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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Out with the new, in with the old

I haven't posted in a while because, quite naively, I thought that I would post again when I had a finished object. Nope, no finished objects here. I do know, however, what is keeping me from having as many finished objects as I would like: it's the magic loop. It's giving me wristaches. I don't feel like knitting because I don't like the feel of the magic loop in my hands anymore. My Trekking sock mate is almost finished--it just needs a few more inches and then it's done, but it's on my Addis and I don't want to pick them up.

I was craving bamboo double-pointed needles.

I wanted to do something with the yarn that my Secret Pal Coley sent me. At first, I thought I would do this. But then Leslie sent me this link. Leslie caught on very quickly. I, however, have never had a great time doing any kind of increases. I don't know why, but whenever there is a M1 in a pattern, my knitting looks terrible. I did try this method, but it didn't turn out very well and then I had a difficult time trying to figure out how to get two socks onto my Addi circular when I realized that the instructions call for two circulars. So, frog I did.

I went back to my tried and true toe-up sock pattern, and I went back to my tried and true double-pointed needles. No stress on the wrists, and quicker, for me anyhow, than the magic loop.

As you can see or not see in the photo above, I'm knitting my first ribbed sock. I love how the colors are developing on the yarn that Coley dyed. I love getting to the bright patches of color on the yarn.

In celebration of Socktoberfest, I have enhanced my sock-yarn stash.

Stash Enhancer No. 1:


I went over to Knit Cafe in NYC and found lots and lots of Koigu. After hearing the A.D.D. Knitter say how awesome this sock yarn is, I had to have some. What you're seeing is colorway 530.

Stash Enhancer No. 2:


I bought this hand-dyed yarn from Lavender Sheep's etsy shop. This colorway is California Poppy, but I like to think of it as Childhood Lollypop or, more specifically, Childhood-Lollypop-That-Was-So- Big-That-You-Could-Never-Eat-It-All.

I feel as if I'm showing more yarn than finished objects these days, and despite the fact that I made this past weekend a knitting marathon, not much knitting got done. Well, I did knit about half of my Trekking sock and half of the Coley yarn sock. Together, I would have had one sock done. Perhaps I should make a simple hat or something I could whip up in one day to stroke my knitter's ego.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mmmm...Koigu is the best! Still working up the courage to knit my charlotte's web shawl with the stash I bought last year. Nice colour choice!

schrodinger said...

Nice stash enhancement! Glad you found needles that are working for you - now I'm worried about the addi's that I just bought for sock knitting goodness.

Unknown said...

I am wanting some koigu, too! I am going to get some for me and some for my husband. That Lavender Sheep yarn is SO Childhood Lollypop! How do you find Trekking? I am looking for new sock yarns to try.

Anonymous said...

That rose-pink yarn for your current WIP looks lovely! I've been craving sock yarn myself too lately. I just bought some Scout Swag and Sweet Georgia yarns (both on the way)...yikes and I still haven't finished the socks I have on the needles yet! Aargh...sock yarn is addictive. And woah that Koigu looks sooo yum...darnit...another temptation! :)

Lazuli said...

Ooh, nice new sock yarn! Don't feel bad about no FOs, you were doing a lot of playing around instead! I wonder if it's magic loop that has been making one of my wrists funny lately. I'll have to see about that. Thanks for mentioning it, and I'm glad yours are back to normal!

Anonymous said...

Bring on more stash enhancements! Those bright colors will be a perfect pick-me-up come February when you're too cold to go out for more shopping. You're stashing for the bleak months ahead.

I had trouble with the M1 increase too. I ended up doing a knit in the back loop, then knit in the front loop kind of increase. No holes and it worked, so I'm considering it a success.

And sounds like the DPNs are definitely the way to go if you're getting pain, but if you want to try the 2 on 1 needle again, let me know and I'll try to take pics of how I set it up. I'm not sure it's really making a difference since it seems so much slower so the verdict is still out.

The A.D.D. Knitter said...

Yes I totally ditched the Magic Loop when I realized that I was making a snail's progress on my sock and that I actually like dpns!
Glad you're on to the Koigu drill now, isn't it so lovely? I love the seafoamy color you chose.
I have never tried socks from the toe up but now you've got me interested...

Anonymous said...

OOOOOOOooooHHHHHHH Thats my yarn!!!That is so exciting!

Anonymous said...

I much prefer double points!

Love the lollypop yarn! It really does have the colors of those huge lollypops! Funny thing, when I was a child I was sure they would be the best thing in the world. Now I would much prefer the yarn that LOOKS like the lollypops!

Anonymous said...

Knit New York is one of my favorite yarn shops ever, and their wall of Koigu makes my little heart go pitter patter. Oddly, I keep buying Koigu, but I have yet to knit anything with it! Only the Kersti, which is heavier gauge.

Wonderful stash enhancing!

Gingersnaps with Tea... said...

I've never experienced Koigu--never even seen it in real life--I feel deprived. Seriously, great stash enhancement!