Tag: self striping sock yarn

Reality Check.

On By FogKnitsIn Frogged, WIP11 Comments

I was merrily knitting along.  Just minding my own business.  Not complaining about how ridiculous even the most basic intarsia can become.  I was noticing the similarity of my work to this thing from the new Star Wars trailer.

2017-10-11_20-48-59_626

That’s when it all started.  About 2 inches too late, I thought, Hey…it’s about time to add my sleeve shaping.

2017-10-11_21-33-09_835

Whooooops!  There’s really no decision to be made here.  My hand was forced.  Ripping back is not optional but required.  It was then I decided, the eyes weren’t right, so might as well rip back and re-do those too.   As 2″ quickly became 4″, a frogging craze hit me.

It’s my birthday next week.  One of those big numbers ending in ‘0’.  Seemed like a good justification for a clean slate.  I decided to go on a mass frogging.  I started the process when I frogged the weird lace bit on this WIP.

2017-10-01_08-57-42_210

This is the former Jolly Roger shawl.  It’s hundreds of stitches with a motif repeat that has cables and lace.  UGH.  It was not fun.  I haven’t made a decision about what the new shawl will be, but this yarn is too bright to sit in a bag anymore.  It’s still a WIP but it’s a better WIP now.  I may actually pick it up and work on it!

And then, the cuts got deeper.  Full projects frogged.  Well meaning, lovely, mistake free projects ripped out.  Rather than say hours of work gone, I’m thinking about how much better they’ll be as projects I want to work on!  The yarns are all awesome and now they’ve been liberated!  Be Free My Pretties!

2017-10-12_20-39-47_840

Socks on Size 00 needles were the first to go.  My Mom and I dyed the yarn last year on my birthday.  I love the yarn.  I want the yarn to be something awesome.  Clearly, that’s not going to work if I expect myself to knit socks.  I’m giving up on every becoming a sock knitter.  Size 00 needles are not for me.  NEXT!

 

I really wanted to like knitting this next one…Knitter’s DNA by Martina Behm.  Turns out, I never found the groove.  No fault of the pattern, it just wasn’t doing it for me.  And again, yarn my Mom dyed for me.  I can’t wait to find the perfect pattern for it.  I really love this yarn.

2017-03-11_15-35-04_207

Indeed, Bossy Stitch Marker, I am getting my shit together.

Last in the frog pile was a tough decision.  A skein of Wollmeise involved in a bit of stacked pooling.

img_0393

The plan hasn’t really changed, this color is definitely meant for planned pooling.  I just need a different project.  I’m thinking about a simple stockinette cowl in the round.  I’ll be done with something like that in no time!

And, after all that frogging, I’ve reclaimed a pile of stuff!

2017-10-12_21-24-16_145

Needles, stitch markers, row counters…oh my!

I’ve left a sizable chunk of knitting still on the needles.  So now, the only problem is fighting the temptation of a mass cast on.  I really want to finish a few of the WIPS that are still on the needles.  They’ve been thoroughly scrutinized at this point.  They’ve made the grade.  I just need to put in the time.   Good thing it’s Friday…

Happy Knitting!

A Sock is Born

On By FogKnitsIn Casting On, Socks, WIP18 Comments

chiaogoo-size-0-needles

In what seemed like the longest 48 hour wait ever, my itty bitty needles finally arrived!  I have spent a lot of time whining about how I don’t want to use needles this small.  I was resolute in absolutely denying they even existed.  And now I think I might love them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to complain about how small they are.  Seriousleeeeeee??  2.0 mm.  OY.

But, this progress does not lie!  I am loving it!

I have progressed rapidly.  The beginning was terrible.  I went with a Turkish Cast On.  It looks awesome…yay for toe up!  But the M1Ls and M1Rs were a test of my patience.  The small size doesn’t help but the real issue is the kinks in the yarn.  A dropped stitch doesn’t behave as expected when the yarn has a kink it in.  It’s like backing up an 18 wheeler with a trailer.  I’d jack-knife it every time.

Lucky for us, no one was hurt this time and once I got passed the first couple rows, everything got better!  Everything is falling into place nicely now.

sock-blank-sock-in-progress

The yarn is a sock blank my Mom painted back in the summer!  We dyed another sock blank when I was home for Rhinebeck,

rhinebeck-round-up-sock-blank

I couldn’t make any more excuses.  I want to wear those socks! A lot!  This could be the beginning of a whole new era for me.  I’m on the verge of addiction.  The second sock will be the test.  I’m not down with two-at-a-time so Second Sock Syndrome could be a problem.

Then again, I don’t mind if my socks don’t match, so maybe it won’t slow me down at all :)