Monday, January 25, 2010

Ravelympics!


Believe it or not, I've yet to participate in a Ravelympics. That's all about to change. This year, I've committed to knitting Jared Flood's "Grove" mittens, from a cherry red yarn I spun myself. I've joined Team Knitmore and have been carefully following their training tips, including winding the skein into a ball and swatching. I'm fairly confident that the yarn will work with the pattern, and who doesn't need another pair of mittens???

I attempted to add a Ravelympics countdown clock to the blog, but for whatever reason, it just reads zero hours, zero minutes, and zero seconds no matter how many times I set the end date. Oh, well...

Right now I'm trying to knit Deborah Newton's Alpaka Tunic, using Berroco Ultra Alpaca in a similar charcoal gray, more or less successfully, depending on my level of optimism. I'm on the front, having worked the back already, but with each stitch on the front, I'm realizing the ugly truth - I have to frog the back. Groan. It (the back) is simply too big. I've gone down a needle size (from a 10 to a 9), and I'm knitting the front in the smallest size, rather than the medium I did for the back. Bummer. Nobody to blame, however, but myself!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The Snow Queen wears cozy socks


Way too long since the last post. 16 pairs of gloves were knitted and given away to friends and family. Still have enough for 3 or 4 more pairs, but that can wait a bit.

I finished "Unity", a Berroco sweater design, and I like it very much - warm but lightweight and soft.

Can't seem to keep away from sock knitting - I don't quite know why, given the fact that there are always two to make. Maybe it's the portability, but I think it's more because of the beauty of sock yarn and the huge variety of patterns available, many of which expand my knitting "envelope".

These latest socks are called "Snow Queen" from the book Enchanted Sole by Janel Laidman. I used the yarn suggested, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Lightweight in the "Winter Solstice" colorway. Had to go down a needle size to get gauge, but that's okay. The finished socks are, on my short calves, kneesock length - perfect for cold gray winter days.