I finished my Jaywalkers last week, but haven't uploaded the pics yet. I cast on a garter stitch baby wrap sweater for a baby due in October in it's stead. It's cruising along even considering I added length to the sleeves. I've been knitting it exclusively though since I cast it on, so bmp is now sitting on the wayside for the mo'.

I have discovered another wonderful, wonderful thing about Ravelry. I can make notes about changes I made immediately (and not lose them on the little scraps of paper I normally write them on if I'm knitting from a book and can't write on the pattern itself!). So now I won't forget that I added 22 stitches to each sleeve when it comes time to cast them off (not that I would in this pattern, since it's obvious, but you get the gist).

ravelry

WHOO HOO! I got my invite e-mail the other day. I'm 'thepinksheep' over there as well. That site is freaking amazing. I am already impressed liek whoa and I've only glazed over the surface of it. It'll take a lot of work to get all my past projects on there, but it will happen eventually. Probably post DH release, since I won't be so focused on reading then.

Nearly done with the first Jaywalker. Love it. It's a bit large even though I knit to gauge. I did choose to make the larger size because my feet and calves are wide and large, but I bet I could've knit the smaller size. *shrug* I'm actually concerned I'm going to have a lot of Vesper left over. Not really sure what I can do with any leftovers as it's definitely not appropriate yarn for Scoot-sized socks.

I'm itching to knit a pair of socks out of the Favorite Socks book, so I reckon I'll jump onto one of the two I have yarn for once the second Jaywalker is finished.

tulip socks

I started the Tulip socks and taught myself a new trick to boot. I realized the weaving in at the end was going to be completely ridiculous and I recalled reading somewhere about knitting in your ends as you go. Aha! So I googled and found a great tutorial on a blog. I had an idea of how it was done, just didn't have it quite right. I found that the trick is to only "knit" the end into every other stitch, which is what holds down the yarn.

I was also going to attempt to teach myself two-handed stranded knitting, but after reading that it can really affect your tension, I've decided to forgo it this time around. Sure picking up and dropping each color takes more time, but this is too tedious a project to have to worry about tension to boot. I think when I knit the Binary scarf for Mag I'll try it then as there are only two colors throughout and gauge doesn't matter so much on a scarf.

As is typical with me, I reduced the ribbing by half at the top of the Tulip sock. I hate knitting ribbing, especially in the round, but I also hate two inches of ribbing on the top of the sock. I'm really pleased with how the sock is looking so far and the chart pattern is very simple, so it's going along quickly.

That's what I love most about stranded knitting; while I know it actually takes longer than just out and out knitting, it seems to go faster because I can see the progress better. Having to do something different each row (or close to) makes it less mind numbing.

I'm going to have assloads of yarn leftover from these too, so I'll make the Tiptoe Through the Tulips socks next. Not sure for the remainder from that yet though.

I've not posted because I've not been knitting. Mesilla pissed me off enough to make me not touch it for a few days, so I worked hard on the booties because they were due to be given this past Wednesday night. Unfortunately I only got 1 1/2 done, so I brought my friend the one and told her I'd mail the set to her as soon as I've finished. Life this week has been really crazy and not conducive to time for knitting, so that's why I didn't get done.

I still have to frog the neck on Mesilla and go to the yarn store to buy another skein of the color I ran out of. I'm burnt out on the socks I've been knitting for the past few months here and there, so I'm going to start the tulip socks as soon as I have a chance. I need something that will keep my attention and not make me angry.

I did buy a skein of self-striping yarn from a seller on Etsy that is gorgeous; it arrived yesterday, but knitting just a plain pair of socks right now isn't what I want.

I have decided for sure to try out spinning and dyeing. Next time I have some extra money, I'll buy the spinning kit that was recommended to me and add some naked yarn to the Knit Picks order I need to make. I reckon I'll try kool aid dyeing first because it's cheap. I'm sure the dyeing will be very satisfying once I get the hang of it because one of my biggest hangups with self-striping sock yarn is I have a hard time obtaining colorways I like that are affordable. I can't afford to knit $25 pairs of socks all the time. ;)

more Mesilla woes and a question

This shitting pattern! Argh. The freaking neckline pattern is SO off. First of all it doesn't give an exact stitch count, which is annoying as all get out, but that's probably just personal preference. You have to pick up and knit along your cast on edge divided into the back, top left sleeve, front left sleeve, front, front right sleeve, and top right sleeve. Each of these calls for one stitch per cast on stitch or two for three. So there is a relative stitch count.

Then there is the five round repeat after the first contrasting color, just like for the sleeves and bottom band. I am pretty damn sure that something is wrong in this repeat. Round 1 you decrease a total of 8 stitches. Round 2 you knit all stitches. Round 3 you decrease a total of 8 stitches. Round 4 you knit. Round 5 you decrease a total of 8 stitches. Then this repeats twice more with the two consecutive color changes.

Does anyone see the first issue? Rounds 1 and 5 contain decreases and they are supposed to be knit one right after another. That's not very common in patterns, so that could be the mistake. The other thing I'm thinking after looking at the photo with a magnifying glass is that the creator didn't do a FIVE round repeat. The bands of color look a lot slimmer to me than on the sleeves and bottom band. I'm thinking she did only three or four. When all is said and done, there is a total decrease of 72 stitches. For a top that has a squared scoop neck. This is going to end up a flipping turtleneck if I do anymore decreases. I tried it on after the first set of five and the neck was already looking smaller than in the photo.

I see I have two options in how to correct this. I only do half as many decreases, though I'm not sure how that will affect the squaring. However, I think this is the option I will try first. My second option is making the color bands slimmer, which, contrary to what the photo looks like, I'd rather not do. I think in person it will be glaring that the colorbands are slimmer by one or two rows.

So if I decrease the decreases, I think trying a few different things will yield an acceptable result. Maybe knitting two rows between decrease rows and just continuing that regardless of color changes. That will give only a total decrease in stitches of...40 instead of 72. If not that, than perhaps skipping round 1 and going to round 2 for each color change, just continuing a decrease round, a knit round, etc. That will give total decrease of...40 also. Maybe that will actually be the way to go then instead of putting two knit rows, which could potentially alter the shape too much.

Also I have to go BACK to the LYS AGAIN. My SECOND contrasting color ran out today three rounds (and a wee bit of embroidery) before it should've (the aggravating rounds of above...).

I need to knit up some baby bootees too before next week, as I am meeting my expecting friend for dinner. I'd like to break from Mesilla to do this but I am at the point in that bastard now that I don't want to stop.

The question, for anyone out in knitting land reading this, can anyone recommend how to start spinning? I'll be honest and I know next to nothing about it other than it looks fun and relaxing. A book you can recommend? Tools that I'll need to start?

Mesilla is coming along swimmingly. I buggered up yesterday and forgot one of the decrease rounds, but fortunately caught it only a few rows up and was able to correct it. There's a little gap, but I think it can be corrected in blocking. Just a handful of rounds left until I get to the lower band, which I'm looking forward to as switching colors seems to make knitting go faster. I'm still undecided if I'll make the stripe in MC or just leave it out. I reckon I'll have enough yarn since I did buy an extra ball.

There are SO many sweaters I want to knit, but I am trying to use up some stash first. My next "main" project will be Tulip Socks.

I wouldn't normally have socks as my main project, but since these are stranded with seven colors, they're hardly portable. Plus I want to ensure I've got color-working down (I dunno, I'm just being paranoid because of my one colorwork mishap...) before I make bmp for Mag. I'd hate to gift something that she can't even wear because it's too tight.

I want to take up spinning, but I'm restraining myself for now. I *am* however requesting a ball winder and swift for Christmas this year.