On the way to socks.

Check it on out -- handspun socks, just waiting to happen......eventually. That pile of yarn is all my bits of handspun that I've been working on this past week. As usual, I think I've overdone it (that's a shocker,) and I suspect that that's enough fingering-weight handspun to produce a couple of pairs. I just like having enough colour variation that I can go wherever my mood takes me.

And just because we haven't seen it in a while (and because I'm feeling charitable,) here's a better shot of that corner of my stu g.o.:It's coming together...slowly. My poor shelving unit remains woefully underused, housing only the merest bits of the stash and projects that have floated to the surface. There's more, believe me.

Spinning again

Ever since I picked up my spindle this past Sunday I've been hard-pressed to actually put it down. I've been spinning and plying and setting twists and blocking and winding nearly non-stop. This usually happens when I've been away from it for a while, as I'm fascinated by the entire process of handspinning.So, while this means that I've been slightly neglecting my knitting, it also means that I'm that much closer to a new pair of handspun socks. Some you might remember my last (and first and so far, only) pair (Ravelled):...which I made with some of my first bits of handspun. My spinning has since improved, so I'm looking forward to seeing what I come up with this time.

Some of you may be happy to hear that I fully intend to have a stab at the Mittens With Pints On (Ravelled) this afternoon, so we'll see where that goes. Some of you might be even happier to hear that I've just acquired the yarns needed to produce the Socks With Pints On, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Things Will Get Done, all in due time.

Let me show you something!

I apologize if it seems my blog is turning into a great big commercial for the things I make, but here we go again. I've added some of my handspun to my Etsy shop as well as (get this,)

SOCKS.

That's right. Socks. A for-reals fully-knit pair of socks. An instant holiday gift, for you or for someone you care about, and you won't even have to put needles to yarn to get it.

But it gets fancier, right? These are more than mere socks -- they're spindle socks. That means that I spun every ounce of yarn that went into these socks myself, on my drop spindle. I never did count how many hours that took me (and I don't want to think about it too much, really,) but I'd say that the end result is definitely worth it.

But maybe you don't want a finished pair of socks. Maybe you are in love with the colours in my spindle socks but would prefer to make a pair of your own. Should this be the case, I have something to show you:

Spindle-spun sock yarn, the very same yarn that I spun and used to make my spindle socks. 100g of it, ready to go right over here.

There's other handspun up there as well, spun from Fleece Artist slivers. Here, have an Etsy widget:

And look what the fishies are up to now:

Spindle Socks, FO.

Yarn: my own handspun Corriedale and Merino
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: my Plain Vanilla sock recipe, featuring a round heel and wedge toe
Started: early September 2006
Finished: 12 March 2007

Notes: these socks are knit completely using my own handspun. if you really want to weird people out (if knitting socks from scratch hasn't already made them question your sanity) be sure to tell them that you made the yarn yourself--that way they'll be sure they're dealing with a nut. the same goes for mentioning that you dyed the orangey-pinky bits before you spun them.

i wanted these socks to have a mismatched and homespun (literally, in this case) feel, like the knitter had to make do with the little bits and pieces of yarn that were on hand (which, actually, was also the case.) i didn't set out to specifically spin yarn for these socks, and it wasn't until the first sock was well on its way that i plied some remaining singles in unlikely combinations "just to see what happens." in the end i had more than enough yarn to play with.

Fun Fact: i had no idea what these socks were going to look like when they were finished! changing colours on a whim turned this project into a fascinating and relaxing experience.

Get stole!

since i finished the Shetland Triangle, shawls and stoles have been stalwart denizens of my knitting hamper. i have one of each on the go right now--the Gothic Leaf Stole and Birch--and though they haven't seen that much action lately that's due to change any time now (probably as soon as i finish that second Spindle Sock.)

this is what the Gothic Leaf stole looks like as of today:

i'm nearly at the halfway mark and well into skein no. 3 (at this rate i may very well get another project out of that mill-sealed bag of rowanspun 4 ply!) now the question is do i do what the pattern tells me (stop after rep. 12 and cast on for the second half separately, knit it up and then graft the halves down the centre for a more balanced-looking garment) or do i just keep on the way i'm going, forget about having that whole mirror-image effect in the finish piece and work my way through the second half as before? at this point i'm leaning towards the latter; the most serious issue i can see arising in the near future is the sheer bulk of the stole as it continues to grow, and this is a non-issue at best.

and this, of course, needs little introduction:

yes, it's Birch. no, it's not very large (yet) since i am treading carefully with this one due to the sheer length of its rows. i have got to take a decent bite out of it to get them down to a more manageable size. at present i'm ready to start the first rows of rep. 2 and i should probably get around to that any time now (must finish that sock!) Birch's pattern of spines and holes make it easy to keep track of once one really gets going--my problem is that i have to get around to actually getting going. soon, soon...there will be more pictures!

Ants in pants...

it's springing outside! all the windows are open! i'm feeling antsy!

this isn't surprising, really, i get like this every year. when everything feels this fresh and new i get this gigantic burst of creative energy--the trick lies in channelling it properly while still under its spell. this is not always easy to do.

today this energy is urging me to knit socks--lots and lots of socks. new socks! intricate socks! look, there are lots of sock patterns! no, i'm not helping you decide which one! maybe you will have to buy new yarn, haha! knit socks!! (stupid energy.)

so before i let this sunny energy wheel me down paths (socks!!) unknown i figured i'd better tie up some loose ends that have been lurking (and nagging) of late.

the main one which needs tying up is (wait for it,) a sock:

this is the second of my spindle socks (so called because they're made completely from my own handspun.) i had turned the heel without a pattern and ended up guessing the numbers wrong, so i knew i was going to have to rip back. at the time this was hardly appealing (it was pre-Christmas and the heat was on) and so it got tossed INTO the stash to await repair. yesterday i re-turned the heel (properly this time) and today i finished the gusset. before i know it, it'll be time for the toe decreases, and then...new spindle socks!

the other end may or may not be tied up, since i'm happy to stuff this one back in the box (literally) and forget about it for a while:

it's the first of the Checks and Charms mittens, and i fear if i don't finish it soon i won't have a fancy pair of mittens for next winter, either. this happens every time i knit mittens--i get burnt out after the rush of knitting in the waste yarn for the thumb hole and it all goes downhill. i know i'm really close to the end and i should just finish the thing and at least have half a pair of mittens, but...what i'm saying is that i need your help. feel free to plead on the mitten's behalf.

this final one isn't so much an end but more of an incipient treat:

this is more of my handspun, evidence of what can happen to a nice Fleece Artist merino sliver (colourway: Pinata) when left in my company. i'm bad; i still haven't bothered measuring the WPI, but it's fairly consistent in weight (somewhere between laceweight and fingering.) i decided a week or two ago that a nice thin scarf in a basic lace pattern would be the perfect reward knitting. the scarf only made it to about four inches in length before it was ripped (it was too wide and the lace wasn't doing it for me.) so now i'm on the lookout for another basic lace pattern to inflict upon this yarn...or maybe on the other handspun (from another FA sliver, yet to be documented,) or maybe...

there goes that energy again...i'd better get back to work.

ok, i made that one up.

a few posts back while discussing the Shetland Triangle and how close i was to finishing it i mentioned a three needle bind off. i had thought, for some reason, that the pattern called specifically for this. i promptly braced myself to learn the technique.

this clearly shows how little i had though about this bind off in relation to the garment currently being produced. three needle bind offs are for joining two pieces of fabric together--don't ask why my brain never made the connection between this and the shawl. what i wanted (and found) was a nice Russian/Icelandic bind off that will give me a lovely stretchy edge perfect for blocking into points. now i'm a mere four rows away from a completed, as-yet-unblocked Shetland Triangle.

i gotta run--the Thai curry's on the table. for now, have a picture of the first of my two spindle socks:


i spun all the yarns used in this sock and i dyed the pinky-orangey bits (pre-spinning) myself. at present i'm about 2-3" along on the mate, which is shaping up to be a fine example of a fraternal twin.

also, to my surprise it seems like i'm going to end up with lots of handspun left over from this pair. i'm sure that will find a home in a future sock (or socks.)