FO: Orphans

I've opted for the double dose on the last two rounds of Adrian's Fiber Club, which has left me with gobs of fiber lying around. I managed to spin up parts of two batches of fiber but had about 5 oz leftover that have been sitting in the cupboard for the last few months. This past week I finally got back to them.

Specs: 214 yds/2.4 oz of Maldives (18 micron merino) , 124 yds/3.2 oz of Verdant (70% merino/30% mohair)

Spun/plied at 10:1, both chain plied

Maldives: 14 wpi prewash, 13 wpi postwash; Verdant: 10 wpi prewash, 10 wpi postwash

Both were somewhat overplied and went through fulling finish - Maldives was balanced after finishing, Verdant was still slightly overplied.

So now I have two new skeins of stripy yarn. My plan is still to make the girls some mittens with the Maldives, lined with some commercial yarn, and I think I'll actually have enough to do hats or scarves as well.

The Verdant - this was a different experience. The first batch of Verdant I spun as laceweight. This time around I wanted to end up with something bulky weight (I think I had subconscious visions of Stephanie's Unoriginal hat), so I had to focus on spinning a thicker single then I usually do. It took a bit of work - I didn't predraft very much, just snapped the top to loosen it a bit, and the mohair made it quite sticky. So I ended up with some thick and thin bits due to drafting malfunctions. It seems to be quite a bit softer at this weight however, then as laceweight - less twist means less wirey maybe? In any event, it's now balled up in its little nest of handspun, happily waiting to be knit up for a Christmas present. As a hat, it will probably have to be lined because it's still a bit itchy. Maybe I could just go on a mitten knitting binge?

FO: a secret

I finished some Christmas socks for someone, but I can't actually post pictures because that would just ruin the surprise.

But here are the stats: StR lighweight in Atomic #6, US size 1/2.25 needles, 7 st/inch, Cat Bordhi Riverbed architecture with Hedgerow sock rib pattern.

If you really can't stand it and want to see a picture go here (not you honey).

That is all.

FO: Blueberry Brambler

Pattern: Brambler by Anne Hanson
Yarn: Handspun wool, dyed at Halcyon Yarns, ~4 oz, 240 yds, 12-14 wpi, singles spun on a Golding 1.4 oz handspindle, plied on wheel at 10:1.
Started/Finished: June 21/July 16, but not blocked until 8/21 (!)
Commments: Anne wrote in her blog about how addictive this pattern was, and she wasn't kidding! I raced through most of this in just a few days, ran out of yarn while in New England, and had to wait to get home to spin up the 0.3 ounces I had left. It made just enough yarn for 38 repeats of the pattern instead of the recommended 36.

The only thing I would change, in retrospect, is the cast on/cast off. I cast on with the backwards loop method, hoping for a loose edge, and bound off with my usual lace/sock cuff bindoff. To say they don't match would be an understatement. So the next time I make this scarf (and there will definitely be a next time), I'll put a bit more thought into matching the two edges.

Kudos to Anne for a beautiful and extremely well written (as always)  pattern!

More shots:

Boo likes it too...

FO: Spiraling Coriolis

Finished on the bus this morning, and immediately put on (without weaving in the ends) because the bus driver plays a butcher in another life, and was driving around in a diesel-powered meat locker. It was approximately 6 degrees in there. I definitely needed socks.

From the outside, these babies are pretty non-descript - slightly stripey, but not terribly interesting to look at.

But if you look at what's under the pants...

Spirals!

More spiraling!

Even more spiraling!

Pattern: Master Spiraling Coriolis (Rav link) by Cat Bordhi, from New Pathways for Sock Knitters, Book 1
Yarn: Cascade Fixation, color #9816, 98% cotton/2% elastic, 2 balls (100 yds/50 g)
Needles: Susan Bates US 1/2.25 mm
Gauge: 7 sts/13 rows per inch
Comments: This pattern was my first from this absolutely fantastic book. If you are a sock knitter, and haven't looked at this book yet, run - do not walk! - to your nearest library or bookstore and check it out. It has 8 different ways of creating a sock; actually, it's more like 8 different ways to create tubes with a bulge in the middle for your heel/arch - the heels and toes are pretty standard. But Cat has discovered that you can put the gusset increases in a whole bunch of different places, allowing for infinite variety in sock design. It's phenomenal!

This pattern struck me, in part because it was touted as a good use for handpainted yarn (of which I have some in my stash that has been through three or four different sock starts, and failed miserably at all of them), and because spirals are pretty cool. Plus it's named after a physics concept. A concept that accounts for this:

Again with the spirals.

I picked up the yarn when I bought the book, since I'd never tried it but had heard a lot about it. Plus cotton is just that much more pleasant to work with in the Houston summer, not to mention more wearable! Having now used it for a whole pair of socks, I have to say that I liked it. It took a little while to figure out the correct tension to use, since the stuff can stretch like crazy, but it knits up into a nice fabric. It seems slightly heavier to me then other sock yarns I've used, but the "200 yds" in the two balls made a pair of women's size 10 socks with 5.5 inch cuffs, which for me is pretty long, so the "yardage" is good.

Given the green/brown and grey/cream color scheme, I'm also counting these against Project Spectrum Earth and Air. August 1 is the start of Water, which I think is going to be a big element for me - I love blues and purples and greys, so I've got a bunch of projects lined up for the next round.

And I guess this makes 8 pairs of socks this year, hunh? Maybe I can make it to 15+...But I've got my July pair done for the knitalong. And yarn in my bag to cast on another project from this book on the way home.

No, I don't have a problem. Why do you ask?

Victory!

A good combo: the fastest pair of socks ever evah,

and one of the biggest blowouts in Finals history.

Sock details: leftover yarn from a Christmas present some years back, size 1 needles, cast on 8 stitches, worked 4 rows in stockinette, then picked up 8 stitches along each long edge and 2 stitches along short edges. Increased up to 48 stitches, worked even for 4.5 inches, did a short row heel, knit a few more rows, and added a picot bind off. Short, sweet, to the point. Gotta like it.