Why! Why! Why!

I have done it again -- committed to myself to knit more than I can complete in the time allotted for the projects. I started with a seemingly managable project, making a pair of socks for each female coworker and family member on my Christmas gift list. I started back in March and I've made good progress toward the goal, having only two pairs or maybe three pairs of socks to complete. However, my daughter wants me to make each of my little grandsons a sweater for Christmas. I only found out about this a month ago. There are three little boys ages 4, 2 and 8 months. I started with the sweater for the oldest grandson, but it is taking longer than I estimated, so I'm afraid I won't finish by Christmas. My only hope is that the two smaller sweaters will not take as long as the first one. The first one is made in pieces, but I'm planning to make the other two with fewer seams. Actually, the first sweater is not the first sweater. I started with a sweater for the middle child, but it looks too small to layer over a shirt. That's okay, I can always gift it to a charitable organization since it is a perfectly darling sweater.

The most troubling aspect of running short on time to complete a task is that the process leaves me weary of knitting rather than excited and energized as I usually am. Oh well, I'll get over it when I complete the planned projects and get to knit what I want to knit.

One sock down ...

Last night I completed the first sock of the pair of Spring Thaw Socks. There is absolutely nothing boring about knitting this pattern. Just as you are about to complete one leaf, you have to start the next one. On the leg portion of the sock, one may be working on as many as three leaves at once, all at different stages in the chart.
For the first time, since this is the first time I've knitted socks toe-up, I bound off at the top of the sock. The pattern called for using the tubular bind-off. It was a bit of a challenge to figure out the tubular bind-off, and a bit more of a challenge to ensure that the sock top would fit around my leg. I measured my calf and then found a can (a tuna can) in the pantry that had the same circumference as my calf. I bound off most of the sock making sure I left it somewhat loose, and then inserted the tuna can and completed binding off. It worked well.
Now, what will I do for the other sock? Because I have lymphedema, my left leg is 4 inches larger at the sock top than my right leg. I may have to go up a needle size on the leg of the left sock. I don't usually have to make any adjustment; however, as I've said before, this is the first pair of toe-up socks I've made.

Sh-sh-sh! Christmas gift socks

The photo above is a pair of socks I have knitted as a Christmas gift, one of eight pairs knitted so far since March. I won't say who they are for because I do want them to be a surprise. The leg of the socks is the maple seed spiral stitch pattern Angela Hahn used on a hat she created. I think the pattern comes from one of the Barbara Walker books; however, I haven't found it yet. I intended to continue the spiral onto the instep, but that does not work out. The maple seed spiral stitch pattern is a simple 4-row sequence that is very easy to memorize. On the left sock, the pattern spirals one direction and on the right sock, the pattern spirals the opposite direction.

Socks defrosted

No, I am not finished with my cardigan, but I have started the Spring Thaw Socks. Wow, what a fun knitting project and what a gorgeous design. This is the first pair of toe-up socks I have made. Instead of using Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on that Cat Bordhi called for in the pattern, I used the Turkish Cast-on. All I can say is that it's amazing to take yarn wrapped around two needles and begin knitting. The toe looks great, continuous, seamless, uninterrupted stitches. I struggled a bit with the increases and frogged the toe when I discovered that the increases did not look symetrical because I had not done them correctly. After about 20 false starts, I finally succeeded in getting the first sock started yesterday (8/28/08) morning. I made good progress, yesterday. This is not a design for the faint-hearted, but I think it will be rewarding to successfully complete it.

And yes, I will complete the cardigan. I am very good at finishing projects that I start. That's what I say, and I'm standing by it!

No joy in Mudville

On Monday, August 25, I completed the second sleeve. Yesterday, I frogged the back neck trim because of an error at the shoulder seam. I have reknit and attached half of the neck trim and will try to redo the other side tonight. I should have the sweater completed by Friday night. It seems, I just cannot break the 3-week barrier.

I have started the Spring Thaw socks, my first pair of toe-up socks. They are lovely, but the increases don't match. I'll have to re-examine that technique, and maybe frog the sock. The twisted ribbing really looks neat, much better than my regular one-by-one ribbing.

I hope to get some photos posted this week.

Sock yarn arrives -- finally!

Yesterday, the yarn for my Ravelympics socks arrived. I can't say I'm thrilled about the color, but it will be okay once it is knitted into socks. I just hope I will have time to make them.

The fronts of my cardigan are started, but the knitting is going much more slowly than the back. The yarn from the two balls tangles so easily and has to be periodically untangled. Just putting down and picking up between the two fronts uses valuable time. I may decide to make the sleeves one at a time rather than both at once. I have no doubt that I can finish this project within the allotted time, but the socks -- that's another matter.

Ravelympics Knitting

I have been neglectful about posting knitting in my blog; however, that does not mean I have not been knitting. This year, I decided it was about time I learned to knit socks. After knitting three pairs of socks for myself, I concluded that if I started right away, I will be able to knit a pair of socks for each female member of my family for Christmas. At this time I am well on my way to my goal having knit either nine or ten pairs. I will post photos of the socks soon.

This morning at 7:00 a.m. CDT, I cast on for my Ravelympics knitting. I have entered in two events: the Sweater Sprint and the Sock Put. My team is the Lone Star State Knitters. The sweater I have planned to knit and which I began this morning is a cardigan styled like the Minimalist Cardigan designed by Ruthie Nussbaum for the Fall 2007 issue of Interweave Knits; however, I am using the stitch pattern combination from Hanover in Jean Frost Jackets. I have combined the two designs with a few changes of my own, run the whole thing through SweaterWizard so that the instructions conform to my yarn and stitch gauge, and modified the file to produce instructions for the knitting. The yarn is Lily Chin Park Avenue merino and alpaca, and I get 22 sts and 30 rows in Shadow Rib pattern on US size 7 needles.

My other Ravelympics project is the Spring Thaw socks designed by Cat Bordhi and published in the Summer 2008 issue of Knitter's Magazine. I will use apple green Essential sock yarn from Knit Picks, if my shipment arrives in time (ordered on July 16).