Just Warming Up

It’s actually somewhat more sunny today and I woke up in a room that was 16.5 C. Much warmer than yesterday and the house is 19 C. too so my shower was warmer than it has been for the last few days. Much happier Damselfly! However, it’s still supposed to be somewhat changeable so I’m not expecting this to last. At least they aren’t calling for further cold temps. I can handle some rain. Occasionally. Saves me from watering the garden, such as it is. But I draw the line when I need to cuddle up in a blanket to watch TV. In summer.

Back to the saga of trip to Alberta. Today I’ll keep it crafty. I completed my Tulip socks on the second day out:

Tulip Lace Socks


Begun: May 21, 2007
Completed: June 10, 2007

Yarn: Meilenweit Mega Boots Stretch Softcolor, 70% wool/23% polyamide/7% Elité, colour 504 (muted reds), 1/100g ball.
Needles: Clover Takumi bamboo 5” dpns, 2mm
Pattern: Modified from Red Leaf Lace Socks by Judy Sumner (Knoxsox Designs) from INKnitters Winter 2003. Tulpen (tulip) lace pattern originally from “Omas Strickgeheimmisse” (Grandma’s Knitting Secrets).

Comments:
I liked this lace pattern (don’t ask me why they called it “Red Leaf Lace” in the mag), but first I had to chart it out. It was easy to memorise and I didn’t need to check the chart at all after the first repeat. Sorry the photo shows the tulips upside down though that’s the way they look from my end! I followed the pattern except that I used 2mm needles instead of the 2.5 mm recommended for the lace part. I probably should have listened better because the lace is somewhat tighter over the instep than I would like due to the tilting stitches and slight bit of ribbing. (That's how a broke a needle when I tried a sock on!) I made the leg one repeat longer than specified. After the heel turn and completing the pattern repeat I continued on the foot as I usually would since I didn’t have the pattern with me when we were camping. The written one was pretty similar but the toe is a bit more rounded.

Notice in the photo that the two socks nearly match but that the colour progression in one is upside down! I started one from the wrong end when I wound the yarn into two balls. On the right sock the colour transition after the heel turn is a bit abrupt but that kind of thing is rather hard to predict ahead of time. I’m going to make another pair (with an extra pattern repeat to widen it) for my daughter since she liked these ones so much. I already have another ball of the same yarn ready to go after I finish her hubby’s Boring Black Birthday Socks.

As a matter of fact, I began the Boring Black Birthday socks right after kitchenering the toes of the Tulip Socks. They are merely my standard plain socks on 72 sts. I’m at the heel turns on both socks. Too boring even to photograph in process.

Also while I was traveling I managed to get some work done on the Fern Leaf Lace Skinny Scarf knitted in the leftovers from the Cherry Leaf Shawl. It’s over a metre long now:


And I finally got over my need to check the chart every 5 seconds and making mistakes every other row. This pattern just didn’t penetrate my head very well so it took well over a foot of knitting before it clicked. I did discover that lace doesn’t make for good traveling knitting — I have to look at what I’m doing and just can’t get the needle in the proper place for the double decreases when being jostled as the van drove. So it’s back to plain socks for that. I know the fern leaves will look quite different when the thing gets blocked out but I’m liking the combination of a little lace and the straight, almost geometric sides. I do love a long skinny scarf that I can wind around my neck several times.

And I almost forgot! Wilfred the Wildfibre Moose won a prize at the conference! For Best Interpretation of the Theme “Wild Fibres” but it was unfortunately a tie with another guild (sorry I don’t remember which at the moment). If you can remember back to when he was nekkid, here he is in all his handsome glory:


My legwarmer that I knitted him is the one on his left front leg. The left rear one was knitted by the patrons and staff at Three Bags Full, one of our LYS, and the other two were whipped up on Janice’s knitting machine. Those are felt flowers in his mouth. The rest of him and his field of flowers consists of weaving, knitting and felting (and even basketry antlers) by our Vancouver guild members. I think he turned out great thanks to the very talented Diana and Beryl and their helpers especially Kirsten and Cathie. Congrats!


Next time I'll show you some more fabulous BC and Alberta scenery.