Casting Off, Casting On

I have to admit, I’m a somewhat monogamous knitter, only one project on the needles at a time.

This doesn’t include the current spinning project of course (I have to have something to knit next) or the swatching Im doing for it.

Casting Off 

The red socks, modelled by The Boy.

This pose, which I’m told is “not comfortable”, somehow looks very natural!

I used a flexible bind off as seen on Knitty, where I knit two st, pso but dont slip fully off the needle and knit the next stitch. This is NOT flexible enough! Any bright ideas on how to get a cast off flexible enough for a sock cuff?

Casting On

80% wool, 20% Angora.

Dyed “venom green” with drink mix, and Jelly crystals, but I didnt get the intense colour I was after, even using 12 Packets of “Lime”! So yes, the camera is true to colour, (Though a little blurry on it).

Toe #1, soon to be followed by number two.

I plan on knitting in the Lozenge Pattern in Nancy Bush’s ‘Knitting Vintage Socks’ but have stitch number issues to iron out.

This wool was dyed for The Boy, but I may end up getting the socks, just like he got my red ones!

Madness

With an insane rush of blood to the head I signed up for Sock Wars yesterday! Am totally amped about it, but thinking a more friendly, gently ease into the world of swapping socks (if Sock Wars can come under that catergory!) would have been a better idea!

But what a great idea Yarn Monkey and kudos to you for doing all the hard work

On the note of socks, I’ve been working on my first pair using the pattern from Knitty, which is so easy! I can only hope the SockWars sock will be this simple, but have a feeling I wont be so lucky, and will thereby be eliminated early in the piece.

Here are my (boyfriends) socks soon after turning the heel:

And a close up of the heel (which is not unlike the toe) that I happen to be insanely proud of:

  

(Though just looking at that you can’t really see the heel. Oh well, you get the general idea.)

Now for the miles of 2×2 rib that The Boy requires to snake up his leg! Bring It On!

Inaugural

In aid of starting off on the right foot, I waited a few days to post this, and now I can begin with a completed object!

200 gm of white merino, spun to a reasonably fine yarn*, and “kool-aid” dyed, using the same technique, but “Thirst” in raspberry and appleberry, the only alternative New Zealand food giant Pak ‘n Save had on offer.

*I must mention here I’ve never really (at all) knit with bought wool, so can’t precisely tell you what weight this is. Prehaps I shall implement a wraps per inch system.

Pattern by Glampyre, modified to have long sleeves. Perfect for cold winter weather under a favourite sleeveless hoody:

Or as spring appoaches on its own over cute summer tops (though this one is a winter one)(see first picture)

This OSW was surely meant to be, as after casting off and sewing in my ends I had precisely this much yarn left:

Plus the piece tied around my wrist to check for colourfastness! 

Im sure there is more i should be writing about this project! If there’s anyhting you want to know, feel free to ask me :) 

*nb this post has taken two weeks to publish as the photo insertion and sizing software and i have been locked in a feirce battle. I finally dealt it a swift blow which brought it submissivley to its knees.

Also highly pressing uni work has comandeered all my attention.

As have the socks which I plan on (now i can use pictures) blogging about tommorow have been. (When the essay, which the essay fairies are going to write in the night for me, has been handed in tommorow.)