Selbu! Selbu!

Knit with Colinette Jitterbug, Elephant's Daydream & Vatican Pie

Joining the ranks of bloggers near and far, I have knit myself a Selbu Modern. It is such a beautiful pattern, and it's written so cleanly and clearly. And, most unbelievably, it's free.

I didn't have a 10" plate for blocking, as the pattern suggests, but it turned out fine, of course. It really does look better modeled on a head, but it's a birthday gift for my sister-in-law and it's not her birthday yet!

This was a really fun knit. And I'm pretty proud of myself because I am a die-hard thrower who learned Continental just for this hat! I still prefer my English, but the two-handed certainly made this a quick knit.

Cast on? Magic. Results? Not so much.

Every now and then, I get this idea that I need to try something new, get out of my knitting comfort zone. And this "something new" is almost always knitting socks toe-up with a short-row heel. What you see above is the result of my most recent attempt, but what you can't see in the photo is that the most recent attempt has been ripped the hell out.

I am strictly a top-down, heel-flap, "knit for length of foot minus two inches, then begin toe shaping" kind of gal, and from this point forward, I vow to remember that. There's really no reason to turn my favorite thing to knit into something that is not fun at all.

What, doesn't everybody go a year between blog posts?

Meet my Elm Row. Inspired by another knitter involved in the Sundara Lace Knit and Crochet Along on Ravelry, I knit mine in sock yarn, as opposed to the lace that the pattern is written for. I got 32 repeats out of my skein (Sundara sock yarn, in the Limited Edition Rhubarb Crisp colorway), and my blocked scarf measures 46" long. I really wish I had remembered to take a picture of the scarf before blocking, too, because it was such a transformation.

Here's a close-up:


Speaking of Sundara sock yarn, I got my Seasons club mailing on Friday afternoon and, armed with the Autumn colorway, my trusty new swift and ballwinder, immediately set to work. The end result?

The pattern, Dahlia, was from Sundara's Petals Club and is not commercially available. I had been searching for a yarn that I thought would do justice to the pattern, and this one - Roasted Persimmon over Green Papaya - does.

Pattern: Baby Sweater on 2 Needles, Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac
Yarn: Knitpicks Swish DK in Hollyberry, 2 full balls and a tiny bit of a third
Needles: Susan Bates US 6
Buttons: 3 for .97 at Hancock Fabrics
Start to Finish: I ran out of yarn in the middle and had to wait for more, but it probably took me a week to knit this, all told.

I love this pattern! I was definitely singing a different tune as I was trying to decipher the pithy directions, but after my third attempt at knitting this thing, I finally got it right. This was my first EZ project, and while none of her other designs have really grabbed me like this did, I'm certainly open to knitting more of her stuff, and I'll definitely be knitting this sweater again.

My only modification was in changing the placement of the buttons. I thought the sweater would look cuter with them all at the top like that (and, if I'm being honest, I didn't want to have to keep track of buttonhole placement the whole time).

In any event, I'm quite pleased with the finished product, and with myself. We may all die of cute when the baby for whom this is intended, grows large enough to wear it.

Two FOs for the price of one

Pattern: Basic Ribbed Socks
Yarn: Vesper Sock Yarn in Neapolitan
Needles: Brittany, US size 2
Started: July 14, 2007
Finished: July 23, 2007

To say I was underwhelmed by these socks is an understatement. The problem is not the pattern, which I've knit before and find enjoyable enough, but the yarn. See how inconsistent the dye is, especially in the brown stripes? The quality is definitely not what I was expecting. These socks are a Christmas gift, and I know the recipient will probably find the distressed look charming, but I don't.

I am, however, a fan of the Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch 'n Bitch. A family friend is expecting a baby in the fall, so this will be for her. Here it is, lovingly modeled by a statue of Buddha. Who knew his head and that of a newborn are roughly the same size?

Pattern: Umbilical Cord Hat
Yarn: RYC Silk Wool DK
Needles: Random circs and Daisy DPNs, US size 7
Started: July 20, 2007
Finished: July 21, 2007

I started the hat in between picking up my wristband for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and going back to pick up the actual book, and then finished it after I finished the book. The yarn is absolutely edible, and it was a nice distraction from both the Vesper and the end-of-Harry-Potter blues.

Oh, and something a little fun: my coffee table! Pictured along with the socks are: a library book about knitting for dogs, some waste yarn, a squirt bottle for reigning in our unruly cats, my current WIP, and the framed version of the picture up on this blog.

Dumbledore likes looking at knitting patterns, and I do, too.

Oh, I had big plans to finish the socks I'm working on before the last Harry Potter book comes out tonight, but that's not going to happen. I finished the first sock last weekend, but I just can't get myself motivated to work on the second one. I haven't even turned the heel yet. My main problem is the yarn. Prior to my order, I'd heard nothing but great things about the Vesper sock yarn, but the skein I'm currently using is really muddy and I am less than impressed. I'm thinking it's just a fluke, and haven't yet played with the second skein (different colorway), but it's difficult to get excited about knitting with what I've got.

And now, two questions:

Has anyone taken knitting on an airplane lately? What did they allow you to bring onboard? I've read the guidelines online but a first-hand account would make me feel a bit better about what I pack in my carry-on and what I check with my luggage.

How in the world to you reply to comments on Blogger? As far as I can tell, there's no way to do it. Can this really be the case?

FO: 9 to 5 socks

Pattern: 9 to 5 socks by Nicole Hindes
Yarn: ShibuiKnits sock, Wasabi colorway
Needles: Clover Takumi, US size 1
Started: June 29, 2007
Finished: July 12, 2007

I love this pattern! The faux-cable is beautiful and so simple to work. It's definitely one of those instances where I found myself knitting "just one more repetition" to see another piece of the pattern unfold.

The Shibui yarn was so easy to work with. Nice stretch to the yarn, soft as can be in the hand, no splitting EVER. Also fun was how the variegated colors spiral around and make tiger stripes on the foot of the sock.

I have plans to knit this sock again at least three more times for various gifts and such, and next time I will do as the pattern suggests and use a US size 1.5 needle. The store where I purchased this yarn didn't have any 1.5s in stock, and I didn't want to wait to start knitting, so I used my 1s. They worked fine, but the socks are just a tad more snug than I would like. That doesn't bother me, necessarily, except I'd prefer gifting socks that weren't as snug.

My dachshund is also a fan of the finished objects. (See socks, shoes, collar; I seem to be going through a green phase!)