Sunday, March 19, 2017

Year of Projects 6: Week 38


It was three weeks ago that I apologized about the week getting away from me. Looks like an entire month has gotten away from me. Yeah, not enough hours in the day!

Fingers crossed that there's a light at the end of the tunnel though! Looks to me like I'm starting to catch up on several fronts.

On the knitting front, Gavin's Crest socks are finally done and they are awesome!!! I cast on the first sock in April of last year. It doesn't usually take me this long to make socks but I struggled with these. For much of the time these went in and out of hibernation simply because the pattern is so chart-y and attention-intensive. Not good work knitting. Not good travel or commuter knitting. Not good TV knitting. Not good stress-relief knitting. And then for the last few weeks I tried to kid myself that I could knit the second sock while binge watching Netflix which resulted in at least three major tink-backs to fix wherever I'd gone off the rails. And isn't it typical that I won't learn my lesson from the first setback, or even the second!!! Apparently I AM that delusional!

The Artfil Belle yarn was a gift from Frieda at Restless Needles. It's a gorgeous tonal blue green that made me think of water, so it was the perfect choice for a wavy pattern like Crest. It's got a lovely soft feel to it and was an absolute pleasure to knit. I was going to run short so I supplemented by working alternate rows with a similar colourway of Red Sock Blue Sock Basic sock yarn on the foot from the end of the gusset decreases to the beginning of the toe box - you can see it in the photo. It's a much rougher, thinner and more unevenly textured yarn. It's not an awful mismatch and it was the best I could do. I finished the socks with just a couple of yards leftover so supplementing was definitely necessary. Here's hoping that the mismatch is less obvious after a couple of washes and wears.

So this morning I find myself with nothing on my needles. Okay, to be perfectly honest Willow Ware socks are languishing in hibernation but they're staying in hibernation until I am fully retired because of its crazy intarsia charts. My plan had been to cast on Twisted Flower socks in a blue colour of CoBaSi sock yarn for the March KAL in the SolidSocks group on Ravelry but I don't think that's going to happen. There is absolutely no chance that I'll start and finish them in time to participate in the KAL - my schedule is improving but it's not that wide open! And after all those tinks and reknits on Crest I'm not particularly keen to start another chart-y and attention-intensive pattern. Mostly I feel like casting on another fairly vanilla sock with the leftover Red Sock Blue Sock sock yarn which is already caked, so that's what I'm going to do. Albert de Moncerf, I think!

Tomorrow's the first day of spring and I CANNOT WAIT! I hope the snow's behind us because I want to garden!! Happy Sunday everyone!

7 comments:

Wanderingcatstudio said...

If you hadn't pointed out the yarn supplement, I'd never have known. You really can't see it in the pictures.

I'm with you on Spring. I bought MORE seeds, and a gnome home... and... safe gardening is still weeks away!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful FO! I like the motion of the stitch pattern and they of course fit his feet so well.

Sam I Am...... said...

I think you must be the World's Greatest Sock Knitter! I can't even make vanilla socks anymore...is this what old age does to a person...I'm regressing in every area! LOL!
Gavin's socks are beautiful and how you matched that yarn I will never know...you are amazing! Since when do you call a pattern like that Count of Monte Cristo pattern...vanilla? Really? Are you serious? You are way over my head when it comes to knitting and especially socks but I must say I am proud to know you! I hope your week isn't quite so busy so you have time to relax and knit!

Becki said...

That green-blue yarn is beautiful and IS perfect for that stitch pattern. You are a sock knitter extraordinaire! I'm in awe and love seeing what you create whenever you post!

Breathing Life said...

Yay for Spring. I had a nice walk by the seashore today with my husband and son and it was a balmy 11 degrees celsius. Hoo Hoo.

Your socks are gorgeous but I can see why tinking would be necessary while binge watching netflix. Well done getting them finished.

Anonymous said...

I love the pattern on those socks! Very handsome.

Lucy Bowen said...

I love those socks. I definitely can't see any mismatch in the photo and I'm sure Gavin will love them anyway. Well done on the finish, I hope you get into the garden.