Bomb Pop Yarn

We are not powdered-drink-mix drinkers, but I love a little Kool-ade for dyeing yarn.  I had a little yarn left over from  some kilt hose, enough, I hope for a pair of kid socks.  I’m experimenting with the concept of the sock blank.  Take two strands of yarn, knit them together into a basic rectangle (or in this case a tube, because I love to knit in the round), dye them, then pull them back apart into two balls of yarn and knit the socks.  In the best of all worlds, the socks will then have the same pattern of color changes throughout.  

That is the hope.  Where is the ice cream truck?

The sock blank in KnitPicks Bare, superwash sock weight, dyed with Cherry and Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade Kool-ade. I love that red.

The yarn was a little wubbly when I pulled it apart, so I put it through the tea kettle steam to even out matters and then onto the swift to dry.

On the swift. Yes it is made of K’nex.

These cherries hold an ice-blue secret at their hearts.

Something that is actually knitty

In spite of the name of this site, a lot of stuff goes on around here that has nothing to do with knitting, but today I bring you ACTUAL KNITTING!

(Please embiggen the image at left for more detail)

Beginning at the right, the creamy-colored, hat-looking thing on top of the clear plastic jar is 2 balls (~50g) of KnitPicks Bare sock yarn, knit double-stranded into a dye blank.  I’m experimenting with some leftovers from last year’s kilt hose to see if I like the idea of the twice-knit sock blank.  I plan to employ Dyeing Kids, Inc. (the Sonars) and their state-of-the art Kool-ade dyeing methodologies to make some nifty, matchy, multi-colored socks.  We’ll see how it goes.  

In the center is a real-life Knitty pattern, the Lace Ribbon Scarf, knit with some J. Knits Superwash Me - Light Sock in the San Jose colorway.  I love this yarn.  I made a Swan Lake Mystery Stole (a la Melanie Falick) with it to great effect. I’ve knit a couple of feet of ribbon, and plan to continue until I run out of yarn, which I estimate will be in another foot or so.  This was my traveling project during our summer tour of Texas and New Mexico this year.  It’s a great car project.  The lace pattern is simple enough to memorize, but not so simple that I get bored with it.  I love the way it zigs and zags.  

To the left is my Checkerboard Scarf pattern from the Purl Bee with KnitPicks Gloss Lace in the Celery colorway.  It doesn’t make me want to eat celery, but I love this yarn too.  The silk and wool blend gives a lovely definition to the lace and is soft on the hands.  This lace is a step up, skill-wise, from the ribbon, but not so much that I feel bonkers when I knit it.  I haven’t made much progress on this one this summer, but it’s there, and I will return to it soon. 

Apparently I’m in a lacy, scarfy mood these days because when I finish one of these things, I hope to join the millions of other brilliant knitters in the world and finally make my own Clapotis.  

And doesn’t everyone in South Texas have an empty Tim Horton’s coffee can lying around the back yard?

Shake it up, Shake it down

I’ve missed sharing several things the past few weeks for general chaos and too-many-directioning.  Some of these items may get their own posts in the coming days and weeks, but I’m going to splash out a bulleted updated here.

—There was a cool Spring Pageant in which one of the Sonars was the star, as well as a science fair.  And coming up we have a Bike Rodeo, two egg hunts, and Easter mayhem.  

—I’ve done some sewing (a cool tote bag and apron for school auction baskets, and a ridiculous quantity of backlogged mending and hemming and finishing).  I’m in the early planning stages for some full-sized quilts for the Sonars.  They’ve gone and outgrown their baby quilts.  

—In knitting there has been some teaching (third graders, including Sonar X8.  Yay!!), frogging (mystery stole), steaming and winding (the wool/silk from the MS), finishing (flame socks), casting on (checkerboard lace scarf), laughing (did you see the merkins at TheAnticraft??), and dreaming (socks? sweater? frisbees?).

—In other craft, I’ve worked up a prototype crocheted frisbee made from reclaimed medical tubing, electrical tape, and some neon-bright nylon twine I found in the garage.  Flies well and is really flexible.  Just not sure how well the innards will hold up to heavy play.  

—April is Script Frenzy month over at the Office of Letters and Light.  I finished my first script ever back in 2007 during the first Script Frenzy.  Last year I tried, but was derailed by the flu.  This year, I’m trying again, but threatening to be derailed by my own lack of focus.  I have 14 pages written, and three weeks to go.  If I can get my head into it, I can get there.  I’ll try to put a counter widget over there in the sidebar.  Anyone want to join?  

—In other writing news, I have been reading more about the publishing industry, following agent and publishing blogs and tweets and generally trying to get a feel for how the industry works and how I need to plan and prepare to throw myself in there (someday).  My first step involves working my way toward a coherent platform, or as we are calling it around here jokingly, my IMI (integrated media identity).  I’ve selected Squarespace as my playground, and soon will lay down a personal domain onto this baby.  

I hope all of my old friends and visitors will hang with me through the transition.  It could be bumpy, but eventually I’ll get it all smoothed out.  I imagine a space that includes the same blogging style I’ve had over at Alert the Pizza on Blogger (in fact, all of that content is already here), but with new features and content thrown in as well.  

Leave some words behind when you visit and help me build!!

Happy Heart Day

A photo of a hand-knit, somewhat anatomical heart.  Pattern is from Knitty, featuring fleece artist yarn in a colorway I cannot recall because I cannot find the ball band.  With a cameo by my ugliest towel.

Kilt Hose!

They were cast on October 1, 2008.  You saw the first one when it could still stand, here and here.  You saw the first one when it could no longer stand, here.  Apparently, though, I did not show you the first one finished.  Mainly because I didn’t take a picture of that.  I did take a picture of it almost finished.  

(A photo of Kilt Sock 1, almost finished, back at Thanksgiving.  Please also note the very cool crocheted feet my mother-in-law has made for her chairs.)

I wish I could tell you that the construction of the second sock was uneventful, but it wasn’t. Disaster One involved some weirdness at the change between two needles.   

 (A photo of Kilt Sock 2, when I laddered two stitches about twelve rows, to correct two errors.)

Knitters might want to sit down for the next one.  It may turn your stomach.  

As I admired my repair skills after putting the first mess back together, I noticed a new problem.  This one was waaaaaay back near the beginning.

(A photo of Kilt Sock 2 when I laddered [gasp] an entire five-stitch cable eighty-five rows to fix an incorrect twist that had resulted in a palpable knot.  I still get shaky thinking about it.)

I pulled out those eight-five rows and re-knit those columns bit by bit over a few days, redoing not just the knits and purls, but the cable crosses as well.  I wanted a medal for that one. 

But the disasters are over and the Kilt Socks have been conquered.  I sealed up the second toe on January 30, 2009.  After weaving in the ends, I gave them a good bath.

(A photo of Kilt Hose in a tub of sudsy water.)

When they were dry, Partner put them on so we could get a good look at them.  He’s getting good at this sock modeling thing. 

(A poorly-lit photo of two big feet sporting creamy, cabled knee-socks—er, I mean, Kilt Hose.)

I tried to take a picture of them in bright light.  The wind did its best to blow them away, or at least cover them with the towel.  I think the Ugliest Towel in Our House really sets off the creamy cables, don’t you?  

(A photo of a purple towel, embossed with cabbage roses and a pair of cream-colored socks—one featured from the front, one featured in profile.)

I’m so glad they’re finished.  Signed, sealed, and in the mail.  They were certainly an adventure.  I learned a lot and I think they are probably the most beautiful socks I’ve ever made.  But by the end I was so sick of them and now I am so glad they’re gone.  

My first impulse was to tell you that I never want to see them again, but that’s not entirely true.  I do hope to see them on the feet of their intended recipient, accompanied by kilt and all the falderal expected therein.  That would be the picture to complete the gallery.  

On the needles now: the second flame sock (it’s sock-finishing time), a lacy scarf, Mystery Stole 4, and a brown square.  In the queue, Clapotis.