Tuesday 4 August 2009

Squares, squares, more squares and socks

So, here I am again. What have I been doing in the last couple of weeks? Finishing off socks and knitting squares. Three pairs of socks and 15 squares, to be precise. Oh - and a Lacy Baktus scarf from some Manos Silk Blend (yummy yarn!) - which was a very quick knit and would work very well as a gift.

I finished off the Nanner and On-Hold socks which were the July patterns for the Wendy Johnson "Socks From The Toe Up" book KAL on Ravelry (a book I'd recommend if you're a toe-upper) and also the plain pair of toe-ups (using the Mash-Up Magic Toe Up - MUMTU - sock 'recipe' that's available via Ravelry) that are for my Dad's birthday.

The squares are some I'm sort-of test knitting for QueenieAmanda at The Natural Dye Studio. They're going to form part of a new Bessie Blanket that Amanda's cleverly devising. Mitred squares - in stocking stitch. The e.mails that have been flying about between the various knitters have been many, firstly as the pattern was worked out and then to give progress updates. To date, there have been reports of 28 and 32 squares completed using the yarn supplied, so on that basis, I'm just about halfway there - but haven't sewn in any ends yet. That joyful experience is yet to come (I know, I know - why didn't I do them as I finished each one or few).

So, that's what I've been up to really. Knitting squares and socks.

Except.... I wasn't sure I was going to join in with the August Wendy Toe-Up KAL as the book pattern is the Diamond Ganseys, which call for a solid or semi-solid yarn really so the pattern shows up and the freebie pattern is the seaweed socks, which are similar to the Nanners and look as though they'll bias around the leg (something I'm not overly keen on). However, I had two balls of RYC Cashsoft 4-ply in my stash in a light Wedgewood pottery green. So, I started a toe late on Saturday night after I got in from work 'just to see how the yarn will knit up on 2.25mm needles' as the smallest pattern size for the Diamond Gansey socks has 66 stitches per round. The 'swatch' is now ready for a sewn cast-off, once I've remembered where I put my tapestry needles (hopefully they're upstairs stabbed into my needle case, otherwise I have no idea where I've put them). So, it looks like I'm going to be joining in for August after all. I might even do the Seaweed socks as well as I just happened to spot some British Dream Merino Sock yarn in a colourway called Seaweed on the Fyberspates website - and bought it.

Pics of these projects (and others!!!) are on my Ravelry page - http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Christine65 I will get around to working out putting up photos here soon - not that my photographic skills are anything to write home about.

I also bought some Malabrigo (Lettuce colour) and some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (erm, Desert something - it looked pretty anyway) from Get Knitted this week as well as the 4mm KnitPro wooden tips that I went on their website to buy. Stashbusting? Oh yes, I was supposed to be stashbusting - whoops!

That's all for now.... bye!

2 comments:

  1. I'm doing DG's as well and mine are coming out OK.
    How many pairs of diamonds are you doing before the heel gusset increases?

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  2. I've done 22 rounds for the toe (JMCO starting with 9 sts, but increasing on rounds 2,3,4,5 then every odd-numbered round so the toe's more rounded) and then 40 rounds before the gusset incs. Usually I do more rounds, but the RYC Cashsoft 4ply is thicker than normal fingering/sock yarn so it's knitting up quicker, even on 2.25mm needles. I've done a total of 13 pattern repeats per sock.

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