WIP Wednesday 1/11/2012

I'm getting some knitting squeezed into my day.

I'm making good progress on the orange baby aran. The back is almost done. The orange is looking a lot brighter to me knit up than it did just in the skein.

I also started a shrug for Knit Wits. At the meeting last week I fell madly in love with a mint green fur yarn with sparkles in it. I decided to bring it home and do something with it. I'm starting with some plain off white acrylic, doubled, for a ribbed cuff. I'm doing it in the round so I don't have to sew it up later.

I think I'll do 5 inches for the cuff, then see how far I can make the fur go using big size 15 needles and a drop stitch pattern. I've got 3 balls of the stuff, 82 yards per ball. I should be able to make that work. This will be my brainless portable project.

I am also working on the BRS sock for my friend Ray.

I've had an interesting time with this design. As you'll remember, I chose a slip stitch pattern because it would look great with the variegation of the yarn. Slip stitch patterns, in general, tend to make a fabric that is wider and shorter than fabric done in stockinette stitch. It can be vastly different in gauge despite the same number of stitches and rows knitted. I wasn't sure if that would happen with this particular pattern, but I suspected it would. The only way to really find out was to start knitting.

This is another one of those stitch patterns that can't be reversed, so the socks are being knit from the toe up. After getting the toe done, I started with stockinette stitch for the sole and the slip stitch pattern for the instep (top of foot). When the slip stitch side was 3.5 centimeters long from the toe there was a very visible puckered look to the sole. I measured it and it was 4.5 centimeters long instead of 3.5. That is quite a difference for so short a distance. So I tinked back to the toe and I'm doing the whole foot in stockinette stitch. I'll put the slip stitch pattern on the leg.

We haven't had any more new snow, but it's been cold enough that what we have isn't melting much during the day. Watching Cable play in the snow is very entertaining. She LOVES it. She rolls around in it, frolics in it, lays in it-on her back and on her tummy, and even eats it. I'd say that's the Husky in her

.

If you're interested in participating in WIP Wednesday, please join us.

Live long and prosper. \\//