Current WIP and a Magazine Review

It's amazing, if you want to have a blog that people read, you need to put out content. So, my goal is to try and put up a post per week, but as has already been seen by my previous track record, I'm really not good at keeping goals.

For now, lets get into a pretty.

This is a (as the Knitmore Girls say) a knitting attack. I got this yarn in November as a birthday present. It is Regia Fluromania, but I don't have the numbers right now as the ball band is at home.

I started these socks as soon as I got it, which is the sock at the top. These were going to be Bavarian socks from the Vogue Sock Knitting book (which I also don't have with me...). I'm glad I decided to try it on before I got too far into it, because due to the cable and twisted stitches I should have bumped up my needles a size or two. It's just a bit too small to fit over my heel.

So I pulled the needles out of it, and started another sock from the other side of the ball. The new sock is the one on the bottom, and it is the Mile High Club socks, which currently fit wonderfully and the cable pattern is beautiful and interesting enough to keep my attention.

I've just turned the heel (and did an Eye of Partridge Heel for the first time) and am no working on the gusset. I'm going to try my hand at Kitchenering again, when I get to it, I've been doing toe up socks for years due to my previous hatred of Kitchener stitch, but realized that my sewn bind of that I've been doing is basically a half Kitchener. So I'm sucking it up and trying my hand at it again.

In my last post I had a shot of the current version of Interweave Knits, and I've decided to give it a review. IK is one of my favourite knitting magazines, and is the only one I have a subscription to. I tend to wear them down with repeated readings and quite often go through them 4-5 times in the first week before I see everything.

In this case it's a good thing, because my first time through I really wasn't impressed.

Now then, step one to me getting an IK is to flip to the back page. My favourite part of any edition is the Ravelings story at the back. This time was no exception! I loved reading Mary Jane Mucklestone's story, and am surprised that I'd not yet heard of Helene Magnusson (sorry for lack of accents, my computer is being stupid). For me, these little tales are worth the price of admission for any IK.

The product reviews, mill tour, and yarn comparison are all lovely, but let's face it, it's the patterns that are the good stuff.

Section Hike

When I first flipped through this group of patterns I was really 'meh', mainly, I think, because I'm not big on head bands and kerchiefs and such.

Going through it again, I found myself drawn to the Highlands Headband and Figure 8 Head Scarf. Though the Figure 8 I most likely wouldn't wear as intended.

The Olympia Headband isn't for me, it's cute though, and I might make one for someone else. The Berkshires Band is definitely my favourite of the head things. I'd probably make it in wool and wear it in winter.

The Appalachian Thermal is cute, but not one I'm likely to knit, mainly due to the seed stitch.

The Bartram Vest is going in my queue, it's cute, has simple looks, and all in one construction is really something that catches my eye. The zipper is the only drawback for me personally, but that's because I'm horrible at installing zippers.

The Mount Robson Pullover is a definite 'to make' for my husband. It's the perfect type of sweater for him, I just have to find the right wool (as in, one that doesn't have mohair and make him break out into a rash).

Wild Bouquet

This section had a lot more that caught my eye, in fact the only ones I know for a fact that I won't knit are the Clove Hitch Tee (I don't like the off the shoulders style), and the Dianthus Cardigan, due to the different lengths between fronts and backs, though I do like the look of the stitch pattern and may edit the pattern to level out the hem if I find the right yarn.

The hat and two shawls are lovely. I really do enjoy knitting shawls, though my friends and loved ones tell me I look old lady-ish when wearing them.

The Wildflower Bolero is an instant fav, and possibly a good way to use up single balls of yarn by alternating stripes rather than using a self striping yarn.

Local Colour

The first time I flipped through this section, the three patterns didn't really do anything for me, but on second and third viewing, they have grown on me. While none of the sweaters would be appropriate for work, I can tell you they would get a lot of wear at home. They all look incredibly comfortable, and while I would likely choose different colours, are all sweaters I would be grabbing for instead of my hoodies.

Home & Hearth

I may have already pulled out the yarn and needles for the Cottage Baby Blanket (though I've not cast on yet as I want to finish my socks first). I'm not pregnant, but I am starting to knit baby things to put in a hope chest (because hopefully in the next few years). This blanket is definitely one I'm making for the chest. I'm not sure I have enough of the white yarn to do the whole blanket, but I think the edging is one I can easily do in another colour and still have it look nice.

The I-cord pot holders are interesting, but not really something I would make.

Overall, while my first impression wasn't the greatest, I've now come to find a number of projects that I would love to make and wear. I still have yet to get a copy of IK that I haven't enjoyed thoroughly.

The Quest of the Baby Sweater

A coworker of mine gave birth to her baby girl yesterday. Last week was her baby shower, and with a baby shower must come baby knits! A week prior to the shower I decided I was going to make a little cardigan out of some sock yarn I had in my stash.

I dutifully looked online for a lovely little pattern, then realized as I was casting on that the pattern was for DK weight and I was using fingering, so that wouldn't work, and since I had enough of a long tail, I just cast on as many stitches as I needed to make it wide enough for a 0-3 month old. I decided to make it a cardigan that a baby could grow into. Short(ish) sleeves, and no ties or buttons on the front so it can just sit open. Just something to wear during early fall since that was when the baby was going to be born.

I knit like crazy, at work, at home, anywhere I could pull my needles out. On the day of the shower I finished my lunch with half a sleeve left to do, so I did something I'm not really proud of, but for the last half hour of the day I knit at my desk. I still answered all the phones, and did everything my job needed, thankfully we (for once) had a quiet last half hour. At the end of the day I just had to cast off the last sleeve and weave in 4 threads which were completed in 5 minutes, and I ran upstairs to the shower. The biggest comment I got from everyone at the shower was that they couldn't believe that something that small could fit a human. I mentioned back that considering where the baby currently was, you didn't want it any bigger!

Due to the last minuteness of the sweater, the only photo I have of it right now is of me presenting it to the Mom, though she has promised to send me better photos to put on Ravelry.

This was made with some variegated Patons Kroy for the accents, and another sock yarn that I will have to get the name from when I get home for the bulk of the cardigan in a lovely light pink. The pattern was created on the fly, and it's a drop shoulder, 1/2 sleeve cardigan with no buttons or ties. I wish I could have blocked it to get the front bands to lie flat. I just did a few stitches of garter stitch up both edges to try and keep the stocking stitch under control.

I'm glad that sock yarn is as nice as it is now. The mom will be able to toss this into the wash without any worry of it felting thanks to the nylon content.

To finish the week out, here's a bunch of pictures of my cats swarming me the second I sit down when I get home.

Please excuse the state of my living room, we're still getting caught up after camping. Also woohoo! I made it one week! Happy Friday everyone. We'll see you on Monday. I'm hoping to have the Fisherman's Rib shawl/scarf thing done by the end of the weekend, and I have a couple other projects that I'm going to be working on finishing that I can chat to you about.

I'm so excited that a schedule seems to be working, we'll see how long I can keep this up.