After seeing a knitted wire necklace at the World Wide Knit in Public day, I decided that I needed to try working with wire. This isn’t the first time that I’ve mentioned an interest in it.

I headed out to one of the major chain craft stores and purchased some enameled copper wire and a purple bead assortment. Once I got home, I opened up the packages for my new goodies right away.

Three hours later, the bead stringing and fixing a wire tangling disaster were complete and I was ready to begin my work. It went pretty quickly. It took me about an hour to crochet a bangle sized bracelet to slip over my hand and arm. I’m pleased with how it turned out.

It has me hooked. I discovered that I can hit the local craft store, the local bead store, and the two chain crafting stores on my drive home from work by going only .5 miles out of my way. This is a very dangerous (to my bank account) drive home.

I’ve made a second bracelet in browns and ambers that I’m having a terrible time photographing, and I’ve purchased beads to make a chartreuse colored bracelet. There will definitely be more of these in my future.

My market bag knitting quest continues.   This pattern worked up quickly on my size 11 needles.  Overall, I didn’t care for this pattern as much as I did the Saturday Market Bag.  The stitch pattern on the other bag was more interesting to knit, and I found this stitch pattern a little tedious.  I did like the applied i-cord edge and i-cord handles.  I  will probably incorporate these into another market bag. 

Pattern: Elisa’s Nest Tote
Source:  The Purl Bee
Yarn: Peaches & Creme Solids
Color: Cream
Needles: US11 and US7

Started: May 28, 2008
Completed: June 4, 2008

Pattern modifications:

• I knit the pattern in the round.
• I split the bag into two sides and added a few repeats on each side before adding the handles.  Otherwise, the opening on this bag tends to be too small.

The new town has a lovely Saturday farmer’s market that I like to attend. However, since much of my stuff is back in Illinois, my usual farmer’s market bag also doubles as a knitting bag. Since I got tired of dumping my knitting in order to make my weekly trek to the market, I decided to knit up a few string bags.  This is the first one I knit.  It’s the Saturday Market Bag.  It was originally published in MagKnits, but now is available directly from the designer’s blog, or as a Ravelry download.

I really liked the stitch pattern on this bag.  Open and stretchy, but much more interesting than just a yarn-over, knit 2 together mesh.  I liked this one so much, I’ve already started another for my mom.  There may even be a few more for me in the future.

Pattern: Saturday Market Bag
Designer: Jodie Danenberg
Source: Strings & Yarn
Yarn: Peaches & Creme Solids
Quantity: part of a cone
Color: Delft Blue
Needles: Denise Interchangables US15, US11 and US10.5

Started: May 25, 2008
Completed: May 28, 2008
Pattern adaptations:

• Cast on 70 stitches using magic cast-on and size 15 needles.
• Knit the pattern the round.
• Knit 7 repeats of the lace pattern.
• Switched to size 11 needles. Knit 2 rounds garter stitch.
• Switched to size 10.5 needles and finished with two handles as documented by disdressed.

This bag was so fun to knit that I decided to try knitting a few of the different string bags that are out there. I’d like to be able to use them to replace some of the many plastic bags from the grocery store.  I’ll definitely do a comparison post when I’m done on the different patterns.

I finished the William Street Socks a week or two ago, but I haven’t gotten around to posting about it.  I’ve worn them once, and they’ve been through a washing.

I knit this pair as part of the Ravelry Sock Knitters Anonymous’ February Sockdown challenge.  The challenge for February was to try a new heel.  Since I’m strictly a top-down, heel-flap sock knitter, I tried this pair of toe-up, short-row heel socks.  I think that I’ll stick to top-down heel flaps.  While I like this pair of socks overall, I’m still not sold on the short-row heel.

Pattern: William Street Socks
Designer: Lisa Shroyer
Source: Interweave Knits, Fall 2007
(also available free online from IK)
Yarn: Schachenmayr Regia Tweed 6-Fadig (136 yards/50g)
Quantity: 2 skeins (272 yards/100g)
Color: Gray
Needles: Addi Turbo 3.25mm

Started: February 1, 2008
Completed: March 12, 2008

Pattern modifications:

• I changed the ribbing section of the pattern.  When I knit the ribbing per the pattern, the sock ended up much too loose.  To remedy this, I decreased the last round before the ribbing.  Starting with the cabled section of the sock, I K1, (K3, K2Tog) — this knit together the first and last stitch of each 5 stitch section of cable.  On the back of the sock, I did two decreases, one on each side of the center of the back.  On finishing the round, I slipped the last stitch of the back of the sock to the front needle, and did a P2Tog with the K1 from the cabled section.   This gave me 56-stitches on the needle.  I did P2, K2 ribbing around until I ran out of yarn.
• I used the magic cast-on for toe-up socks from Knitty instead of the specified cast on.
• I only used 2 balls of yarn.  While I wish the socks were a tiny bit longer, the length is acceptable.

Yarn oveview:

I do not knit socks with sport weight yarn very often, so it was interesting when the socks seemed to be progressing very slowly.  As for the yarn, I was surprised by the tweedy-quality of the yarn.  The little tweed bits seemed to be loosely added to the yarn, some even fell out of the yarn as I was knitting the sock.  Most all of the bits that can be seen in the Feb. 8th post on this pair of socks are gone now that they’ve been washed.  Overall, the sock has developed a slight halo of fuzziness from being washed, but otherwise is ok. 

I’ve finished the Little Child’s Socks.  Overall, I’m pleased with this sock pattern, and made very few modifications to it.  Most of the modifications that I did make were due to my fear of running out of yarn.  The pattern called for two skeins of Lorna’s Laces Shepard Sock which is 430 yards of yarn.  My Cherry Tree Hill had only 360 yards.  I was hoping that the pattern didn’t use the entire yardage from the Lorna’s, so I tried anyway.  I managed to finish the socks with this yardage, but I only have a tiny bit of yarn left over.  If I wore a bigger shoe size, I might have been out of luck.

I’ve got one main complaint with the fit of the socks.  I really wish that I’d started the decreases along the seam stitch sooner.  The sock is baggy through the lower calf area.  If I had it to do over, I probably would have started the decreases along with the pattern stitches, not wait until having knit twenty rows of the patterning.

I am still amazed at just how bright these socks are.  The colorway was named Golden, but it’s a much more vibrant yellow-orange than anything else. 

Pattern: Little Child’s Socks
Designer: Nancy Bush
Source: Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock
Quantity: 1 skeins (360 yards)
Color: Golden
Needles: KnitPicks US0 (2.0 mm) 32″

Started: January 18, 2008
Completed: February 5, 2008

Pattern modifications:

• I only knit six of the eight detail rows between the ribbing.  On the first sock it was a mistake that I didn’t notice until I had already turned the heel.  As the saying goes, make the error once and it’s a mistake, the second time it becomes a design feature.
• I decreased the number of rows of ribbing both above and below the pattern section of the cuff.
• I added an additional four rows of the pattern just above the heel.  I just felt the sock needed to be a little longer.
• I added an additional set of decrease rounds at the toe to lengthen the sock.

Yarn review

I suspect this yarn may have been one of the potluck or seconds. There are a lot of strange, dark color streaks that make the sock look dirty. The streaks are the most noticeable on the stockinette portions of the sock, and it doesn’t show all that well in the photos. However, if you look closely at the pictures and see some odd dark horizontal bands, that’s the discoloration.  It’s really odd, because I didn’t notice when the yarn was still in the skein.

The yarn was pleasant to work with, but I didn’t find the process of knitting with it much different from most sock yarns, like Lorna’s or Opal.  I was really surprised at how it became very soft and developed the tiniest of halos after a trip through the wash.  It’s soft enough now to make me consider stashing some more of this sock yarn.  It will be interesting to see how it continues to hold up to wear and washing.

I finished the Embossed Leaves socks.  I’d wanted to knit this pattern since it was first published in Interweave Knits in the Winter 2005 issue.  Somehow, I’d never gotten around to it.  But, after seeing Jennifer and Michelle (her blog photo does not reflect the true beauty of that yarn/pattern combo) working on theirs at KTog, I decided that it was finally time for my own pair.

This pattern was pretty easy to learn, and I didn’t need to refer to the chart much once I got past the first pattern repeat.  The key was to know that the yarn-overs alternated on either side of a single stitch, and the decrease moved across the pattern repeat, but always left three stitches unknit.  Once I realized that, it all just clicked.  Not the fastest pattern, but not too much work either.  These are definitely a nice addition to the sock drawer.

Pattern: Embossed Leaves
Designer: Mona Schmidt
Source: Interweave Knits, Winter 2005 (also in Favorite Socks)
Yarn: KnitPicks Risata (196 yards / 50g)
Quantity: 2 skeins (392 yards)
Color: Cocoa
Needles: KnitPicks US0 (2.0 mm)

Started: December 27, 2007
Completed: January 7, 2008

Pattern modifications:

• I only knit the ribbing to 1.5 inches.
• I added an additional pattern repeat (4.5 chart repeats instead of 3.5) on the leg to make leaf patterning on the leg longer.
• I eliminated rows 10 and 12 in the sock to shorten the sock length.
• I changed the plain stockinette heel to a slipped stitch heel pattern (eye of partridge), but I kept the garter stitch borders on the heel flap.

Yarn overview

This was my first time working with the KnitPicks Risata.  I’d asked for and received this yarn as a gift for my birthday.  The yarn line was new in 2007, I was interested it in what it had to offer.  While I love my hand knit wool socks, they sometimes a bit too warm when the weather is warmer.  So, I’ve been interested in trying yarns with a higher cotton percentage in them.  Previously, I’d only used Cascade Fixation.  While it is a fine yarn, due to the unusual elastic nature, it isn’t suited as a replacement yarn for all patterns, and I don’t love it.  The Risata, however, can be a replacement for any fingering weight yarn, and has a fiber content of 42% Cotton, 39% Superwash Merino Wool, 13% Polyamide, and 6% Elite Elastic (this elastic does not give it the same elastic propery of Fixation).

I really enjoyed the Risata.  I only had one issue with it, and that was after I had managed to tangle a bunch of loose yarn after ripping back to fix an error.  Other than that, it knit up quite nicely; I didn’t find it splitty or anything of that unpleasant source.  The socks have been washed twice now, through the washing machine and dryer, and the yarn is great.  No pilling, no fuzzing - it still looks new.  This is definitely a yarn I would buy and knit with again (and that wasn’t my experience with the other KnitPicks sock yarn I’ve used - Parade, which has been discontinued).

Here it is, my finished Sunflower Tam.  There will be no photos of it being worn.  While I love the look of the hat, I don’t love it on.  I’m not sure if it’s the style of a tam in general, or if it’s just this specifc one.   I’m not even sure if I think that it’s too big or too small.  I just know that when I try it on, it isn’t me.  It’s a great pattern for using up a small amoung of heavy worsted to bulky wool.

Pattern: Sunflower Tam
Source: Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Wool (109 yards / 50g)
Quantity: 2 skeins (218 yards)
Color: Charcoal
Needles: Bamboo US5 and US7

Started: December 21, 2007
Completed: December 25, 2007

Pattern modifications:

• I knit this at a smaller gauge (16 stitches to 4 inches) than called for in the pattern.  I read a lot of posts on Ravelry that the hat was too big when it was finished.
• I eliminated the icord and knot at the top of the hat and just finished it by pulling the yarn through the remaining stitches.

After finishing the Phyllo Yoked pullover, I decided to do a little holiday knitting.  My mom had asked for a sweater, but didn’t give me her measurements until two weeks before Christmas.  I knew that there was no way I would be able to knit it for her in time - plus I didn’t have the right yarn.  So, I decided to knit her a pair of socks instead. 

After looking through my sock stash, I settled on the Pink Granite colorway of the Socks that Rock Mediumweight that I had in the stash.  While browsing for patterns, I saw a note on Ravelry that the Go with the Flow socks were a quick knit.  Knowing that I had two weeks to knit the socks, I decided to give the pattern a try.  The person posting that comment was right.  These were a very quick knit.

Pattern: Go With the Flow Socks
Designer: Evelyn A. Clark
Source: Interweave Knits, Summer 2005
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Mediumweight (380 yards / 155g)
Quantity: 1 skein (380 yards)
Color: Pink Granite
Needles: Knitpicks 32″ US0

Started: December 12, 2007
Completed: December 19, 2007

Pattern modifications:

• I knit an Eye of Partridge heel flap on the sock instead of the pattern heel flap.   
• This wasn’t knit exactly to the specified gauge, but it still fits fine.

Pattern notes:

• This is the fastest pair of socks that I’ve ever knit.  Eight days from start to finish - I still can’t believe that I finished them so quickly.
• The pattern is easy to knit, but looks much more complex.
• I like the combination of lace and ribbing.  The lace provides a nice detail, while the ribbing provides an allowance for sizing and fit.

I finished the Mad Color Weave socks.  I really like the length of the leg of this sock, which is a little bit longer than I usually knit.

Pattern: Mad Color Weave
Source: Knit Tenacity
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight (360 yards / 122g)
Quantity: 1 skeins (360 yards)
Color: In the Navy
Needles: KnitPicks 32″ US0

Started: October 29, 2007
Completed: December 10, 2007

Pattern modifications:

• I knit 9 repeats of the pattern on the leg.
• I continued decreasing the toe until I had 8 stitches remaining because my sock ended up a tiny bit short.

The Phyllo-Yoked Pullover made it’s debut at the KTog Holiday party last Friday, but I never got a good photo of it there. 

I love this sweater.  It is very comfortable to wear, and the yarn is smooshy and soft.  I wasn’t sure about the sleeves before I started, but the bell sleeves are one of my favorite things about the sweater now that it’s finished. 

Pattern: Phyllo Yoked Pullover
Source: Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Baruffa Merinos Sei (135 yards / 50g)
Quantity: 11 skeins (~1485 yards)
Color: Olive Green
Needles: Denise US5

Started: November 01, 2007
Completed: December 04, 2007

Pattern modifications:

• I shortened the sweater and the sleeves by an inch.  I still wish the sweater was a tiny bit shorter.
• I knit a different edging on the sleeves and body because I did not want a rolled stockinette edge.  I did three rows knit, three rows purl (knit flat).