Impending Mitten.

There's a new mitten in the works; a mitten that will not be ignored. The cosmos knows that it's been plaguing me for a good three weeks now.

It was only yesterday that I finally settled on a colour palette. Usually the colours are the first thing that I settle upon, but not this time! Oh, no, the mitten cleared wanted to give me the runaround.

Here it go:

Yes, that's Knit Picks Palette again, in (clockwise, from top right) Blush, Bark, Twig, Tidepool Heather, Red and Yellow.

Here's what there is (so far) of the mitten embarrassing Metal Sheep:

Poor Metal Sheep -- he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment! I definitely owe him more flattering photographs.

Nana's Gingerbread Mittens, FO.

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette In Brindle Heather, White, Yellow and Garnet Heather
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 1
Pattern: Chart 120 from Latvian Mittens by Lisbeth Upitis
Started: November 2007
Finished: December 2007

Notes: Nana's Christmas present, finished in plenty of time (even though I was sewing ends in on Christmas Eve.) She loved them.

Make with the goods!

Here I was, doing so well with the finished objects posts, too...and then Ravelry happened and the rest is history. In any event, a wee peek at my backlog is in order.

The first Dream Twister sock:


I can hardly say how much I love this pattern. I'm particularly by how it's playing nicely with the Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Potluck. Now to get started on sock no. 2.

Look, here's a completed pair:

These are the Little Pumpkins socks in Trekking XXL.

This was a quick, fun, easily-internalized quick knit that kept my hands busy this past autumn. It's unsurprisingly that these were my official Socks of the Season! I swear I received more compliments on that yarn than anything else as of late.

Another pair o' socks:

Yep, it's Pomatomus in ultra-limited, handpainted Deegu.

I have no idea why these socks ever seemed so daunting -- the pattern is really intuitive and enjoyable to work. I couldn't have asked for a better colourway for them, either!

I'm fairly sure that's it for now, but should something else reveal itself I'll make every effort to document it as well.

And finally, a quick heads-up: there's another Spilly-designed colourwork mitten in the works. Pictures should be arriving any time now.

Something Fresh.

This is huge; yesterday I finally got around to learning the Magic Cast-On. I have no idea why I never bothered to do this sooner, because it's easier than any other similar cast-on I've ever tried. The world of toe-up socks is my oyster!

I celebrated by neglecting my Xmas knitting and starting a new sock:

This is Azure from the latest Knitty. In an amazingly fortunate twist of fate I had the exact yarn that the pattern calls for -- one skein of Colinette Jitterbug in Raspberry.
The Jitterbug had been waiting patiently at the bottom of my stash for quite some time, as the yardage is just a little on the short side. Toe-up socks will allow me to make the most of this entire skein, which is just as well because I really like the colourway.

Now to get through some more of that Xmas knitting so I can have a guilt-free sit-down with my Raspberry Azure socks.

Piggy Mittens are here!

The Piggy Mittens pattern is finally ready -- just in time for the holidays!



They're available in six different sizes so they're bound to suit someone special on your list. This is a great chance to use up all those little bits lurking about in your stash!

Enjoy the pattern...I can't wait to see everyone's piggies. :)

I've got a sock...

...well, almost:

There's a new sock pattern in the works -- the Trestle Socks. Available in two separate yarn weights and needle sizes (fingering and sport; 2.75 mm and 3.25 mm,) wonderfully gender-spanning (socks for everyone!) and easily sized up (because everyone has an awful lot of feet and some are bound to be larger than others.) These socks were inspired by select railway architecture of Athens, GA which I had the opportunity to visit this past summer.

The sock in the picture up there is, perhaps unfortunately, not long for this world. I keep knitting, inspecting, ripping, knitting and re-working the pattern as I go along. The charts are finished (I think,) unless I go ahead and do something totally crazy-go-nuts on the foot. I'll keep you posted.

Those of you who are on the watch for the Piggy Mittens, take heart! The pattern is going to turn up at some point this weekend, in plenty of time for Christmas gifts. It could be up tomorrow before noon or at 11 pm EST on Sunday evening but it will be up within the next two days. Just to let you know. :)

Mittenry.

There's something like 39 knitting days left until Christmas now, so until then, I'm spoken for. Nevermind that I'm trying to sneak in the odd three or four pairs of mittens for myself or that the skein of STR Mediumweight is calling my name. I'm supposed to be making presents!

Even so, sometimes that doesn't work out. Take this mitten for example:



This is a Komi mitten from Marvelous Mittens by Charlene Schurch knit using Knit Picks Palette in Rainforest Heather and Tidepool Heather. It was originally intended to be half of a pair that would be given to some lucky recipient (who still remains a mystery, even to me.) Should the mitten and I hit it off, though, well...there's always room in my wardrobe for another pair of mittens. Especially fancy teal ones with gorgeous diagonal patterning.

I polished this baby off in four short days and...I don't know if it was the colour or the pattern but...I found myself getting attached. I wasn't that surprised, really.

Here's the funny thing, though -- part of the reason why this mitt went up so quickly was because it was knit on US 2's -- 2.75mm needles. The pattern called for a gauge of 8 sts to the inch and I got (wait for it) TEN. Ten freakin' stiches to the inch on US 2's! This is the gauge i get in the same yarn on US 0's! Needless to say, while the mitten fit me without a ridiculous amount of stretching I couldn't help but think that it might be happier keeping someone else's hands warm.

Luckily, I struck a deal with Heather (whose hands are just the right size for these mittens,) mittens for her and two skeins of lovely Koigu for me, which suits me just fine.

As for that Christmas knitting, it remains (mostly) on track. These are the Gingerbread Latvian Mittens I'm making for my Nana:



That's my progress after two days of mittening. I hope to hit the finger decreases this evening.

Naive Socks (This Must Be The Socks) pattern now available!

After what seemed like forever (but in reality was actually only a few months,) the Naive Socks pattern is finally ready!



Happy knitting!

Do the Ultra Twist!

Here, have a quick post before I go and get distracted again! This is a good chunk of a Dream Twister sock:



Currently I'm right at the end of the first full repeat of Chart B. Things had been going slowly at first (twists on every row, what?) but now it's starting to pick up. You can not read while knitting this one! This is not entirely a bad thing. The punishment is not too bad, eh? Look at that sock! I love it pieces, though I can't help but wonder when I'll ever learn about variegated yarns and cables. Maybe I should just learn to buy solid coloured yarn.

Sea Mineral Mitten pattern now available!

At long last! The Sea Mineral Mittens pattern is available for mass consumption.



Enjoy!

Piggy Mittens, FO.

Yarn: Peruvian Highland Wool from elann in assorted partial skeins (read: I went nuts with colour)
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 5
Pattern: Piggy Mittens, by me, SpillyJane (pattern available soon!)
Started: 4 September 2007
Finished: 9 September 2007

Notes: My second pair of Piggy Mittens, and the first to be properly photographed before they leave my clutches! What started out as a quick little project for a special little guy turned into a veritable ends-travaganza once all the colour changes got a bit...silly. I didn't mind too much, as my Peruvian Highland Wool stash is in need of a use-up and a replenishin' anyway. I am really pleased to report that they did not end up looking girly as i had initially feared.

Fun Fact: I'm going to be offering this pattern in both women's and children's sizes for your knitting pleasure. It's too good (and too cute!) of a stash-buster to keep it all to myself! There's going to be a lot of free pattern action around here this week...

ETA: Would you like to add the Piggy Mittens to your Ravelry queue? The link is right here:

Piggy Mittens

Let me show you socks.

Heavy Sock Knitting has resumed Chez Spilly and here are the most recent products of my labour:

The first Kuzunoha Monkey:


The first Pomatomus (aka Fish Sock):


now to stave off any and all New Projects til they are paired with their yet-to-be-knit mates. this may require more than a little willpower on my part.

one exception, however, has been allowed to squeeze through the cracks. this is a pair of Oilily-inspired stash-busting Piggy Mittens for my enthusiastic three year old cousin. unlike my previous Piggy Mittens these ones will actually be documented before they go to their new home.

what i should be doing, above everything else, is polishing off the patterns for my Naive Socks (This Must Be The Socks) and my Sea Mineral Mittens, as i hope to have both patterns ready for public consumption by the end of next week! look out!

ETA: my apologies to those who are still waiting for Ravelry invites, but if you're already a member and would like to queue up my soon-to-be-released patterns, feel free to do so! Here are their links:

Naive Socks (This Must Be The Socks)
Sea Mineral Mittens

One fish, two fish, green fish, blue fish.

the ladies of Friends Knit Together and i are currently taking on a mini-knitalong for Pomatomus. what it is, more or less, is a fun way for us to finally force us to sit down and outsmart the pattern.



it's working! twisted rib gets me every time. i just love those perfect little rows that curve to form perfect little fish scales. the pattern is really easy to memorize too, which is especially nice. logic is terribly refreshing!

Monkey 2.0

my current obsession with colourwork has made textured knitting new and exciting once more. while my addiction to colour and motif is by no means on the wane (the second Sea Mineral mitten is progressing nicely,) there's a special place in my heart for nice, textured socks.

i didn't want to get too distracted from my colourwork plan of attack (wait til you see what else is headed down the pipeline!) i cast on for my second pair of Monkeys. at first i didn't know if i was even going to be able to write about these socks without finding suitable song lyrics about monkeys (recall what happened last time?) but i'm proud to say i'm doing fine. besides, the only songs that came to mind were Monkey Man, Shock The Monkey and Monkey Gone To Heaven, none of which are applicable at present. i am at a loss, but i have a nice pair of socks in my future:



that's Fleece Artist Sea Wool in Hercules slowly being coaxed into what i call the Kuzunoha Monkeys (i'm still addicted to that palette!) who knew knitting with seaweed could be so lovely?

Colonia Mittens, FO.

Yarn: Colonia in Lettuce Violet from handpaintedyarn.com
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 5
Pattern: Basic Mitten Pattern, by Ann Budd
Started: 8 August 2007
Finished: 11 August 2007

Notes: i am a big fan of the "peasant thumb" mitten, but i thought i'd try something new. the pattern and i crossed paths at the right time--it's like it was meant to be. it went up so fast--these could be the perfect last-minute Xmas gift!

i've had this yarn lurking in my stash for a long, long time now. when i first picked it up i was fairly sure that it was going to be destined to spend the rest of its days as a hat, but thankfully the mood passed (i was feeling dangerous. combining "feeling dangerous" and "hats" hardly ever results in something that one would want to actually wear in public.)

i've been told that this yarn is the budget-friendly alternative to Malabrigo, and i'm not about to argue. both come from Uruguay, and while the Colonia is nowhere near as soft as Malabrigo, one can't argue with the price (it's currently going for $6.30 USD.) one small caveat: keep an open mind when purchasing the yarns on handpaintedyarns.com--they are hand dyed and often the colours one sees in the pictures often aren't exactly what one gets. i've ordered from them several times and i've yet to be truly disappointed with the colour of my yarn!

Fun Fact: i knit almost the entire second mitten on my way to visit Heather in the big city.

Hungry for colour.

while driving out int he county yesterday i couldn't help but stare at the wildflowers at the sides of the road--deep brown finished thistles, white Queen Anne's Lace, golden yellow flowers whose name escapes me at the moment and grasses parched to a light beige were everywhere i looked.

once at home i threw this together:

all KnitPicks Palette, of course.

and then i got to thinking.

a quick stash-diving excursion produced this:

i love it when this happens! the observant might note that the beige in the upper palette is actually Palette in Twig, while the beige seen here is Palette in Tan. i was ready to settle until (to my delight) further diving yielded a ball of Twig! so now i have my current dream-palette, sans the purple that i surreptitiously included (i had spotted an errant still-blooming thistle in one wildflower patch.) i can live without the purple (for now.)

so it seems that i have another Latvian-style mitten-in-training on my hands. my brain is already ticking...stay tuned to see what transpires.

One mitten down...

...one mitten to go! here's the first Sea Mineral mitten:

i'll be casting one for its mate soon...but not too soon. i have another pair of mittens i want to start!

and (yet another) detail of the cuff:

...because one can never have too many pictures of the cuff.

the wonders of a good blocking never cease to amaze me!

Mitten was here!

dear you,

mitten wants a thumb!

mitten wants to apologize for those odd shadows! mitten knows not from whence they came!

mitten inside out!

mitten has skillfully concealed mitten's ten million freaking ends! the mitten, it is crafty!

mitten awaits its mitten-mate! when, when, when?!

love,
the mitten

More mitten.

the Sea Mineral mitten continues to grow:

it's practically knitting itself now that i don't have to untangle yarns after every round! i hope to make it up to the finger decreases today.

at the last second i chose a wave motif over a starry one for the palm. there's no mistaking the oceanic feel now. besides, this leaves me open for a par of celestial-themed mittens...lots of little starry patterns on a deep field of navy...oh, this is dangerous. i have too many things on the go already!

First Glimpse.

here's a peek at the first Sea Mineral mitten so far:

not the best picture, since it's getting late and i'm losing the light. try not to look at all those ends. i'm ignoring them, for now.

colourwork is about a million times easier when you knit with both hands at the same time. i'm carrying the background yarn with my right hand and the pattern yarn with the left--this is making the pattern stitches slightly more prominent in the finished fabric.

these days i'm not as in love with these colours as i was back in April, but i am still mostly enjoying them now. ideally i had wanted to have the butter yellow as the background colour but then decided early on that the darker grey would offer better contrast and a slightly more dramatic mitten. now that i look at it being knit up i could do with another darker grey and an even lighter blue, but that's just wishful thinking. i'm too picky sometimes.

pattern-wise, i think it's working well--a wavy motif or two to go, and then we move on to the star-patterned palm. earlier today i was wondering if i should add a small fish motif to the watery portion of the design and then decided against it. simplifying the cuff slightly should be enough to ensure that i actually finish the pair. the seaweed motif will have to convey the message of sea life on its own--just picture the fishes weaving and darting between the fronds.

Waiting...

it's Friday morning and here i am, waiting for Clue 3 of Mystery Stole 3 to be released. i suspect that's why i didn't sleep as well as i could have last night...or it could've been that i was thinking of the Sea Mineral mittens that i finally started yesterday (pictures soon,) or it could've been this:


yet another colour palette for another hypothetical pair of mittens, or in this case, Magnificent Mittens. that's Knit Picks' Telemark in Delft Heather, Tidepool Heather, Garnet Heather and Burlap. sometimes colours get stuck in my brain and it's hard to do things like sleep.

on top of all this, i'm planning on casting on for Kew today, too--gotta keep that Xmas knitting on track.

EDIT: oh, now this is fun--check out my current colours of choice next to the cover of Devil Summoner (at present directly to the left of this post.) either i'm more obsessed than i ever knew or my poor neglected game is trying to tell me something.

After Clue 2.

here's the Mystery Stole in its current incarnation--i just polished off the second Clue! i'm sitting at the end of row 150 which means i'm also finally caught up for when Clue 3 is released this Friday! finishing two Clues in less than a week gives me hope that i'll be able to knit other things comfortably while still working on this stole.

another not-so-hot early evening window-shot of a stole that's becoming increasingly difficult to document:



the more i look at that central motif the more i see a spider (or at least some sort of insect.) the webby bits above the diagonal lines only seem to confirm my hypothesis, but i could be seeing what i want to see right now. fingers crossed that the Mystery Theme has something to do with Arachne, spiders and spinning. it's just a guess!

Mystery Stole 3

somehow i got sucked into Mystery Stole 3. clearly i am weak when faced with intricate, mysterious lace!

here's the stole sitting at row 55 of the first Clue:


unblocked lace never really makes for a great picture, but there's my stole--so far.

Nano Warmer, FO.

Yarn: blue heathered stuff i bought at Zeilinger's the summer before last (it reminds me of dryer lint, but then again, lots of things do.)
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 8
Pattern: Nano Warmer by Anny Purls
Started: 4 July 2007
Finished: 4 July 2007

Notes: Poddy needed a new warmer so he stays all cozy while travelling in my bag. this pattern couldn't have come my way at a better time. i really do love this yarn--i will definitely have to make another trip out to Zeilinger's this summer. the little bit of mohair mixed in lends it just the right amount of fuzziness. I finished the case off with a vintage button (i'm pretending it's Bakelite but it probably isn't,) that i sewed on with some bright orange Gütermann thread.

Fun Fact: this button (like most of the buttons that i use) was sourced from the old button tin that i played with as a little kid. who would've known that it would end up on a iPod Nano warmer years later?

Edgar, FO.

Yarn: Patons SWS in Natural Plum, two skeins
Needles: Bryspun straights, US 8
Pattern: Edgar by Silke Hupka
Started: 1 July 2007
Finished: 4 July 2007

Notes: this is the first of my Xmas knitting! i had always wanted to try the SWS and this scarf finally gave me the chance. i don't know if i'll use it again (most of the time it was like knitting with unspun fibre, which was enjoyable in its way,) but it's still shiny and pretty and makes an ideal Edgar.

i though adding more tassels would make for a dramatic, fun touch.

Fun Fact: this is my fifth Edgar! he might be the perfect gift-scarf!

Ravelling!

i am obsessed with Ravelry. i only just received my invite two days ago but believe me, this is more than enough time to learn to love this resource.

it scratches my organization itch like no other resource ever could! i love how all my projects look laid out across the page:


i love how i can queue up all the future things that i want to
knit (and thanks to that site there are an awful lot of them now):


i'm discovering patterns and re-discovering patterns virtually non-stop. it's more than a little difficult to stop looking at the thing. that actually might be the only bad thing about Ravelry--that it's so big and wonderful that it distracts one from actually knitting.

if you're already on Ravelry, please look me up! i'm spillyjane there too.

Three Scarves in June.

today it's hotter than hot and the humidity is just stupid. naturally i'm doing what i usually do this time of year--knitting a scarf. three scarves, actually, but who's counting? two of the three have been languishing in the progress basket for a couple of months now, so believe me when i say they've been enjoying the attention. they're in serious danger of being completed!

anyway, pictures and documentation are long overdue. here it go:


first, the Campus Scarf from Scarf Style. i just finished the first repeat today (they are incredibly long.) i'm sewing the ends in as i go along because i really don't want to go insane when finally faced with six-odd feet of scarf times four ends per colour bar. this is officially my new go-to mindless-knitting project (this is the only way it's ever going to get finished.)


next, the Rosebud Mesh scarf. i've been threatening to post this one for quite a while, if my sidebar is to be believed. i was craving lace and itching to see how my Fleece Artist handspun laceweight would knit up, and this is the result. it's a mere handful of repeats so far but the random spinning and plying techniques i used are showing off the colours nicely. i'm going to try to pick this one up when i put the Campus Scarf down.


finally, Ruffles (also from Scarf Style) looking more like a nautilus than a scarf. when it's hanging down it looks like a giant piece of rotini. i'm knitting this critter LONG so i can wrap again and again around my neck til it piles up like a ruff. again, this is mindless knitting--the repeats are fast and easily memorized--which also makes it easy to put down. i find that i'm having to sit myself down for half-hours at a time in order to make any progress on this one.

so that's what's on my plate for the next little while, which is just as well, really. i'm already planning my Xmas knitting, about a month earlier than usual this year. i think this stupid heat is going to my head.

Naïve socks (This Must Be The Socks,) FO.

Yarn: handpainted, self-striping Deegu, produced by Adriana
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: Naïve socks (This Must Be The Socks) by me, SpillyJane
Started: 4 June 2007
Finished: 22 June 2007

Notes: this was my first attempt at designing my own socks, which, while not that trying was a learning experience in itself. the first thing i learned from knitting two pairs of cabled socks all in a row is that cables wear out their welcome fairly fast. also, one will note that i (typically) took the "no mercy" approach and set the cabling bar at a fairly lofty height. now that i don't have to deal with those teeny tiny turned-more-often-than-i-care-to-relate cablets, i can sit back and appreciate them. earlier this week that wasn't so easy. (in their defense, though, those little guys were a handy way to keep track of rows--kinda like a built-in counter.) something tells me that these wee cablets aren't done haunting me yet.

shortly after finishing the first sock i began to panic a little, thinking, "okay, i've managed to muddle through one, now how am i going to be able to bang out a mirror image for sock no. 2?" i had been keeping insanely detailed notes (numbers, musings, concerns,) throughout the entire process, but it wasn't until sock no. 2 really started to come together that i was truly put at ease. it turns out that i can be incredibly logical number-wise when it comes to growing cables on a sock. thankfully. i don't even want to think what would've happened had no. 2 gone badly (actually, i do know what would've happened--i would've ripped and counted and studied sock no. 1 until i figured out what the CRAP had gone wrong and then i would've fixed it.)

using a self-striping handpaint for a intricate cabled sock was mainly because i was feeling dangerous, "the stripes seem to be wide enough, but if they're not, who cares?! let's see what happens if i do this..." i love the stripes, but i can't help but wonder what these would look like in a solid-coloured yarn. maybe i'll give that a shot...later. yes--MUCH later--i'm off cables for a good month or two at LEAST.

so there are the socks...and they are very truly naïve. i had no idea what they would look like finished, or even if the cables were going to twist or untwist at any given point. they just kind of...happened. i even stuck a "mistake" in, if you can even call it that if it's purposefully placed there on each sock--the central cable twists in the opposite direction only once about halfway down the leg. also, from what i understand, while she was creating the yarn Adriana tried her hand at over-dyeing the purple portions which resulted in a lovely variegated effect. all in all, these socks are a result of many a happy accident.

Fun Fact: these are my own socks. not "my own socks" like all the other socks i've knit are my own socks--these are different. while cables themselves are common and malleable enough, they've never been put together on a sock like this. i've created a new pattern that hadn't existed before and it's a really good feeling.

sharing something that i've made is an even better feeling! watch for this pattern to become available (in some capacity or other) here, soon!

Home is where I want to be.

here's the first Naive Sock:


this means that it's time to start the second one. i am not at all keen on starting the second one (three crash-course cabled socks in a row will do that to you,) but i am going to force myself to cast on and at the very least get past the ribbing and grow some cables out of some other cables before i forget how i did it. i have notes--very, very detailed notes--but this might not be a bad idea.

it turns out that cabled socky things have a polar opposite, which would be lacy mohair things. the more observant of my readers will say "good, go work on Birch, as it's been sitting in the bin, untouched and unloved for a couple of months already," and they will have a very sensible, valid point. no one, however, has ever accused me of being very sensible--sitting down with my copy of Wrap Style last night brought both Enchanté and Guinevere to my attention. look out!

Sock progress and brain thinkings.

the Naive sock continues to grow...shortly i'll be off to turn the heel (another Welsh heel, since those are my current favourites.) with any luck i'll be polishing this one off in a couple of days!

i'm seriously considering writing an actual pattern out for this sock and making it available for free (in some capacity or other) online. regardless, i've been making detailed notes of the pattern and process as i've been knitting. would there be any interest in a sock pattern like this? we'll see what happens.

Make it up as we go along.

i had every intention of making the Tipsy Knitter socks, but somehow this happened:


these are the This Must Be The Socks (Naive Knitting) socks, the name of which is destined to be shortened to "Naive" or the much more annoying T.M.B.T.S. socks (in this case i'm going with the former.) what we have here is several inches of totally improvised, patternless, off-the-top-of-my-head, make it up as i go along (just like the song says) cabled sock. cables flow into other cables and twist in varying directions, all in a seemingly too-busy, striped yarn.

this yarn is handpainted Deegu gifted to me by Adriana, and yes i knew it would stripe beforehand, but still continued to knit an intricately cabled sock. though the pattern might seem to clash with the yarn, i really enjoy how to sock doesn't give up its secrets at first glance. one has to come closer to take it all in and the effect is not unlike a well-placed piece of garden statuary--hidden, mysterious and nearly serendiptious. serendipity, of course, being key here.

Rib and Cable Socks, FO.

Yarn: KnitPicks Gloss in Woodland Sage
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: Rib and Cable Socks by Nancy Bush (Interweave Knits Fall 2005)
Started: 25 May 2007
Finished: 01 June 2007

Notes: these socks were my first serious attempt at cables, and i have to say i've been converted. cables are the cure for the plain vanilla sock! once i got going i was even able to read while i was working them. i have no idea why i'd not tried my hand at them sooner, but i'll be on the lookout for more patterns featuring cabling now. i may even have to knit this pattern again!

Fun Fact: these socks followed me everywhere this past week and along the way they gathered many fans. it seems everyone loves cables!

Southpaw.

today i taught myself how to knit Continental. i can't believe how fast i picked it up--i was going on a half-remembered lesson that Adriana gave last July and a photocopied page from that Anna Zilboorg book--but it took no time at all to get my hands used to the new motions.

though my main motive for picking up this techique was mainly utilitarian (read: eliminate all that annoying untangling while working with multiple colours,) i couldn't help but enjoy the very feel of it. holding both work and yarn in the same hand simultaneously both literally and figuratively made me feel more closely bound to the fabric i was producing. knitting with both hands at the same time isn't as difficult as i had thought! the resulting swatches (one in-the-round, one in the flat) are destined for a spin in the washing machine so i can finally see how garter stitch and in-the-round colourwork look properly fulled.

on a totally unrelated (but mitenny!) note, tonight i grafted the top of the first Checks and Charms mitten. it remains thumbless with about a million ends (where did those come from?) still unfinished, and it will so remain until...well, until i get around to it. as such, i'm striking it from the "On the Needles" list as it is, frankly, no longer on my needles. working mittens fom the bottom up (with the exception of Latvian mittens) just isn't satisfying or fun for me lately. i suspect i'll have better luck with top-down mittens.

Another placeholder.

this morning my mind was filled to bursting with musings on mittens--mitten technique, mitten construction and, mainly, whether the use of duplicate stitch would comprimise the historical integrity of Latvian mittens. i had mentally composed a suitably mittenny post, and carried it with me the better part of the day...

...and once at home, promptly forgot it. i did away with my chagrin while winding a good bit of my stash. surrounded by colours, i gathered together pinks, browns, oranges and ivory, fully intending to put both them and the new cast on (Middle Eastern CO) that i learned this morning to work in a new, magnificent mitten.

then i ran into the sock pattern that Adriana had shown me last night.

there's a very good chance that i'll have both a new mitten and sock cast on by the end of the evening.

Monkey, FO.

Yarn: ONline Supersocke in colourway 669
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: basic pattern, Monkey by Cookie A., Monkey variant courtesy of fiberjinx
Started: 15 May 2007
Finished: 22 May 2007

Notes: the very popular Monkey socks done in a fairly crazy colourway. i love the pink squiggles scribbled all over the finished socks.

since i tweaked the pattern and made fiberjinx's Monkey i changed all the purls to knit stitches and i ignored the yo's and opted for M1's instead. of course i managed to forget to knit through the back of the loop for all of those M1's so the fabric has a touch of an openwork feel about it. i'll have to remember to not do this when i make the next pair.

Fun Fact: this pattern is so easily internalized it isn't even funny! i dispensed with my chart fairly early on and knit them from memory.