Casting on fever

Taking my cue from Knit Devil's Feel Like a Floozy KAL for January, I have the following projects on my needles:

The (possibly previously) mentioned Paul Attwell Socks:


A Selbu for Nikki:


Another pair of Rock and Weave Socks in Hot Flash (but I so want to call the colourway Hot Flush) for Liza:


Blackrose Socks in the much cast on and frogged Midnight Meadows Sundara sock yarn:


In in a fit of complete indulgence, I am awaiting the arrival of some red Classic Elite yarn to cast on my big project for the year - Bijou. It features lots of terrifying things, like short row bust darts. But I've decided as part of my New Year's Resolutions that I will read the pattern before I cast on so I dont repeat the chain of events that lead me to make my son into a hunch back.

My pretties

This is what I was longing for while in Perth. Yes, here are some progress shots of my pretties.


Rock and Weave socks in STR Jewel of the Nile. I like the linen stitch, I like the pooling, and I love the star buttons!


Paul Atwell, looking rather sophisticated in some sock yarn I bought from The Knittery an age ago and cant remember what its called.


And some general eye candy from the Blue Moon Fiber Arts sale last year.

The truth about my Christmas crafting

I took two projects to Perth for Christmas crafting. After rekindling my love of socks and following on from the success of the Leyburn experiement, I immediately cast on two other slip stitch based sock projects: the Paul Atwell socks and Charade socks. However in a moment of supreme foolishness I didnt pack them to go to Perth. Instead I packed a coat I am knitting for Lloyd and the hexagon blanket I am making for my friend Suzy.

I doubted my choice the moment I packed them. Lloyd's jacket needs to be frogged as I misread the pattern. When I discovered my mistake, I thought I could bodgie up the shoulder seam to cover up the extra stitches. Suitably enough I was watching Richard III (as played by Laurence Olivier) when making this decision, and the resulting lumpiness will turn my son into a hunchback. Because of the construction of the jacket, I have to frog the neckband and a large chunk of the right front. The fact that its a baby jacket and therefore a small amount of knitting is not consoling me, I'm just not enjoying the project. I think it needs to hide out in my knitting bag until the weather gets a little cooler.

You'd think the hexagon blanket would be a plain sailing, fun project. I like the pattern, especially the bit where the hexagons are crocheted together so there is almost no seaming required. I'm making it in koigu that I bought ages ago, and I know my friend will the like the colours. The problem here is that I dont. Its too pastel for me, and I chose two colours that are quite similar and cant be placed next to each other. I think this one also needs to hide out for a while, and possibly be completely rethought. See my problem?




Still, now I'm home and back with my beloved socks. And a fab new dvd - Green Wing. I am planing on adopting some of Sue White's management techniques on my return to work later in the year. Actually Green Wing isnt helping the knitting cause, as its so funny I laugh too much and lose my way. Luckily I've got some old eps of Miss Marple!

I laugh in the face of toe up socks!

I laugh in the face of toe up socks. I sneer in the jaws of crochet provisional cast ons. I spit in the eye of short row toes. I scoff in the maw of short row heels.



Presenting the Leyburn Sock, which has broken down my absolute terror of the toe up sock.

A sleep through!

An air of excitment has descended on Casa Joy and Widower. Last night our best WIP, Mr Wriggly, had a feed at 11pm and then didnt wake up until 6:30! Needless to say I got up at 4am to check his pulse. Who knows what tonight holds....

More guerilla action

More guerilla action by guerilla stitch-up.

The return of socks - with added socksiness!

Is there anything lovelier than socks? The way they cling to the arch of the foot and wrap close around the ankle. In fact the only lovelier thing than a sock is, of course, a knee sock! The way they flow from the delicate ankle into the gentle fullness of the calf. No wonder the Victorians demanded legs be covered! The Spiral Boot Socks are especially lovely. I especially like the eyelets twisting around the leg, reminiscent of the seam in a stocking.

After a long hiberation, here is my version of the Spiral Boot Socks in Cherry Tree Hill Foxy Lady. I used one skein per sock, which really shows. While both skeins are from the same dye lot, one is way more saturated than the other. The darker one is clearly a Foxy Lady on her way out for a good time, and the paler one is the Foxy Lady the morning after. Still, I'm pleased with them and they are a continuation of my fraternal paired items. (See Swapies for an explanation.)