Tricotine

Summer Geisha Socks finished!!!

I gave myself a big tap in the back and I finally decided to make the Geisha Sister Sock using 2 circular needles.

Although I am not very fond of that method, I have to admit that my second sock looks nicer than the first one, made with 5 double pointed circular needles.

At first, I had ladders again but then, I modified the way I was inserting my right needle into the stitches on the left needle and it improved the problem quite nicely. I only ended up with a slight mark along the top of the foot and the sole, at the needle change place...

I am going to have to try that with my double pointed needles, it might solve my problem too...

[click on photo to enlarge]

I am glad I completed my pair of Summer Geisha Socks - I certainly would have felt defeated if I had not - but I don't think I will make socks with 2 circular needles again! Repeativly sliding stitches on needles is certainly not what I prefer, especially with my tight stitching that makes the thing even more difficult and painful...

But I will definitely use that method for knitting sleeves in the round as it still makes my stitches look more regular than with dbpns. I guess I still have a lot of practicing to do with my double pointed needles... but it is fine with me as I enjoy "juggling" with my 4 or 5 dbpns so much! :)

I don't think I will ever be knitting solid colors socks again either... I am going back to my beloved #2.5US flexible double pointed needles and Self-Striping sock yarn that hides the ladders right now!!!

Despite the struggling with the laddering, I love my Summer Geisha Socks and I am glad I finished them before the end of Project Spectrum April! :)

Talking about Project Spectrum, this is the last photo I will post for April, and the update to my previous post, the Tulip in my garden opened. Isn't it beautiful?

I am so ready for some GREEN Adventures and Discoveries in May! ;D

More Project Spectrum Fun!

Although it is not my favorite color, this month, I have been very inspired by YELLOW! :) April is almost over, but I still see YELLOW everywhere! In my kitchen, in my yard, in the street,... Just looking at this zesty picture makes me drool! LOL How about some Fresh Homemade Lemonade? With the nice weather coming back, I feel like eating Salads again. What is better than boiled eggs in a salad? Well, in fact I am a huge fan of boiled eggs! I always have some ready to been snacked on in my fridge... Besides, powdered egg shell is a really good source of calcium for plants and flowers in my yard... A tip from the Old Farmer's Almanach. How do you like my "Sun Egg"? The Pear is one of my favorites fruits. I especially enjoy the d'Anjou, the Comice, also called the Christmas Pear, and the Yellow Bartlett. The Bartlett Pear we know today in North America, is the same variety that is called the "Williams" in many other parts of the world. It was not until 1828, when new trees arrived from Europe, that it was realized that Bartlett and Williams Pears were one and the same. The photo here shows a Williams Pear and it looks looked so juicy that I couldn't help adding it to my Project Spectrum Yellow fun before eating it! Here is my favorite recipe with Pears. More recipes with Pears here Spring is finally here and our Forsythia is beautifully covered with bright yellow flowers! Here is a close up... And this is one of the (2) Tulips I discovered this morning in our garden! (The other one is Red) ;) I am not sure what specie it can be... Some kind of "Single Earlies", maybe Darwin or Darwinhybrid Tulips ... (?) I am not sure I get the subtility of the difference between the two... I didn't plant those Tulips (although I plan to learn how to)... That is why it was a complete but delightful surprise! All I know is that this Tulipa (latin name) - whatever its accurate denomination is - is perfectly in time and Project Spectrum spirited, and certainly made my day! :) Fan of Tulips? Join here, it is FREE!--- 

Now, this is less springy stuff, yet these signs "grow" on the side of our roads all year long! No matter what they have to say, they ARE YELLOW, aren't they? This one happens to stand right by my house! How could I miss it? Now, to close this April's Yellow stuff on a "funny" note (if I may say), a picture my DH came across while reading the news... It IS Yellow... Back to reality...

 

About Geisha Socks and SSS

My first Geisha Sock is finished and I am wondering about making the second one or not...

Don't get me wrong though, I am not giving up on that cool pattern!

I have to go showing off my socks in RI! (long story...) LOL

I have tried the sock on and it is really comfy with flip-flaps! Besides I like the funny look of these socks!

What bothers me - I mean REALLY, REALLY bothers me - is the ladders problem!

They are so visible, especially when the sock is stretched on the foot! And it happens to be one right on the top of the foot!

I tried to insert the working needle under the previous needle but it didn't change much...

Since it seems like I cannot get rid of them, I might as well accept ladders in my work and do with them. So, I am thinking about making my Geisha Socks with self-striping yarn.

I usually have no problem making the Sister Sock. In fact, this is only the second time - in 3 years I have been knitting socks - that I am experiencing SSS (Second Sock Syndrome).

This is what happened to # 1 back in 2003... Meet Mister Sock! LOL
(Photo on the left)

My Geisha Sock might take the same path and become Miss Sock! It certainly already has been adopted! LOL
(Photo on the right)

Well, in waiting to decide what it is going to be, I am having a little Funky Geisha Sock Dance...

... and some more Project Spectrum Fun!

Garter BBS finished + Geisha Socks

YELLOW... YELLOW... YELLOW! I keep knitting YELLOW for Project Spectrum and I almost run out all the YELLOW in my Stash! Not much ORANGE in there though... and since I am still on that "Yarn Diet"... You guessed it, I knit YELLOW! LOL

I finished the BBS for one of our niece's new baby!

I used Bernat Baby Coordinates, color Pale Yellow, and needles #6US. That made a 3-6 months size.

I also made a little Rib 1/1 Baby Hat I made up as I was going... 74 stitches cast on.

I am working on a pair of Geisha Summer Socks and I almost finished the first one! I am building the big toe right now.

Boy! I wish I was able to avoid those uggly ladders when I use double pointed needles!

They are pretty obvious on the top of the foot especially using solid color yarn... Aaargh!

Maybe I should only knit striped socks... At least, colors hide ladders a little.

I have tried every tip I know to try to get a uniform Stockinette Stitch texture: I thightened up the yarn at every needle change, I knitted with 5 dbpns instead of 4... but so far, what seems to work the best is knitting 2 stitches from the next needle on the previous one...

It still makes some little bumps but at least it is less noticeable that ladders!

The problem with that trick is that it confuses my count of stitches, making it more difficult to follow the pattern correclty...

I know they say "Practice makes perfect" but I have been knitting with dbpns for more than 3 years now and my technique in that department doesn't seem to be improving... [sighs]

Any suggestions?

April is Yellow/Orange!!!

In the Project Spectrum spirit, here is a photo of our Forsythia's first flowers of the season. As a matter of fact, these are the only flower blossoms in our yard at all... I guess, spring is always late in Maine... Bugs are certainly not late though... We already have trouble with Paper Wasps who seem to have elected our house as their favorite nest, and mosquitoes, ironically nicknamed "Maine State's Bird"! LOL Arrggh! I feel like I am going to miss winter real soon! But this is not the topic here... Project Spectrum... Yellow and Orange... Mmmh... Let's see... Oh, yeah! Paper Wasps are kind of orange/yellow, aren't they? My photos are not that good so this is a photo from the University of Nebraska - Department of Entomology. [Click on photo to enlarge] YEP! This is exactly what we have at home! YUCK!!! And it seems like we cannot get rid of them! The exterminator came twice, sprayed some insecticide and yet, they are still here! My 12 month-old has been stung once! Inside our house! Thankfully, she was only stung on her finger as she tried to take it out of her mouth! Like the Pediatrician said, "at least we know now that she is not allergic" but honestly, I would have rather found out another way! Now, back to Project Spectrum - April, here is another photo for the sameUniversity of Nebraska, full size this time. Now, don't my little friends look friendly? Well, they might be the Gardener's best friends, I prefer this little friend! I named the very Yellow Humbah from Boohbah! LOL

 

April 18th

Today, April 18th (because Easter fell on the 15th this year) is the official end of Tax Season 2006! WOOHOOO!!! Back to normal life! :)

I am still faithful to my commitment to Project Spectrum - in April, I knit Yellow and Orange - and to Stashalong as well.

That's right! I am on "yarn diet" for the whole month of April and I am proud to announce that I haven't been buying any yarn since April 1st!

Somehow, I managed to make all my April Projects out of my existing stash...

I don't pretend that temptation is not strong but as amazing as it sounds, I have resisted so far and hopefully I am going to keep it going that way at least to the end of the month!

 

Lacy Round Face Cloth

Still in the Project Spectrum spirit, here is the Lacy Round Face Cloth I am working on right now.

I am using Sugar N Cream worsted weight cotton and needles #7US.

I had to try that pattern! I was curious to see how this face cloth would build up, and I like it!

Amazing short row technique!

The Lacy Round Face Cloth finished!

Daisy SC - Finished!

I finished my Somewhat Cowl, Sexy Knitters Club's latest KAL Project! This is how it looks worn sexy (left) and casual way with jeans (right)... I blocked it (iron steam) and it took care of the scrunchy thing around the neckline. Making my SC with Bernat Baby Coordinates was just what I needed! My top already passed the washer/dryer test and it still look awesome! I love my new top!!! It is certainly going to be worn a lot this spring/summer! NOTA: Wendy Bernard's pattern update available here. (pdf)

 

Daisy SC - Almost there!

I finished the cowl neckline last night and this is how it looks! Not bad, huh? Especially if you consider that I knitted it with my weird circular needle... I like the way my Somewhat Cowl fits me (not too tight but not too loose) but I think this top is meant to be worn tight to look at its best...

 

Despite, what I had thought at first, I didn't need to shape the waist! If I had to make another one, I will probably make it the smallest size (34) although my bust measurement is 37". Just a thought. I would probably make the sleeves about an inch longer or so. 

 

I have to admit I was a little skeptical about that pattern at first, but I am really impressed by the way this top is turning out! Besides, Wendy, the Designer of the Somewhat Cowl, has been (and is still) great at following our Sexy Knitters' steps during the Sexy Knitters Group's KAL and providing us support and advice if needed! I already think about making another SC, smaller size this time... OK, back to my needles now! I need to finish the body of that Daisy SC!

 

HAPPY PASSOVER to those who celebrate! ;)

 

Daisy SC - Significant Progress

I finished my Somewhat Cowl's sleeves and I am pretty happy with the way they look after I made few decreases of my own! It gives the sleeve the little shaping I wanted.

I couldn't wait to start the cowl so I picked up the 180 sts around the neckline as instructed for the size I am making (34") and this is how it looks at about 4 inches out of 6...

I will finish the body later...

Of course, the circular needle is still on the cowl so it is difficult to say exactly how it is going to look at the end...

But I guess blocking will fix that "scrunchy" look, right?

I cannot wait to fold and sew that cowl, and see how it is going to be completely finished!

2 inches of ribbing 2/2 to go!!! pfff pfff