Archives for May 2009

It has been a non-knitting weekend here, I’m sorry to say.

I’ve apparently cracked a tooth or some equally odious dental event has taken place. The bottom line is that I’ve got pain bad enough to make it impossible for me to concentrate on anything, so the knitting has been set aside for now.

I’ve got all the non-prescription remedies (clove oil, benzocaine, various alcoholic substances on a cotton ball, etc.) and they all provide a bit of temporary relief, but until I visit my dentist first thing tomorrow morning, I’ll be lying on the couch staring at the tv and not knitting.

So carry on without me, okay?

Meanwhile, Lucy is busy with her new playhouse.

There were some issues with track switching or something like that on my commute this morning so I had some extra knitting time. Behold the formerly unnamed sock:

Yes, this baby now has a name, courtesy of one of the suggestions in the comments: Catnip Socks. (Thanks, Andrea H.!)

And Finnian’s Gansey is coming along nicely, too. You can now actually see the pattern I’ve got going on:

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term “gansey,” you may want to check out this very informative website.

Will I make the pattern available for sale once I’ve finished it? It’s more likely that I’ll offer it up as a freebie because I don’t have the time or inclination to figure it out for multiple sizes.

Rivulets Socks Pattern Correction

Ida M. emailed me to point out what she thought was an error in the chart for size large of my free Rivulets Socks pattern:

I ran into problems on row 6 of the large chart…I’m thinking that the “stitch” that should be in position 25 on that row should be a yarn-over instead of a knit stitch.

You are so right, Ida and thank you for letting me know. I’ve corrected the chart and uploaded the new version of the pattern — it’s available from my Free Patterns Page.

Alchemy Juniper Sock Yarn

Within moments of reading the review of this new yarn at Knitters Review, I ordered some (from PurlSoho). It came today.

I’m sorry but I have to sign off now so that I can spend time with my new yarn. It is a spiritual experience.

Lucy Sez

“May I have some catnip?”

About yesterday’s mystery project — some of you are correct. It is a gansey.

To be more specific, it is a wee gansey, for a wee person. From this point forward it will be called “Finnian’s Gansey” because the wee person for whom the gansey is being made is named . . . wait for it . . . Finnian.

I’m working up the design myself rather than following a pattern. The chest measurement will be 26 – 27″ when all is said and done.

In yesterday’s blog I pictured the two (front and back) bottom bands which I worked in seed stitch. I worked them separately, and then joined them to knit the body in the round. This way,  the bottom edge of the gansey has a little slit at each side.

The body of the gansey has an all-over pattern in seed stitch that is done in panels. You can’t really tell much by how it looks so far because I’ve done very little. I worked a couple of rounds last night before casting it aside to start a new sock.

Segue segue segue segue . . .

Behold my new sock-in-progress, which is at this point in time nameless:

This is being knit from Hazel Knits Artisan Sock yarn, in the “Euphorbia” colorway. This yarn is 90% superwash merino and 10% nylon and is one of the yummier wool/nylon blend sock yarns I’ve had the pleasure of flinging a needle into. In the immortal words of the LOLCats: “Nom nom nom!”

Why is there an emerald ring stuck in the ball of yarn in the above photo? No reason, except that I was wearing said ring today and it amused me to put it there. More evidence of my mad photo-styling skillz.

Here is the sock resting on my lap earlier today.

Betcha can’t guess my favorite color.

Lucy Sez

“My favorite color is catnip.”

I had one of those days yesterday when I couldn’t settle down to anything remotely resembling productive knitting. I hate when this happens.

I had made good progress on my second sock so thought I’d start a non-sock project (shocking, I know) and save the sock for commuter knitting. (I finished the second sock on the way home today. Doncha love my photo-styling?)

I started a couple of lace projects and threw them aside. I’m just not in the mood for lace right now.

But I had something else planned. To be knit from this.

I started. Can you guess?

Can you guess now?

How about now?

I think I’ll stick with this non-sock project for “at-home” knitting for now. And start something for the commute.

This means another sock project is imminent.

Lucy wants to know if snacks are imminent.

Lucy is just passing through to wish a good Memorial Day to all who celebrate it.

Normal blog activities will resume tomorrow.