Kids' knitting

During the Hurricane on Sunday, Fintan started this hat. He actually finished it on Tuesday. The bottom section is a skein of Noro that he picked out at the yarn shop--good taste, I have to say. The top skein is some Malabrigo worsted someone sent me recently that just happens to work colorwise. He kept saying "I like knitting!" and "Look at my hat!" He started a second hat today, working with the malabrigo and another partial skein of malabrigo in a green similar to the green in this hat. Somehow he managed to knit these yarns at 4 stitches an inch on size 6 US needles. Needless to say, this hat is for Dad. We cut the stitch count by 20 for the second hat.


And today Sophia learned the bind-off I use for lace and blocked her first shawl. The pattern is Multnomah--easy enough, even though it appears to have some mathematical errors. The yarn is mini mochi--2 skeins. She did a beautiful job. She still has to work on cleaning up after herself and putting my tools away if she hopes to block another shawl in the future.

Soviet period Lithuanian raglan

Sample sweater--almost there

Bumblebees

They're done. These are the Bumblebee Socks knit in Wollmeise 100% merino sock yarn. My first pair of toe-up socks. I had to make quite a few adjustments to help the socks fit the recipient. I should know in about a week whether it worked. I used a smaller needle for about an inch and a half at the ankles, since this person has narrow ankles, and I worked in an extra 8 stitches toward the top, because the recipient let me know that handknit socks tend to fall down around the ankles, and I think that could be because her socks aren't big enough at the top.

As I was knitting, the fabric was nice and flat, and I worked hard to keep the held yarn long enough in back, but it's clear from the sock on the left that as the work relaxed the fabric really puckered. This was new to me, and I attribute it to the yarn's being superwash--it was able to slip as it relaxed. However, when I blocked the socks they kept their shape perfectly well.


My major concern with the pattern is the colorwork around the heel, which really restricts the elasticity of the socks. They should be a perfect fit, but will require some attention getting the sock to slide over the heel. Other than that, this is a really fun pattern to work. The stripes in the bees take advantage of the variegated yarn, so that was easy to achieve.

works in progress

Rock Island Cast on, and misc.

one done, one in progress

This is the beginning of a sample knit I'm working up. The yarn is Plymouth Galway.





And this is a hoodie I finished up last night, just in time for Fintan's birthday tomorrow. The yarn is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in Natural, Charcoal Heather, and my favorite, Prairie Fire.

Sockies, again

Progress on the first bumblebee sock.

And these are done!