Rip, tink, throw up hands and knit a damn hat

Refering back to the post with the three projects I was working on, this is the one that I finished. All three had issues. The shawl? Don't ask. All I can say is now I have too much Elesbeth Lavold Silky Wool for a scarf, but not enough for a sweater. The washcloth? Ripped back and put back on needle with the working yarn at the wrong end. This hat, well, I just kept going round and round, because I didn't know how to do the decreases for 2x2 rib. The Knitlist helped, I finished, and Aaron loved the hat. Now there's another problem and that is the 140 stitches around. I think I had Paul Bunyan in mind when I did that math. Anyway, we've discussed strategies for controlled shrinkage and I'm hoping things work out. I mean, he wears it in the house. I knew he needed to cover that bald head of his, he just needed someone to give him something nice to use for the purpose.

Duh... can't think of anything to call this. It's about socks.

The orange socks, finished just hours before they left for Arctic Nebraska. I think she wore them everyday. They've rounded out and look much better now. Resisting the urge to rip them out and put in heels...
That's right, no heels. I was thinking tube socks, you know, so they'd fit longer. Trouble is, they don't really fit, ever, without heels. Another lesson learned.
Since then I've made my first grown up sock and have started the second. Ripped out and reknit the heel twice. Each time because the foot was too short (toe-up, btw), then with the last one I overcompensated and made the foot too long! I finished anyway, thinking I'd gift them to someone with larger feet (like my sister) but then couldn't take it. I wanted these socks for myself! So, I picked out the toe, ripped back to where I wanted to start the decreases and did a custom, right footed toe. That's right, now I have to make the left sock (!!!) with mirrored toe decreases. I've cast on to a provisional crochet chain, since I couldn't cast on toe-up this time and match the graft on the first sock. Christ! Is this a lot of work for a sock? Why, yes, yes it is. Did I try to go on without being such a perfectionist? I always try, but I never get away with it. I can say, though, that this sock fits better (did I mention the increases and switch to one size larger needle right before the heel?) than any I've ever worn. Can't wait for the mate!

Jayne hat, revised

Why do all the patterns for the Jayne hat that folks on the 'net are doing and sharing have pointed earflaps? They aren't pointed on the original hat, not at all. I reknit and reknit the flaps until it was passable and here's the result. Much better, I think. Of course, I should mention, while I'm being so picky, that these colors are all wrong, too. There was no red, just yellow and orange. Feh.

Works in progress, besides the socks

A washcloth









Beginner's triangle, A Gathering of Lace, Meg Swansen



I wish I could figure out how to get these pictures where I want them. Time to find a tutorial, I guess. These are the other projects taking up space on my desk, in my purse, and on the kitchen table. The yellow washcloth is for me. I guess I do knit for me sometimes, but it's not for the washcloth itself, but for mindless knitting while I'm stuck on something else. I also really love to look at yellow without trying to wear it. Who can wear yellow, anyway?

The oatmeal colored thing is my practice shawl while I wait for the good yarn to arrive. Turns out I have lots to learn about lace knitting, which is seriously cutting down on my private knitting hubris. I really thought this would be a piece of cake. Jerk.

Finally, the 2x2 ribbed tube. It's supposed to be a hat, but I just keep knitting round and round because, well, I have no idea how to figure the decreases myself. There are 140 stitches, way more than most hats, and damned if I can find a plain 2x2 rib hat pattern to copy the decreases from anywhere. I don't want to go for trial and error as this yarn is not forgiving of frogging, so I just keep going. Rather embarrassing.

Socked

Obsessed with making Lucie a pair of wool socks for her trip to Arctic Nebraska later this month, I am on my third attempt. The first was too small, and became a thumbless mitten for the toddler. Hopefully there will be a mate one day.

Next I thought I'd try a sport weight wool, rather than fingering, so it would go quicker. It might have, but Clover dpns suck and have no glide at all. Also, this sock is too big for her feet. I thought it could be for me, but it's too small and this partial ball isn't enough for a pair. Oh, and then she didn't like the maroon color anyway. Kill me.

A smart person would have given up by now. That's not me however, and I cast on another sock, in just orange this time (what she wanted all along) and I checked my gauge (10st/inch!) and measured her foot, too (6 inches around the biggest part). I am a knitting pro, fear me! So, what the hell is this pointy thing that still appears to be too big? I'm not just screwed, but socked. Socked in the head.

Edit: This morning I figured out why, despite my measuring and gauge-checking, I'm still making a sock too big for Lucie's fey little feet. I forgot to subtract 10% from her foot measurement before mulitplying by my gauge. Too late to start over, the socks will be big this winter, but hopefully fit just right next winter.

Cattywompus cloche

This is Caterina's cloche. She's standing right here as I post this and she said, "That's my hat! Thank you for making it for me, Aunt Jamie. I love it so much." Huh.
What cracks me up is the way she wears it with the flower right smack in the middle of her forehead.

knitting for others

A vest I knitted for James, by request. He picked the yarn, I picked the buttons. This is a kid who is always cold. I made him this and my first (and so far only) pair of wool socks. He never wears them. Drives me nuts.
The pattern is Fast Favorite Vest (boys version) from Men in Knits, by Tara Jon Manning, the yarn is Cascade 220.

You never know

This is one of the most used items I've ever made. It's a crocheted blanket, just the right size for covering up Alice or Lucie when they are napping, or at night when the covers get kicked or pulled off. It's a simple pattern from Crochet Me, called Funky Doily. I used Cascade 22o, each stipe is one skein. I just let the stripes get smaller and smaller. The yellow is really orange on it's own, but looks yellow with the red & purple. It's not a soothing color combination, but I can always find this thing no matter how thrashed the house is, and that's worth a lot.

The hero of canton as a young man

This is my first, possibly only, attempt at a Jayne hat. Cotton/acrylic blend as the recipient can't abide wool. Modeled by my son, James, who would probably love Jayne Cobb if I allowed him to watch Firefly. One day, but I never heard anyone say they should have watched more sex on television, and at a younger age. So, until he's older and/or sneakier, I'll keep Firefly all to myself. He did say the hat was nice and warm ... but for someone who is always cold he never wears the wool things I've made for him by request. Maybe I'll be less bitter about that if I make something for myself before I make anything else for others.

Did I mention I knit?

And that that's pretty much all I think and talk and read about, despite the fact that I have 3 kids and am supposed to be homeschooling? It's true. And now that the baby is older (18 mos!) I actually get to accomplish a thing or two occasionally. I've started taking pictures of my finished projects, too, since I give most of them away and have little to show for all the time and effort I put into them. Now I get to post them and join the ranks of the millions of mediocre knitters who blog! "I just learned to knit this afternoon and I've started a blog. Come look at my skinny scarf in super bulky yarn!" If you ever read the knitlist you know what I mean. So, to start in the middle of the story, here's a shot of the Sidewinder Hat from Southern Cross Knitting and, my first attempts at felting, 3 flower pins. I made the hat with Wool From The Andes (Knitpicks). I made another out of an alpaca/wool blend that was just sublime (the yarn, not the hat) but I forgot to photograph it before we sent it to Nebraska for Christmas. Don't you send your best yarn to cold places to holiday? Trouble is, they always decide to stay...

Just so you don't think I really don't care for the kids and spend all my time with yarn, here's ... someone (I haven't chosen the pic yet).
Edit: Lucie and Alice Christmas morning on their new bikes. Curtis helping Lucie on hers. She bursts into tears immediately after and hasn't gotten on the bike since. Santa overshot this year.