And let's begin

I cast on for the Ladies Jacquard Sweater Vest from KnitPicks tonight. Outside Swan Lake (MS3), this will be one of my most ambitious endeavors to date: a fitted, completely stranded project, plus my very first steeks. In for a penny, in for a pound, yes?

Background color is Cornmeal, the color called for in the design itself, but I changed up the pattern color to Blue Note Heather, both in KP's Palette.

The whole is greater than its parts

So I went online today and looked at websites offering the most gorgeous darning eggs made of beautiful hardwoods, buffed to lovely high gloss sheens. I drooled a little, oh yes.

But instead of ordering one, I went to Hobby Lobby and bought these:





With some judicious two-part epoxying, this is what resulted, my version of a darning egg:



It ain't pretty, but I think it will work.



I've never had any proper training in how to darn a sock, so I don't know the correct technique, but this method of creating a basket-weave "fill" in the hole area, anchoring it into the good stitches of the surrounding heel, has seemed to work adequately in the past.

Captain, there be holes here!

They weren't there this morning, they weren't there when I got home this evening and put on my slippers. There weren't even there when the Daughter and I went out to run a quick errand before dinner. But they were there after dinner, when I walked across the tile floor and my heels felt the icy cold seeping up my feet. Holes. Holes in the heels of my Queen of Cups socks. A matched set no less.

Top hole is about the size of a half-dollar; the bottom sock's hole is almost a quarter.



Now I have to darn the heels, so that I can no longer do this:



I can't say that I'm disappointed in these socks, after all, I knitted them in Nov 2007. They've done very well indeed. Now, to pick up the darning needle and let the healing (or heeling!) begin!!

Short rows, not so scary after all

The current bus sock is a lovely self striping creature, and in deference to its adorable pattern, I decided that a short row heel would be the way to go. My last experience with you, short rows, was less than satisfactory, and made me shy away from trying you again. But this yarn whispered in my ears to give you another go, to get back on that horse and ride it down to the toes.

YouTube was my friend, and Cat Bordhi's demonstration clips were what saved me. Once I actually saw Cat's method being knitted, all the written instructions I had read before made sense.

Yea, verily, I am well pleased.



This is sKnitches Syncopation Self-Striping yarn, in the Leaflet colorway.

Bus Stop, Bus Sock...

These socks are lovely to the touch, yet still feel like they'll wear like iron. A wonderful combination, I believe.
















Fiesta from Tempted Yarns, a lovely lady from my own neck of the woods, NE Oklahoma.

Punch and Judy

The light wasn't as good as I could have wanted it to be by the time I got home from work, but I couldn't wait any longer to take some sexy drapey shots of this scrumptious scarf.

But first, all things in their proper order, if you please: the blocking:





















And, zee close-up, Mr. Deville:






















Next, the drapey shots I promised you (the subdued lighting helps to set the sexy mood, oui?)
























Punch and Judy by Anne Hanson

Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn by Fearless Fibers, colorway Christmas Red

finished dimensions: 50 1/4" x 8 1/2"

size 7 bamboo straights

(I showed my son several of Anne's patterns and this is the one he picked out, while his girlfriend picked out the color for this gift to her mom. I think they did a great job!)

I just cast off on the Punch and Judy scarf. It's late here now, so I'll soak and block it tomorrow.

Since this is a knitting blog...

I finally got a chance to take some pictures to show you of progress made:









Cabled Shrug,
a little more than 1 1/2 pattern repeats completed, excellent color rendition



















Punch and Judy scarf
14 pattern repeats of 21 finished




I had to put the Ladies Jacquard Sweater Vest on hold for the time being, as I discovered that I don't have the right size circs to begin. Grrr. I really thought I had all that covered; I'd have purchased the needles at the same time as the yarn and pattern if I had realized. Now I'll have to pay additional shipping.

My bus socks are ready to have the heel flap knit up on sock #2. That won't take long, and then straight down the foot to the tootsies.