FO: Firestarter socks

Pattern: The Firestarter by Yarnissima
Yarn: Plymouth Happy Feet (Rav link), color 5, 2 skeins
Needles: Susan Bates US 1/2.25 mm
Comments/mods: These socks were the first project I started for PS, way back in the beginning of March. The first sock went along very quickly - I increased the number of stitches for the foot to 68 (up from 60 given that I have size 10 feet), and the number of foot repeats from 5 to 8. Once I turned the heel, I worked the heel flap in sl1/k1/purl back to give the standard ridge heel flap look. I also kept the front and the back of the leg in stockinette instead of the ribbing called for in the pattern. After a couple of pattern repeats, I increased 12 stitches (4 sts per round, 3 times) spaced out over a couple of repeats to give a bit of calf shaping.

When I got to the top of the leg, I decreased 8 sts evenly all the way around before working ten rounds of k1tbl/p1 ribbing. I decreased stitches in order to keep the twisted stitches from the side panels flowing smoothly into the ribbing. I really enjoyed this pattern, and I'm very glad I did this one before attempting something like Bayerische. Once I got the hang of working the twisted stitches, they moved along pretty quickly. I love the purl texture of the gusset next to the twisted stitches, and the pattern was very well written. They're nice and cozy, just in time for Houston summers!

The only slight downside to this project was the yarn. The colors are beautiful, but it was a bit splitty to work with. I've been thinking alot recently about spinning sock yarn, and how tightly spun/plied it needs to be to wear well. This stuff just seemed too softly spun to hold up well, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!

In the interests of science (geek alert) I also kept track of how long it took me to knit one sock. Details are in a Flickr set if anyone is interested. Suffice to say I won't be making a living knitting socks for sale anytime soon!

Given my goal of knitting one pair of gift socks for every pair I knit for myself (the kid socks don't count), the next pair I cast on will have to be for someone else. There's enough options in my Rav queue to keep me busy for quite a while.

FF*: Verdant laceweight

My first installment for Project Spectrum 3 - Earth. Finally, at long last, I'm done spinning the Verdant laceweight. This was my first attempt to spin laceweight, and it was more or less successful I think. But it took a damn long time!

I started with this gorgeous fiber from Hello Yarn:

70% merino, 30% mohair, Colorway "Verdant". I got 8 oz of this fiber in my double order from the Fiber Club, but only used 4 oz for this experiment.

I split the top in half lengthwise and then in half again. Each half (2 quarters) was predrafted in sequence, and rolled into a ball. My goal was to spin two singles with more or less the same color sections so the two ply yarn would be sort of self-striping instead of marled.

Spun each half on a separate bobbin at 15:1. I used a sample card with a sample of commercial two ply laceweight (Knit Picks Shadow) showing both the two ply and the single. I actually spun up a sample of the fiber before starting the whole batch, so the sample card also had a Verdant single, the unwashed two ply and the washed two ply sample.

I started off spinning this knowing only a few things about spinning laceweight: 1) thinner singles need more twist, hence the higher ratios so your knees don't burn out of their sockets, and 2) another way to help get enough twist was to keep the take up really really low. My initial takeup was so light that I felt like I was pushing the single into the orifice and it was going nowhere. So I increased the take up a little bit and it seemed to work ok. I had to keep adjusting it as the bobbin filled however, and that took a bit of attention. I spun from the fold, using a supported long draw, which I'm liking more and more as I get better at it.

I plied at 12:1, and the colors matched up pretty well. There were only about 5 points at which I had to wind off one single onto a holder to get to the next color in the progression. Those held singles got spliced back in at the end. It was tough going on the last few bits though - that was one full bobbin!

I finished the yarn by soaking the skein in warm water and hanging to dry. I didn't give it too much abuse, since I'm planning to knit lace with it. I also didn't want the mohair to bloom too much - fuzzy lace isn't my thing.

Final specs: 3.9 oz, 18-22 wpi, 520 yds.

My original thought was to let the yarn sit for a bit until I cast on with it, but I couldn't resist. I wound it up and cast on for this the day after it was dry. It's flying off the needles, and once again, I am almost overwhelmed at how much fun it is to knit with my own handspun.

* I know it's Saturday, but I was ready to write this post yesterday when my mouse went bonkers and refused to cooperate. So it's a day late. So sue me...

Odds and ends

Yesterday was a red-letter day as far as my kids are concerned:

1) Devil headed happily off to daycare yesterday morning wearing...panties. The whole potty-training thing has been ongoing for a while now, but we've shifted in to high gear since she needs to be fully trained before she moves up to her next class (in May). She did great.

2) Boo, after deciding at 8:15 pm "Hell no Mama, I'm not going to sleep" (normal bedtime ~7:30) stayed up for another hour, entertaining her parents with her new party trick: walking. She would shakily stand up, totter across the rug for eight or ten steps, sit down with a Whump!, giggle and get back up again. But she still wasn't interested in going to sleep...

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The Fire element of Project Spectrum is over, and I didn't complete either of the pairs of socks I started. Not because I wasn't working on them, but because I started one pair before the other was finished. So they continue along, one sock of each pair done, and one sock of each pair at the heel/gusset. I'm curious as to how long it takes me to knit a pair, so I'm keeping track on one pair (Firestarter), and just muddling along on the Spiral boot socks when I get a moment. Here's some shots of both, just to keep you somewhat entertained:

Four days/6.5 hrs worth of sock knitting

Handspun knee-high goodness

I've got big plans for the Earth segment of PS: resurrecting the Basalt tank and redoing it with waist shaping in time for summer, and finishing off the Verdant laceweight I've been working on. I finished the singles last night, and hope to ply over the weekend once they've had a chance to rest for a bit, so that should be done soon. If I can, I'd also like to knit it up into a lace leafy shawl type of thing - it's been a while since I did any lace.

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March progress report:

Finished:
Rainbow sock leftovers for Devil

And that's it. Harumph.

In progress:
Summertime tunic
Firestarters
Spiral boot socks
Verdant laceweight

Snoozing:
Duck blanket - I can truthfully say that I hate intarsia. We're going to try to get Devil's big girl bed put together this weekend, so hopefully I can finish this off soon, but I'm not optimistic.

Hopefully I'll have some FO posts in the next week or so - it's been a long dry spell around here!

Blooming

For SL

The fiber keeps pouring in

According to the Yarn Harlot, Tuesdays are for spinning. Around here, Tuesdays are for fiber stash enhancement (or at least this Tuesday was).

From Little Barn:

Natural colored CVM (California Variegated Mutant), 8 oz. I've seen pictures of this wool around the Internets for a while and was really interested in trying some. It's a medium wool (at least to my fingers) and has neat variations in the coloring.

Something called LBL 46 on their website - 54-58s wool top, in gorgeous colors, also 8 oz. I think this will spin up into some nice tweedy stuff, maybe for another Zeebee. Or maybe some sock yarn.

And the crowning glory: 65% alpaca, 20% merino, 15% silk in a color described as "Turquoise Green". Actually, it's really just green. But so incredibly soft!!! I got 8 oz of this too (maybe they only sell 8 oz lots?), and I have no idea what it will become. Alpaca is pretty inelastic, so maybe some laceweight/fingering weight for a scarf or shawl? Alternatively I could just bury my face in it for the forseeable future.

It may be time to call a moratorium on new fiber purchases. I've got way more then I'm able to spin up at the moment, and with the Fiber Club carrying on, its not like I'm going to run out anytime soon.

I'm still plugging away on the Verdant laceweight. I've finished one bobbin (about 2 oz) and have started the second. But jeez does it take a long time. I'm hoping to get it finished sometime in the next few weeks and ply it up so it can sit for a little while before I cast on.