I couldn't help myself. I had to start the Endpaper Mitts (by Eunny Jang).

I learned how to do a tubular cast on for this. It was difficult to understand at first because I couldn't get the video to work on my computer. However, once I got going it was pretty easy. I've already done 2 of the 3 repeats for Chart A and hope to start on the increases (Chart B) by tomorrow.

Progress to date:



In the wild, amongst the potted bougainvillea so you can see the colors a little better:



A close-up of the pattern:



I really liked the colors that were used in the original but did not actually set out to use such similar colors. I was trying to choose from among the many colors used in the Venezia sweater to test drive the wool (since I'd never used any Jamieson or shetland wool before) and to check out some of the colors used in the sweater. I wound up choosing two that looked like the ones in the original because it was hard to get a feel for what two colors would work well together from the little color snippets on the Two Swans order page. Although you can't tell in these pictures, the Yellow Ochre has these great flecks of color which give it sort of a tweedy effect on the cuff and really helps bring it together with the Peacock color. Also, I now have the color card so I can get more adventurous with color combinations if I do these again.

I'm pretty happy with how these are turning out and am looking forward to have a pair of mitts to model in the next week or so. Then maybe I'll go back to the lace...of course there was all that new sock yarn that I just bought...hehehe...

Do-overs

OK, there has been some knitting going on here at the home front but I haven't taken any pictures to post. I'm afraid this will be text-only with pictures to follow at some later date.

First, I now understand the call of armwarmers/wristwarmers/fingerless gloves. They are so quick and satisfying. I was able to finish the first Fetching glove in a weekend. It looked a bit too stretched so when I cast on for the second glove, I added five stitches. I know, I should have checked my gauge but I figured by the time I finished a swatch, I could have made the glove. I already finished the second glove and have started re-doing the first one so that it is the same width. I'm up to the point where I knit with waste yarn for the thumb so should be done by tomorrow.

I was trying to keep my yarn buying to a minimum in 2007 but, um, I just couldn't resist. I bought the shade card and two skeins of Jamieson's Spindrift from Two Swans Yarn. (The service was good and quick. Karen, the owner, seems to have reasonable prices and a wide selection not to mention cool sales every month.) Why the shade card? Because I desperately want to make the Venezia pullover but am thinking I want to change the colors. With all the colors in the original, I wanted to be able to compare the original selection to what I think I want instead. I bought two skeins, in Yellow Ochre and Peacock, to make the Endpaper Mitts and simultaneously get a feel for the yarn. I want to see if the wool will soften enough to really be next-to-the-skin soft. (Let's ignore the fact that I will have little use for a wool sweater in Florida. I can always wear it when I go visiting up north.)

In case you can't tell, I am a big fan of Eunny Jang's designs. So when Little Knits kept sending updates on the sale on Opal sock yarn, I finally gave in and bought some of the solid colored 6-ply yarn. The plan is to make some Bayerische socks and use a couple of skeins in the black color to make a lacy (and machine washable) scarf for my older sister. I hope to have the yarn by next week.

Also motivated by a sale, I have started re-doing the scarf using the novelty yarn. Hubby pointed out some Balene 14" straights on sale at Tuesday Morning. Normally, I wouldn't have bought them because I rarely use straights. However, it was a set of five needles (sizes 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) for about $6. I've also been on this kick to use as many different kinds of needles as possible to see how they differ and which I like best. I almost bought about $100 worth of needles from JK Needles the other night because I was so in awe of all the different materials and brands. Anyway, I was motivated to re-do the scarf using the new size 10 needles. After only about an hour of knitting, my left wrist hurt badly. I think that compared with my usual needle choice, the 14" straights were just too heavy and my poor little wrist couldn't take it. However, I like the way the Balenes feel. I would probably get their circular needles and dpns. The tips are very similar to the Bryspuns, a nice concave tip that really catches the yarn.

The Alpine Lace scarf has stalled out for now. I didn't finish it in time for my friend's wedding so the frenzy to finish is over. Perhaps after I get the wristwarmers out of my system, I'll be able to focus on it again.