In a rut

I've been looking back at the things I've made for myself over the last couple of years, and I'm sensing a bit of a trend...

I seem to have two requirements for sweaters: blue or v-neck. Hmmmm...that's not to say I don't like v-neck sweaters, but maybe it's time to move on? Both in color and style?

I've been tossing around the idea of spinning some yarn for a sweater. Ok, ok, I realize that I've already done this, but it's more blue yarn. Won't count for breaking out of the rut. So now I'm thinking that this,

instead of becoming the Peacoat, will now become a Vine Yoke Cardigan. OK, so purple is not much of a stretch, but baby steps people, baby steps. It's not a v-neck!

I'm also thinking that this project will have to wait until post-holidays. There's some talk of starting up a monthly spinning group in my area, so I'll spin this stuff there and/or in January. I need ~1200 yds worsted weight. I've got 2 lbs of dyed top, so I think I'll be ok. Now I just need to finish other items in time for Christmas!

Oh crap!

Last night, the Viper Pilots and I had a come to Jesus meeting.

Actually, it was just one pilot. And not even a whole one at that. I have finally made it to halfway down the foot, and it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to try the damn thing on.

So those pretty twisted stitches and cables and such like? Not so elastic...who knew? (OK, I knew, but Denial is not just some big river in Africa somewheres.) The leg of the sock would go over my foot ok, but the heel? No dice.

The Viper Pilot(s) are now in time out. I wound up this yarn to start Installment #2 of the Cookie A Project. Here's hoping I can get them finished by the end of October...They were going to be for me, but I suspect that fit is going to be an issue once again. Mom, I know you got Glynis for your birthday, but maybe you need a pair of green socks for Christmas?

FF: No spinning, double FOs for Project Spectrum

It's rapidly moving in to that sad time of year when the spinning wheel starts to get a little dusty. I haven't quite managed to fold it up and put it away in the Stash n' Gear Room yet, but the brake band and the drive band are both off, and it's looking a bit neglected. Which is unfortunate, because I received 12 oz of Hello Yarn goodies in two different colorways this week, and I'm itching to spin them up. However, it is That Season, and so the spinning is taking a back seat.

In order to try and make it up to you, I present instead, not one but two FOs in my favorite color. One is a start on the gift list, the other is for me. So here goes...

The giftee:

Pattern: Jack in the Box Mittens by Robin Melanson, from Knitting New Mittens and Gloves
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted (100% wool, 245 yds/100g), left over from a sweater knit for my MIL long ago, color Touche Teal (icky name), and I used less then one skein.
Needles: US 6/4.0 mm for cuff, and US 7/4.5 mm for rest
Gauge: 5.5 stitches/8 rows per inch.
Start/finish: 4 Oct-8 Oct 2009. Really they were finished today when I sewed on the buttons. But so quick!
Comments/mods: I made the "mens" size, and the finished measurements are 10.5 inches long (from edge of cuff) and 8 inches around. They are roomy on my hands and about an inch too long for me. Which is ok, they aren't for me. The pattern was well written, quick to knit and fun. All good there.

Some details:

This cuff was fun...

I love the Staghorn Cable down the back of the hand - it's such a great texture

I can't believe it's taken me so long to jump on the mitten bandwagon. They are great projects! And, given that you can knit them in something other then fingering weight, they're a lot faster then socks...

FO #2 (for, ehem, me):

Pattern: Indigo Playmate by Wendy Bernard, from Custom Knits
Yarn: Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair (70% wool/30% mohair, 140 yds/2 oz), colorway Glacier Lake. I had 11 skeins of this originally, but I ended up with about 9 skeins worth (weight-wise) in this sweater.
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm
Gauge: 4.5 stitches/6.5 rows per inch after blocking.
Start/finish: 3 Sept-8 Oct 2009 (knitting was actually finished about a week earlier, but I have a blocking block).
Comments/mods: I repurposed this yarn from a Moriah's Wildflower Cardigan that I knit PR (pre-Ravelry), and then didn't wear much in Texas. I subsequently discovered that someone had chewed a wee hole in the bottom of it, and decided to rip it out and reuse the yarn in something else.

The yoke and body knit up really quickly. I found that I liked the way this yarn knit up on 4.5 mm needles much better then the US 9/5.5 mm needles I had used for the cardigan; the fabric is thick and cushy and snuggly, but still fluid, while the previous incarnation felt a bit too loosely knit.

I did modify a few things. The collar was supposed to be three inches wide at the bottom edge (so not including the short rows for the shawl collar), but I was wary of yardage, and only knit it two inches wide. Still works fine, but the shawl collar isn't quite as dramatic. I think I like it better this way - this is my first shawl collar, and I was a bit dubious about the full sweep shown in the book. But I like how it looks on (pardon the crappy modeled shot but my photographer is busy eating gelato and looking at rocks in Pisa, so this was the best I could do) (PS - Honey? I'm gonna be so glad when you get home. Be warned that I'm dumping the kids on you and vanishing out the door ASAP).

The other modification I made was to knit the belt and then decide I like it better without. I'm a bit...thick around the middle, and as knit, the belt made this ride up a bit too much and get too short. So I've decided to leave it open. If it needs to be closed, there's always a trusty shawl pin around that would work.

I do love this yarn though. It's got great depth of color, and just feels so nice and soft. I guess it wouldn't be that great if you have an issue with mohair, but I love it. I wish it weren't quite so pricey, but there you have it. Gorgeous stuff.

I like mittens for big people too

Ouch Redux

Last night I had to admit something very difficult: I couldn't knit. My sore wrist has expanded in scope to include most of my hand, such that opening things is becoming difficult, I'm losing a bit of hand strength, and any motion involving twisting of that particular appendage is a big no no. It finally sunk into my thick skull that maybe it was time to put the needles down for a few days and let those tendons and ligaments have a break*.

But...it was Friday night, The Matrix** was on TV, and I had to do something with my hands - Gourds forbid that I just sit there idle in front of the boob tube. What to do?

I'd had a brief chat with Alisha early in the day about spindles, so I decided to pick up my long-neglected Bossie and get reacquainted.

The end result of which was finishing off half of the superwash merino/alpaca that Morgaine sent along when I bought the spindle and starting on the second half. I even figured out what I'm going to do with it: plied with some undyed nylon, this yarn will become the toes/soles/heels (if needed) of the cabled socks I'm going to knit (someday) out of my Peat superwash merino. It will be 1 ply of nylon with the 2 SW merino/alpaca singles, and should make for some really warm socks.

The only question now is who will get them? The front runner is me, but Ironman has really bad circulation in his feet, so making them for him might be in my best interests. We'll see. Given the long queue of Christmas knitting that has now been put on hold, it might be next winter before these socks even get thought about, much less cast on.

*My hand definitely feels better today, so we're making progress.
**I had a sad moment last night when The Matrix ran smack dab into the brick wall that is neurodevelopmental reality*** at 75 mph. The problem being that if Nemo**** Neo really has never used his eyes when he gets freed from his little battery cocoon by Morpheus et al, then he wouldn't be able to see. No input to the visual cortex during the critical developmental period early in life means no vision. Just ask the cats.
***Yes, I am overedumacated. Why do you ask?
****True typo. Really.