testing...

getting back into the swing of things in this new life, PI (post-Isaac)

This pattern is finally up for test-knitting. Drop on by if you're interested.

FO Friday: moonlight sonata, mo monkeys, baby hoody

Bumper crop this week! Lots of knitting while I wait around for the (due Monday... as in last Monday) baby to arrive.

Pattern: Moonlight Sonata v.2 by Shui Kuen Kozinski
Yarn: Lana Grossa Lace Lux
Mods: Slipped first st of each row for a cleaner edge. 10 repeats of lace pattern.
Comments: The directions are a touch shaky - I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with the first lace chart, but it's written out as well and is correct there. Free pattern though, so I really can't complain. I'd knit it bigger if I used this yarn again - it has very little stretch and memory... but is really really pretty. Had a hard time photographing it accurately.
Project Page: Blood on the moon

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.
Yarn: Regia Design Line Hand-dye Effect by Kaffe Fassett
Mods: No purling this time (turns out that this is kind of its own pattern already? I didn't consult it, just went with the purl-less version of the stitch pattern, but here it is) and finally knit on a smaller needle, results of which I'm very happy with.
Comments: Christmas sock factory is in full swing.
Project Page: Mo monkeys mo problems

Pattern: There isn't one...
Yarn: Lion Brand Thick n Quick
Comments: Little tiny top-down raglan baby sweater. Knitting done in one evening, finishing taken care of the following morning. I just cast on what looked like a likely number of stitches and increased to desired arm/body size; held sleeves and knit body, finished with a couple decreases before the garter hem (hate flippy garter stitch edging). Knit sleeves in the round with a couple decreases at underarms and garter cuffs. Picked up stitches for hood; increased at the back of the head then decreased back down; closed with a 3-needle BO. Picked up and knit garter stitch button band all the way around front and hood. That's pretty much it. I think it'll be good for a tiny fella; we'll hopefully see soon!
Project Page: 4 hour hoody

new pattern, again

Just self-published a new pattern: the Alternating Current Slouch, available now for Ravelry download. It's written for two yarn weights:

fingering...

...and light worsted.

It's available in adult Small and Large sizes, each with options for more-or-less slouch. Further notes from the pattern page:

Gauge
Worsted 17 sts and 28 rnds = 4″/10cm Airy Cable pattern on larger needles
Fingering 32 sts and 36 rnds = 4″/10cm in Airy Cable pattern on larger needles

Sizing
Band Circumference S (L): 16 (18)″/40.5 (46)cm, unstretched; 22 (24)″/56 (61)cm, stretched
Depth (Less slouch, slouchier): 8 (9)″/20 (23)cm

Materials - S/less slouch (S/slouchier, L/less slouch, L/slouchier):
Worsted 160 (175, 175, 190)yd/146 (160, 160, 174)m light worsted weight yarn; US 6/4mm circular needle; US 7/4.5mm circular needle (and DPNs if desired for working crown) or size needed to obtain gauge; stitch marker; darning needle
Fingering 225 (250, 250, 275)yd/206 (229, 229, 252)m fingering weight yarn; US 2/2.75mm circular needle; US 4/3.5mm circular needle (and DPNs if desired for working crown) or size needed to obtain gauge; stitch marker; darning needle

The Alternating Current Slouch is an all-seasons hat written for two weights of yarn in two sizes with two “slouch levels” each, for a total of eight options. Sample photos both show size L, slouchier, on a 22-23” head.

Mini-cables and simple lace are combined for an engaging, but not taxing, allover stitch pattern. Both written and charted instructions are provided.

Please note: the worsted weight sample is knit in a slinky bamboo blend; a similar yarn is recommended for substitutions. Try a DK weight at yarn the same gauge if you’d like to use 100% wool or another more substantial base.

4,00€

FO: Westport Shawl

When I received my really exciting copy of the summer Knitscene, after jumping around a bit, I of course paged through to see what else was in it. One of my favorite projects, and the first one I decided to knit, was Sarah Wilson's Westport Shawl. It seemed like a good fit for the leftovers from a never-ending skein of Wollmeise Lace-Garn in Neptun (also seen in: the original prototype for Castanea Sativa and an upcoming small accessory pattern). It turned out to be a pretty quick knit and one that I really enjoyed. There's something magical about following a well-conceived pattern written by, mercifully, someone else. No constant second-guessing of the wording, no wondering if I'm glossing over an error that I've read to many times to actually see it.

All that aside, here's the finished object, pre-blocking:

...and post- :

Only one mod: Since I was considerably under the recommended yardage (and slightly under the actual required yardage), I checked weight and eliminated a single center repeat. Since the shawl is symmetrical and knit sideways in one piece, it's really easy to customize for more or less yarn/more or less length.

Self explanatory

Thank you, blocking.

(before)

(after)

Pattern: Rock Island by Jared Flood

Yarn: Wollmeise Lace-Garn, colorway Admiral

Blocking method: Inelastic waste yarn plus T-pins, aggressive
Gratuitous action shots:

the western front

The blog's been awfully quiet lately.  It's not for lack of activity around here, it's just that I've been hard at work on a lot of test knitting and design-ey type stuff...not the sort of projects that make for good blog fodder, since they're mostly top-secret.

I'm not sworn to secrecy for everything, though.  I finished a test of the lovely Windcatcher Shawl by Inese Andzane not too long ago.  I think the relatively simple lace was an ideal application for my single skein of Wollmeise Sock in Die Auster.

A rare shot of the elusive shawl in its native habitat,
reclining in the sun.

And a not-so-glamorous scrunched-up-
around-the-neck shot.

Another test, this one for Alice of Socktopus fame, was facilitated by some deep stash diving:

Spring Shoots in some Araucania Ranco Multy
that's been kicking around my stash since
the beginning of time, give or take a year.

Just the one sock was required for testing purposes, but I'm halfway through its mate already...less than a week later.  Brilliant, unusual construction details have kept second sock syndrome safely at bay.  Keep your eyes peeled for Alice's book, due out this fall.

And with that, it's back to the needles for me.

WIPing right along, sort of

I'm hard at work on some deadline knitting right now, so please excuse the rushed post.  My sister-in-law (hi Katy) is getting married on November 20th, and I'm trying like the dickens to get her wedding stole finished and blocked before we get on the plane.  It's about halfway done now, and I have a exactly a week left for actual knitting if I don't want to pack it into my suitcase still wet.  The option remains to finish it on the plane since we're flying home early, but I'd really rather not cut it that close and have to MacGyver a blocking setup stateside.

The stole in question is Lily Chin's Reversible Cabled-Rib Shawl,* and it is what it sounds like.  The pattern is elegantly simple and relatively mindless except for the cable turns, which at 24 stitches wide are fiddly little buggers.  I'm working it on smaller than recommended needles in Colourmart 2/28 cashmere yarn.  This stuff came on a 150g/2300m cone, and I'm feeling pretty accomplished for having made a dent in it.  Evidence of progress:

About 1m o' stole.
Should grow substantially when blocked.

*Ravelry link.  If you don't have an account, seriously consider getting one.  It's free and awesome.

Swatch fun

Going to keep this one brief.  I'm trying to decide if this pattern and colorway are fighting one other...and thought I should physically record the details rather than pretend that I'll successfully keep them in my mind grapes (10 points if you get the reference).

Don't mind the vile flash photography.  It's dark out.

Yarn: Wollmeise Twin in Die Auster.
Needle size 4mm/US 6
Pattern: "Lace Border 1"

Somewhat blurry here, but the
color is more accurate.