April 18, 2017

Knitting, why have you forsaken me?!

I should have known. Or more correctly, I knew. I knew the socks seemed a little big; they were a little loose when I tried them on. Wasn't too worried about it; mother assured me she didn't care.

I plugged along, finished the foot as per the instructions (1 inch shorter than foot length). Plowed through the heels (which are Double Stitch Short Row heels).


Y'all...they are ENORMOUS. Things went terribly, terribly wrong.

I checked my gauge when I first noticed the bigness, and thought I was getting 8.5-9 stitches per inch. Online calculators informed me that my stitch count (64) was right on for that gauge. But...I KNEW.

Having re-checked it (since I now have the world's largest sock swatch), I seem to be getting 7 stitches per inch! I don't know if things are stretching or I'm blind, or both.

At any rate, I have to RIP OUT THE ENTIRE THING AND START OVER.

Lessons learned:
  1. Listen to your knitting common sense FOR GOD'S SAKE.
  2. Quadruple check your gauge.
I'm digging my favorite trusty sock book out of storage as well, since it never steered me wrong before. Oh, and a size 1 circular (I'm pretty sure I have one somewhere).

ARGH. *insert sounds of my hysterical weeping here as I mournfully update my Ravelry page*

In other news, I guess this means I'll be able to snug up and perfect the heels the next time around.

April 16, 2017

Sock Progress & a Shawl Problem

Despite the fact that I'm not even to the heel on the mom socks, I've been "shopping" around for my next project.

My bundles page on Ravelry reveals that I might have a knitting preference these days:



The bigger problem will be deciding which one to knit first! I'm thinking about trying to make a shawl using my Mean Girls Yarn Club Hoity Toity (which was originally going to be a Brickless). I found this really neat pattern at my LYS called Decay, where the lace/garter sections are determined by the color changes. Could be really cool looking!

At any rate, just so you all know I'm not a total slacker, here is the current progress on the socks:

As I mentioned in my last post, the yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere, and it is a DELIGHT to knit with. So soft, no splitting. I'm a little jealous that my mom will be getting cashmere socks!

April 13, 2017

Here goes...

As I mentioned in my previous post, I had started some two-at-a-time (toe up) socks back in September (post-Ravellenic Games), and had only gotten about half way through the toe increases before stopping.

I picked those bad boys up again this past weekend and started knitting them again.


They're even longer now, just over 5 inches--I'm very pleased with my progress. The yarn is Smooshy with Cashmere, and I'm following a tutorial for two-at-a-time magic loop socks from Heidi Bears. My mom picked this yarn out way back in December of 2014! Nothing like having a slacker for a daughter. I'm hoping to have these done in time for Mother's Day. Mom prefers very simple socks--plain feet and a basic 2x2 ribbed leg, so right now I'm just whizzing through the knitting.

I've knit two-at-a-time magic loop socks before, but this will be my first time trying a short row heel-eek!

April 5, 2017

Um...hi? ;D

My knitting sure has taken a dive lately, which is hilarious since I had ankle surgery in November and was doing a lot of sitting around. Did I knit? No.

I do have updates since my last post, however!
  • Chroma Striped Scarf 
    • Decided that this was never going to happen, and frogged it. I think. At least, I remember thinking about frogging it, but now I can't remember if I ever actually pulled the yarn out? Huh.
  • Plushy Mittens (originally started Dec. 2013)
    • I totally finished these back in August of 2015, literally six days after my last post. They are amazing and plushy, and perfect when I have to go outside and clean snow off my car.

  • de Bourgh Brickless (originally started Aug. 2014).
    • I actually did quite a bit of work on this, only to decide I hated how it looked. Frogged, though I really, really want to use the yarn for something else, I just don't know what.
  •  Ripple Effect 
    • Sound the triumphant chorus, I finished a project last year! I participated in the Ravellenic Games, finally finishing my Ripple Effect Shawl (designed by my buddy Rachel at Unraveled Designs), and FINISHED IT ON TIME. It was an Olympic Miracle!! I was so proud of myself that I bought a Ravellenic Games pin.

  • Mom socks (started Sept. 2016)
    • I don't have a Ravelry page for these yet, which is fine since I haven't gotten very far. I only cast on the toes, knit a few rounds, and then stopped. I'm trying Heidi Bears Two-at-a-Time Magic Loop tutorial for these. I'm one of those folks that gets Second Sock Syndrome, so this is ideal since I like to make my mom things and she happens to like knit socks. Now if only I actually break down and KNIT THEM.