work actively in progress:
- Socks for him in Wildfoote "Desert Grass". 1.75 socks completed!
- Cotton/Wool chennille vest - needs zipper basted then sewn in.

Had the most frustrating time this weekend with "Better Mousetrap" socks for him. I had started a pair, oh, a year ago. Thanks to the strip construction and poor gauge calculation, the first one came out 2 inches too long in the toe. So I started again.. about a year ago. And that sock was coming out too small in width. So I gave up for a while.

This past weekend I picked up the 2nd attempt socks (khaki with grape stripes), added an extra row to the width, sewed them up and.. it's 1 inch too long.

OK, fine. I think I remember adding some extra stitches to make sock long enough for his big feet.. so that was a mistake. So I went back to the pattern & made a reverse sock (grape with khaki stripes) sticking exactly to the pattern. Only I didn't check gauge and I was using the wrong size needles - 5's when I should have used 4's - and the damn thing came out EVEN LONGER than the first one and was already too wide when it was 3/4ths finished.

I'm furious with the socks and myself for not measuring. Luckily they are small and I can rip them out & start again if I want to, but I'm more thinking what functional hats this Plymouth Encore wool/nylon blend would make.

So that's the end of mousetrap socks for me. Such a shame, because the first two pairs I made came out beautifully. I've worn holes in my own pair 3 times already (note to self - straight merino makes soft socks but they won't last!) and the pair I gave away was also quite successful. It's just socks for him that are CURSED.

For a corrective emotional experience, I decided to go back to regular old socks. So I picked up another set of not-quite-finished socks for him and got back to work. It's been a while since I made socks for grown ups. It's so fun to try the sock on in progress with all the needles poking everywhere. I'm pretty sure I'll finish these socks today or tomorrow, woo hoo! Maybe this will lift the curse.

Granny's shawl

Huzzah! Granny's shawl is off the needles. Started on September 17th, finished October 22nd. Unblocked, it measures 22" x 54". I finished late last night and then wove in ends today. And promptly wore it to the theater to see Sondheim's "A Little Night Music." It's going to be a little tough to part with this lovely object. We took some photos tonight that I'll post in the AM.

Update 12-May-2004: ... here is the photo, finally!

Needing something quick with no thinking involved for the rest of the day, I picked up an unfinished Better Mousetrap sock from last year and worked on adding 1 more ridge to each side to make sure it will wrap around his feet. The Plymouth Encore worsted weight yarn feels enourmous and rough in my hands after 5 weeks of luscious Kid Silk Haze. That mohair/silk is so airy and soft. I'm even having trouble getting used the feel Heaven, which is mohair without the silk.

Notes from the past - Sat Oct 20

I was swatching Heaven over the weekend (again, picture tomorrow) and I am pretty unhappy with the color choice I made. It was a last minute purchase - saw a sample shawl, needed to knit it, grabbed a color I thought was mostly purples, and didn't discover until this weekend that it is really a lot more pink than I thought. Both pale pink and very bright fuscia pink. Plus turquoise highlights.

Update 12-May-2004: Here's a photo of the swatch of nasty pink Heaven

I know there will turn out to be someone in the universe who wants this color, but it isn't me. And I'm pretty sure it isn't Mom, who was going to get the completed shawl. And the pisser of it - this is a $60 oops. And it's already been through the ball winder, so I can't really take it back.

Since I'm stuck with it... I did a swatch to test the colors using the shawl pattern from the Purl book from Sally Melville. I like the stitch - 4 rows garter with small needles, then 2 rows stockinette with larger needles- easy to make and interesting to look at. I started using 10's & 6's, like she suggestes, but switched to 8's and 4's and finally to 7's and 3's. The 3's really felt right for the yarn, so that's probably what I'll stick with for the next swatch. I'm not totally keen on the way it looks with this variegated yarn - I think the runs of each color are too long for stockinette, even when it's just 2 rows at a time. I'm going to give it one more shot in a garter stitch - the free pattern inside the ball band - and if that doesn't make me like the color, I'll have to find someone who likes these colors somehow. Maybe a shop would let me post a "take this yarn off my hands" note.

Project status roundup

Pewter Lace Shawl from Interweave Knits is coming off the needles tonight - I've cast off half of one short edge & have around 650 stitches left to cast off. Then it's done. So tonight's task is planning. What next, what next? Time for inventory.

Half-finished stuff
- red & white Dale of Norway baby sweater needs a hem and (ack) cut armholes (2 - 3 hrs)
- pink basketweave baby sweater needs buttons & a mailing label for South Africa (30 min.)
- chenille vest needs zipper basted, then sewn in. (3 hrs, if you count time for messing up & ripping out)
- Ragg "Birkensocks" need 1 foot completed (7 hrs)
- Wildefoote desert socks need heel turned & foot completed (7 hrs?)
- Better mousetrap socks need 1 more row each side and seams (2 hrs)

Projects planned/yarn bough in the last 2 months
- Charlotte's Web shawl in 5 colors of Koigu (for me)
- Seed stitch T-shirt in Colinette Giotto (for me)
- Blue socks with pink stripes (for Siobhan)
- Mexicali Baby Ole sweater in Fortissima Colori (for MM's baby)
- 1 giant skein Heaven lace yarn, was supposed to be a shawl for Mom. Hate the color!
- Hat in Noro's Kureyon (for who knows)
- Baby jacket in Noro's Kureyon (for who knows)

Languishing projects - not started.
- Rowan Denim aran sweater (for him)
- Celtic knot hat (for sister-in-law)

I bet there are more at home. I'll have to update this list later. For now it's enough to have an overview of the things I might start. I'm definitely feeling like I owe some of those half-done pieces some attention, especially the Dale baby sweater & the socks for him