Flower Basket Shawl

Flower Basket Shawl
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I knit this for my aunt's 50th birthday, and though I got it done in time, it always takes me a while to mail out. But now that it's out, I can post a photo!

I first tried knitting this yarn up as the Swallowtail shawl from the Fall Interweave06, but I frogged it ecause I felt the yarn was too busy for that pattern. As it turns out, the yarn is a bit busy for any pattern, but I'm not taking this one apart. It still makes for a drapey, smooth fabric that I actually somewhat covet for myself. I might have to get more of this stuff!

Pattern: Flower Basket Shawl, designed by Evelyn Clark for Interweave Knits and now at Fiber Trends.

Yarn: Handmaiden Sea Silk in Dragonfly, one skein

Needles: Size 5 Boye Needlemaster

Knit 9 repeats for between scarf and small sized - I forgot to measure it, but it was at least 30 inches down to the point and almost spanned the couch, so close to 70 inches along the top edge. It was actually quite a fast knit, and the Sea Silk was wonderful to work with.

Closeup of the stitch pattern and flower baskets:

Swallowtail shawl

Swallowtail shawl
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

Pattern: Swallowtail shawl by Evelyn Clark, Interweave Knits, Fall 06
Yarn: Knitpicks Shimmer in Turquoise Splendor, 1 hank
Needles: size 4 Boye Needlemaster

Modifications: due to utterly effed up math, knit four extra bud lace repeats, one extra stockinette row before lily-of-the-valley chart 1, and fudged like crazy during peaked edging. Also, ran out of yarn and ended chart early, then knit final rows, bo on purl side.

This is actually my second attempt at this shawl, in a sense. I had earlier knit it up in Sea Silk, but wasn't happy with the way the colour variegation was working (or not) with the pattern. I had it knit all the way to the peaked edging before I ripped it, with no regrets because it was such an enjoyable pattern to knit.

This time around, I didn't enjoy it quite so much, not because of the pattern but because of the yarn. It was a hot August and the alpaca in the Shimmer made my hands sweat, the yarn stuck, and it just generally bugged me. I could only work on it either with the fan blowing right at me, or if it cooled down enough in the evening. However, the Shimmer did make a lovely, light, drapey fabric, so I'm feeling friendlier towards it. I guess this probably was knit sporadically over three weeks.



Yikes, overexpose much? But it does show the size, which is quite a bit more than the magazine size. About 31 down to the tail and 54 inches along the top edge.

So many stitches, so little yarn

Noooooo!
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

what a pain in the arse...just a few inches from completely binding off this Shallowtail shawl (and it really is shallow, I ran out of yarn and couldn't finish the peaked edging chart) and this is how much yarn I have left.

Oh well. I'll pull back one row, and bind off a row earlier, because no way am I ordering more yarn.

Sockitechture

toe up heel flap
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

I started this toe-up sock in Koigu a few days ago, partly because I wanted to practice the same type of toe-up heel I used for the Anastasia socks. It's based on the heel from Knitty's Widdershins, but knit more to the formula that the designer gives in her extremely useful blog notes.

You can see the gusset increases, and where the side of the flap attaches to the gusset stitches. The join is much neater when you actually do the slipped stitch heel, which I forgot when I knit the Anastasia socks.

I love having heel alternatives! The jury's still out, since I haven't actually worn this heel yet (the Anastasia socks were for my daughter) but I really like the shape and look of this one.

Another view from the back:


In progress notes:
Koigu
2.75mm Brittany DPNs
60 stitches, beginning with magic cast-on of 10 each side
At ankle, increase till there are enough stitches for 15 gusset stitches each side, 18 sole stitches
(48 stitches for gusset and sole, 30 stitches for instep)
Turn heel by using YO short rows and increases to 30 true stitches for the sole, which now becomes the heel flap
Begin heel slip stitch as heel flap is joined to the gussets

Anastasia socks

Anastasia socks
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

A very fun, fast knit. I really like these kinds of patterns that allow you to have the fun of variegated yarn, aren't as boring as stockinette, but not so intricate that the yarn and pattern compete.

Pattern is a free download from Pepperknit. Thanks for the fun pattern, Minty!

Specs and modifications:
LL Shepard sock, in Glenwood
56 stitches
2.5 mm inox, magic loop
PGR's short row toe, using needle cable for provisional cast-on using Knitty's Magic Cast-on
toe-up round heel, modified from Knitty's Widdershins (possibly my new favorite heel)
1 x 1 rib, to finish with EZ's sewn bindoff (much less of a pain in the butt than the grafted bindoff, and looks almost as good)

Unst socks

Unst socks
Originally uploaded by Sophie_vf.

just the facts:
Nancy Bush's "Unst" from "Knitting on the Road"
knit August 11 - August 30
2 socks on 2 circs, size 1 Addi circs
Fortissima Socka

I've decided I really dislike knitting 2 at a time, as having two balls of yarn really annoys me. I don't get them tangled or confused or anything, but for me the charm of knitting socks is their compactness and portability, and the two balls sort of negates that. This is a really fast knit, but it took me a relatively long time because I only worked on them in front of the TV (and I don't spend a lot of time in front of the TV).

However, since my gauge problems with Hedera a few months ago (not the patterns fault!) and getting two socks of different sizes, I thought I'd better knit these together to make sure they matched. And match they do, despite the wonky photo. But I think that if I have worries about gauge the next time, I'll knit one cuff, then the other, etc instead, and right after another rather than waiting a few weeks as I did with Hedera.

The Fortissima socka is rougher than other Fortissima yarns I've used. I don't know why. The sock did soften up after blocking, and should be comfortable after a few wearings.