TwistedLoops

This is my February wrap-up of my progress on my ten for 10 goals.

1. Knit a large square/rectangle shawl (like one from from Heirloom Knitting or Knitted Lace of Estonia)
2. Knit a sweater for me
   No progress on either of these items.
3. Knit a pair of colorwork socks
   I’ve been knitting and posting about my self-designed colorwork socks that I started for the Ravelympics.  So far, I’ve managed to knit one sock, and I’ve got one to go.
4. Clean and prep the baby alpaca (cria) fleece I purchased
5. Spin the above mentioned fleece
   No progress on either of these items in February.
6. Spin at least an hour per week to improve my overall spinning technique and consistency
   As was the case last month, I wasn’t able to dedicate an hour a week to my spinning.  I blame trying to knit for the Ravelympics for the lack of time.  I did, however, spend 6 to 8 hours spinning four ounces of fiber from Wolf Creek Wools.
7. Reduce the overall stash.
   I didn’t actually finish any knitting projects in February, so the amount of yarn that left my stash is zero.  On top of that, I added a bunch of Knitpicks Swish DK in order to work on a project.  Granted, I cast on with the yarn right away, but I did overestimate the amount I needed by about 4 balls (7 oz/200 grams).  This will result in adding to the stash, not reducing.
8. Design and release at least 2 patterns
   I’m definitely on track for this one.  I will be releasing the colorwork socks (they need a good name).  I’m also working on a baby blanket pattern (which also needs a good name).  There’s already interest in this one by an outside party.  No details until I’m sure of what the outcome will be.
9. Post more regularly to this blog
   I only managed three posts in February, not the frequency I was hoping for.  I know March will be better.  This is already the third post, and it’s only the 10th of the month.
10. Attend my local knitting or spinning groups more often (which shouldn’t be hard – I hardly went at all in 2009)
    I made it to knitting twice in February.  I’m ok with that. 

Overall, I feel that I made fairly good progress in January and have some fairly high hopes for what I can accomplish in February.

Since Kelly asked, I’ll wrap up my Ravelypics project.  I did not win a Ravelympics gold. I didn’t even manage to finish one of the socks that I was designing and knitting.

I’ve had several setbacks along the way. I thought that I had the design mostly complete before the event started, but the truth is that I only had the main pattern and heel charted. I hadn’t planned the sizing for the calf; I hadn’t swatched the ribbing. I spent the first weekend just finalizing these details.

Once that was worked out, I was able to just knit down the leg with some minor tweaking to the calf sizing. There were a few setbacks, like the time I realize I had jumped ahead about 20 rows in the chart and didn’t notice until I had knit a significant portion. All that work was ripped out and re-knit.

Then, I got stuck at the heel. I spent an entire week knitting, ripping, and re-knitting the heel, and it just didn’t look right to me. The key finally came to me while I was drying my hair one morning – a smaller needle. Since the heel is primarily one color worked back and forth instead of two colors in the round, it made sense. Once I had that revelation, the heel worked for me as I had originally intended and I was able to work my way down the foot.

The failure to advance plan hit me again when I got to the toe. I thought I’d be able to work through it as I went, and that did not work. I need to sit down, plan the toe and knit it. That is my plan for today.

I haven’t given myself a deadline on finishing the pattern. I thought it would be fun to enter them into the Socks Revived Contest (Ravelry group).  In order to do that, the pattern has to be available by April 19th.  While that is a month away, there’s quite a bit more work to do. I need to finish charting the other sizes. I’d like to have the pattern test knit. I’d really like to finish the second sock. There’s a lot of work to finish this, and this pattern isn’t my priority right now. I’ve got a project with a deadline this month. We’ll have to see what I can do in such a short time.

You may want to check out the links to the Socks Revived contest even if you’re only a sock knitter.  It holds the promise of a bunch of new sock patterns.

Last March, I posted the fiber I got from Briar Rose Fibers for the Ply by Night Ravelry spin-along.  It was a mix of interesting colors, and I really had no idea how it would look spun into yarn.  The colors were misted throughout the top, not done in sections like most fiber I had worked with.  I decided to jump right in and see what would happen.  For me, the spin-along was all about the learning process, and I wasn’t concerned with what my finished yarn might look like.

By May, I had spun the four ounces into a single. After spinning, I was measured the length of the single and discovered that I had approximately 300 yards. I was worried that I wouldn’t have a good use for 150 yards of a bulky yarn.  I was also concerned that plying it would muddy the subtle color changes in the yarn, and I really wanted to preserve them.  So, I decided to leave it as a single, and try to find a pattern that would suit it.

Since I really liked the yarn I had spun, I wanted a project that would show the beauty of the yarn and not cause too much wear on the delicate single.  I settled on the idea of a small shawl.  That time last year predates the explosion of small shawl patterns that are now all over Ravelry, so it was a bit of work to find one that I thought would work.  I settled on the Little Arrowhead Shawl.  It had a simple pattern with basic edging, and could easily be adapted to the amount of yarn that I had.

This shawl sat unblocked in my closet until recently.  I blocked it and my Citron shawl at the same time.  This shawl was the first item I ever knit out of my handspun.  It is the project that really convinced me that continuing with spinning would allow me to create yarns that I would like to knit with.  Up until then, I enjoyed spinning, but wasn’t really sure where it fit into my overall crafting agenda.

I’m really pleased with the way the shawl highlights the color changes in the yarn.  I do think the two were a good match.  I wish that I had used a slightly larger needle to make it a bit more open and also a little larger, but it’s a nice, warm, small shawl. 

The pattern is available free online as one of the staff projects from the Interweave Knits, Summer 2006 issue.  It’s also in the Interweave Knits, Accessories 2009 issue.

Pattern: Little Arrowhead Shawl
Designer: Pam Allen
Source: Interweave Knits
Yarn: handspun
Fiber:  Briar Rose Fibers Blue Faced Leicester
Yardage: 310 yards
Needles: US7 (4.5mm)
Finished size:  22 inches tall x 48 inches wide

Started: May 3, 2009
Completed: May 10, 2009

I recently finished blocking my Citron Shawl.  I’ll have to admit that I was glad to finally be done with this one.  The rows of stockinette seemed never ending.   I almost gave up in the last few rows.

Overall, I’m ok with the shawl, but it’s not one that I love.  Even after a very strong and forceful blocking, the top edge of the shawl rolls unmanageably.  I’m not sure why I expected anything different from stockinette.  For my yarn the three garter stitches at the edge are not enough to stop the rolled edge.   Now as I look back at the pattern photos, you can see that the edge on the original shawl top edge rolls in the 2nd photo – the one where she is holding it up to the window.  The effect is less drastic than on mine. 

There aren’t many issues/concerns/complaints about this rolling in the project listings on Ravelry, so perhaps my issue is partially due to the yarn choice.  I haven’t knit a shawl in alpaca before, and it doesn’t block the same way that wool does.  In the end, I’m not happy with this project because of the edge.  I don’t think I’ll ever wear it.  But, that means this will become a gift for someone who will appreciate the frilly purple shawlette and not be concerned about the rolled edge.  I’ve already got someone in mind.

Pattern: Citron
Designer: Hilary Smith Callis
Source: Knitty, Winter 2009
Yarn: unknown laceweight alpaca in stash
Yardage: 350 yards
Color: Lavender
Needles: US5 (3.75mm)

Started: December 22, 2009
Completed: January 22, 2010

Pattern modifications:

• I added one extra repeat of the pattern.  I felt that with the laceweight yarn the shawl was not as large as I wanted.
• I added four extra rows of the final ruffle to lengthen it a bit more.
• I used the k2tog bindoff to ensure the bind off was stretchy enough for the ruffled edge.

I’ve decided to take part in the Ravelympics this year.  My primary project is a pair of self-designed, knee-high colorwork socks.  They’re being entered in three events:  Nordic Colorwork Combined, Sock Hockey and Designer Original Dance. 

I’ve been swatching ideas for this pair of scoks for a few weeks now.  I had the chart for the main pattern and heel flap completed prior to the opening ceremonies, but hadn’t actually thought about the ribbing or how the decreases would work for the wider calf-area of the sock.   I managed to swatch through those issues on Friday night and Saturday morning, and am now progressing my way down the leg of the sock. 

I’m using the green (Lime) and purple (Mulberry) Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn that I got at Sock Summit.  Jim doesn’t really like the color combination, but for some reason I love the super bright contrast of the two colors together.  There’s no way this patterning will be lost in photographs.  Plus for those of you who know me, wearing super-bright socks with my primarily black wardrobe is a pretty common thing since I became a knitter.

I’m concerned with my overall pace.  At the rate I’m going, I don’t think I’ll finish both socks by the closing ceremonies.  Being sick for the last few days hasn’t helped my progress, but I’ve got to find a way to step it up.  I’m feeling a little better today, so perhaps I’ll spend the day sitting and kntting.  I’d love to be all the way to the heel flap before I head off to bed tonight.