TGIF

If this week had persisted for a single day longer, I don’t think I would've survived it. I’m still not quite over my supervisor reducing me to tears yesterday. Needless to say, I didn’t get much done this week.

I've completed most of the second Instant Gratification Sock. All I have left is the toe and the heel. I may even finish it tonight.

After schlepping the 6 lb. box of Twizé hither and yon a few times, I came to the logical conclusion that a five-and-a-half pound sweater is just too silly to be considered and forced myself to quit entertaining the idea. A reasonable person would have been able to deduce this immediately, but I still wistfully imagine how lovely my Reeds & Grasses sweater would look in the Twey Twizé. I am not a reasonable person.

I was fortunate enough to find exactly 13 skeins of Bamboo on sale in Black. I also ordered a skein of Fiery Red as the contrast color. I eagerly await the arrival of my order in a box of sweater-appropriate weight.

I’m now on the lookout for a pattern for the six pounds of Twizé, which should be enough to make two items based on a reasonable person's reconning. I though it might be nice to make matching projects for the GC and myself. Perhaps a lacy tank or shell? Hmmmm.

The needles for Sober Argyle Vest II have finally arrived. I cast on this weekend!

Uh-oh

The box came today from Webs with the SWTC Twizé for my Reeds & Grasses project from Vicki Square's book Knit Kimono. My first impression was WOW! It's Beautiful!

I can't begin to describe how beautiful this yarn is! None of the pictures do it justice. The colorway is a silvery fog, palest pink, and white. The yarn has a shimmer-sheen to it that gives it incredible depth. It has a very soft touch...like a cross between silk and cotton.

As I was petting and ogling a skein, somewhere in the back of my mind a light came on. This skein is heavy. Very heavy. I hefted the box. Uh-oh. Where's the packing slip...here it is...okay, weight...6.0 pounds...WHAT!!!

Here's where my knitting novice status becomes glaring. You mavens out there will get a good laugh out of this one. The pattern calls for 12 skeins of SWTC Bamboo (250 yards/100g ball). I decided I wanted to use SWTC Twizé, it's bamboo, too, and I like it better. Twize is 110 meters/100g ball, which is 120.3 yards/100g ball).

That should have set off the alarms, but alas I just did the math and ordered the yarn. Okay, I'll admit it, like most Americans, I'm metrically challenged. I found my favorite metric conversion website. Let's see here...12 x 250 = 3000 yards divided by 120.3 yards is 24.93 skeins...okay I'll make it 26 just to be safe.

The verdict is: 5.49 pounds. That is going to be an incredibly heavy sweater. Oh, dear.

Instant Gratification Socks: Progress Report 2

The first sock is done and the GC wants to know if I'll be finished with the second one tonight. Ha.

Sober Argyle Vest: Progress Report 4

I frog, therefore I am (happy). Time to start from scratch. I can't wait until my needles get here!

Before:



After:



* And yes, I did manage to get 6 skeins into a one gallon juice jug.

Instant Gratification Socks: Progress Report 1

Since I can't work on the *&^%$#@! vest, I've been working on the Instant Gratification Socks. The GC mentioned that I've been neglecting her Arrrgyle Socks (which is true, but I'm not sure why) and that she very much likes the colorway of this project. Hint, hint.

I caved. The socks have been reduced to a smaller size and will belong to the GC upon completion. I have enough yarn to make myself a pair later.

I've got one sock done except for the heel. You'll notice in the picture below the purple stripe of waste yarn for the afterthought heel. I pulled that last night and the stitches are on the needles for the heel.

Take a look:

To Frog or Not To Frog

When I can't force myself to work on a project, it's a sure sign that I've gone astray somewhere along the way. I'm a mere 30 or so rows from completing the back of the Sober Argyle Vest, but instead of getting that charge that gets me to the end, I can scarcely look at the blasted thing.

My project gauge is 1/2 a stitch per inch larger than my swatch gauge, rendering my finished product considerably larger than it should be. Now, I have the option of finishing it and hoping that I can shrink it in the wash the precise amount needed for a perfect fit, or I can frog the whole damed thing and start over again.

Just saying that makes me feel better.

I don't have the needles I need to re-start the project. I think I'll just let things sit until the needles arrive next week.

Instant Gratification Socks

I worked ten or twelve more rows on the vest yesterday. Even though I'm so close to having the back finished, it's beginning to feel like the never-ending project; a garment of epic proportions. I needed an instant gratification project.

I turned to Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch for inspiration. This book, by the way, is the best sock design book I've ever seen. If you need step by step, hold-my-hand instructions, you might be disappointed. If you want a book that helps you think like a sock designer, this is the book for you. As a nice bonus I was able to teach myself how to knit a sock on two circular needles in about an hour with the instructions from this book and the excellent tutorial at Knitpicks.

In my opinion, knitting in the round with two circular needles is far superior to working with DPNs. I always felt like I was wrestling with an urchin or trying to knit with a sack full of angry cats when I used DPNs. Knitting with 2 circulars is, by contrast, a very relaxing process.

I am making a simple top down sock with a garter rib pattern.

Software: Knitpicks Essential in Meadow Multi - 24043 (the purple is actually more pinkish and the dark chocolate brown is more milk chocolate brown than shown on the site, a minor disappointment)

Hardware: Knitpicks Nickel-Plated Fixed Circular Knitting Needles in US Sizes 3/Metric 3.25mm

Here is my progress so far: