it's bigger on the inside

Thinking way back in my childhood I can remember my older brother lying under the dining room table ignoring the scratchy texture of the jute rug, to watch Dr. Who on our old B&W TV. I didn't watch. Maybe I was too young to understand it, or maybe it was too odd and too foreign, but he was a fan, even way back when.

So when I saw this pattern for Tardis socks, I thought perfect and hilarious; perfectly hilarious even. While he shakes his head and ponders the unbelievable fact that I have never watched this show, Gavin remarks that the blue yarn should be a bluer, more saturated colour. From what I've seen online he's right, but I chose this more muted blue because it shows the black and white details more clearly. On a darker navy blue yarn the black all but disappeared.

Truthfully, Gavin's really not all that surprised to learn that I've never seen a Dr. Who episode; apparently there are huge gaps in my film and TV viewing that need to be addressed. We've watched Young Frankenstein which was a must after I stared blankly at his impression of Inspector Kemp and his mechanical arm. Blazing Saddles was rented when I failed to recognize any of the memorable scenes or quotes from that classic. And then when I admitted I'd never watched a Clint Eastwood movie, didn't know who Lee Marvin was, or ever watched Cat Ballou ... uh oh. We did watch the American version of The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo on the weekend and concluded that, other than the soundtrack, the original Swedish movies were better in every respect. Sorry Daniel Craig, even you couldn't save that movie.

Year of Projects: Santa Fe 03

Knitting on the Road: Canada • Canal du Midi • Conwy • Dalarna • Denmark • Friday Harbor • Hiiumaa • Huron Mountain • New England • The Road to Oslo • Santa Fe • Spey Valley • Christmas in Tallinn • Traveler's Stockings • Uinta Cabin • Unst • Whitby

Why yes, my toes really are long and pointy. Although, I suspect that the angle from which this photo was taken has exaggerated them somewhat. But never mind about that, let's look at the socks!

These Santa Fe socks - or Canada Post socks as I've come to think of them -  are done. They're not my most-favourite-ever, but I did learn some very handy things with these socks. I really like this double start double thread cast on. It's a nice change from a ribbed cuff. For these socks I knit the colourwork panels on larger needles; I'm very pleased with how that worked out. And I'm pleased with those little bands of colourwork around the feet; they give these socks a little something extra, don't they?

I'll be on the Road to Oslo next. This next pattern is a short pair of boot socks knit on 3.25mm and 3.5mm needles ... shouldn't take any time at all! Maybe later today I'll have a look through the stash to pick yarn for these. Now we're off to enjoy the warmer temps and the sunshine. I'll catch up with everyone later today!

the Knitter's Frolic

These buttons followed me home from the Knitter's Frolic this morning. Jessie picks up fallen branches at her woodlot in Essex County and creates these fabulous buttons and other treasures. As well as these squarish buttons, I also picked up a handful of round twig buttons. I just love them! I wonder if the branches around here would make nearly as interesting buttons as these?!

I guess you won't be surprised to hear that some yarn followed me home too. From the Knit Café I picked up four different mini-skeins of Koigu PPPM. They're running a contest looking for grand ideas of what to do with mini skeins. I'll have to put on my thinking cap to see what I can come up with! And from Shelridge Farm I picked up 5 skeins of superwash wool in navy blue; I've signed up for a KAL of this (W)rapped pullover starting May 1st, so I'm ready to go on that.

Other than those few things, I kept my wallet in my bag. There was certainly lots of temptation but I didn't want to have to confess to overdoing when I post my update for the Surmount the Stash challenge. Looks like the yarn diet is working pretty well!

FO: Baby Bobbi Bear

I'm calling him finished, this Baby Bobbi Bear, but I still may go back and embroider that nose. I tried embroidering it twice this morning but ripped out both attempts. Too loose and the embroidery threads hang, too tight and the nose becomes lumpy, and then there's the impossibility of making a perfect triangle ... aargh. I've cut a nose from felt and glued it to his face, figuring if/when I try embroidering again it will give me a template and provide a firmer canvas for the stitches.

As I mentioned before the fabric is a bit thinner than I would like, and as a result the white stuffing shows through in several places. I'm considering washing and drying this little bear to see if that helps. What do you think? It's superwash wool. Would it felt up a bit? Or shrink a bit? If I knit this bear again I'd definitely use smaller needles than suggested for a denser knit fabric.

It's been an education in picking up stitches, making this little bear. After finishing his arms the first time I peered more closely at the pattern photo to detect that line of selvedge stitches from his armpit to his shoulder. Mine didn't look as tidy as that, so I ripped out to do it again. I wasn't sure how the ears would work, but I'm happy with them now that they're done. Having those columns of decreases at the side of the head certainly helps to keep them lined up squarely!

Hopefully sometime today I'll have a chance to knit this little sweater for him. I think he looks a bit bare (bear?) as is, and I like the idea of adding another colour to break up all that periwinkle blue.

FO: GAP-tastic Cowl

I've made this GAP-tastic cowl to use up whatever remained of the bulky yarn for Jackie's cowls and headbands - Cascade Yarn's Lana Grande in a mushroom-y brown. It's peruvian highland wool, so it's soft, warm and lofty; perfect for a cowl like this.

The pattern is written for bulky yarn, so using super bulky yarn I decreased the number of stitches to 111 from 131. Besides, Jackie's quite petite and a number of Ravelers found the finished cowl as written too big, so I thought I'd better err on the side of smaller. Now that it's been blocked, I think that's the right decision. The cowl loops twice around the neck; to make it tight at the neck you could tighten up the inner loop.

You should also know that the pattern directions ask you to knit for 15 inches however I knit until the yarn ran out and wound up with a 10 inch cowl. Again, many Ravelers shortened their cowls too because they found it was getting too wide. I'm okay with it as is, but I think I might have liked it a couple of inches wider. If I did it again I'd aim for 12 inches, particularly if it were intended for someone as tall as me.

Overall I'm very happy with this cowl. The simple stitch pattern worked in bulky yarn makes a really pleasing, comforting fabric. Almost makes me nostalgic for winter weather.

FO: Sylvan Star Washcloth

Last night I was in the mood to make something quick and easy. Not socks. And not anything in bulky brown wool. Okay then, a dishcloth I thought. Here's the one I chose: Sylvan Star Washcloth. Boy was that ever quick and easy; I've already made two!

For the first one (shown) I followed the pattern directions exactly. The result is 10" wide from point to point. For the second one I omitted rounds six and seven, to finish with a cloth that's 7" wide from point to point. I think I may make a third omitting just round seven to end up sized between the other two. Then I could gift them as a set of three, right?

It's crocheted from some dishcloth cotton in my stash. A couple of years ago at the tent sale at the Spinrite factory outlet I came across bags of unlabelled natural dishcloth cotton for really cheap and I went a bit overboard. Okay, okay ... a lot overboard. As a result knitting or crocheting dishcloths is a really good idea if I want to work through my stash. Three Sylvan Star dishcloths are a good start.

Year of Projects - 02 Santa Fe

Knitting on the Road: Canada • Canal du Midi • Conwy • Dalarna • Denmark • Friday Harbor • Hiiumaa • Huron Mountain • New England • The Road to Oslo • Santa Fe • Spey Valley • Christmas in Tallinn • Traveler's Stockings • Uinta Cabin • Unst • Whitby

My first Santa Fe sock fits, and here's why:

• I increased the number of stitches for the cuff to 70 sts
• I worked the colourwork section of the cuff on 2.5mm needles and then switched to smaller 2.0mm needles for the rest of the leg and cuff
• I decreased 1 st at the end of needle 1 and the beginning of needle 4 every 5th round until 60 sts

With those mods the sock fits perfectly, and if I decide to go back and reattempt the Christmas in Tallinn socks I should do all those same things. Looks like I'll complete the last few patterns in the book Knitting on the Road well ahead of my Year of Projects deadline of end of June, so I might just do that. That unfinished, unloved sock is a blot that can now be satisfactorily corrected. 

Getting back to this Santa Fe pattern, the cuff begins with a double-start double thread cast on and then a few rounds of garter stitch. It's a nice change from ribbing and it doesn't seem at all inclined to curl. It might be a nice option for other garment edges, I thought, as I worked it. Maybe I'll try it on a simple vest next.