Alison came by today and we've decided on Brooklyn Sock Knit-along III -- Rivendell Socks. How talented is the designer that these absolutely evoke Middle Earth's Rivendell. If I could live anywhere in Tolkein's world it would be there. (And, of course, Aragorn would be there, too. That pesky Arwen having sailed off into the West in my version of the story.)
It's really lovely to work with and very soft and cushy to wear. There are so many gorgeous colors to choose from, but we think a lighter color will make the pattern stand out. I'm leaning towards either Pussy Willow or Toffee, which are quite neutral.
The Rivendell Socks will be a challenge for a few reasons: I'll have to follow a chart, and although I'm used to doing that for cross-stitch, I prefer following written knitting patterns; there's a twisted rib stitch that requires a cable needle, which I've never tried before; and the heel is a flap and gusset, which I attempted on a practice sock and didn't quite get the hang of it.
Even so, I'm looking forward to learning some new techniques and can't wait to get started. How do you resist a sock that's described as "the perfect sock for elvish knitters everywhere..."
New Project?
Not yet, but the current issue of Interweave Knits arrived today, and there are a couple of patterns I really like: the Ruched Shell and Henley Perfected. I may actually try the Ruched Shell. Although I like many sweater patterns, I'm put off right now by sleeves.
As an aside, I could have sworn that the model on the cover was Jennifer Garner. In some pics, the model is a deadringer for her, others, not so much.
Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-long II progress
Finished the first sock. I tried a picot bind-off but I'm not sure I really like it on this sock. It's also a little finicky because you have to knit into a stitch, move that stitch to the LH needle, knit into that stitch, etc. The yarn is a little split-y, too, so I had to redo stitches a few times because I wasn't knitting through the whole stitch. But I enjoyed using this yarn, and I really like the way the color variations came out. On to the second in the pair.
Related post: Second Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-Long -- MacGiver style
Oh, Canada!
Had a wonderful visit a few weeks ago with May. You know things are bad when you get to the airport 2 hours early and they've already delayed your flight. It just got worse from there. Thunderstorms and a deluge of rain was keeping everyone on the ground at LaGuardia. After about 7 hours, finally took off at midnight. We could have left sooner -- plane was there, had a crew, but ... no pilot. We had to wait for him to fly in from Chicago! Crazy. At least, the flight wasn't canceled.
The rest of the weekend was great, so it was worth it. Friday we spent the day shopping for cross-stitch and yarn. Saturday was knitting, stitching, munching -- much fun. Here's my stash enhancement report:
Cross-stitch:
Went to Gitta's, May's LNS. Nice shop, with a nice selection. - Take Time to Stitch too (will embellishment pkg.) -- Jeannette Douglas Designs. Like many of her designs, but didn't want to spend too much. (Yeah, right.)
- Black and White tulip (#34940) -- Marjolein Bastin. There was a stitched model of a larger piece -- Black Tulips (#34840) -- that was amazing. The shading and detail made it so
realistic. But decided to go for the smaller kit, which I think will be equally lovely. - Cross-stitch booklets from Zweigart. I haven't seen these anywhere in the U.S., but outside the U.S. there are so many wonderful cross-stitch magazines and booklets with designs for making something -- placemats, a bag, potholders. The poppies and roses were my favorites.
Knitting:First stop was Village Yarns. Great shop with many wonderful yarns to fondle and a great atmosphere. From the website:
We are about a 10 minute drive from Pearson International Airport and more than once an Airport Limousine has waited at our curb for a knitter to shop on the fly.
Worth it, if you can.- Knitting Lace Triangles by Evelyn A. Clark -- The shopowner showed us a knitted sample from this book and it was beautiful. A must for the knitting library.
- Handmaiden Yarns Sea Silk -- It's a blend of silk and seacell. Don't know what that is, but it feels luscious. Had to have it and it's hand-dyed in Canada, so it's a souvenir. The color looks reddish purple in the photo, but it's really more bluish purple.
We went to another shop (can't remember the name), but I didn't buy anything there. It' s a huge shop and they have any standard yarn you could possibly want. Also lots of books, magazines and charts. It was sensory overload, by that point though.
The shop is on Queen Street West, where there is also a lovely Asian tearoom -- Red Tea Box
"for any Asian spin on afternoon tea.*" It's a great place for a light meal and tea. When you walk in, it's a little deceiving. There are only a few tables. But in the back through a small courtyard, there's another room which is delightful. The furniture is very eclectic, with mismatched chairs, tables and settees. We shared a pork sandwich and a bento box that had an assortment of small sandwiches and cakes, and a pot of Earl Grey tea. Everything was delicious. Interesting twist on the water they served. They put some slices of cantaloupe in it. Unusual, but not bad. They also let us sit there for quite some time while they were closing up.
*from the New York Times, requires free registration.
Introducing....my first pair of knitted socks. These are the Eiffel Tower socks from the first Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-long, finished about 3 weeks ago. Yarn: Shelridge Farms Soft Touch 100% Wool Ultra Fingering Weight in Pumpkin Started: June
Finished: September
Loved knitting with this wool and the Eiffel Tower pattern was fun to work on.
Alison has finished one sock in her pair, which uses the same yarn but in Azure. While we were stitching, I often commented on her nice, even stitches. I seem to knit loosely, especially with yarnovers, so my Eiffel Towers aren't as well defined as hers, in my opinion.
Second Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-long -- MacGiver style
We've also begun the second KAL. I chose the Elongated Corded Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. We're using Shibuiknits sock yarn. Mine are in Earth and Alison's are in Stone. It's quite soft and the colors are wonderful. I'm definitely going to use more of this.
We working toe-up with short row toes and heels. I considered turning the heel with a flap and gusset. But after trying the "class sock" in The Sensational Knitted Socks book, I decided against it. I understand the theory of picking up stitches for the gusset, but I couldn't execute it very well. I like short rows, so I'm sticking with that for now.
Now, why the MacGiver reference? Alison taught me a cast-on method using a crochet hook. When we got together to start this KAL, I couldn't find either of my crochet hooks. (I was going through a "can't find anything" phase; it's calmed down for now.) Ever resourceful, Alison suggested bending a paper clip into a hook and using that. Voila! It worked. I dubbed it MacGiver knitting since the problem was solved using an ordinary item. She also uncovered my crochet hooks; I had used them as bookmarks in the sock book.
Also on my needles...
I started another pair of socks using Crystal Palace Panda Bamboo Wool in Seascape. Another soft, delicious yarn to work with. The pattern is Slipped Stitch Rib, also from Sensational Knitted Socks. It's a very easy pattern.
Alison came by today and we've decided on Brooklyn Sock Knit-along III -- Rivendell Socks. How talented is the designer that these absolutely evoke Middle Earth's Rivendell. If I could live anywhere in Tolkein's world it would be there. (And, of course, Aragorn would be there, too. That pesky Arwen having sailed off into the West in my version of the story.)
