June 28, 2009
Booya!
I know the perspective is a little bit wonky, but can we please address this important question: is there, or is there not, a working needle in that piece of fabric?
Booya! The center square of the Crown Prince Square Shawl is done!
A little hard to believe, actually, because the whole thing seemed so daunting and huge at the onset! But, there it is, so close to being completely and totally done.
Only the border remains. That's not a very scary thought unless we stop and consider the following facts:
- The border is made from two identical strips of fabric which are knit separately, then hand-sewn to the main square.
- Each of the borders is knit lengthwise, beginning with casting on 409 stitches.
Gulp! But casting on 409 stitches doesn't sound so bad, does it? Especially if the stitches begin their life during So You Think You Can Dance :). They don't look particularly scary, either:
Just a wee ribbon of fabric.
One other complication: my needle keeps doing this kind of thing:
I'm crossing my fingers that with some nudging and Krazy Glue it holds together until I'm done with this project, at which point I'll just toss it (yes, I know I can call KnitPicks and get a replacement, but that just means I'd get another one of these needles).
I'm still wondering whether one skein of Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace will be enough for this entire shawl. I first noticed the seemingly unending nature of this yarn back when I was about halfway through the main square. A finished main square and part of the border later...
Only one way to find out if this will be enough! Finish knitting this border-in-progress, weigh it, compare to the yarn remaining for the second border, allowing a few grams for seaming, of course. I better get to it!
June 22, 2009
Restocking
So, how long do you think I survived with only CPSS on the needles? Answer: about 24 hours. As soon as the Child's French socks were done, and my super secret project blocked and photographed, I had to restock the WIP line-up. Had to! I spend a good amount of time on buses and trains, and as a passenger in the car: CPSS, with its multitude of charts and sizeable dimensions, just doesn't cut it when elbow space is at a premium.
The yarn came first:
This is Panda Superwash from Crystal Palace Yarns in the cocoa mint colorway (51% bamboo/39% superwash merino wool/10% nylon, 186 yards per 50 gram skein). I loved this color from the moment I saw it. I'm generally not a huge fan of brown, but this one has grayish undertones, bursts of light aqua and green, and shiny golden flecks of nylon throughout. Somehow it works for me!
I've wanted to knit this yarn into a pair of lightweight socks for a while now. When I went hunting for a pattern, this description seemed perfect for the yarn:
Handpainted sock yarn has traditionally been made from wool, but new fibers like bamboo, Tencel, and soy are revolutionizing the options available to the sock knitter. These cuffed socks show off the sheen of a merino/Tencel blend, and the shorter style and cooler fiber blend make these the perfect option for warm weather.
Exactly! The quoted pattern is Zigzag anklets by Pam Grushkin from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn
The yarn is a little bit thicker than the typical sock yarn, so I'm using 2.5 mm INOX dpns - the fabric is coming out wonderfully, I think.
Perfect? Well, almost. Though I followed the instructions and cast on using larger (US 3) needles, the edge was still too tight to comfortably slip over my ankle. So I frogged the little bit you see here, and will now restart by casting on over two US 3 needles held together. After that, I'm anticipating smooth sailing and many happy moments on the train going to work :).
June 16, 2009
Hello. I love you.
I was fortunate to receive my swap potholders shortly after the organizers divvied them up, and I'm beyond thrilled with the beauties I got in exchange for the potholders I made!
Of course I immediately had to note the creators of these little nuggets of art. I am actually a little surprised at myself - I didn't think I would care as much about who made the potholders, and instead would spend all my time looking at the stitches, patterns, colors, etc. But, no, I was genuinely interested and curious about the crocheters!
- From Maritza, a vibrant roqua square! Leave it to Maritza to choose the most lip-puckering juicy colors in the crayon box. Her square is gorgeous, including the off-white backing.
- From Pam, something a little frilly! Remember, I myself tried a frilly square way back when (and loved it!). Pam's square reminds me a lot of the potholders I myself crocheted - similar size, density, and feel. Naturally, it's a winner in my book!
- From Reve, the most delicate, intricate, miniature crocheting I've ever seen! Wow! I think she must have used the equivalent of laceweight yarn for this. The purple petals are three-dimensional, and the border joining the potholder's front and back is single-ply, so it recedes ever so slightly. Amazing!
- From Beverly, a textural sensation! The scallops of this potholder are squishy morsels of squeezable goodness, like plump ear lobes! I can't stop pinching it between my fingers. Pinch!
- And last, but certainly not least, from Maryse, a colorful delight! This one is definitely my favorite as far as color is concerned. The pattern is wonderfully vintage, and the crocheting is perfect, of course. There's a reason Maryse is my crocheting guru :). I'm very happy to have one of her creations in my potholder collection.
I would report on potholder performance in the kitchen, except I have no plans whatsoever of actually using them as intended. I'm sensing five little hooks and a colorful potholder display instead :).
Huge thanks again to Adrian and Maritza, the organizers. I loved the way this swap was orchestrated, and I loved receiving five different things from five different people! You really hooked me up in this one!
P.S. If you received one of my potholders, I'd love to know! I know the orange/red/teal one ended up with Beverly, but what about the other four?!?
