New Projects

Out of the blue, I decided to start on my first sock last week. I was in between projects for about a day, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. I've finished knitting my Fuzzy Feet and they just need to be felted and they were pretty much like knitting giant socks so I figured I could handle a real one. I've had some Bernat Sox in my stash for quite some time so I pulled it out and decided to follow the pattern on the label (which you almost need a magnifying glass to read). The size is a Child's, but my feet are pretty small and even if they don't fit I can frame them or something. I think the colors are very pretty, all stripy and such, but do I hope this sock knitting thing grows on me. Knitters go on and on about knitting socks and some rarely knit anything else, but so far I don't find it quite as enthralling. First of all, I don't especially like dpns, I tend to really slow down when I'm using them and I have trouble with ladders, no matter how tightly I pull the yarn. I guess I can try the 2 circular thing, but somehow I don't think I'll care for that either. Secondly, I'm using size 3 needles and it seems to take forever to get an inch. Anyway I digress, it actually is progressing pretty well seeing as how I've finished turning the heel on the sock and I only left a small hole on one side. The photo is out of focus, but you get the idea.

I swore that I was going to finish the Candle Flame shawl before I started on Lady Eleanor and I intended to do just that. At this point the only thing I need to knit is the border, then I can block it and it will be finished. I put all 300+ stitches on a lifeline (checking several times to make sure I did have all of the stitches), pulled it off the needles and held it up to get a sense of how big it is going to be. I started putting the stitches back on the needle the next day, when lo and behold, I discover 2 or 3 dropped stitches! I've gotten much, much better at correcting mistakes in the past year, even in complicated patterns, and I wasn't afraid to play around with the dropped stitches. I tried different ways to re-incorporate them, but it wasn't working. I decided to look at it again in a few days and in the meantime my Kureyon arrived and I couldn't stop myself from casting on yet again.

Lady E looked a mess after the backward loop cast on and the first few rows, but she's maturing rapidly and has completely stolen my heart. There were a couple of mistakes in the first row that I'm too lazy to correct, but I figure most people won't see them anyway and I like to think a few imperfections make her more "real". In the photo she looks more like a purse, but that's just because of the circular needles. I might do an entrelac bag in the future though. I went with color 124 because there were limited choices in the WEBS closeout. Several other knit bloggers have used this color and it is mighty pretty. When I am sitting in my house this Winter all wrapped up in my jewel-encrusted Lady E, I will envision myself strolling the drafty stone corridors of a walled castle city. Can you tell I'm enchanted? This is after one skein (I have 10 in all), isn't she lovely?