more socks and a new toy

Earlier this week, I won a new fibre related gadget–a set of ball winder and a swift! The set was a vintage wooden set made in the 1940s or 1950s, with a yellowed instruction. It must’ve got stored away during these years. I was just watching a ball winder, not wanting a swift, but how could I resist a lovely set as such?

Here are two of its earlier tasks: one’s showing a wound skein I am going to use for a stole and another was a result of frogging a drop-stitch stole. Not that I didn’t like the latter but not having enough of the same yarns hence the frogging. With a little help of a wool winder, why afraid of frogging? The moment the white ball was wound completely, I had decided to frog two 2007 FOs and save those yarns for better use (I shall write more later on them).

(my poor blythe dolls silently sat there watching a knitting activity not devoted to them…)

I don’t consider I am into sock knitting but the past few days this particular genre had more than its share of knitting time.

I managed to finished my first sock, a variation of Cookie A’s Baudelaire.
The curse of late completion must be to do with my dislike of the poet with the same name and getting bored with the pattern, so it was stuck for months when there’s only two pattern repeats away. And the cashmere yarn is a joy to wear now, but not so when I knitted them, because they were oiled.

Then I am a lover of herringbone patterns, so I decided to use two different herringbone patterns for a new pair. There were many sock yarns in my stash, but this is the first occasion I am actually using one–all those changes of colours dazzled me, even just a bit. The two herringbone patterns would look better with a solid colour. But I will knitted the second sock. I WILL. I’ll also write up the pattern later.

Then a third pair, haven’t got a decent photo yet.

I also have to take photos of my two other FOs of 2008–both from Linea Rossa booklet.

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Highland stockings and WIPs

There were so many knitty things worth mentioning since the last post here, but browsing around Ravelry had taken up nearly my online quota hence the no-post. (I am ambling there.) It is indeed that every serious knitter should make Ravelry a must visit.

I’ll start with my third pair of socks. They are stockings to be precise! The pattern, “Highland stockings,” is published on Rowan 42, using kid classic. I’ve been wanting it when I first spot the pattern, but back then, I haven’t demystified the secret of sock knitting, so my eyes were set on the Rannoch dress only.

Since I am bored with the second sock of my first pair, and the temperature dropped suddenly this week, I decided to cast on my third pair. (My second pair were long finished…) My kid classic are reserved for the dress, so I am using Rowan classic’s Soft Lux instead (uuurrhh, I’ve got tons of them…). I’ve seen so many woolly leggy recently on London’s street, so why shouldn’t I?

I charted the whole pattern (I cannot knit with written pattern like that. I prefer to labour myself charting first, then harvest the enjoyment of chart knitting), then started the first one from toe-up. I’ve tried different methods of toe-up knitting, for example, the magic cast-on and the Eastern cast-on. But what I like most is my own way—there must be someone writing about it before me though. Long tail cast-on is my preferred method, and I am using it for socks, too! It’s actually very straightforward, if you use two needles while doing the long tail cast-on. What you have to do, for toe-up socks, is just casting-on stitchs, alternatively, onto both needles, so you would have, says, the odd numbered on the needle closer to you and the even numbered the one away from you (instead of on both needles). After both needles have enough stitches, you just have to carry on the first row knitting in the round. Simple enough!

The pattern is very pretty (albeit girlish if not childish…). They are just a combination of ribs, cables (very simple ones!), moss stitch, and single row bobbles!! Even some dislike making bobble would not object making these (because they aren’t real bobble stitch!). Don’t let Rowan’s long instruction barred you from knitting a beautiful pair! Mine will be a long pair, up to the thigh…

I also start knitting my first top from Linea Rossa 3:

It was started as a knit-in-the dark project, and a side project of my Pashmina pull-over.

Speaking about Pashmina, I got a parcel from German, from the generous fbz, that packed some balls of Pashmina! I’ll be using them for the felted sleeves of this wrap-around .

And I have created a Ravelry group, Lana Grossa, mainly because I’d really love to see other works using Linea Rossa patterns! Please join us there!

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Cross Stitch and Extended Open-work stitch

This shot should not be uploaded just yet, because the object is for a swap and I always try not to spoil the fun! What you see from the pic is a partial view of a Blythe dress, in which I use the Cross stitch pattern and a verrsion of lacy lattice pattern. (pre-blocked though…)

I can’t believe that there are so many people interested in the cross stitch pattern when I post it on Sunday. I did think it’s unusual, but I never thought that the instruction is no where to be found via google! or at least that’s the result of initial serach, and I haven’t clicked each page for more details. It is not that I don’t want to share how to do it but that I prefer to make sure there won’t be copyrights infraction if I type the pattern here. I first learned this pattern from Vogue Dictionanry of Knitting Stitches, by Anne Matthews. If you’ve got this book, dig it out, and turn to the drop stitch section, you’ll find it!! But I “remembered” I’ve seen it somewhere, in one of my vintage patter collection. Anyone knows if typing someone’s pattern on a blog will be fine?

So here’s comes a minor surprise when I checked The Stitch of the Day section on knitting daily today! The pattern featured today is “Extended open-work” stitch. If you saw my post today, you can probably see it on knitting daily. It will be gone tomorrow so be quick!! But don’t be sad if you didn’t catch up–their “Stitch of the Day” comes from Harmony Guides, so you may as well buy yourself one. Harmony Guides are great stitch dictionaries, and are on my wishing list! (My knitting books grow quicker than I intended them to be, so I won’t get them just yet. And I am keener to get Barbara Walker’s books at this moment.)

But this pattern isn’t exactly the same one I am using.

There are two significant differences. First, the one from Harmony Guides is more like a cable. You just don’t build up these cables, but break them with a purl line (seeing from the right side). While I did point out in my previous post, the one from Vogue is similar to cables, they are achieved from inside the loops.

Second, the Harmony Guides uses wrapped stitches, but the Vogue one uses drop stitches. The difference isn’t that easy to tell but they are not the same. Wrapped stitches look neater, drop stitches look more fun!

(I do dislike written instruction, but it doesn’t mean I can or don’t read them. Plus, when it comes to patterns with photos, I can probably tell you how to do something just by the photos. ^_^)

I think you have to sign up for knitting daily to see the stitch, but I find myself enjoying reading it! You find lots of promotions from Intereweave Knits and their sister companies indeed, but the editor Sandi Wisehear talks about lots of knitting tips that is more than useful. For example, she writes about how to convert flat knitting to circular knitting, in which she briefs nicely on all techniques I knew from experiences.

Anyways, that’s it for today. If I’ve got time, I’ll swatch both patterns and put them together. Don’t expect me to do it quick though…. I was actually planned the dress with another drop stitch pattern, “Butterfly pattern,” but only after two complete rows did I remember I forgot a stitch, so I unravel the piece and choose the cross stitch instead–it’s quicker and easier!

Oh, and I think I’ll be in on Ravelry Friday. I will be out, away from computer until late, and have to leave early on Sat! And don’t even have time for Ally Pally! (or will I??) Oh, why, oh, why???

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