Turning a Corner

It's been a loooooooong time since I posted about the Cherry Leaf Shawl. This is how it looks right now:



The bindoff I did was the suspended bindoff, the only bindoff mentioned in Victorian Lace Today, which they promise "makes it very difficult to bind off too tightly." Well, I call BS on that. I even went up a needle size or three (really I can't remember if I used the 6 or the 8, so literally a size or three).

Then I started attaching the edging backwards. At first I thought I could deal with both of these things, but eventually I decided that the bindoff had to go, and as long as I was ripping stuff out I might as well also rip the border and do it right.

The top of the center triangle is now a bunch of live stitches held on an Options cable. When I finish the edging I plan to put the stitches at the start and end of the edging on the same cable and use a crochet bindoff I've been playing with that, hopefully, will make an edge that actually stretches and looks pretty. The top edge is supposed to be done in crochet anyway, so I think it will go nicely. Hope so, anyway.

Yesterday I worked the bottom corner of the edging, and man was that a PIA. Got it right on my third try, but notice the lifelines in red--one to secure all my hard work before the turn, and one to make sure that if something happens on this side of the triangle nothing will happen to those three aggravating repeats.

I have also been making



A Ravenclaw scarf in anticipation of the latest movie and the newest book, both due out in July (oh the suspense!)



Oh, and I finished my socks. These don't fit as well as the other socks I've made myself. The cuff and heel are too loose, and then somehow the toe is a little too tight. They aren't uncomfortable, but it bugs me. Still, the yarn (Bearfoot) is awesome and makes up for any flaws in the knitting.

I'm down to two projects on the needles, which is the lowest I've gone in months. I think once the shawl is done I'll start thinking about the Origami Cardi again. Oh, and I'm supposed to be making some socks for my brother.

Seventeen socks in a day

I did not finish mine, because I got lazy. I'll show you the other cool stuff I worked on instead later. It's been fun.

So far I have seventeen people down as being done with their socks. If you are on this list and shouldn't be, or should be and aren't, please email me soon so I can get the drawing underway and send the prize off.

Sandykins
Carola
Maia
Laurabell
Cece
Heather/Jr Mints
Paula
LizzieK8
Ann/clumberknits
Rachel/Raeknits
Pixieriot
Peri/lainch
Cindiluhu
Paula/bellystitch
Cynthia/Jespere
Jenneke/Nebbus
AuntieAnn

Sock in a Day

I've been over at the Knitty message boards, concocting a plan. A challenge.

Is it possible (for me) to knit a sock in a day?

Readers of the Yarn Harlot may recall when she went through a couple of weeks, knitting an entire sock each day. The bulk of her discussion is here.

You guys may recall the Bearfoot sock I finished a while back (holy crap was that a month ago?!). Since then I have been working on lots of other things--Venezia, the shawl, the boobies, the large but unsuccessful swatch for a chemo cap, something else I can't reveal yet, and so on and so forth--and haven't even been able to cast on for the other sock. And I WANT that sock.

So! Finals will be over in two weeks (faints) and I've decided to take a day and make myself a sock. In a day. Just to see if it's possible, you know?

Anybody want to join me? I've been talking to interested parties over on the Knitty message boards (I'm aggie epee, if you didn't know) and we're going to set aside a week, and you get to pick your day. I'll put up a more formal post with the rules and all in a couple days.

Start warming up your needles!

p.s. Happy birthday. You know who you are.

Two completed socks does not equal one pair

The colors are pretty close in this pic. I may reknit the toe on the short sock, starting it sooner so there's more white and then tapering it so it isn't quite so pointy at the tip.

This picture actually shows some of the texture on the Roza's Socks. This is the Mountain Colors Bearfoot that Heather, my sock swap partner, sent me. Argh, it's awfully washed out though, isn't it? My legs are practically glowing!


I am utterly fascinated by the Cherry Leaf shawl, which is probably a good thing--I'm using smaller needles than the pattern calls for and may have to add quite a few more repeats. Right now I'm 10 repeats in and have used a little over half of the first skein. Pattern calls for 15, but I'll have to do at least 20.

Baudelaire arrives

Heather/Jr. Mints has received her socks, so I can reveal them at last:


It's the Baudelaire pattern from Knitty!

This pattern is beautiful. Complicated, but totally worth it.


The first picture is probably truer to the color than this one, but you gotta show off the details!

At some point I hope to have pics of the socks on Heather's feet, which are slightly larger than mine (but only just, which helps when you're trying to size stuff). I added some calf shaping to the socks, adding a total of eight stitches into the purl sections bordering each cable. This is a good pattern for sneaking stuff like that in, but I don't think you could do more than two increase rounds.

In other news, I have cast on for Roza's Socks from the Spring IK using the yarn Heather sent me.

Again the color is off, these are much darker and bluer. The Roza's pattern has a brioche stitch, though I'm not 100% clear on what that means. There's a subtle something going on in the purl parts of the ribbing. It's not even clear what's going on in IK's picture, but if you like ribbed socks with a little interest you should try this pattern. It adds a nice texture but doesn't distract from the really subtle variegation of the gorgeous Bearfoot.

And we mustn't forget Venezia:

It's probably about an inch longer than it looks here, thanks to that curling at the top. I am now exactly one pattern repeat from the armpits. I am still so in love with this sweater. Every time I leave it somewhere and then glance at it, I'm just amazed that something like that came out of my hands. Makes me feel giddy.

In other news, there have been yarn acquisitions. I'll post about it later.