Soooo much better...

So, I kept looking at my Falling Leaves socks and they just didn't look right. I kept going back to the chart, adjusting my tension, changing needles; but they still looked weird. I went blog hopping to see what everyone else's looked like, and sure enough, they didn't look like mine. Finally, totally frustrated, I reread the entire pattern out loud, word for word. What was I missing? One sentence: "Chart only shows odd numbered rows, k all stitches on even numbered rows, k all stitches for bottom of foot." Doh! So I frogged them back to the toe and started over. They look better now.

Then, there is this. I had been reading about it, but I had to try it myself to understand just how addicting stranded colorwork is! I have to be careful when I pick it up, because I almost can't put it down. (Notice the nifty true-color enlarged chart in the background. I made it in Excel.)






It hasn't been all knitting here though. The weather has been on the cold side for North Carolina but very sunny and clear, so I took the Lowas out for a little spin:


























One of the best things about living in Raleigh is that I can be downtown in 15 minutes, or I can be here in 15 minutes:


And I have a great time in both places.

Maybe I should take my standed colorwork, hike down to the creek again, sit on this rock and knit.

Ready for the big time?

So, I practiced color work by making the We Call Them Pirates hat. Do you think I'm ready for this?:

It's sweater 10208 from Dale baby book #102. I've cast on, but haven't made it out of the ribbing yet. With the lightweight yarn and the leeeetle needles, it sure is a long way around!

I'm using Dale Baby Ull in a Royal Blue and a Light Gray. I had a hard time with the swatch, because in the chart the symbol for the light color is darker than the symbol for the dark color, and I just couldn't wrap my poor dyslexic brain around it. So, I recharted it using Excel. I resized the cells to the right proportions and colored them in with blue and gray. From then on it was a lot easier. It printed out a lot larger than the chart in the book, and that helped a lot, too! Also on the needles, Falling Leaves Socks from Knitty, in Lorna's Laces Shepard Socks color Ravenswood.

Pirates and Treasure

Pirates:

Here's Aurora running off to sea in her We Call Them Pirates hat. She chose the yarn -- Dalegarn Falk in a dark purple and lavender -- and I knit the hat. I did 2 repeats of the rows Jolly Rodgers instead of 3, so it's more of a skull cap. (And that may be the worst pun I've ever made.)(Which is saying a lot!)

Treasure:

I can't believe it! I won some Socks that Rock in the contest over at January One. Thanks Cara! It's my first skein, but I have a feeling it won't be my last!

We Call them Girly...

... just not to their faces! I've joined this:

because I want to get better at multicolored knitting and because my senior-in-high-school daughter loves all things piratey. She's chosen GIRLY colors for her hat: dark purple and lavendar. ButI had an idea for even girlier pirates and just had to swatch it with random stuff from the stash :

I'ts Bernat Softee Baby in variegated pastels, contrasted with a mystery yarn in black. I love it! I may make this one for me... with sparkly little beads in each eye socket.

In other news, I've finished my Broadripple Socks. I used Cascade Fixation, in variegated purple. We seem to have a thing for purple around here.

Lace and ADD Don't Mix

So, I've started the Mountain Stream scarf three times and ripped it out three times. As a card-carrying person with ADD and someone who can't even end a k1, sl1 row on the right stitch, maybe I shouldn't be doing this. I've put it aside for now, and during the quiet evenings of late January, I'll try it again.

In other news, I've obviously forgotten to post for a long time. First, there was this: I did it! It's nothing anyone would ever want to read, but it sure was fun!

Then there were three visits to the mountains of Western North Carolina (and my grandson, of course!); a very welcome visit from my mom; and a totally unwelcome visit from a mouse. The latter sent me into a cleaning frenzy. I scrubbed and relined every drawer and every shelf of every cabinet in my kitchen; and I washed everything they contained in hot, soapy bleach water. Except for my dishtowels and dishcloths. That was the drawer where the mouse met his untimely end. I threw out all my kitchen linens and bought new ones. Fortunately, none were handmade.

Then there were the standard Christmas activities and the standard year end activities.

Anyway, all that kept me busy. I did try to knit a pair of Jaywalkers from some Lana Grossa in a colorway that reminded me of Japanese Maples in the fall; but somehow it was not a good mix of pattern and yarn. My brother asked me tactfully if I had any blind friends to give them to. They look a lot better in the picture than in person.

Also, I think I misread the pattern. The ankle is too tight and the foot is too loose. I'll frog it and maybe try just a pain ribbed sock.

I'm having better luck with the Broadripple pattern. I love the pattern, I love the fit, and I love the yarn. It's sproingy!

So there, I posted... and will try to get back into the habit.