Something Knitty

Recently completed, a Log Cabin Washrag from Whitney at The Purl Bee (inspired by the Mason-Dixon Knitting Ladies).  A very fun, and useful, little knit.   

A (slightly blurry) log cabin warshrag in Lily Sugar 'n Cream (Blueberry Pie, Milk Chocolate, and Creme Brulee colorways)

In other knitting, this is a progress photo for a great little project.  Can you guess what it is?  Two clues: 100% wool and NOT a scarf.  

Mystery wooly knitting

Also started: a Baktus scarf.  Mine's bluey.  Photos will be shared eventually (maybe).  

For now, it's Friday night and I live in Texas, so I'm going to knit and listen to high school football.  

Happy weekend!

Well, I assume it would be cherry-flavored if I actually licked it.  Maybe a wooly-cherry.  It's definitely cherry-scented.  This will be a sock for Sonar X6.  Maybe he'll lick it and let us know.

Bomb Pop Sock Yarn, 2x2 rib sock over 56 stitches on US2 needles, with some pins, a ruler, a sock bag, and a peek at some white t-shirt pants

We are not powdered-drink-mix drinkers, but I love a little Kool-ade for dyeing yarn.  I had a little yarn left over from  some kilt hose, enough, I hope for a pair of kid socks.  I'm experimenting with the concept of the sock blank.  Take two strands of yarn, knit them together into a basic rectangle (or in this case a tube, because I love to knit in the round), dye them, then pull them back apart into two balls of yarn and knit the socks.  In the best of all worlds, the socks will then have the same pattern of color changes throughout.  

That is the hope.  Where is the ice cream truck?

The sock blank in KnitPicks Bare, superwash sock weight, dyed with Cherry and Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade Kool-ade. I love that red.

The yarn was a little wubbly when I pulled it apart, so I put it through the tea kettle steam to even out matters and then onto the swift to dry.

On the swift. Yes it is made of K'nex.

These cherries hold an ice-blue secret at their hearts.

In spite of the name of this site, a lot of stuff goes on around here that has nothing to do with knitting, but today I bring you ACTUAL KNITTING!

(Please embiggen the image at left for more detail)

Beginning at the right, the creamy-colored, hat-looking thing on top of the clear plastic jar is 2 balls (~50g) of KnitPicks Bare sock yarn, knit double-stranded into a dye blank.  I'm experimenting with some leftovers from last year's kilt hose to see if I like the idea of the twice-knit sock blank.  I plan to employ Dyeing Kids, Inc. (the Sonars) and their state-of-the art Kool-ade dyeing methodologies to make some nifty, matchy, multi-colored socks.  We'll see how it goes.  

In the center is a real-life Knitty pattern, the Lace Ribbon Scarf, knit with some J. Knits Superwash Me - Light Sock in the San Jose colorway.  I love this yarn.  I made a Swan Lake Mystery Stole (a la Melanie Falick) with it to great effect. I've knit a couple of feet of ribbon, and plan to continue until I run out of yarn, which I estimate will be in another foot or so.  This was my traveling project during our summer tour of Texas and New Mexico this year.  It's a great car project.  The lace pattern is simple enough to memorize, but not so simple that I get bored with it.  I love the way it zigs and zags.  

To the left is my Checkerboard Scarf pattern from the Purl Bee with KnitPicks Gloss Lace in the Celery colorway.  It doesn't make me want to eat celery, but I love this yarn too.  The silk and wool blend gives a lovely definition to the lace and is soft on the hands.  This lace is a step up, skill-wise, from the ribbon, but not so much that I feel bonkers when I knit it.  I haven't made much progress on this one this summer, but it's there, and I will return to it soon. 

Apparently I'm in a lacy, scarfy mood these days because when I finish one of these things, I hope to join the millions of other brilliant knitters in the world and finally make my own Clapotis.  

And doesn't everyone in South Texas have an empty Tim Horton's coffee can lying around the back yard?