Sunday, August 08, 2010

Now with more Fur!

Nothing much happening around here today. I've been listening to Scottish radio and watching British TV on the computer while knitting on a simple garter stitch scarf made from a ball of handspun. The fiber is what I cleaned off of the drum carder and tossed into a pot; lots of angora bits, some silk and some wool and all different colors. As I spun, I just grabbed the next piece that my hand found, and then I navaho plied it in order to have a foot or two of each color in the yarn. It has a wonderful hand and is prettier than the photo shows.



I started the scarf after growing weary of the stained glass socks, which seem to progress like molasses flowing uphill. One thing to remark upon was turning the heel using two colors, and instead of purling, knitting backwards. Quite the feat of concentration, and I am sure I made a few mistakes, but I am still quite proud of myself. I have now picked up the stitches at the gussets, in two colors (alternating every stitch) and have continued the spiral pattern across the instep.



Oh, and yeah. I knit just over 3/4 of the pattern and the sock was already 6" tall, and after trying it on, I determined that it would go no higher on my leg, so I stopped right right where I was and made the heel. This was after some dithering about whether I should rip back to a better spot or not, and I finally decided that I'd just soldier onward. I'm going to keep the instep in pattern, reversing once I am at the end of the chart, and do the sole in the alternating the color every stitch regime. No matter what, they will be remarkable and warm socks.