Author: knitter

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Changing Needle Sizes

wisper_swatch

I’ve been contemplating the Whisper Rib Sock design. The sock is sized for a woman’s foot so I need to adjust it to fit Lily’s small foot (child size 10/11). I don’t want to mess with the stitch design so I’ve been knitting swatches using various needle sizes. The pattern specifies a size 1 needle with no mention of the metric size, which is one of my top knitting peeves. Size 1 means nothing to me since I have size 1 needles that are 2.5mm and others that are 2.25mm.

The top swatch was knit with a size 2mm needle and the bottom one was knit with a size 1.5mm needle. The size 1.5mm needle will gives the right sized sock (6.5 inches) but makes a very stiff and tight fabric. I’ve decided to use the 2.0mm needle, which will make the sock a little larger then desired, but I’m sure she’ll grow into them.

The orange loops (tiny rubber bands) on the bottom swatch are markers that indicate where the center lace panel is worked. I ran across these “hot markers” on Countrywool‘s website. I think they are rubber bands that kids wear on braces.

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Lily’s Favorite Color

It’s time to add a small project  to my “In Progress” list since it is getting a little difficult to work on the sweater during my bus commute.

When I ordered the yarn for my Latvian mittens last summer from The Wooly West I also ordered a sock pattern called Whisper Rib and Shepard’s Lace Socks by Anne Carroll.  I’ve been thinking about making Lily a pair of pink lace socks for a while so I’ll try to adapt this pattern to fit her. Like almost ever other little girl that I know, Lily loves pink so I’ve selected Shepherd Sock Yarn in Pink Blossom from Lorna’s Laces.

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This summer I knit her a pair of striped socks, which have now become her favorites. The other day her mother mentioned that she likes to display the socks by wearing them with her “mary jane” shoes.

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New Year’s Resolution

My new year’s resolution is to get my summer 2003 vacation project done.

latvian mittens

Hey, that was easy. Here it is.

I’ve noticed that my knitting tension relaxed while working on the second mitten. Next time that I make a pair of mittens or socks, I’ll knit both at the same time to avoid this problem.

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Tripping

Sunday night I tripped over the cord to my modem and broke the USB connector. Now that I have a new modem, I’ll be more careful not to keep computer cords strung around the dining room.

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I noticed that purlwise got mentioned on livejournal knitting community yesterday. I’m still trying to figure out what livejournal is and how it is being used. By coincidence, last week I stumbled upon advanced knit community for the first time. I like their slogan, “We know that stockinette curls”.

I was having trouble with the edges of my sweater so I took a couple of clips off the refrigerator to keep it tame while I snapped a picture. Afterwards, I went ahead and transferred the stitches to two circular needles so that I could accurately measure the width of the sweater. When it was on one circular, the loop wouldn’t lay flat which made it difficult to measure close to the needle. It looks like the sweater isn’t going to be wide enough so I’m calculating where to add more increases.

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Spin & Knit

One of my Christmas wishes came true.

spinoff_sweater.jpg

This Spin-Off Anniversary Sweater is the latest entry in “to do” list.

Now that I actually have the fiber, I realize how impractical it would be to spin this on a hand spindle. I’m considering taking a class to learn how to spin on a wheel. I found one that will allow students to take the wheel home between classes. That might give me some time to spin this fiber and see if I really do want a wheel.