Sixteen Days

While I cannot state unequivocally at this moment that my two-sweaters-for-Rhinebeck plan is a good one, I can tell you that today is a good day to continue entertaining the concept of this particularly bit of knitterly daring-do. I pressed on and finished the yoke of Remi, and now I’m into the plain bit for the body – It feels all but done, truthfully.  I’ve got it rammed into my bag as my “on the go” knitting now that it doesn’t need anything from me but time. (Sweater is seen here on two needles because I was far enough along for a quick try on. I did knit a swatch, and washed it, but I definitely don’t have time to be jerked around by the gauge god’s version of a joke. Good news, it’s fine.) I even ordered back-up yarn from IndigoDragonfly, and it’s arrived.  For your sake, rather than mine, I regret to announce that this one looks drama free. (Sorry Presbytera.)

I knit a swatch for the Must Have Cardi too (that link works, by the way – I’m knitting it from the booklet that was in my actual knitting library – sorry for Rav link yesterday that didn’t direct you to the pattern. Use that one. It’s free!) and washed that, and got the results I was hoping for on the second try, and noticed that knitting with the previously knit yarn wasn’t much fun.

I’m in the process of winding it into hanks and steaming it to make it nice again. (I just do it over a teakettle, if you’re wondering.) Worked a treat, and now I’m about 8cm up the back. It’s not going as quickly as I’d hoped but I’m ignoring that, at least for today. we’ll see if the problem persists.

Finally – I’m happy to report finished Self-imposed-sock-of-the-month-club socks, though rather less pleased to say that they’re the ones from August. I finished them a few weeks ago- though I can’t lie, it wasn’t in August for sure, I was about a week late, which considering the August I had isn’t really that bad at all.

I’d know what yarn I wanted to use for the August socks ever since Kim gave it to me. The yarn is Platypus Sock, and the colourway’s the one she made for the Rally last year, named Bonnie for my Mum, and meant to invoke her love of rocks.

It seemed appropriate to use it for the month I’d miss her most – especially since that’s also the month of the Rally.  It felt lovely. Sticking with the rock theme, I chose a pattern called Pebbles – not just for the name, but was a great match for a variegated yarn. I made them for myself, rather than the long range planning box, because I really love the yarn, the idea, and Kim.

To be fair, I messed with the pattern quite a bit – the original has a short row heel, but I prefer a flap construction, so I subbed that in, and used eye-of-partridge to keep the pebbly look going.  (Eye-of-partridge is a really just a regular slip stitch heel, but with the slips alternating on right side rows instead of stacked.)

I changed the toe a bit too, but that doesn’t matter much and is really just because I’m a little weird about sock toes. I care (inexplicably) about how they look both on and off feet, and do the rate of decrease a little differently to amuse myself.

Now, I know it’s October 1st, and that means that I should have a whole other pair of September socks to show you, but – well, I’m obviously  coming in late on that one too.

I have one and half.  Almost. (Pattern: Sun and Moon, Yarn’s the Club Yarn from Gauge Dyeworks earlier this year – the club’s over now, but I really dug it.)  I’m hoping to finish these soon, but truthfully, I’m a little into my sweaters.

42 thoughts on “Sixteen Days

  1. Your knitting speed continues to impress. Beautiful pieces! I especially like the Pebbles socks for the color and the underlying significance. I have full confidence you will meet your goal of two sweaters and becoming up to date with the socks.

  2. I made the Must Have Cardigan in Cascade 200 a number of years ago. Absolutely loved it. Now I feel it is too short and boxy for me. I plan to remove the button bands and take off the bottom ribbing to lengthen the sweater. Too much work to ship it off to a new owner. It was a very fun knit. Have fun with it!

  3. “I regret to announce that this one looks drama free.” Normally, I would think this would be a moment of hubris. You would think it’s in the bag, stop knitting on it regularly and then be mystified when you found yourself in a mad dash to the deadline. (Yeah, I might be projecting there.) But, after the year you just conquered and your skill for ringing extra productive time out of the allotted 24 hours, I have to figure you’ve got this. (The second sweater might give us some entertainment still, and I won’t even feel bad because you will still have the first.)

  4. Oh, dear. She’s tempting the Knitting Deities again by proclaiming one of the sweaters to be drama-free. That almost guarantees drama. This is almost as good as a soap opera! More popcorn, please, Presbytera!

    (P.S.: The Bonnie socks look great, but maybe you should plan on a smaller size for the October socks. You could continue with the letter B theme — size them for that B doll, and do it Bfore Joe says he wants kilt hose for X-mas!)

  5. I can’t even imagine how fast you knit. Takes me a month to knit a pair of socks never mind tossing two sweaters in! I live vicariously through your knitting speed.

  6. You know, I originally came here (gosh, about twelve years ago?!) for the knitting content, and the humor. Over the years I’ve stayed for that and for the heart. But I’ve only realized with this post how much I appreciate the small human insights that make me feel less alone–like that you care about how your sock toes look even when they’re not on feet, and that you just own that. I don’t knit socks (I barely wear socks), but there are so many things in my life where I just…inexplicably care about how things are done, and I really should just own it.

  7. I arrived here by a circuitous route. Having knitted all through my childhood and well into adult life, I gave up in the eighties, when the yarn I could find in the shops was, well, let’s just say not to my taste. An imminent grandchild made me pick up my needles again about six years ago, and after a few tiny garments, I thought, hmmm, an Aran cardigan? I googled, followed links, and ended up reading about your Must Have Cardi. I read on a bit, then decided I really should start at the beginning, so I did. It took me several months to catch up with real time, and I’m still here. But the Aran cardigan is not yet finished.

  8. Nice try. I notice you said “LOOKS drama free” rather than “IS drama free.”

    You’re hedging and I’m laying in supplies.

  9. You’ve been knitting socks and commenting on them for years and years, but somehow your peculiarities about the toe has escaped me until now…. I’m very curious to know how/why you decrease the toe at a different rate. But “none of my beewax” is a fine answer to that question… 🙂 Keep on keepin’ on!!

    • Stephanie explained it once, and I have been searching past posts for it (to no avail). Instead of decreasing every other row, and getting a witches hat of a toe, she knits the foot a bit longer, and then decreases every row, so she has a gently rounded toe; something I would also like. Maybe you also stop with 12 or 14 stitches, instead of 8 or 10?

      • Oh, thank you Pamela! That sounds wicked (cool!), I’ll try it on my next sock for myself (I never liked the tippy-top of the toe having a little point to it, myself). 🙂

      • I don’t like the witch’s hat toe either. I decrease every other row until I have about 28 stitches and then every row until I have 20 (10 on each needle) and then kitchner. Gives me a longer toe with a nice rounded end. Hooray for people who are particular about knitting, and how toes feel!

        • That’s a great idea, Anne. You know, socks were the first thing I learned to knit over 20 years ago, and it never occurred to me to adjust the toe shape? Isn’t that crazy?! I adjust stuff ALL the TIME. But toes? Nope. Jeez….

  10. Good luck with the Rhinebeck sweaters. My daughter and I will keep a lookout to spot you in one of them. Best of luck finishing. With your changes or not the Pebbles socks seem to be a perfect match for Bonnie yarn.

  11. I love the way the Must Have looks so far. What a touching remembrance for your mom (the socks.) I’m sure you will remember her comforts when you wear them. Glad you’re coming along with the sweaters!

  12. I’m doing a self imposed pair of socks every 2 months for me this year. I’ve still half a foot to do on the July/August ones. But I have done a leg for the Sept/Oct ones so that balances out doesn’t it….
    I’m blaming it on new second grandchild needing blankets and a very cute baby camped just by me at a folk festival who clearly needed a hat and socks far more than I needed socks!

  13. I so wish I were going to Rhinebeck this year. I like both sock patterns but the color combo for Sun and Moon is really wonderful.

  14. Today at the craft circle I watched a friend, who prefers crochet, stick her magic crochet hook into the center of a new skein of yarn and pull out just enough yarn to conveniently give her the end. When I stick my finger into the center of a new skein I usually pull out a huge gob of yarn and am still searching for the end. I am almost at the point of needing to start a new skein in order to finish my scarf, and I thought seriously of asking her if I could borrow her magic hook. But I didn’t. And now I’m as home, really do need to start the new skein, and I know I have a crochet hook around her someplace . . . .

  15. I’ve been knitting for over 40 years, but for the past few years I’ve been focused on other things than knitting….but this Must Have Cardi lured me in. Just bough the wool today, printed the pattern…..yikes! Must be the name of it. 😉

  16. That sweater is gorgeous, the socks are wonderful–and all the meaning and love packed into that one pair. I’m so glad you’re letting them be for you. If any pair should be it’s them.

    • Stephanie might not be, but a few friends in my knitting group and I am. They are currently in need of size Bs in natural colors.

  17. I love, love, LOVE! all the knitting that is going on for both you and me! I’ve finished a sweater, a pair of socks and currently working on a cowl with STR, which I love, btw.

    So cheers for Rhinebeck have fun surrounded by knitting love. I so wish I was going but not this year. Maybe next.

  18. I love all the projects you are working on now! I fell in love with the Must Have Cardi when you first wrote about it and rushed out to buy the pattern, but never bought the yarn for it. I’m going to go look for the pattern and check my stash for yarn.

    I am so happy to see your blog posts. The Rally is a wonderful cause and I support you, but I missed the stories.

  19. Should we start a betting pool with all proceeds to MSF?! I bet $5 that there will be one sleeve left by Day 0 and one yarn scare along the way… if both sweaters are finished, I will put in double…

    (Sorry, it was the problem-free statement)

    • “This is the July pattern for the Gauge Dye Works Summer 2019 Yarn + Pattern Club. It’s exclusive to the club and won’t be available for purchase to non-club members until fall 2020.”

  20. Oooo….so the fact that we have not heard peep #1 in several days, when only 16 remained the last time our intrepid hero surfaced: what shall we surmise from this radio silence??!?

  21. Someone sent this to me and my first thought was”Yarn Harlot would love this.” (I don’t have the social media anymore so am sending it via blog comment—the original social media.) I do wonder if anyone ever corrected the ESPN guys….

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Pl0GRAETU/?hl=en

    p.s. As a Jayhawk myself, it’s been a long road, I appreciate her coping mechanism.

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