ripping out again

Each one of the mods that I undertook did exactly what I wanted. The cuff is more substantial and warmer, the wrist area fits well and the gusset is more generous and symmetrical. But somehow the glove is still leaving me uninspired. So I'm ripping it all out once more and putting the yarn back in the cupboard for now.

Instead, I'm casting on a new pair of socks. Soft Serve Socks were next in my queue, for whatever reason I can't seem to download the pattern correctly from KnitPicks. I'll have to spend some time on the 1-800 number tomorrow pursuing that with customer service. So Leyburn socks it is! Ever since I saw the pictures of these socks on the Yarn Harlot's blog, I've been keen to try them.

started and restarted

After trying on the mitt upon finishing the thumb gusset it was time to face facts. These Broad Street Mittens just weren't working for me. The cuff felt overly narrow, and the wrist, too bulky. No point carrying on that way, so, with a deep breath, I ripped it all out.

I'm trying again with some mods to address the fit problems. To begin with I've cast on a half dozen more stitches for the cuff and switched the ribbing to K4P2 so it doesn't bunch up so much. And I plan to knit 5 inches of cuff and then turn it up to form a doubled fabric. And then, we'll see. My track record for modifying patterns is not good, but what's the worst that can happen? I've already ripped it all out once!

less than 2gr left

Watching the scale flick between 1 gram and 2 grams as I weigh my left over yarn gives me a great deal of satisfaction. Very efficient use of yarn, eh? Knitting socks toe-up could become addictive for this reason alone. And now that I've had some success with a Turkish cast on I think I can finally stop avoiding toe-up patterns.

I've pulled out some gorgeous Lucy Neatby Celestial Merino for my first pair of Broad Street Mittens. It may seem like an overly luxurious choice but the scarlet colourway is calling me, especially after a week of knitting brown. This yarn was bought with someone in mind; so maybe that person will get mittens for Christmas!

finishing up Scylla Socks

Maybe a half dozen rows left to finish the heel flap, then the leg and the cuff. These Scylla socks are just flying off the needles! At this rate the second sock may be finished on my train trip home tonight. Just as well really, as I'm getting heartily sick of this colourway - too much yellow/orange/brown for me!

Add to that my urge to cast on for Street Knit. A bit of startitis maybe? I skimmed through the Ravelry database for patterns yesterday and determined that flip top mittens would be the most practical. My first pair will be these Broad Street Mittens from Knitty. They aren't what I planned yesterday - they're from sock weight yarn instead of the worsted I planned to use - but these look so very practical that I want to try them first. And there's really no danger of running out of sock yarn, is there?!

more knitting plans

When Jane inquired about local charities accepting knitted hats, scarves and mitts for the homeless, I recommended Street Knit. Which got me to thinking ... I should knit some hats and mitts for them as well. It'd be an ideal use for the various skeins of worsted weight in my stash!

Seems like I'm just tearing through the second Scylla sock! With just a day of knitting, I'm already nearing the gusset increases. I'd guess that these'll be finished by the weekend. Mittens next, I think!

And today is my SIL's birthday. I'll wish her a happy day, but, her family is taking her to the Ganong Chocolate Factory, so it should almost certainly be a great day! Hopefully she likes the hand-knitted socks that she unwrapped this morning!

Traveler's socks done

With my second Estonian Traveler's sock done, I'm officially finished the first pair of socks on my Christmas knitting list. Only 142 days left to Christmas eve! Sooooo many pairs of socks planned!

About this sock: the pattern is gorgeous and I'm definitely thinking of knitting it again. Or finding more Nancy Bush patterns to knit. If I knit it again, I'll knit the calf on larger needles and the ankle on smaller needles; that might just perfect the fit. Sheesh, did they ever take a lot of yarn, though! About 70 grams for each sock. But with over 60 grams left from the original two skeins, there's enough for a pair of ankle socks for me. Maybe that'll make giving this pair away a little easier?

Scylla sock update

One thing about long drives - there's plenty of time to knit. And Scylla is perfect for knitting on the go. The pattern is easily memorized, especially if you've ever made a pair of Newfie mitts. It's almost the same! The pattern uses slipped stitches and yarn wraps to break up the colour stripes in handpainted yarn. Quite a clever way to make difficult colourways shine!

More good news? It's only taken 23 grams or so to knit the foot including the heel, leaving me with about 10 grams to knit the leg. It won't be mid-calf, but it'll work out to something more than an ankle sock. Although I don't usually like knitting toe-up, I am really enjoying knitting confidently to use up every last gram. As well, the heel is very nice in this pattern and could be easily adjusted for a higher instep. Great pattern!