rope. tree. fan. spear. snake. wall.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Happy Mail

Very late, um, two nights ago I think, I happened across this site and clickety-click, ordered some stuff.

Dear Alala Lalaa,

thanks for shipping with us! Your items will be shipped within 1-2 business days after receiving your payment.


You ordered following products:
pcs
ProductArticle Nr. Singleprice
Price
1
x
Options Harmony Wood Needle Set LargeShipping time: sofort lieferbar kpck-00655,00 EUR
55,00 EUR
11
x
Wool of the Andes
Shipping time: sofort lieferbar

Knitpicks colour:Hollyberry
kpy-woa

2,36 EUR
25,96 EUR
Sub-Total: 80,96 EUR

Free Shipping (Free Shipping minimum order: 75,00 EUR): 0,00 EUR

incl. UST 19%: 12,93 EUR

Total: 80,96 EUR


knittybitty.de

I already have a set of interchangeables, though I can't remember what company made them. Um, they're gray plastic, does that ring a bell anyone? And they were a gift from my much-loved, last living grandmother, so I didn't feel I could replace them. Besides, I never thought I'd say this, but I actually like these plastic needles. They are bendy and quiet. But I'm not replacing them, I will continue to use them. My knitting habits can support multiple knitting needles, right? (Eight! Eight wips at the moment! And that's not even counting the ones in hibernation.)

Also, I'm kind of not supposed to be acquiring Stuff right now, you know, what with being about to move into a house that will probably be smaller than our current one (and yet cost more than twice as much, go figure - I guess it really is all about location). But the Oompas gave me birthday money, as they do every year, and I usually wind up spending it on groceries.

I'm still waiting for the what-have-I-dones to set in and make me freak out, and it's not happening. I am so scampery-excited! About acquiring stuff! Good thing I'm not a Buddhist, huh?

Monday, October 27, 2008

the Dunegrass socks pattern

Edit, 2 March 2009: This pattern is now available as a free Ravelry download! Probably. I followed the instructions, anyway, and it looks like it worked...
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I took copious notes as I developed this pattern, but apparently I missed a few things. There is a distressing number of "ditto"s and "etc"s in my little notebook.

Anyway.

Yarn: Wollmeise Sockenwolle 100% Superwash, in the Farn colorway.
Needles: Knitpicks 2.25mm
Techniques: Magic Loop, short-row or magic cast-on toe, short-row heel.

I strongly recommend swatching the Dunegrass pattern to get the fit just right, because there is no ribbing, so it's not as stretchy-forgiving as it could be. The stitch pattern as shown requires a multiple of 7 +1. (Nota bene: the 7 is completely arbitrary - you can do a multiple of 10 +1, or 4 +1, or whatever number gives you the look you want and fits your foot. This is another very good reason to swatch.)

That +1 is there because the pattern travels by 1 stitch. Because of this, knitting two socks at once works until you get the heel done, but is not recommended for the leg-bit. I tried. I gained several new gray hairs. Don't say I didn't warn you. (Edited later to add: But actually, if you wear drop earrings, they make dandy temporary stitch holders! Wish I'd figured that out while I was working on these socks.)

Stitch Pattern
dunegrass chart
  • Chart notes: That +1 stitch is marked in boldface, and is not part of the pattern repeat. The pattern repeat is in the blue boxes.
  • Also, please note that only the odd-numbered rows are shown. On the even rows, just knit.
  • Twist the yarnovers as you knit them, so you don't get big lacy holes.
  • click on the chart to go to its Flickr page, if you need a bigger version.
If you don't like charts, here it is in knitterese:
r1: [k2tg, yo, k5] 5 times, k1.
r2 and all even rows: knit, twisting the yarnovers as you knit into them.
r3: k1, [k1, yo, k4, k2tg] 5 times.
r5: k1, [k2, yo, k3, k2tg] 5 times.
r7: k1, [k3, yo, k2, k2tg] 5 times.
r9: k1, [k4, yo, k1, k2tg] 5 times.
r11: k1, [k5, yo, k2tg] 5 times.
r13: [k2tg, k4, yo, k1] 5 times, k1.
r15: [k2tg, k3, yo, k2] 5 times, k1.
r17: [k2tg, k2, yo, k3] 5 times, k1.
r19: [k2tg, k1, yo, k4] 5 times, k1.

Toe
Dunegrass foot
Cast-on and toe of your choice: here's Judy's Magic Cast-On, which is what I used this time, but the short-row toe with provisional crochet cast-on is also good, as is the Sherman short-row toe, if you don't like the whole double-wrap thing. In any case, I ended up with 30 sole-stitches, and 36 (5 pattern repeats, +1) stitches for the top of the foot. Your mileage may vary, see above re swatching.

Foot
Once that's done, start row 1 of the chart. Work the chart for the top of the foot, and work the sole in plain stockinette.

Continue until the desired length minus 1/2 inch, or 1 cm, ending with a row 11.

Heel
Short row heel over the 30 sole stitches. You'll need to decide for yourself how deep and how wide you want the heel to be: I did 7 wraps each side, and 16 center stitches. If you're unfamiliar with the short-row heel, Misocrafty has an excellent photo-tutorial.

Once the heel is done, knit row 12 across the instep. The pattern isn't started immediately on the back of the leg, but grows over the plain stockinette gradually. Because of this, it's a good idea to place a marker at the center-back of the leg, and let that mark the start of each new row.

Also note that the +1 from the foot is no more.

Extending the pattern gradually over the back of the leg
Dunegrass back
Across the back of the leg, [k6, m1] 4 times, k5, yo, k1. There are now 70 stitches in all. Work row 13 across the front of the leg, and pull the left needle through the last stitch, to move that stitch from the front to the back (if you're doing one sock at a time. If you're doing two, then put the last stitch on an earring, and move it to the back when the opportunity arises).

as before, work all even-numbered rows... well, even. Just knit them, I mean.
  • row 13, back: k2tg. K to marker.
  • row 15: k until 2 stitches before the end of the back needle. yo, k2. Work row 15 across the front, according to the chart/knitterese instructions. On the back needle, k2tg, k to marker.
  • row 17: k until 3 stitches before the end of the back needle. yo, k3. Work row 17 across the front, according to the chart/instructions. On the back needle, k2tg, k to marker.
  • r19: k to end -4. yo, k4. Work row 19 across front. On the back, k2tg, k to marker.
  • r1: k to end -7. k2tg, yo, k5. Work row 1 across the front. On the back, k2tg, yo, k to marker.
  • r2: work even. Move one stitch from the front to the back.
  • r3: k to end -9. k2tg, k1, yo, k4, k2tg. Work row 3 across the front. On the back, k1, yo, k to marker.
  • r5: k to end -9. k2tg, k2, yo, k3, k2tg. Work row 5 across the front. On the back, k2, yo, k to marker.
  • r7: k to end -9. k2tg, k3, yo, k2, k2tg. Work row 7 across the front. On the back, k3, yo, k to marker.
  • r9: k to end -9. k2tg, k4, yo, k1, k2tg. Work row 9 across the front. On the back, k4, yo, k to marker.
  • r11: k to end -9. k2tg, k5, yo, k2tg. Work row 11 across the front. On the back, k5, yo, k2tg, k to marker. You have decreased by one stitch, so there are now 69 in all.
  • r13: k to end -8. k2tg, k4, yo, k1. Move the last stitch to the front needle. Work row 13 across the front, moving the last stitch to the back needle. On the back, k2tg, k4, yo, k1, k2tg, k to marker. 68 stitches.
  • r 15: k to end -7. k2tg, k3, yo, k2. Work row 15 across the front. On the back, k2tg, k3, yo, k2, k2tg, k to marker. 67 stitches.
  • r 17: k to end -7. k2tg, k2, yo, k3. Work row 17 across the front. On the back, k2tg, k2, yo, k3, k2tg, k to marker. 66 stitches.
  • r 19: k to end -7. k2tg, k1, yo, k4. Work row 19 across the front. On the back, k2tg, k1, yo, k4, k2tg, k to marker. 65 stitches.
  • r 1: k to end -7. k2tg, yo, k5. Work row 1 across the front. On the back, k2tg, yo, k5, k2tg, k to marker. 64 stitches.
  • r 3: k to end -10. k2tg, k1, yo, k4, k2tg. Move the last stitch to the front needle. Work row 3 across the front, moving the last stitch to the back needle. On the back, k1, yo, k4, k2tg, k1, yo, k to marker.
...um. I may have gotten tired of writing here, because my little book says "r 7, r 9: ditto." Heh. Well, you should be able to figure it out [insert sheepish grin here].
  • r 11: k to end -9. yo, k2tg, k5, yo, k2tg. Work row 11 across the front. On the back, [k5, yo, k2tg] twice.
  • r 13: k to end -9. yo, k1, k2tg, k4, yo, k1. Move last stitch to the front. Work row 13 across the front, moving the last stitch to the back needle. On the back, [k2tg, k4, yo, k1] twice, k2tg.
  • r 15: k to end -9. yo, k2, k2tg, k3, yo, k2. Work row 15 across the front. On the back, um, I stopped writing what I did. Maybe it should be obvious by now? Dang, I'm not very good at writing patterns, sorry.
  • r 17: k to end -10. yo, k3, k2tg, k2, yo, k3. Work row 17 across the front.
  • r 19: k to end -11. yo, k4, k2tg, k1, yo, k4. Work row 19 across the front.
  • r 1 starts at the midpoint. Work the row in pattern, and pass the last stitch over the first stitch of row 2. 63 stitches.
Work up in pattern until it's about 2 cm shorter than you want. Move the last stitch on each side to the other side in every row 3 and row 13.

Top ribbing
Dunegrass top
Here's the chart.
On row 12, bind off as loosely as you can. Tuck in ends, wash, wear and be joyful.




As always, feedback is appreciated. If I ever knit these again, I'll write in the missing bits.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

working on it

I've been plugging away at the Dunegrass socks pattern - the way the pattern grows over the stockinette at the back of the leg is not difficult to knit, but it is quite fiddly to describe. While you wait, you can take a look at my progress on zur Lederhos'n, currently on hold until I get the heel instructions. Love the yarn, love the pattern, but the one is so fiddly, and the other so dark, I can only work on it in full daylight, so from 4pm or so I have to work on other things. Which is good, because I'm up to 8 wips again. It's a sickness, I tell you.

Okay. Photos, again courtesy of Elemmaciltur and his superior photographing skillz. As always, click to biggern.
Zur Lederhos'n, progress as of 10/10/08 zur Lederhos'n progress zur Lederhos'n progress

Saturday, October 11, 2008

hearted!

Look! Elemmaciltur hearts my blog! Even though I hardly ever post! So thanks, that's really nice to hear/read/whatever.

Here are the rules:
1. The winner can put the logo on his or her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.

Okay, so 1! Did that. 2! Did that too. 3: seven! I'm only asking because Amy was the first person I was going to tag, but someone else beat me to it, and she only had to list four blogs. Just sayin'. And of course the other person I would have tagged is Elemmaciltur.

So, hm. This reminds me that I really need to update my blogroll. Blogrolls, actually, on both blogs. And put the Big Knit graphic on my sidebar. And answer a bunch of emails. And update the zur Lederhos'n sock photos. Elemm took the photos, btw, many thanks.

Whoo. Suddenly I feel like taking a nap.

Okay, to tag: Since my knitblog was tagged, I figure I should stay in-genre, though actually my favorite blogs are the ones that step out of the genre a lot. The Diva Knits is a case in point: yes there is knitting, but also TV, education, immigration, and zombies! Who doesn't love zombies? In a strictly platonic sense, of course. So That Happened... is another one. Knitting, pop music, food, rants, and travel! Also, probably the only person who truly understands how I feel about Hall & Oates. The Panopticon, of course, totally heart that. Though I think he might be too A-list to do memes. Great pictures on Yarnissima's blog. Also Crazy Aunt Purl, plus she's funny! And finally I'm gonna use Elemm and Amy as my last two because even though they've already been tagged and certainly shouldn't have to do this again, I really and truly do heart their blogs.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

three hours

The Sniglet has been fascinated with my swift and ballwinder since I got them, and he keeps asking if I have yarn for him to wind. Well, the Zur Lederhos'n yarn arrived today, so I let him wind up one skein. He was so excited. He wound reallyreally fast and then stopped suddenly, sometimes wound backwards, sometimes squeezed the yarn as it ran through his other hand, sometimes let go of it completely - and at the end I had a yarn cake that was outwardly coherent, but inside was a terrible tangled mess. It took me three hours to unsnarl and re-wind it.

Arg. I want my kids to want to help, but sometimes it's very hard to say thank you and mean it.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

we don' need no steenkeeng sock club!

Because Yarnissima just sent me a new pattern to test-knit!

Okay, I am the teensiest bit bummed about missing the Wollmeise Sock Club signups because I was on vacation. The bummer is mitigated by the fact that I got to test-knit the first pattern, with the actual pattern yarn (pwned!), so I'm really only missing out on the second colorway and the fabulous high-quality cello-wood dpns: I'll be able to buy the second colorway in a year or so, and I hate dpns - I don't need another love-hate relationship in my life. So that's more or less okay. When the second shipment goes out, though, there'll be some serious boo-boo face.

But I digress. A new Yarnissima pattern! Woot!