*squee*

I have Wollemeise!!

My Loopy Ewe order arrived.

I got Wollemeise sock in Gewitterhimmel.

It is really vibrant and pretty. I'm planning to knit a Clapotis with it (since I'm having a hard time thinking of using it for socks... and since, I haven't knit a Clap yet, - and now I have plans for two...)

And the Pretty as a Peacock shawl pattern.

Pattern writing is hard!!

Designing the pattern is a piece of cake compared to writing it up (and then making it meet style sheets).

My pattern just needs a name now, which I can't solicit help for because I can't talk about the nature of the project. *sigh*

Yesterday I was looking for an old text book, and found a box of yarn I forgot I had...

Socks socks and more... socks

I finished my first knee high! (also my first garment of my own design to be completed - if a sock can be said to be of my design....) It fits and is - amazingly- knee high. Now I need to knit the other one and then I'll do the post pictures and put the pattern into some semblance of sense and post that too. (Writing up patterns = way harder than designing and knitting it in the first place). Unfortunately it is June and the humidity has hit ergo I have little desire to wear socks at all let alone knee highs.

I've also started knitting the Chevron socks from elann.com. The initial cast on is a bitch, but it seems to be knitting up nicely. I'm using some self patterning blues and white that I had in my stash (the selection of this yarn being inspired by the next section). This is my second toe up sock, the first having been the test knee high (which is why it didn't have a mate). I'm not sure how I feel about this method - I don't think it was the best for me for knee highs -shapely thighs do not accommodate dpns (and I don't have enough circs in small/same sizes to knit them that way). I like top down, but I was stubbornly determined that I would not let the pattern defeat me. So I managed the toe shaping and learned how to make left and right leaning increases in the process. Anyway I'm liking the pattern and since fit beyond the foot is not my issue on this sock I don't think the toe up is going to matter much going forward.

(Here's what the sock looks like:)




And the last socks - I went and signed up for the Hogwart's Sock Kit Swap 2. I heard about it while listening to the SSK podcast (BTW - those things need warning labels the number of KALs etc. that I've wanted to join and yarn/roving to buy is just scary!) I joined, I am excited. I get to make up a package of goodies centered around sock knitting goodness and connect with other knitters. This makes me happier than it ought to, but it's been (and promises to continue to be) a stressy summer so I figured why not have the fun anyway. In order to participate I had to first be sorted, there were 5 quizzes listed on the side bar for that sort of thing, I did them all, I was sorted into all 4 houses!! I went with Ravenclaw, since it won the tie breaker - hence the blue based socks-, but I found it terribly amusing. FYI- if you are interested sign-ups are open until June 21.

Knee highs!!

So I spent knit in public day knitting at home :( Though many people saw me doing so, as we were hosting a BBQ for my father's staff.

I finished knitting a test version of a knee high. Since I can't just follow a pattern on one because I have... um... shapely calves... so there is need for modification, but I also have gauge issues so I didn't know how much would be required. Ergo a test sock, which is done and now I know (and knowing is half the battle, Go Joe!!... wait, sorry, channeling my childhood...). I also tried out a couple of pattern options and used up some really really old sock yarn - bought before I understood about the wonder of knitting socks (or much about knitting in general - about oh, 7 years ago), but apparently I had decent taste when set loose in a real yarn store. The test sock, as a result, looks really funny. But it fits and is a sock so, go it!

Things I've learned:
*It is possible to memorize a lace pattern and to understand where to place what
*counting to seven is hard (or can be when also talking to people etc and trying to mentally keep track of rows)
*this merino/silk is really really nice to work with and the pattern is showing up so much better on the natural coloured wool than in the crazy variegated stuff
*writing out the pattern is hard! Trying to explain is so much harder than just doing! (Though working out the math so the pattern centres properly makes things much nicer)

Question:
*What does one do with a pattern once it is designed and knit?
*Who does one tell?
*How do you make the world understand how important and brilliant it is that there be a decrease on needle one and an increase on needle three to create a centre for the lace pattern and the decreases while facilitating the cool ribbing pattern on needles 2 and 4?

Now - bed
Tomorrow - Iter (my sock will just have to wait! *sniff*)