(no subject)

[bunrab]

I finished reading The Dwarves of Whiskey Island and I put a review of it on Amazon.com if anyone wants to go take a look at that.

Today's mail brings these magazines:
Time
Science News
this week's New Yorker
Consumer Reports
PC
Rider
That should use up the rest of the evening.

And now I have learned how to do a Channel Island cast-on, which produces a picot-like edge that blends into a ribbed cuff on socks better than a regular long-tail cast-on does. Next month's sock session will be on heels.

And now I am about to tea. Twining's Lady Grey.

Comments

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

I really need to learn to knit properly. There are so many cool self-patterning sock yarns out there.

[bunrab.livejournal.com]

Hey, something you can knit NOW with self-patterning sock yarn:
Wrist warmers (make 2)
Knit a square 6" by 6" in garter stitch. (Size 2 or 3 needles are recommended for this; even though they're so small, though, since this is simple it works up fast.)
Put beginning and ending edges (cast-on and bind-off) together, and sew seam as follows:
From one end, sew one inch of edges together. Fasten off. Leave a one to 1.5 inch area unseamed - this is the thumb hole - and sew the remaining 3.5 to 4" together down to the bottom.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to get better patterning out of the self-striping yarn, instead of all garter stitch, do the following:
Cast on however many stitches it takes toget a gauge of 6". Then knit as follows:
First 8 stitches of *every* row: knit. Last 8 stitches of *every* row, knit. In between those stitches, do stockinette stitch - that is, knit on even numbered rows, purl on odd numbered rows.
This will give you a garter stitch edge at the top and bottom of your warmers that looks like ribbing and keeps the piece from curling at the edge, while inbetween the garter edges, you have the stockinette stitch that shows off the self-patterning yarn better than garter stitch does.

Try it! I'm making you a pair of wrist warmers anyway, and a shawl, along with your afghan, just to last you till you have time to do your own, and wool scarves for you and Rob, just until you have time to make them - hey, I have a lot of yarn cluttering up this place that I need to do SOMETHING with. But once you've made one pair of wrist-warmers yourself, you'll want to make zillions.

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

I think I need to pick up a book on it first, as I'm still barely comfortable with the very first basic stitch you taught me, and only fuzzily remember casting on/casting off. Once I've picked up a nice pictorial guide I can carry around with me again, I shall try those!

[momily.livejournal.com]

I wish the next sock lesson would be "Socks for REAL DUMB BEGINNERS" or, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the DP Needles."

[bunrab.livejournal.com]

I took a class this summer in making socks using 12" circular needles instead of DPs - you only need DPs for the toe, the last few rows. Makes it SO much simpler!

[momily.livejournal.com]

I need to find a class like that. Circular needles don't intimidate me at all. I own several nice sets of DPs but have never used them.