FO: Transitions Socks
Ever since I got laid off (about a month ago now) I've been back on the knitting bandwagon for sure. I've been picking up old projects and getting them finished left and right!
I started these socks over a year ago now. I knit almost the entire pair and then put them aside at some point, and don't even remember why anymore. When I pulled them back out a few weeks ago they had maybe 4 hours' worth of work left in them to be finished. How shameful! Why do I always put projects aside when they're this close to being done?!?! Sometimes I really don't understand myself.
Although, as I type this I realized that there is one positive from this habit: quick-to-finish old projects abound around here! I picked the second sock up and finished it in just a day, and earned an FO for it! That's kind of a nice bonus.
I'm super pleased with these socks and even managed to wear them once or twice before the weather switched this week. The fit on them is really great, and after I washed and blocked the leg a little looser, they became pretty much perfect in that regard. These are knit top-down with a standard slip-stitch heel flap, which is the sock shape that fits my feet the best.
I made these a bit longer in the leg than I usually do because the yarn is so gorgeous that I wanted to showcase it as best as possible. I wrote a post last year about how I figure out the longest I can make the sock leg, check it out if you're interested.
Project specs:
Pattern: Basic top-down sock with slip stitch heel, 60 sts around.
Yarn: 2 skeins Gypsy Girl Creations Transitions in color Viola Bouquet
Needles: US size 1
Started: January 26, 2012
Finished: April 1, 2013
Woke up in the mood for finishing . . .
Which basically never happens!
Witness, a blocking Rhinebeck sweater:
Here's hoping this gorgeous fall weather holds out and I can actually wear this to Rhinebeck this year!! I'll be there just on Sunday this year, if you see me say hi!
Another Eldridge
Last night I finished knitting this second Eldridge hat and washed it, leaving it to block dry overnight. This morning, it was all ready for its debut!
For this second hat, I used Malabrigo Worsted instead of the Madelinetosh, and the result is a squishier, drapier hat. The Vintage has more body and therefore flops down a bit less than the Malabrigo, but the difference doesn't matter much for the design.
The color I used is Rattan (color number 504), which is a really pretty straw yellow with almost no color variation. I wanted to see the hat in an almost-solid color so that the lace would really shine through, which I think it really does in this one!
I also decided to knit this one in a size Large instead of the Medium I used for the original sample. The brim on the original was just a smidge tight on my huge head (my head is 22.5" around!), so the Large was probably the right size for me anyway. I think I'm going to get a lot of wear out of both the hats!! Oh and it took way less than one skein of Malabrigo to finish this one, so you can almost certainly get three hats out of two skeins . . . which is an awesome deal.
Here's a closeup of the lace pattern:
And here's how it looked before blocking out the lace to open it up:
Big difference, huh?
Another pattern release! The Eldridge Slouchy Lace Hat in Madelinetosh
I was in Knitty City recently and fell in love with a skein of Madelinetosh ToshVintage in the color Celadon. It told me immediately that it wanted to be a slouchy lace hat (what? don't tell me that yarn doesn't talk to you this way!) and before I knew it, I had sketched, swatched, and finished this design!
I've decided to name it Eldridge, after one of the streets in my neighborhood here in NYC, and today I'm releasing it into the wild. I hope you like it!
Eldridge is a slouchy but not-too-slouchy hat in an allover lace pattern that's simple to knit. Knits, purls, decreases, and yarn overs in a simple 8-row repeat is all it takes. If you've never done lace before, this could be a great place to start!
Here's a detail shot of the lace texture:
I love how it accents the gorgeous, subtle colors in Tosh Vintage. There are so many stunning colorways in this yarn, I think I may have to make myself multiple hats in different colors! And just yesterday The Loopy Ewe got like 70 colors of this yarn in stock, so it's pretty much decided that I'm buying some more. I'm just trying to limit myself to at most 5 before I click that checkout button . . .
But back to the pattern! It's written in 3 sizes and is now available for immediate download for $4.00. You'll need size 7 needles, both 16" circulars and double-pointed needles, and one skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage.
Oh and if you've bought the Chiagu Collection 2012, you've already received your copy! Check your email for the update from Ravelry. =)
I've got lots more in store for you in the near future, so stay tuned! It seems like I've fallen hard for Madelintosh recently . . .
New pattern: Freemans Alley Mitts
I'm super excited to release my first pattern of 2012, the Freemans Alley Mitts!
I'm sure it's no surprise that this pattern uses my favorite Koigu KPPPM yarn and that I worked in a way to use not one but three of their awesome colors. The mitts you see above shade from a mostly-purple color, through a mostly-reddish-fuchsia, to a mostly-orange color. So pretty!
My friend Seth took these awesome photos for me, which explains how I ended up with shots like this:
Which shows the ribbing on the "inside" of the mitts nicely . . .
and this:
Where the light just makes me gasp!
The knitting on these couldn't be much simpler: just knits and purls, with a few decreases for some shaping. The "front" of the mitts is all stockinette so that the yarn colors do all the talking, and the "back" of the mitts has allover ribbing to ensure a good fit:
The pattern includes instructions to knit these either flat with a seam or in the round on DPNs, so you can work them in whichever method you prefer.
Or maybe you want to knit them in just one color? That works beautifully too!
And guess what? You only need one skein of Koigu to finish the mitts! Score.
The pattern is available as an immediate PDF download for $4.00. Or if you prefer, buy it through Ravelry. And if you bought the Chiagu Collection 2012, you've already received a copy in your inbox!
I hope you enjoy this design! If you aren't quite ready to buy it yet but you did like it, can you do me a quick favor and click "add to faves" on it on Ravelry? Thanks in advance, I appreciate the love! ;o)
