Friday, February 8, 2013

This Is One of Those Posts That Goes Everywhere...

Just in time for "Snowstorm 2013!" (bish plz), I finally finished the next pair of socks:


Weird how the browns (caramel and khaki) are inverted between the two socks, yes? BTW, not one to pass by a gizmo, those are my new sock blockers. Truly, handmade socks dry in 30 minutes on those things. I'm not saying I intend to hand wash my socks, but if I must wear them between machine loads, it's good to have options.

Upon finishing these, it occurred to me that I was without a knitting project. (Note: Between muslin 3 of the suit jacket, and a couple of other sewing quick wins - to be discussed in my next post - that I started prepping for before I got my current bug, I have less than no business considering new knitting. But there you go. This post isn't about showing you my practical streak.)

The great thing about being sick in the modern era is that, as long as the Advil is working, you can absorb yourself in the internet. My evening was spent, under blankets, watching reruns of Law and Order (I've spent basically 6 weeks bedridden since Sept. and I've yet to re-watch a rerun in that time. What is up with that?) and doing "research".

Full disclosure: Brooklyn Tweed's latest look book just came out and I could not stop myself from purchasing some e-patterns and yarn. So, technically, when this arrives, I will have a new project.

Moreover, I totally love these:


Ooooh, pretty colours! This scarf is actually a flattened tube so the stranding is hidden.


I really have a thing for the flowy, oversized, convertible cardigan, people. I decided that, if I like working with the BT yarn on the shawl, I will invest in some to make this cardigan.

OK, back to the point of this all, my next project...

I have stash yarn, though not in large volumes, with the exception of this:

Malabrigo Finito (fingering weight)
It's the stuff I bought, in a fit of sickness-consumerism last fall, from Habu. In truth, I never would have purchased it if I had seen it up close. It's a bizarre mulberry-meets-pink-meets-dirt. And it's hella variegated, IMO.

It's actually been tormenting me a bit. I tell myself I will not buy more stash until I use it. Each time I look at my stash, it follows me with its gaze. Side note: I also keep telling myself I'm done with fingering weight for a while and then I decide to make fingering weight shawls and socks. So, apparently, I'm an indecisive wreck.

Anyway, I have no ability to leave this house right now. While I am very happy to report that the fever and chills have abated (knock on something pls.), my cough sounds CDC-worthy and I have the energy of a slug. (Other side note: It occurs that the yarn is vaguely slug-coloured. Hmmm...)

What's a girl to do but to choose her next project on the basis of the yarn she already has in her hands?

I used the Ravelry search feature, typed in the amount of yarn I had to knit, the weight of it, and then I waited (a millisecond) to see what thousands of options would be open to me. Intriguingly, of 2000-odd choices, the only one that seemed to work with my yarn (knowing what I do of it) is this one:

Indicum Pullover by Hilary Smith Callis
Intriguingly, the designer is she of the Kimono Wrap Cardigan, my very first project. (BTW, the link feature just fucked up again, so no more links in this post...)

Now, here's the punchline - if I haven't lost you in one of the preceding 63 storylines: This sweater has stranded colour work.

Hilarious, yes? It's like the universe is colluding with Gillian?! It's only in the corrugated ribbing bands at the sleeves, hem and neck (see the pretty contrast colour woven into the rib?) - and I didn't realize it until I'd purchased the e-pattern / got myself all set. Otherwise, I can assure you, I would have removed it from my cart.

The other punchline is that I appear to be making yet another fingering-weight sweater on the heels of a fingering-weight sweater that made me decide to swear off fingering-weight sweaters. But really, that's a bit "standard-issue Kristin".

Here's the fun bit. I used that colour work book I just bought and managed to figure out, fairly easily, how to do the stranding. I'm only using my right-hand for this because it's knit/purl stranding. Much stranding is done in the round so that it only requires knit stitch. I will be knitting this in the round and, yet, making the float on a purl stitch. I realize, this is super-boring if you've no interest in colour work, but the gist is, it hasn't tested my ability to knit Continental-style at the same time as British-style (one strand of yarn in each hand), an ability I strongly question. I guess, as with everything, only time will tell. BTW, the contrast colour I'm using is the slate-grey (with purple undertones) cashmere of the Princess Jumper.

Now I've worn up a day's worth of energy writing this and it's time to retire with some Law and Order. But please do comment on whatever element of this post might catch your fancy. Which pattern do you like the best? How do you find corrugated rib colour work? Have you ever knit a sweater in a shade of "slug"? Do you like the socks? Let's talk.

14 comments:

  1. The sock blockers - total awesomeness, right!?!??!

    I actually walked over to Habu after you posted about them and did not buy anything. But I think my next sweater will be one of the BT ones from their last look book.

    At the moment I've got assorted body parts of 3 different stuffed animals to graft together plus half a sock. Given the impending blizzard there is nothing to do but knit and sew (muslin for me this weekend), even without being ill. Feel better!

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    1. They are! And I'm glad to find that I am not alone in my compulsiveness :-)

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  2. Ha! The aspects I can comment on most are Law & Order and the wonders of Advil (serious miracle drug, no?). So what's your favourite combo on L&O? I was a fan of the Chris Noth years myself, Brisco & Logan made a great pair, Ben Stone as EADA, good times... I stopped watching after university, but A&E showed it all day long so I watched those first oh, 6 seasons a few times.

    The socks aren't my kind of colours but I like them for someone else.

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    1. I kind of like the one with Eames and Goren. Though Lenny Briscoe, of course, is my fave character.

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  3. Well, you could just make a lot of pairs of socks if you aren't sure about a sweater.....?? Or maybe not, since I know absolutely nothing about types of yarn for projects.

    BTW, you inspired me to go on my very own shopping binge (much to hubby's chagrin), bought 3 bras, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 belts, and I'm going to pick up another pair of jeans next time I go to town (I've only got one pair that fits since I just dropped a size--I hope I can keep it up!) That's more shopping than I do in the average year...or at least it feels like it, LOL!

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    1. So sick of socks! :-) And I love to inspire shopping binges, I mean, "purchasing out of need".

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  4. Oh, where to start!?

    Frankly, I love the colour of that yarn (based on the photo, anyway – your descriptions are kind of throwing me off) and suspect it will be much more appealing wound up into a ball and then knit. I tend to have faith that Malabrigo's weird colourways will work out, and this looks like a good sweater to test that theory (if only because it isn't huge or complicated).

    As for stranded colourwork, I actually love it. I've been knitting fair isle mittens like a crazy person lately, and I find holding one colour in each hand much easier (both in terms of not tangling everything and also more consistent tension). If you really don't want to do it, though, just don't. Your yarn is variegated enough to make the ribbing interesting.

    I am very excited to see how this all turns out!

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    1. It's def more appealing when knit. You are absolutely right. I saw your moose gloves and they are fantastic!

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  5. I am cracking up that you find Malabrigo wildly varigated. Yes it is varigated but I find it to generally be one of the more subtle variegated yarns - I do veer toward the monochromatic colorways though. And cheer up, holding yarn in both hands isn't nearly as hard as it seems it would be.

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    1. I'm happy to amuse you :-) What can I say, I'm very "1 colour"! I hope it's not going to be that hard to hold the colours in diff hands. i have tried Continental knitting with little success (perhaps I just didn't give it enough effort but I felt no connectedness to it and my tension was a horror).

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  6. That cardi is to die for. I hope you're feeling better.

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    1. Thanks S. I am feeling better. Still not 100 percent, but I'll take what I can get...

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  7. i am super intrigued by the color-work ribbing. that is my kind of subtle!

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    1. It is very subtle. And in another way, I feel it's kind of in my face.

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