3 Pairs and One Colourway.

I am sure I’m not the only knitter who starts off their day with a bit of knitting. I also have a coffee and I do this if I am working. I work long shifts and I know that when I get home that I will be far too tired to do anything creative. Usually it’s all I can do to feed the cat and jump in the shower before I head to bed. A quick game with the cat to tire her out is as inventive as I get. So getting up 30 minutes earlier so that I can have that coffee and do a little knitting lets me have the best of both worlds. Hands up who else does this.

My morning project has to be something that requires absolutely no thinking at all. I have memorised the windy scarf pattern so well that this is the perfect project. Continuing with my Brioche learning has to wait for a more reasonable hour of the day. Last week though I got up and all I wanted to do was knit some socks. Just for the sake of knitting them. I’m not used to spending so long on non-sock projects. 

When I was looking at my stash I had this cake of yarn highlighted as my next sock project. As you can see it is a product of my talented friend Lisa of For the Love of Yarn. This was from one of her early box clubs. I’ve just looked back and discovered that it was part of her gradient box and came with two of these cakes and two skeins of a deep purple. I’m not sure that I still have those purple skeins. Possibly they have been knitted up already. I feel a little guilty as this would have been a perfect shawl with the solid colours. I wish I had looked out those purple skeins on the off chance that they are in my stash still before I started knitting with them. However, I wasn’t going to do that at that time of the morning and I only just looked up the box today. Sorry Lisa!

When I cast these on I wasn’t entirely sure that I had two cakes of the colourway never mind the purple skeins. The plan was that I would knit up some socks and use mini skeins as an afterthought heel. Firstly so that i could practice these and secondly so that I could use up some mini skeins (I have a bag for life FILLED with them). I decided that I wanted a simple slip stitch pattern. It’s a pattern I have long admired and have had in my queue for a long time. Or so I thought. I couldn’t find the pattern anywhere. I was so sure that I had it saved on my iPad or in my Ravelry library. Unable to find it I decided to go ahead and do it myself anyway. I have since found it so if you want to knit slip stitch socks you can find the pattern here by La Maison de Saba. It’s called Slip Stitch Lines and it’s a lovely pattern. Fantastic for beginners who want to do something a little more than a basic sock.

The afterthought heel went out the window when I saw how large the blocks of colour were. I felt that it would take away from the colourway. By this point I realised that I had two of these cakes. So I decided to knit another sock from the centre and then a third with the remains to see what I would get. I would then do the same with the second cake and it worked for the most part. There are slight differences but I think that’s okay and my sister has gotten three pairs of socks out of my experiment.

The second pair was knit from the centre as I mentioned. I love the transition from orange to pink. They are such bright colours and perfect for my sister who likes to wear all black but accessorise in brights. I did the slip stitch pattern again but this time I added bobbles. I love a bobble and I call these my Bad WOLF socks. I haven’t written up the pattern yet but I plan to with a few modifications. I also plan to match a cowl, fingerless mitts and hat. So watch this space.

The final pair was knit with the remains of both. Like the first pair I worked from the outside in. I went back to the slip stitch pattern but this time I continued it round the entire sock. In one cake of yarn the orange block is a bit shorter. You can see it a little with the first pair of socks but it really shows here with the second sock having a pink toe. I quite like the difference. It makes them unique. For some reason they didn’t initially fit my sister. I made them the same length as pair 1. Luckily I had her try them all on before I had actually started on the second sock of this pair. I unpicked the toe to before I had started reducing stitches and added a few extra rounds. I’m pleased to say that they now fit.

I’m a little sad that I didn’t realise this was part of a much bigger set. At the same time however, I am pleased with my little experiment and the results. I am now back to my scarf and shawl so hopefully I will finish one of those before I cast on another pair.

On the Pins in February

I thought I would show a little of what I have been working on so that no one thinks that I have been doing nothing or disappeared again. I have two larger projects on the pins and they will take a little longer to finish as a result. I am loving them both though and I swap my time between them. They are both very different and so I haven’t minded that it is taking me longer to finish (too used to knitting socks is my problem).

The first is for my garment challenge and it is a the Windy scarf by Martin Story. I came across the pattern and the designer thanks to watching the Fruity Knitting podcast. Andrew of Fruity Knitting did this very same scarf in order to practise his cables. It was beautifully done and I initially thought that this might be good to knit for my dad or my uncle. Then selfishly I decided to knit it for myself as part of the challenge. Like the hat it is a bit of a cheat since I am not new to cables. I love a cable and I have never knitted a cable scarf before. I don’t want to say too much about it until I do my finish post but it is a lovely knit.

The second project is a continuation of learning Brioche. It’s another Knit Graffiti design and it’s a shawl called Parlour. I cast on the yarn that I found in my stash by Owl About the Yarn. I knit this on my days off while I have something easy on in the background so that I can concentrate. It’s hard to put down though and I am loving watching it grow just as much as I am loving the scarf. The scarf pattern I have memorised and I tend to knit that when watching something I haven’t watched before. I also occasionally do a few rows before bed after work as it helps me relax.

So I said in my last post that I was going to have a month or two of de-stash projects once my Brioche phase was finished. In that vein I decided to cast on the sock yarn by For the Love of Yarn which I also showed in my last post. I have seen numerous people knitting socks where the design is a simple slip stitch. I was sure I had this pattern saved somewhere but have struggled to find it. I have therefore cast it on myself but won’t be releasing it as I know that this already exists as a pattern. Since my last post I have also tidied out what was formerly known as my cupboard of shame. I can now find everything and that means seeing exactly how much stash I have. It is considerably more than I thought and it is disgusting. Another excuse to cast on socks. Really I was having sock withdrawal.

On the plus side I found that I had a second cake of this yarn. When buying Lisa’s club boxes I always opted for the larger size (which will explain my stash size). This yarn has large blocks of colour and so one sock will only have two colours in it. After realising that I discarded the mini which I had originally planned to be an afterthought heel and toes. I pulled out the second cake and I plan to make two socks the same by knitting from the outside. I have finished the first sock and one half is orange while the other is purple. Yesterday I also started a second sock by knitting from the inside which will be the first of a second pair. It has a different pattern and it’s one that I will be able to release when I have written it up. I have called it Bad Wolf. You’ll find out why at some point in the future.

I suppose that technically means that I have four projects on the go but I predict that my socks will be finished by next week. The other two will take a little longer.

Old Stash Love

Other than buying for my projects I have been very good in not randomly adding to my stash. I’ve actually been quite good for the last few years. Before I dropped away from blogging I had something to show every month. I’m quite proud of myself and don’t ask me how I have managed to stay so strong. I still follow all my favourite dyers and I have come across new ones too (new to me). I wish I had that will power in other ways. However, I have not been so good at using my stash. Maybe just a skein here and there but certainly not enough to make a dent in it.

I decided that one of my challenge projects should be a shawl. I have maybe finished one for myself and it was a very easy one. I remembered I had bought a kit for a mystery knit along. So I looked out the yarn and I looked out the pattern. There is one skein missing. I have pulled my cupboard apart. I have no idea why it wouldn’t be with the rest and I have a horrifying feeling that I have knitted it up not remembering it was part of a set. The yarn is by Felt Fusion and it is beautiful. If I remember correctly I told her my favourite colours and I asked her to surprise me which she did and I don’t think that I could have done better. I loved it. My plan is to clear out my cupboard and sort out my stash to see if I can find that speckled yarn. If not I know I have similar in my stash. The pattern is Starting Point by Joji Locatelli. I LOVE this designer. I don’t think I have seen a design of hers that I haven’t liked and my favourites on ravelry are filled with her patterns. At some point this will definitely be going on the pins.

I’m afraid I had to look up who I got the yarn for my shawl from. The bundle was tied with ribbon and it is long gone. Thankfully my etsy history came to my rescue. While I was there I came across a Star Trek bag that I had bought for my sister who was into her sewing at the time. I had an instant pang of jealously and wondered why I hadn’t gotten one for myself. As I was searching my cupboard for the missing yarn I realised I had as I came across my sock project bag. Yes people, I’m a huge geek and I don’t care. I love my bag and the drawstring on this one is Molly proof. Trust me, she has tried. This gorgeous bag was made by Owl About Yarn and I have a few of her bags. I can testify that they are well made.

Hiding in the bag were two beautiful skeins of sock yarn. Also by Owl About Yarn. The dark one has a sparkle base. I have no idea what I bought these for. I have a feeling it would have been something specific given hat I bought them together and that they match well. It seems only right that I use them both for the same project. They have now been wound and are on the pins in an effort to continue my Brioche education. 

I also went into my last fibre share box and pulled out these two 50g skeins. I am thinking of using them for fingerless mitts. Again as part of my garment challenge. Or maybe I should knit gloves since I have never done that before. I could look out one of my many mini skeins to go with it to add a pop of colour. The yarn is beautifully soft and I can’t wait to knit with it. I have had these in the back of my head ever since I received it a few years back.

Sitting on my bookcase in my cupboard was this yarn by my talented friend Lisa of For the Love of Yarn. I think it was on my bookcase because I must have brought it over from my dad’s. I originally had two of these which was part of one of Lisa’s themed clubs (I can’t remember which one, sorry Lisa). I love the bright colours and these will definitely be a pair of socks. If I use mini skeins I might even get two pairs out of them. I am thinking that I could pick out a pattern for them since the colour changes are in large blocks.

The last thing I pulled out of my cupboard is this pack of mini skeins. Unlike the vast majority of my stash these are DK and it works out at 100g. These were a thank you gift from Mothy and the Squid. Again, I can’t for the life of me remember why she sent them. I just remember being so chuffed at her kindness at the time. As well as being just a little bit in love with them. I had a project in mind for them but I have since changed my mind. Any ideas what I could do to highlight the whole pack? This is a set that MUST be used in one project. Oh, and they are 100% merino and therefore super soft.

I’ve been enjoying rediscovering these little treasures. I know that there are many more in there and as I said, I plan to give the stash cupboard a good tidy. I think that once my Brioche faze is done I will have a stash busting challenge (alongside my garment challenge). Just so I can finally knit with these lovely yarns.

Oh, and both Mothy and the Squid and For the Love of Yarn have new club boxes out which are so beautiful and make it very difficult for me to not buy yarn. If you are in the mood to treat yourself I highly recommend that you check them both out.

Autumn Vibes

After the success of my first attempt at Brioche I decided to try something with a bigger range of Brioche stitches. I have LOTS of Brioche patterns in my library and I came across this hat whilst looking through them. Knit Graffiti (also known as Lesley Anne Robinson). I have followed Knit Graffiti on Instagram for quite some time. She has lots of gorgeous patterns out there and I am proud to say that I have bought quite a few of them. But also ashamed because until now I have knitted none of them. You can learn more about the designer on ravelry and on her webpage knitgraffiti. 

This hat seemed like the perfect project for a beginner. Which it was. I haven’t blocked it here which is why it doesn’t look particularly neat but I love it. There are a few mistakes in there but I have learned from them and I’m not bothered by them. Unlike the cowl I did have to go to YouTube to learn the decreases and increases. The increases were easy once I saw how it was done. However, I struggled with the decreases. Mainly because I kept forgetting which decrease matched the correct direction. As a sock knitter you would think that this would be easy to remember. I had to watch those YouTube videos a large number of times just to show me the direction (forgetting that the pattern tells you). In the end I wrote myself a cheat sheet. This is purely me so please don’t let that put you off. This is a perfect pattern for anyone wanting to learn a bit more in Brioche.

I used Drops Karisma unicolour DK for the hat. 50g of each. I actually thought that I would have plenty to spare left. Maybe enough for another hat. Not a chance. In the end I stayed up to 2am finishing the hat in a game of yarn chicken. Thankfully I had plenty but wasn’t sure until the reducing rounds for the crown. If I have one piece of advice for people it is to remember that Brioche is a yarn eater. The yarn is 100% wool and I picked white and turquoise (although the blue is darker than what I normally think of as turquoise). It makes for a lovely cosy knit and the hat is very warm and snug.

The crown would be so much more impressive if I wasn’t so lazy/impatient. I wanted to wear it straight away. However, I think that you can still see the pattern. In the last few months since discovering more designers I have definitely grown to appreciate a design that takes the crown into consideration. I would love to see this hat with a Pom Pom but at the same time I wouldn’t want o hide this. My sister has mentioned that she loves this hat so maybe I will put a Pom Pom on the one I make for her.

I have another Brioche project on the pins and I am loving it. I will definitely be trying on of the more adventurous in the future and who knows, maybe one from my copy of Nancy Marchant’s new book!

Beginner’s Brioche Cowl

One of my challenges this year was to learn new techniques. Brioche has been at the top of my list for a long time. There are so many lovely patterns out there. I even have a fair few in my ravelry library. A large number of those are by my favourite designer Stephen West. Yet I have knit a total of zero. I mentioned in my last post that I was inspired by Fruity Knitting’s latest podcast and interview with Nancy Marchant. I had hoped to join the lace brioche knit along but I’m realistic enough to realise that’s not going to happen. It did encourage me though to finally give brioche a try.

I picked out a pattern called Brioche for Beginners by Emma Galati which is a free to download on ravelry. I had lots of leftover yarn from my hat and my sister’s socks. Both Hedgehog Fibres sock yarn. I thought they would go well together although I assumed I would have nowhere near enough to do a full cowl. Thankfully I was wrong and my sister now has a new cowl. The pattern is very easy to follow and the instructions are very clear. I didn’t have to go to YouTube to understand what I was doing. So if you want to learn Brioche and are looking for a very simple pattern I highly recommend this. You can even do what I did and use up your scraps.

I actually had to start again a few times with this pattern. Nothing to do with the design. The first time my yarn loving cat had managed to open my zipped knitting bag and she created a pull in it so large there was no way I could fix it. Unusually the yarn was left undamaged as she found a leftover ball of yarn to play with so the cowl was left largely ignored after that (I’m assuming). My second cast on was actually a lot neater so she did me a favour, I suppose. I then got halfway back to where I had been when a stitched dropped off the end of one of my DPN’s. Normally I would be able to fix this but not with something this new to me. So I switched to a circular needle which was one size bigger than the pattern stated. It meant that my stitches were looser and the cowl is a little untidy looking. I’m not sure blocking would fix it. I’m not bothered by it though as I did it purely to learn and getting a full cowl out of my leftover yarn was a bonus. I hadn’t expected.

Overall I am pleased with the he result. Next step is to try some of the more complicated patterns I have purchased over the last few years. There are a lot more brioche stitches out there that I need to learn.