Do the FO Dance

You see that? That collage of knitware right above this sentence? Well, that's pretty much everything I've made since last posting an actual blog post (not a pattern). When was that, waaaaaaay back in mid-December? And it's about two months later, and now I'm posting. That's not to say I haven't tried, but Picasa doesn't like to post more than four pics at a time to the blog, and the Miami Internet connection doesn't like me to upload photos with the blogger software at all. So I had to figure out how to get all of these pics up. Well, guess what? There's a neat little thing under the "create" tab in Picasa that allows you to make a collage out of any pics you select. The solution to all my problems! Let's get to the details, shall we?

Going in the order like you read a sentence:

Girder socks: made them over break; my first fingering weight socks, and I went a little high with the stitch count. Found a formula now, and making a better-fitting pair out of Mmmmmalabrigo sock (yum!)

French Press Slippers: Well, had a couple of leftover balls of Wool of the Andes from Dad's sweater, so I made myself some awesome felted slippers! They are now my regular dorm footware.

Ethan's Sweater: A curly-edge pullover, my first sweater. I thought it would be a bit big on him, but it fits him just right. Makes me a little concerned about how long it's going to fit him for. But it is snuggly, warm, and machine washable!

Dad's Sweater: Yay for cables! My second sweater, and he loves it! Stayed up until 3AM the night before my flight back down to Miami to finish it for him (and so I didn't have to lug the thing down to the tip of the country for some seaming and ship it back).

Hydrogen Bonding: Technically a water-bottle holder, because the little part that connects the lid to the bottle of my RSMAS nalgene broke off, and I needed some way to carry it. Actually made this before break... >.>

Spiral Soap Scrubby: This probably looks familiar, considering the pattern was the last post. It's working out well, though I'm trying to figure out the logistics of washing it (I know, seems a little odd to wash a soap bag, but trust me, it's needed).

Swallowtail: My first true lace project, complete with nupps (pronounced n-oo-ps), in laceweight alpaca. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find laceweight in brown. It's gorgeous, and I love it, but I think the humidity is making it lose it's block :(

Grandma's Socks: I made my Grandma Gifford a pair of socks back in September 2008, back when I first learned how to make the things and was on a kick. Well, they got holes in them about a month ago because she wears them so much, and she asked for a new pair. Ask, and ye shall receive!

Cables for Tea: Made this last night, because I'm tired of scalding my hands on hot mugs. I memorized the cable after a single repeat.

Mom's Mittens: Yet another one I made before break, but I didn't post here for a good reason: they were a Christmas gift for Mom, and I couldn't post about them until after Christmas, because she reads the blog. Waaaay too small for my hands, but the fit her.

Dishcloth: ... ... ... What?! It's the only thing that can effectively clean the whiteboard on my door, OK?

Flour Amour: This one should look familiar too, as a believe this pattern is, two posts down? I love the things to death, and they keep my hands super-toasty! Still a little bummed that I just barely didn't have enough for mittens, but these worked out nicely (NOTE: if you make these, please consider yourself warned that they take days to block; stupid chunky cables...)

Laminaria: Promptly after making the Swallowtail, I made a Laminara shawlette, which seems to be holding the block better. They're both gorgeous, and I would love to knit some more lace, except I don't really know what to do with the two of them now (ignore the two unused hanks of laceweight in my stash... >.>)

That's it, for now. Expect a post-Olympic update in a week or so. I have to detail all my Olympic speed-knitting adventures! (and how I did it in the midst of test season)

Spiral Soap Scrubby

Yay for soap! Instead of a washcloth, loofah, or a bath poof, why not have a little bag for your soap that’s like a dishcloth on the round? Just stick your soap in, and scrub, generating lots and lots of suds for a nice, squeaky clean! You no longer have to get frustrated with the little slivers of soap that always seem to get lost and break: when the soap runs, out just open the bag and put a new bar in – it’s that simple!

Needles: US5/3.75mm; DPN, Circ, whatever you need to knit on the round
Yarn: Cheap Worsted Cotton (I used Lily Sugar ‘n Cream), around 50-75 yards
Gauge: 5sts/inch, in stockinette

Spiral Rib Pattern:
Round 1: *K2, P2* K2, P1
Round 2: P1 *K2, P2* K2
Round 3: P2 *K2, P2* K1
Round 4: K1, P2 *K2, P2*

CO 39 sts, join in a round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

Work pattern twice.

Next round:
Round 1: K2 *yo, P2tog, yo, SSK* P1

Continue with the pattern stitch, starting on a row two, until the whole scrubby is six inches long, ending on a row three.

Next round:
Round 4: K1, P2 *K2, P2* K2, P2tog

Arrange your stitches to graft (19 stitches on one needle, 19 on another, with the yarn at one end). Graft the bottom together. Weave in ends

For the i-cord tie:
CO 3 sts. Work i-cord for 14”

Thread i-cord through eyelets. Insert soap. Pull tight and tie. Enjoy!

Flou Amour

Flou Amour” is French for “Fuzzy Love” (at least, I think it is. I couldn’t remember for the life of me whether amour was one of the words where the adjective goes before or after, so I went with my gut). Why fuzzy love? For the wonderful 100% baby alpaca of the yarn of course! When I first went into my LYS, I came across this yarn, and knew I had to have it. As soon as I had the funds (college student budgets are not yarn-friendly), I picked up a skein. Now, what to do with it? I already had too many hats, and a cowl that simply gathers dust. So I went for mittens. Unfortunately, I ran out of yarn right after the thumb gusset on the second mitten. Therefore, the mittens were frogged, I divided the yarn into two, equal balls, and proceeded with these. For the sake of saving yarn, they have neither fingers nor thumbs (that’s right, there’s just a hole where the thumb goes through, no gusset). Designed to use exactly one skein of Misti Alpaca Chunky, with only a few yards extra, they keep your palms and wrists marvelously toasty!



Needles: One US8/5.00mm, 32” or longer circular needle for Magic Loop, or two US8/5.00mm circular needles for double circ method (you could also use DPN, but the pattern is written for ML or two circs), cable needle/spare DPN
Yarn: One skein Misti Alpaca Chunky, 108yds/100g
Gauge: 4.5sts/inch, 6 rows/inch in stockinette st

CO 38 sts
Join into round
1x1 rib for two rounds
Work pattern below on 1st needle three times, ending on a round 7 for the last repeat, and K on the 2nd needle.

Pattern (round)
Round 1: K1, P1, K3, P4, 6-st RC, P3, K1
Round 2: K1, P1, K3, P4, K6, P3, K1
Round 3: K1, P1, 5-st LPC, 5-st RPC, 5-st LPC, P1, K1
Rounds 4 and 6: K1, P3, K6, P4, K3, P1, K1
Round 5: K1, P3, 6-st LC, P4, K3, P1, K1
Round 7: K1, P1, 5-st RPC, 5-st LPC, 5-st RPC, P1, K1
Round 8: K1, P1, K3, P4, K6, P3, K1

5-st RPC: Sl 2 sts to cn and hold to back, k3, p2 from cn.
5-st LPC: Sl 3 sts to cn and hold to front, p2, k3 from cn.
6-st RC: Sl 3 sts to cn and hold to back, k3, k3 from cn.
6-st LC: Sl 3 sts to cn and hold to front, k3, k3 from cn.



Right Thumb
Work 8th round of pattern on 1st needle
K4sts, K2sts, use these last two sts to BO1, K to end of needle
Now you’re going to be working flat, but in magic loop at the same time. Make any sense?
Work pattern on 1st needle, K4 on 2nd needle, TURN, P4 on 2nd needle, work wrong side of pattern (see below) on 1st needle, P14 on the 2nd needle, TURN, K14 on 2nd needle. Repeat this 8 times.
Now, work pattern on 1st needle, K4 on 2nd needle, CO1, K14. You’re working on the round again!

Left Thumb
Work 8th round of pattern on 1st needle
K14sts, K2sts, use these last two sts to BO1, K to end of needle
Now you’re going to be working flat, but in magic loop at the same time. Make any sense?
Work pattern on 1st needle, K14 on 2nd needle, TURN, P14 on 2nd needle, work wrong side of pattern (see below) on 1st needle, P4 on 2nd needle, TURN, K4 on 2nd needle. Repeat this 8 times.
Now, work pattern on 1st needle, K14 on 2nd needle, CO1, K4. You’re working on the round again!


Pattern (flat)
Row 1 (RS): K1, P1, K3, P4, 6-st RC, P3, K1
Row 2: P1, K3, P6, K4, P3, K1, P1
Row 3: K1, P1, 5-st LPC, 5-st RPC, 5-st LPC, P1, K1
Rows 4 and 6: P1, K1, P3, K4, P6, K3, P1
Row 5: K1, P3, 6-st LC, P4, K3, P1, K1
Row 7: K1, P1, 5-st RPC, 5-st LPC, 5-st RPC, P1, K1
Row 8: P1, K3, P6, K4, P3, K1, P1Rep rows 1–8.

Cable Crossing remain the same as in pattern on the round

Post-Thumb
Finish current pattern repeat.
1x1 rib for one round
BO using Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretch Bind Off

Make sure to block so that the thumb edges lay flat instead of doing the standard stockinette curl. I suggest turning the glove inside out and being sure to pin down those edges to they lay flat.

Sixty Stitches

I've been knitting socks for over a year now. I started waaaaay back in August 2008 with a plain, white practice pair. I've knit about eight pairs total, all in worsted or DK weight on needles no smaller than threes. Now, I'm embarking on my first "true" socks: fingering weight, Knit Picks Stroll sock yarn on US1s. I've read all over Ravelry how pretty much most of the sock-knitting population's stitch count is around about sixty stitches.

Um... excuse me?

As I've been knitting socks, I've adjusted stitch count several times until I've finally found an ideal stitch count in worsted: 56 stitches (as seen in my newly-finished ski socks):


That's only four stitches less than the stitch count for sock in sock yarn for the rest of the population. Now, on my new, sock yarn socks, my stitch count is 84 stitches. A whole, whopping twenty four stitches more than the standard stitch count. This leaves me wondering, how in the world do people squeeze their feet into such tiny socks??!?! Sixty stitches only covers my first four toes, leaving my pinky dangling. Granted, I do have wide feet (and I mean super-double-extra-wide feet, thank you genetics), which is where the difference comes in.

However, this leaves me with a dilemma: most sock patterns are around this sixty stitch count, completely excluding me from the wonderful world of sock patterns unless I come up with my own. Bummer, because there are some really gorgeous socks out there. This is why I'm making it my mission to come up with some beautiful sock patterns myself for people with huge feet, like me! Sorry, narrow-footed people, but you're going to have to make some adjustments if you want my sock patterns.

On another note, my time has been eated up upon arriving home from Florida for the holidays. I thought I was going to have tons of time to sit in front of the TV and knit, just like the summer. Haha, WRONG! My time has mainly consisted of helping my dad out with finishing the basement. We're on the ceiling. In the past few days we've snapped chalk lines all around the three sub-rooms of the basement for ceiling height, and hung the border girders on the walls for the suspended ceiling. We're not quite done with that yet, but we need another 12' girder to finish, and we're car-less at the moment, so today we moved on to the girders in the middle of the ceiling! We're starting with the gym area. Hopefully we'll finish before Friday (aka Christmas), so when by brother gets a bunch of new video games, the Wii and the TV it's hooked up to won't be squished together with the couch, table, trunk, etc. and under a drop cloth, and he can play his games, and I can knit while watching him.

Oh, be on the lookout for a new pattern, entitled Flou Amour, coming soon. It's a fingerless mitt pattern for bulky, alpaca yarn. I've finished the first mitt, and I'm halfway through the second. As soon as I finish the second I'll take pics and release the pattern ;)