the Akamai Knitter

Despite the fact that my basketball team lost their 4th game in a row (something which hasn’t happened since the ‘95-’96 season), there was a bright spot here this weekend. A finished pair of Monkey socks.

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.

Yarn: Black Purl by Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock

Needles: size 1US / 2.25mm Knitpicks Classic Circulars

Started: January 22, 2007

Finished: February 10, 2007

This pattern was so much fun to knit up, because it was extremely easy to memorize. The yarn was heaven to knit with and even though there was a lot of color pooling I find that they’re still easy on the eyes.

The only problem I have is that they’re just a little bigger than I find comfortable. If I were to knit these up again I’ll most likely use a size 0US/2.00mm needle instead. As it is I did go down one needle size then what the pattern called for.

No, I didn’t check for gauge. I’m a fly by night sock knitter, trying them on as I go! I just underestimated the stretchiness of the Lorna’s Laces and the nature of the pattern. Luckily it’s really just a minor fit issue. They don’t slouch or sag. It’s just a preference of mine to have tighter fitting socks.

So, you win some you lose some. On the whole I think these socks are winners. Now I’m off to wrestle with a hat. It’s got some issues and I’m not happy with it at all and it’s got a big ‘L’ written all over it.

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The friendships that I have made through this blog have amazed me. None more so then the one between myself and Susan J. She has not only been a source of constant support through my knitting endeavors, she has also managed to blow my mind and heart with an act of unspeakable generosity. Do you want to see what she sent to me? Here is some of the surprise package.

That’s FOUR skeins of Socks That Rock! From the left the colours are Love-in-Idleness, Mist, Terra Firma, and Queen Rock. I cannot express how utterly flabbergasted I was and am at this act of kindness. And if that wasn’t enough she also sent this.

That is a skein of Schaeffer’s Anne and I think the colour is Nectarines. Susan knew just what kind of colourway would brighten up my day! I’m not normally a fan of pink, but when I see it with browns I just melt a bit.

I’m so utterly in love with these yarns that all I want to do is pet them all day long. I know I’ll get past this stage and knit these up, but for now I’m thoroughly enjoying the heavy stroking sessions that I allow myself. I haven’t been this in love with yarn in a long time. All the praise I’ve been hearing for STR and Anne was spot on.

Speaking of being in love, have you seen Cookie’s new socks? I’m so in love with the Twisted Flower Socks. They’re schedule to debut at Stitches and if I lived anywhere within driving distance I’d be there just for those delightful beauties. Instead I’m hoping that there will be leftovers to be sold online. If I were smart I wouldn’t be advertising for her, but I just had to share the love.

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Over the weekend I picked up the Hidcote Garden Shawl again. I think this shawl will always hold some memories for me as I had started it the day Hawaii experienced one of the worst earthquakes our state has experienced in decades. I still give thanks to the fact that all my family experienced was a day without power.

I left off the shawl after working the 3rd chart. On Superbowl Sunday (Yay Colts!) I was able to work through the 4th chart. As you can see it’s hard to photograph the unblocked lace and it resembles nothing more then a bucket of ass.

I’m using Jaggerspun Zephyr in the colour Sage. The needles I’m using are size 3US Crystal Palace bamboo circulars. I really like the way the bamboo grips the stitches so they don’t go flying off the needles as they tend to do with metal needles. I’m not super enthusiastic about the points, but I think I’m always going to have to sacrifice a little something when it comes to needles. The bamboo is also very gentle on my hands, which is the main concern I have when knitting.

I have left out the use of stitch markers since they started to become more of a pain in the ass then a help with this particular pattern. Moving them around to make centered decreases made them more trouble then they were worth. Luckily, the pattern of the leaves are intuitive enough that the stitch markers aren’t really necessary.
Before I go, I thought I’d mention a contest that Kristen is having here. She’s asking for a haiku about anything and she’s not being particular about talent! The prize is a gorgeous set of stitch markers. Go! Go look and let that poet inside of you come screaming out!

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Here is the Shaped Triangle Shawl right before I pinned the edging out. I have a really hard time taking photos of finished shawls and this one is particularly huge. The cutting board that it’s on is 60″ long and the shawl overflows on both sides and when I was done pinning out the shawl there wasn’t much room for me to move around. I am indeed photographically challenged when it comes to shawls, but you don’t want to hear me whine anymore about it!

Pattern: Shaped Triangle from A Gathering Of Lace

Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr in Admiral

Needles: Size 4US / 3.5mm Inox Express

Started: August 2006

Finished: February 3, 2007

Even though the charts were tiny and hard to read I still managed to enjoy knitting the body of the shawl. I should have just enlarged the charts, but I was lazy. And despite the fact I had a bit of discomfort fudging the edging for the midpoint of the shawl, I did enjoy the challenge it gave me.

So on the whole this was an enjoyable shawl to knit and I look forward to making another shawl from this book. One of the shawls I really want to make from this book is Frost Flowers and Leaves. I tried making it last year, but I just couldn’t get it right. Hopefully I can get face the challenge this year.

Before I can tackle the Frost Flowers and Leaves though, I plan on finishing the Hidcote Garden Shawl and then on to the Forest Garden Path Stole.

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I just couldn’t help myself. I joined Project Spectrum at the last possible moment.

For February I have 2 blue projects. The first is my shawl,done in Jaggerspun Zephyr Admiral. Since that project is just about done, I decided to raid my sock yarns for blue. This is what I found. Now you’ll have to forgive the uber-crappy photo, apparently I am just not that great at photographing lovely yarns.

From the top going clockwise we have: Regia in colour 5173, Knitpicks Essential in Dusk, and unfortunately the other two pairs have lost their labels, but I’m pretty sure that the yarn on the far left is Froelich Blauband in a discontinued colour. If anyone has a clue as to what the other yarn is I’d love to hear from you.

Right now I’m leaning towards the mystery wool on the very bottom as the next sock project. I’d like to do another pair of Pomatomus, since my first pair came out on the big side and they slouch like crazy whenever I wear them. I find that if I go down a needle size with Cookie A.’s patterns they fit much better.

The Pomatomus was the first pattern I ever tried from her so I guess you live and learn. Or at least I do since I didn’t bother to really check my gauge. I did try the socks on while they were on the needles and they felt fine to me at the time. They were also the first pair of socks I had done in a couple of years so I wasn’t sure as to how they were supposed to have felt.

I’m getting ahead of myself with my project roster though. I really need to finish the Pirate Hat, as well as the Shaped Triangle Shawl, and my Monkey Socks. Tomorrow is not only Super Bowl Sunday (Go Colts!) but there is also a Duke Basketball game on. So I’m hoping to get a whole lot of knitting done.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the wonderful comments you all left in regards to my shawl. Each comment seems to have given my needles extra speed to finish. The end is near folks! I only have a handful of repeats left on the edging, so stay tuned!

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