Spinningphoenix's Stash Room

In hopes that the insanity and heartbreak of 2010 are content to stay in the past, I've resolved to start using this craft blog a little more consistently. (Again. Like I did last year. Drat it.)

On the Needles (and wheel):

Spinning Dyeabolical Yarns 50/50 Merino Tencel roving in Evil Jeanius. Beautiful, beautiful stuff. Just finished the last of the singles today, and plying should commence tomorrow. I already want more. It's spinning insanely thin and will make a silky, shiny, drapey lace fabric. I'll have to see how much yardage I have after plying.

Knitting the Caireen scarf from Knitty's Deep Fall 2010 issue. I'm using Dale Falk in a deep pine green, purchased on clearance at the Myers House Barn. It knits into cables well, but I'm concerned about all the faulty spots I'm finding as I knit. In some places, the yarn has completely drifted apart, and I have to wonder if moths got to it (hence the reason it was on clearance). No picture yet, but I'm on row 40 of 56 before the short-rows start. Very strange to be knitting a shawl from the long edge; I'm grateful for my KnitPicks interchangeable 40-inch cable.

I have other various projects that have been neglected for some time, and the end of the year has definitely prodded me in the rear end to get some of them completed -- for no other reason than so I can find my needles again. (Size 6 needles seem to be the most scarce.) There's a gansey for my husband in Lion Brand Fisherman's wool, a Bristow cardigan that just needs blocked, underarms woven and buttons sewn on. Various socks abandoned for something either more interesting, or more simple based on my stress level at the time. I'm trying this Monogamous Knitter thing on for size; it's amazing how fast your knitting progresses when it's the only thing you're working on.

Upcoming:

That said, I have a Thrummed Mitten KAL with the Restless Knitters that starts today, so I will need to get started on them before Caireen is finished. I spun the yarn for the mittens from The Dyeing Arts superwash Merino in the complementary colorway "Mad Hatter", which I have not photographed after the two colors were plied together. I'm using Rita Buchanan's "Fleece-lined Mittens" pattern from the Winter 2001 issue of Spin-Off. These get started tomorrow.

Also in planning stages is a warm, brimmed hat in Cascade 220 to coordinate with Caireen. Regular toboggan caps, or toques, are not the best look for me. I found the Brimming pattern on Ravelry that includes a nice turned-up doubled brim, but the fabric of the rest of the hat is too thin for the arctic blasts coming across our cornfields. I need to knit a lining, so I ripped out the brim and a few inches of the side, and I plan to try again on size 5 instead of 6 needles, with a provisional cast-on so I can essentially knit the same hat twice. Think I'll finish Caireen first, since my old Polartec hat will do for now. I get very practical when it's 20 degrees and 30 mph winds.

I have no socks on the needles right now, and I need to rectify that oversight. One of my Christmas gifts was Cookie A's wonderful new book, Knit.Sock.Love.  I love nearly all of the patterns (have already knit a couple, like the Monkey socks), so I'm thinking about making my own sock club (a la Yarn Harlot) and knitting my way through most of the book in the coming year. I'd love to say I could work through a pair a month, but I haven't drunk nearly enough alcohol today to say that with a straight face. So I'll get the first pair started and see how it goes.

I haven't decided what to spin next, but it isn't through lack of choices. I think something woolen and Aran-weight, to change it up from the inch-worm worsted-style cobweb lace I've been spinning. Maybe something bouncy and warm for a cowl or some fingerless gloves.

As Elizabeth Zimmermann wrote, "NOW, let us all take a deep breath, and forge on into the future; knitting at the ready."

I know I owe pictures of quite a few things here. The Sheep to Shoe plied yarn, my Aeolian, the Nightsongs Shawlette...well, it's my anniversary and I just have time to post pictures about my very recently (Wednesday night) finished socks:


These are plain, toe-up socks with a gusset heel. Knit magic-loop from Regia Jacquard color #5156, mostly during two trips up and down Highway 57. There's a simple two-rib expansion joint up the side of the foot and leg, and a lot of ribbing at the top because I had a lot of yarn left over and a lot of trip left over.

Illinois is a very flat state. It's also a very rural state between the larger cities, which translates to a very dark drive when you start a five-hour return trip at 9:30 at night after driving five hours that morning to get there. I also knit on the newly-started Kernel Scarf during the daylight,  just to keep my sanity.

I've found a new way to navigate the highways, based on the tourist traps we pass on the way. Southwest of Missouri brings OzarkLand with its little cedar chests and walnut bowls.  Directly west is IndianLand with all the fake Native American artifacts that Taiwan can churn out. And evidently north towards Chicago is AmishLand. I'm still trying to figure out if they sell stuff by lamplight, and how they take credit cards if they aren't supposed to use telephones.

(Really,  I spent a good portion of the trip trying to decide just how offensive I should find this place. The idea of commercializing an entire culture and way of life that is known for not bowing to commercial pressure to live the "normal American life" makes me squirm and wonder what the hell someone was smoking when they thought AmishLand was a good idea.)

*Sigh* Off the soapbox, I need to get ready to go out for dinner. Twenty-three years of marriage today; think it's safe to knit him a sweater yet?

Done! I finished the second Atlantis sock at my Mom & Dad's house this evening. Cast off done, ends woven in, all ready for the photo op! All I need is decent light and time to take the pictures, which I should have tomorrow morning.

I can't believe I managed to stay monogamous to this project (other than some emergency work glove repair) and actually finish an entire pair of lace socks in two weeks, in which normal life didn't stop (no snow days, no vacation days) and laundry still got done. I'm actually looking forward to focusing all my knitting attention on the new fingerless work gloves and getting them done and off the WIP List now. I make no promises that my poly-project days are over, but boy howdy it looks like you get a lot of knitting done when it's all on one thing.

The first Atlantis Knitting Olympics sock is complete! I had a near miss with a too-short tail during the bind off, but I persevered and (with the help of a crochet hook) finished the sewn bind off for the cuff with under an inch of tail for weaving in. SGA-1 is done. Whew!

For those of you following along at home, that's one sock knit in a complex 24-row lace repeat and a 33-row lace hem, all done in six days while working, washing dishes, cleaning up after cats and husband, etc.

Now to cast on for SGA-2!

I worked on the Andromeda socks yesterday while running errands (husband drives, I knit and act as an organic GPS system). I've started the toe shaping.

Last night I watched "Hoarders" and "Good Eats" and knit a 1x1 rib around one of the Elfin socks with some royal blue Swilan fingering yarn I had in stash. It matches the blue bit in the blue/green medley perfectly. Unfortunately the ribbing looked weird with the lace and flared out, so I ripped it out during the errand-running today and started a picot-hem cuff. It's ready to be sewed down, but it's going to have to wait. I have a late Christmas present to finish off before Tuesday night.

I'm a little unsure how much use I'm going to have for lace wool footie socks, but they should be finished before the end of the week. Photos then.