Napoli
Here’s a pair of socks for November! They were started in October, but I kept getting distracted by other things.
I was a bit disappointed to find out that the rib pattern in this version is the same as the one used in the Yarrow version (see this post for my completed Yarrows) from the same book. The cuffs, heels, and toes are different, so that more than made up for it.
knitting, socks | 11 stitchesKitsch
Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating tomorrow!
I actually started this project several times back in late August-September. I made so many mistakes I finally frogged it and put it aside. An opportunity to try again finally came when I was in a lull between projects.
I hope I’m not causing any bad ’70s flashbacks with this color combination! I used these two colors partly because I was fairly sure the recipient would like them, and because their official names are Paprika and Thyme, quite appropriate for kitchen use.
It’s a fun pattern, simple but interesting at the same time. It’s also a bit challenging because the Gingham stitch pattern uses an odd-numbered row repeat before changing colors. I’ve done this before with other projects, but for some reason, I had a serious block with this project. I kept frogging or tinking back needlessly, or making too many errors. Things went much more smoothly after taking a break.
I made one modification to the second Grid section (the two-color section before the cast-off edge). I added in two contrast-color transition rows after the Gingham section (to prevent slipping stitches of both colors in the first row of the Grid section). I knit one row with the green, and then on the WS, *K1, S1 wyib*, and ended with K2. With these two extra rows, the borders seemed more balanced.
I couldn’t get the double-knit and crocheted handle given in the pattern to turn out properly. After ripping out several attempts, I tried a few new approaches until I finally settled on the reversible, uni-color version you see in the photos. I decreased the needle size to US 2.5 (3 mm) for a firm fabric. I liked how it looks, so I’m including the instructions here for future reference
accessories, decor, knitting | 19 stitchesVictoriana
On Ravelry, I volunteered to test-knit a fingerless glove pattern for Hattie at Stitch Therapy. She was updating and converting the pattern from a blog post to PDF format and wanted new samples knit with currently/commonly available yarns and new photos.
I knit the smallest size, even though I wasn’t sure they would fit my hands. They do fit, I was surprised! They are snuggest around the base of the thumb gussets; you can see how stretched the stitches are on the right-hand glove in the picture below.
accessories, knitting | 15 stitchesSlytherin!
Whee! Early last week, my Hogwarts Sock Swap TWO package arrived from Amelia Crowhaven! She sent some great stuff!
Triple-patterned
As I finished up the baby items back in September, I was really craving stimulation; I wanted to knit something a bit complicated, something that required a lot of attention. I knew stranded colorwork was exactly what I needed.
This is only my second stranded project (and fourth where I’ve used my left hand). It was a perfect opportunity for me to practice knitting with both hands. I’m sure you will be able to pick out a few problem areas in the pictures, but overall, I’m happy with the hat. (I’m not happy with how my left hand tensions yarn, however.)
I had the most trouble with the bullseye pattern and tinked quite a few times. I thought I was vigilant enough to have avoided any mistakes, but nope! I found two mistakes in the color patterning after washing and blocking the hat, rats! While knitting, I often paused to admire the floats, they’re such fun!
I love the cuff, but honestly, it seems too big and obscures much of the bullseye underneath. On the other hand, the cuff adds an extra layer for warmth. I’d recommend skipping the colorwork on the cuff, knitting a few rows of plain stockinette (or perhaps just a small motif), and then incorporating another twined herringbone to balance with the one at the cuff top. The twined herringbone is a really nice detail and reminds me of the vikkel braid used in Estonian folk knitting.
This hat is huge–I knit the largest size (22″ circumference), but it blocked out a bit bigger than that. I’ll be sending it to FuzzyBritches for her Warm up the Winter campaign.
accessories, knitting | 19 stitches
