Finished Objects – Stitch Party

January (2018) Socks

January 25, 2019January 26, 2019by flyingmuseLeave a Comment

Aw, look at those little sock butts. I used Susan B. Anderson’s Smooth Operator sock pattern to make these highly-satisfying afterthought-heel leg tubes. I really can’t decide if I’m a fan of the fit on this type of construction but I do love the simplicity of making a nice long sausage casing with a touch of shaping at the toe. It’s very soothing. Until you have to put in the heel and things become fiddly and confusing and somewhat hilarious aesthetically. Hence, the sock butts.

The yarn is really the star of the show. I snapped up this awesome self-striping skein from Gynx Yarns, a lovely Etsy shop that is no longer in business. The colorway is “Preppy Gothic Mermaid,” which is an inside joke of sorts between Laura, the dyer behind Gynx, and her two podcaster/knitter friends. The navy/white stripes are “preppy,” the grey/mauve are “gothic” and the blue/green are the “mermaid.” Each descriptor represents one of the people in the friend trio, if you will. Although I’m aware of the backstory I really purchased this yarn because I think the colors work well together, and Laura is (was) a wonderful dyer. I only have one skein left of her yarn and although I’m looking forward to casting it on, I’m sad knowing it will be my last opportunity to enjoy Laura’s fun colorways.

I knit the heel using a OOAK skein from Voolenvine Yarns that turned out a lot more peachy than pink, unfortunately. After I did the first heel I considered ripping it out and finding a better match but the realist in me said, “you want to be done with these.” Anyway, no one (especially not me) is going to see the heel when these are on my feet. Note to self, check color matching by a window with good light, not in your imaginary mind’s eye, in the dark, at 10 PM.

The light in these photos is disturbingly blue (even after a bit of Photoshop adjustment), and I think that’s because I imagined “blizzard light” to be a bit more natural than it really is. Don’t be concerned, I didn’t go outside to do this, I just sat by my bay window which had ice developing on the inside of the window frame. Michigan is no joke. More like, my rental townhouse is as ancient as an Ent from Lord of the Rings. (That reference is what I call a “nerd alert.” Heads up, everyone.)

Link to my Ravelry Project is here.

Finished Objects, Knitting, Socks

Vanilla Latte Socks

January 23, 2019January 26, 2019by flyingmuseLeave a Comment

Happy 2018! I mean, happy 2019! This post has been sitting in my “drafts” folder for more than a year, so a little confusion about the date is normal from my perspective. These socks were a birthday gift for my husband in November of 2017 (LOL, I’m unbelievably on top of things) and are made out of Dream in Color Classy yarn in the colorway “Chocolate Night.” This yarn is incredibly soft, so my fingers are crossed that it will hold up well to regular wear; although I love cashmere, it’s not exactly the hardiest material. I did the heel and toe in some random coordinating green from my stash. I think it gives the socks a definite nature/tree vibe.

I used the Vanilla Latte pattern, which is free on Ravelry. It’s a good one – simple with a little interest – and I imagine I’ll use it for myself at some point. I think the pattern ends up being a little offset somehow after the heel turn (when it’s only on the top of the foot), but I obviously didn’t care enough to take any notes on this so it will probably happen next time, too. I’m trying to be less of a perfectionist, so I call this a win.

The weather here is currently a total disaster with gobs of snow, freezing rain, and something gross called “wintry mix.” I know I should be feeling lucky that this Michigan winter is only really hitting us in January (the Fall was really quite forgiving), but the addition of having a puppy to walk really makes it that much less pleasant to overcome. At least puppy likes snow.

I’ll be back with a backlog of makes, hopefully interspersed with more timely content. Time to get back on the (blog) horse.

Finished Objects, Knitting

Quadrillion for #MeMadeMay

May 31, 2017January 23, 2019by flyingmuseLeave a Comment

I’ve finished my Quadrillion.

Actually, I finished it in early May, even managed a few pictures the day after, and then forgot to post anything about it to the wider world. It seemed like I would barely get any wear out of it before the weather turned hot and sunny, but due to the mercurial nature of spring in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) I’ve actually gotten some good miles out of this one already.

The yarn, Happiness DK, came from stash, bought at a great discount from my local yarn shop, and I love the color, aptly named “Adobe Clay.” Since it’s a hand-dyed yarn, I did my best to alternate skeins, but ultimately I couldn’t take knitting the sleeves two at a time and alternating as well, so those turned out a bit, um, off (much lighter than the body). Luckily, this is a boxy, oversized sweater, and unless I specifically raise my arms and point out the color difference, it’s pretty insignificant. Still, I may need a short break from the drama of trying to match skeins like this. As a perfectionist, it can make me a little nuts.

The cable pattern on the front is amazing, and completely worth the craziness of the chart (I suggest investing in a set of colored highlighters). I considered writing out the whole chart (since each cable panel has a different repeat length), but ultimately the old-school method of checking rows off as I went worked fine.

I deviated a bit from the pattern because I wanted more seams, and slimmer sleeves. I knit the sleeves flat, bottom-up, so had to turn the chart upside down at the wrist, and add selvedge stitches (1 on each side). Using a RTW sweater of a similar shape, I copied the dimensions of the sleeve onto a piece of tracing pattern and just eyeballed it to match. It turned out great, width and length-wise, so I need to remember I have my sewing skills at my disposal when necessary. Make shape, knit to match shape, easy peasy.

I also added short rows at the shoulders on both front and back pieces, and although it may not have been necessary, I thought it was a nice experiment that led me to discover German Short Rows. I can certainly elaborate on that if it’s at all interesting to anyone, but I’ve tried to at least keep good notes in my project page.