I’m not sure how well I conveyed it in my last blog post, but I was really looking forward to making a Thousand Splendid Suns cowl. Really really looking forward to it. As soon as the secret squirrel project was finished, the swatching started. Sadly, something just didn’t feel right as I knit with the Jitterbug.

Then I swatched with the Madeline Tosh sock, and I got the same feeling. It just wasn’t quite right. Now that I look at the photos of the swatches, I think the ‘suns’ don’t translate that well to thinner yarn, they just look a bit measly. In theory either yarn could work well if they were double stranded (not together though, that probably wouldn’t look too good), but I doubt I have enough to make a cowl from a double strand. It’s a little disappointing that it hasn’t worked out, but it’s better not to force these things I feel.

Putting the cowl on hiatus meant in theory, I could start working on the other pattern mentioned last time, the Man scarf. Instead, I got distracted by the Woodland Capelet and its pretty scalloped edge.

I’m running the stash gauntlet again with this one, using the Bendigo Woollen Mills Allegro that was meant to be for my knee high Kalajokis. There wasn’t enough yarn then, and I’m not convinced there will be enough yarn this time either. If there is enough yarn, it’ll be a very very tight squeeze. What can I say, I like to live life on the (pretty scalloped) edge.

The problem with working on a secret squirrel project is that when there’s a chance the recipient of the finished object might read your blog, you can’t write about it. This project has been one that pretty much monopolised my knitting time for the last couple of months, so there hasn’t been much for me to write about (with the notable exception of my report on the magic of de-pillers).

Now that I’m almost finished, I’m in a strange state. One of feeling relieved that it’s nearly done, yet not knowing what to do with myself once it’s officially a finished object. I suspect there will be a little bit of separation anxiety when it is no longer in my possession.

To try and ease myself into a life without it (it feels odd calling it ‘it’, but I can only really talk about ‘it’ in vague terms still), I have been thinking about the next project. The only condition I’ve placed on this next project is that is must be a relatively quick one.

There are currently two patterns that are contenders to be the next project; A Thousand Splendid Suns and Man. Both being neckwear, they should be pretty quick to knit. Man was mentioned a couple of posts ago as a pattern I could use the Bison + Bamboo yarn I acquired at the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show. I still think the yarn and pattern are a good match, and it would also be the first thing I’ve knit for Matt this year. However, there’s just something lovely about the A Thousand Splendid Suns. The only thing that is stopping me from awarding A Thousand Splendid Suns the prize of being my next knit is deciding which yarn to use. At the moment there are three yarns under consideration:

Collinette Jitterbug in Vincent’s Apron. This was meant to be a Leda scarf, but decided I didn’t need another yellow scarf. Since deciding that, I made a yellow Gaptastic Cowl so evidently I wasn’t that committed to my yellow neckwear quota.

Madeline Tosh Sock in Twig. Originally intended to be a Shaelyn shawl, the colourway was a bit too variegated for the pattern. The cowl is a bit plainer so I think it could work well.

The (dearly departed) Knittery Merino 4ply Sock in Chocolate. It’s currently a lace ribbon scarf that never gets used. I don’t dislike the scarf, but it’s not one I think of grabbing when deciding neckwear is needed. It’s too pretty a colourway not to be used, so I’m considering frogging the scarf and turning it into something I’ll wear more often.

Whichever yarn is chosen, some modifications to the pattern will be needed as all of the yarns are 4ply and an 8ply yarn is called for in the pattern. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem though, as long as I can fit the cowl over my head.

Knitting, or dreaming about knitting items that are reserved for colder weather probably seems a little silly given it’s starting to get quite Spring-like. However, I live in Melbourne, which means I need to be prepared for any weather eventuality. Like that time I went to the cricket and got sunburnt and hailed on all in the same day…

Since the last post, I’ve been bouncing back and forth between two knitting projects. One is the project I unceremoniously dumped the Turn-A-Square hat for and the other is a secret squirrel project that I can only speak vaguely about.

The day after my last post, Knitscene’s Fall 2011 edition was released. I remember back in the day when I used to stake out the local Newsagent or a now-defunct chain bookstore and wait weeks, or even months, for imported knitting magazines to be stocked. Now I just download the magazine from Zinio on the day that it’s available in its country of origin. Such an age of convenience we live in (a statement I’ll no doubt laugh at in 5 years time).

If you’re a fan of Amy Herzog’s designs and/or her fit to flatter series, I recommend having a look at this edition of Knitscene. She’s the subject of a designer’s profile, and there are quite a few of her designs featured. Two that piqued my interest were the Cornsilk Pullover and the Pinstripe Pullover. I had suitable yarn in stash for the Cornsilk Pullover, so that was that.

Since taking this fairly insipid photo, I’ve finished that piece (the back) and have started on the front. I’m really looking forward to wearing it, but as it’s mostly stocking stitch, it’s not a really an interesting project from a blogging perspective.

The secret squirrel project was started after the Bendigo Sheep and Wool show and uses yarn purchased at the show.

I’ve never had the pleasure of knitting with Pear Tree Yarn, but it was very difficult to resist when they were selling it for a song in Bendigo. After a little bit of to-ing and fro-ing over colours, I picked up a kilo of grey Pear Tree 8ply specifically for this project. It’s really lovely yarn to knit with, but I have had a couple of hiccups with it.

The first, and most dramatic hiccup was discovering that the first skein of yarn I used was a slightly lighter weight than the rest of pack — where the yarn in the other skeins were made up of four plies of yarn, this one was made up of three. The difference in gauge meant that I had to rip back all of my work and start again. The other hiccup I’ve had is finding lots of knots in one skein, the kind where only one ply of yarn is knotted together. I’ll admit I did get a bit frustrated by both hiccups, but I’ve tried hard to keep it in perspective in the following ways:

The Pear Tree wasn’t the only yarn that I acquired at the show. On the Friday of the Show, there was a gathering of knitters, spinners and crocheters from Ravelry. The lucky door prize Gods must have been smiling upon me that night, for I managed to win some yarn:

It’s Bison Bamboo from Ixchel Yarns and it’s unbelievably soft. The yardage on it is really impressive (around 160m per 50g), but I bought another skein to give myself a bit more freedom when picking a pattern. Initially the plan was to make a cowl, but there might now be enough to squeak out a scarf for Matt, to make up for the Turn-A-Square indiscretion. So far the frontrunner is the appropriately named Man scarf from fallmasche (rav link). I’m not completely convinced that it’s the pattern for this yarn, but as I’m not likely to cast on anytime soon, I don’t have to decide just yet.

Kalajoki Socks by Tiina Seppälä (rav link)
4.5 balls Patons Patonyle 8ply, red
3.25mm DPNs
Start: June 2011
Finish: July 2011
Modifications: see below
Ravelryed: here

It may not seem like it, given how close this post is to the start of the Sheep and Wool Show, but I finished my Kalajokis with plenty of time to spare. Sadly the weather gods have not been smiling upon me lately, so I’ve had to wait for half-way suitable photo weather, before writing this post.

The biggest modification made to the pattern was to make the socks knee-length rather than calf-length. If you’re interested in making knee length ones yourself, these are the modifications I made:

• Cast on 74 stitches rather than the 54 given in the pattern.
• Knit 14 rows of twisted rib for the cuff, rather than 10 rows given in the pattern.
• Starting with the first row after the ribbing, I decreased 2 stitches every 5 rows 10 times (54 stitches remaining).
• Knit around about 2.5 repeats of the river ribbing for the leg, rather than the 1.5 repeats (give or take) given in the pattern.

The calf shaping is pretty crude, particularly when compared with the shaping used in the Delicious Knee Sock pattern. That said, the socks seem to stay up and it looks fine, which is all that matters really.

It was a really enjoyable pattern to knit; not something that I could work on without concentrating on it a little, but still simple enough to take along to a Stitch n Bitch. The rib snaking down the side of the socks is really striking and reminds me of ric rac a little bit. Not sure if anyone else sees that though…

The Patonyle 8ply I used makes for a lovely soft and warm fabric. Sadly, it also made for a sock that is too thick to fit in my everyday boots which is a bit of an issue. However, I do have a backup plan so I should still be able to wear them this weekend.

In my excitement about getting the socks finished in time for Bendigo, I completely forgot to think about the knitting that I should take with me and don’t have anything suitable on the needles. Such a rookie mistake! The current frontrunner is a Turn A Square for Matt using leftovers from my stripy knee high socks (he’s brought me enough cups of tea to warrant a beanie), but I cannot rule out a last minute change to the lineup…

It’s been just over two weeks since starting the knee high Kalajokis, and there are about two and a half weeks to go until the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show. I imagine there have probably been some sleepless nights as people worry about the status of my socks. Fear no more, for here is an update!

Last week I finished the right sock. The speed with which the first sock was finished caught me completely by surprise, particularly given I’m having so much trouble remembering the ‘river’ ribbing. My inability to remember the pattern is another surprise; with the number of times I have knit and reknit the socks with Bendigo Woollen Mills Allegro, you’d think I’d be able to knit these socks in my sleep…

The Patonyle 8ply I’m using is lovely and soft, but I probably prefer Allegro for this pattern. Allegro’s tight crepe construction just feels sturdier, and the ribbed ‘river’ pops out a bit more. That said, I’m really happy with how the socks are turning out in Patonyle; they’re thick (perhaps even too thick for my boots) and warm, and it’s a really great red.

Progress on the second sock feels slow, but that’s probably because my mind is wandering to the next project. As fun as socks have been, it’s time I made myself a jumper. Or a cardigan. Or a different cardigan. Or a summer top…

Delicious Knee Socks by Laura Chau
0.7 ball Noro Kureyon Sock, S149
0.7 skein SweetGeorgia Yarns Tough Love Sock, Espresso
2.25mm DPNs
Start: April 2011
Finish: June 2011
Modifications: no slipped stitch or cabled seam
Ravelryed: here

During the week I finished these socks. As mentioned in an earlier post about them, these are the first socks I’ve knit for myself and I’m smitten. The two yarns worked really well together and they are so warm, perfect for this time of year.

Working on the cuff in only Tough Love Sock meant that I got a bit more of a feel for the yarn, and I quite like it. The nylon content (20 per cent) makes it a wee bit squeaky, but it feels very hard wearing and I’m still completely enamoured with the espresso colourway.

There’s quite a bit of both yarns left over, so Matt may score a thin version of Turn A Square to wear under his bike helmet. But only if he’s good and keeps bringing me cups of tea after dinner.

Another thing mentioned in a previous post was the pattern, and I still stand by what I said then; it’s a really good pattern and highly recommended it if you’re planning to make knee socks. Actually, the only thing I should mention is that the pattern has a short row heel. While that means you get a nice contrast heel, I’m not sure if I like how the short row heel turns out when you pick up the wrapped and double wrapped stitches. Are they any other forms of construction where you can get that kind of contrast heel? I’m pretty much a beginner when it comes to sock construction so I don’t really know… The heel aside, I’m contemplating making a non-striped pair of these in grey, and with the cabled seam variation given in the pattern. And maybe the over the knee version rather than just below the knee.

Finishing these socks means that the red knee sock challenge has commenced. I cast on the first sock on Monday, and I’ve now finished the leg and am onto the heel. Given it’s now just shy of a month before the Sheep and Wool Show, I think they might just be finished in time. Famous last words.

The Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show is next month, so my mind has turned to the most important part of the event: what knitting to wear. July in Bendigo is almost without fail freezing cold, making it perfect for showing off a knitted item or twelve. Last year I was a pretty bad ambassador for my knitting, with my Henry being the only handknit I wore. Matt, on the other hand, was a far better billboard for my knitting; he wore his suave sweater, Claudius and his Henry. As scary as it is that I can remember which handknits we wore, it’s probably even more frightening that we wore matching scarves last year. Keep an eye out for us this year, we’ll be the ones wearing matching jogging suits…

It’s a modest goal, but I’d like to finish the knee high Kalajokis for Bendigo this year. It’s probably more accurate to say start *and* finish as I haven’t started the Patonyle versions yet. In fact, the Allegro ones are still sitting on my desk waiting to be frogged. These things take time!

Before starting the Kalajokis, I should finish my stripy knee highs. Not that there’s too much to go now; I’m currently half way through the increases on the second sock. The increases on the first sock felt so slow, but on the second sock they signal the downhill run so they’re flying by. By sheer coincidence, the Noro stripes match up almost perfectly. I’d been mentally preparing for a pair of fraternal twin socks, but here I am with a pair of almost identical twins. Silly as it is, I feel almost let down that they’re turning out perfect.

Last but not least, thank you everyone for your lovely comments about my vest. You’ve motivated me to not only try wearing it again, but to also start thinking about possible colour combinations for another vest. I could rip back part of the original vest and fix up the problems, but I want to keep it in its slightly dinky state. Making another one, a sort of do over, seems a pretty good compromise to me.

This is a vest made not long after I took up knitting again, and it’s one of my favourite knitting projects. When I started knitting again, I gravitated towards vintage and retro patterns. As it happened, I was a voracious op shopper at that time, and the op shops I frequented had a really good supply of patterns from the 40s-70s. The pattern for this vest was from the English Woman’s Weekly from 9 November 1974.

The colour combinations suggested in the magazine included grey and blue, amber and rust, oatmeal and sage and turquoise and grey. I was going through a green and brown phase at the time, so used a light green and olive green 5ply from the Bendigo Woollen Mills back room.

It was my first attempt at colourwork, and even now I’m pretty impressed with how it turned out. The knitting’s quite even and there’s pretty much no puckering. However, I never wear it because of a few rookie mistakes. The biggest problem is that it’s too short. This is probably because I used a 5ply instead of an 8ply yarn, and also suspect ‘gauge swatch’ was some manner of strange term I’d never come across. My increases are a bit… holey, even though I’m sure I knew how to do bar increases. So, while there’s not actually many mistakes, they’re pretty noticeable ones.

All that said, I can’t bare to unravel it. Even though it just takes up precious wardrobe space, I still feel proud when I spy it under the piles of knitwear. I definitely want to knit the vest again, but with 8ply and after a gauge swatch. It’s also a project that makes me feel a bit sad. I think it was a fairly adventurous knit for a relative beginner, and it makes me wonder where that sense of adventure went; after all, it’s only yarn and patterns are merely serving suggestions…

On the topic of serving suggestions and a sense of adventure, the magazine didn’t just have a snazzy vest pattern. Amongst other things, it also had a fantastic ad for a well loved foodstuff:

Anyone for paella beanz?

While deliberating on the fate of my Kalajoki socks, I started on another pair of knee socks. This year seems to be the year for making socks for myself, something I’ve never done before. It’s also perfect weather for knee socks; Autumn is barely a blip of a memory now as the very chilly days have begun. As I walk to the tram stop each workday, I think about how good it’ll be to have some knee socks to provide an extra layer of protection against the cold.

The pattern used for these socks is Laura Chau’s Delicious Knee Socks. It’s a good pattern, this one. While the sock itself is a fairly basic toe up, there are lots of foot width/foot length/calf width/leg length combinations which makes it very adaptable.

Getting a start on these socks has meant finally using some Noro Kureyon Sock I was given for my birthday a couple of years ago. Finding a good brown to stripe with the Noro proved to be quite a challenge, however Sweetgeorgia yarns came through with the goods with their Tough Love Sock in the espresso colourway. The swatch provided some concern as there wasn’t quite enough contrast between the Sweetgeorgia and the Noro for my liking. As it turns out, I swatched with probably the darkest part of the colourway; the lighter parts look really good against the chocolatey brown. With the lighter colours around it, the darker sections, which didn’t look so great in the swatch, look fine in the sock.

It almost feels like a waste to use the Sweetgeorgia with the Noro. The socks are turning out well, but I’m not getting a good feel for the yarn as I only get to use it in two round lots, with the exception of the toe, heel and cuff. That said, I have gotten a good feel for the espresso colourway and I’m completely enamoured with it. So much so that the search has started, and has maybe ended, for a way to use that colourway again. The frontrunner is the Callie Bib Tee, using Sweetgeorgia’s Merino Silk DK. This is quite an expensive yarn for me, but it’s amazing what a fairly spectacular appreciation of the Australin dollar can do for your yarn budget…

The aim for this year is to use up as much stash as possible. Not to avoid buying yarn per se, but to make stash the first port of call when starting a project. So far it’s worked fairly well; there was enough yarn in my meagre stash to make a vest, a cowl (with some help from an abandoned scarf) and a bolero (with some help from a knitterly stranger). These socks, however, have put an end the golden run of stash diving.

Initially there appeared to be more than enough yarn to make a pair of Kalajokis. In fact, there looked like there’d be enough to make a pair of knee high Kalajokis. As soon as the thought of red knee high socks materialised in my brain, it was over. It was a pair of red knee high Kalajokis or nothing.

There were four or five attempts to try and squeeze a pair of knee socks out of the yarn I had stashed, but it was to no avail. Even with a pair of knee socks that was close to vacuum sealed onto my legs, there wasn’t enough yarn for most of the foot. There’s definitely enough yarn for a pair of ‘normal’, shorter, Kalajokis, but quite frankly it feels dirty typing those words. Red knee high Kalajokis or nothing, remember?

As it happens, the colour of the yarn (Bendigo Woollen Mills Allegro, in the discontinued colourway Scarlet) is pretty close to Patonyle 8ply in red. Let’s hope the seven balls purchased in the recent Clegs sale will be enough.

As for the Allegro, its future is uncertain. It’s a fairly splitty yarn, so while the colour is good and the fabric seems pretty hard wearing, it’s not the best to knit with. So back it goes into the stash, waiting for another pattern to come along. Hopefully next time round there will be enough to finish whatever I start!