Ta Daa

••DRUM ROLL PLEASE••

My Icarus Shawl is finally complete. It took me 13 days less than a year but I finally did it!!! You can also take a look at Icarus in my gallery of finished objects.

Here she is pre-blocking.

Scooter is giving her "tail" of approval...

Blocking

Blocking close-up

Fashion Line-Up

THE DETAILS
Pattern: Icarus Shawl, by Miriam Felton
Source: Summer 2006 issue of Interweave Knits
Date: Cast On - 05.19.06 // Cast Off - 05.06.07
Yarn: KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud, Autumn (2+ skeins)
Needles: Size 3 US (3.25mm), Inox Grey circular needles, 32"
Pattern Notes: 5 repeats of chart 1
Dimensions: 72" wide across the top; 35" from top center to bottom point; 50" along the sides

Edging Left To Go

After 58,407 stitches, Icarus is 95% complete.
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All 4 charts are done.
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There are only have 5 rows of the edging left to knit.
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Then there's blocking.
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Then she's done.

90% Complete

As the heading states, I am 90% complete --

-- on Icarus.

It's now taking about a half hour to complete each row. I completed 2 rows at lunch today, sitting outside under the beautiful sunny blue skies of Northern California. What a delight. Then I had to go back to work.

I have 7 rows left of chart 4 and 5 rows of the edging and then I will be finished with the knitting. So, that's 12 rows at a minumum of 30 minutes each, or at least 6 more hours of knitting. And because the stitch count increases with every other row, I'll probably be up to 45 minutes or even an hour per row once I am on the edging. I would estimate probably another 8 to 10 hours total on the shawl. Then, of course, it needs to get blocked. I think I am still looking at a few more weeks, with sock knitting added in here & there. I cast on for Icarus May 19, 2006, which means I have just enough time (I think) to complete it before the year marker hits me in the head. I have 22 days to knit 12 rows & block. I think I can manage that -- or so you would think. BUT - only time will tell.

A First Look

Look what came in the mail yesterday...

April Rockin' Sock Club kit

I'll have to hurry up and finish my Chocolate Cherry Socks before I cast on, though.

And on that note...

I decided to go with a garter stitch short row heel for the Chocolate Cherry socks. My first experience with the short row heel was with the February Rockin' Sock Club kit (although from the toe-up) so I decided to try it again to see how it compared to my "normal" way of the heel turn, flap & gusset. I'm using 60% of the total stitches for the heel (38 sts). The short row heel is certainly easier, as it does not require picking up any gusset stitches (which I find to be the most stressful part of the sock). HOWEVER, the short row heel does take careful counting as I do find it kind of difficult to distinguish the wrapped stitches. I'll know more how I like this heel once the socks are completed and I am actually wearing them. One good thing to note is that the construction is the same whether you are knitting from the toe-up or in this case, from the cuff down with this particular heel. I think I may also do a short row garter stitch toe so that the toe and heel match.

side view of short row heel

front view of short row heel

****************THE STATS SO FAR***************

Source: Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch
Pattern: Elongated Corded Rib
Yarn: Meilenweit Multiringel by Lana grossa
Date: Cast On 04.10.07
Method: Cuff Down; 2 socks on 1 needle - Magic Loop; Garter Stitch Short Row Heel
Needle: Addi Turbo, size 1 (2.5mm) 40"
Foot Note #1-Cast On: 64 stitches
Foot Note #2-Cuff: K2, P2 rib; 15 rnds
Foot Note #3-Leg: 6 rpts, elongated corded rib; 48 rnds
Foot Note #4-Heel: Short Row Garter Stitch, 60% of the total stitches; 38 stitches

Chocolate Cherry Socks

Chocolate covered cherries - that's what this yarn looks like. Sooooo - I thereby dub thee my Chocolate Cherry Socks. Yum!

CO=64 sts; K2, P2 rib cuff (3 rnds complete)

I decided to go with the elongated corded rib pattern from Charlene Schurch's book, Sensational Knitted Socks. I'm using Meilenweit Multiringel by Lana Grossa. It's fingering weight, 80% wool/20% polyamide. And yes, it's superwash, so this pair won't end up too small for my already tiny feet. As usual, they are cuff down, 2S1C, MagicLoop, Size 1 US (2.5mm) 40" Addi's {although I may switch to 47"}.

I am going to use this..





...for the SwallowTail Shawl. It's 100% Silk lace weight yarn by Claudia Hand Painted Yarns. It's called Silk Lace - Earth.

Travel Knitting

We are taking a "road trip" so I'll need some travel knitting. That means I'm going to start a new pair of socks. I'm either going to knit the elongated corded rib pattern from Charlene Schurch's book, Sensational Knitted Socks, or I'm going to knit Horcrux from the April 2007 Six Socks KAL. I have not decided yet. Here's a link and another one to a pair I knit previously using the elongated corded rib pattern. I loved this pair, but they were 100% non-washable wool, and you guessed it - they got machine washed and proceeded to shrink and shrink and shrink (and felt....). They got donated to charity.

Here's the yarn I'm going to use (& the potential book).



This is what Horcrux looks like. (The photo is a download from the Six Socks KAL web site).




I don't think I'll finish up Icarus before we leave, so I'll work on her as well while we are away, and I intend to start a new shawl, too - the Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark.

Inside Out Socks are COMPLETE

My Inside Out Socks are complete!!!! (I have to say - I like the "wrong" side best). You can also view them here.

****************THE STATS***************

Source: Rockin' Sock Club - February 2007
Pattern: Inside Out Socks by Kaci Kyler Hays
Yarn: Socks That Rock, Monsoon, Medium Weight (Sport Wt)
Date: Cast On 03.07.07; Cast Off 04.08.07
Method: Toe-Up; Short Row Toe; Magic 8 Cast On; Short Row Heel; 2 socks on 1 needle - Magic Loop
Needle - Toe: Addi Turbo, size 0 (2.0mm) 40"
Needle - Foot: Addi Turbo, started with size 000 (1.5mm) 40" but changed to 47"
Foot Note #1-Foot: Approx. 69 rows for foot
Needle - Heel: Addi Turbo, size 0 (2.0mm), 47"
Foot Note #2-Leg: Completed 42 rows of leg/cable pattern (size 0, 20.0mm) - a little too snug pulling on over heel; otherwise fit is good; however, decided to frog & go with size 1 (2.5mm)
Needle - Leg: Addi Turbo, size 1 (2.5mm), 47"
Foot Note #3-Leg: 65 rows cable pattern (leg)

The "Right" Side

Right Side // Wrong Side

Wrong Side // Right Side

Picture updates

Here are some progress pics of my Inside Out socks. They are still at row 61 of the cable pattern of the leg. My inspector, the ever-so-cute Jazz-Purr, was out in full force today giving me his approval on the work completed so far.













My Icarus Shawl is now 77% complete. I finished chart 3 and now just need to begin chart 4. After that, the edging is all that remains.

Quick Update

I have no new pictures to share but thought I'd give a quick update anyway.

I am just about complete with my Inside Out Socks. Changing to US size 1 (2.5mm) really did the trick in loosening up the leg just enough to get it comfortably over my heel. I now just need to decide how tall I want my socks. I can either just go another 4 rows of the cable pattern (65 rows total) to put me at about 6" for the cuff or I can go 14 more rows (75 total rows of the cable pattern). I'm fairly certain I'll have enough yarn - it's just a question of length. Typically, I like my socks on the shorter side. I'll just see how I feel once I finish row 65.

I actually would have been finished over a week ago, but I've been working on my Icarus Shawl exclusively. I'm in the middle of chart 3 which puts me at about 75% complete. I'm at the point now where it takes 15 to 20 minutes just to complete 1 row.

I'll post progress pictures within the next couple of days (maybe!).

Frogs Legs & Other Delicacies

Well - I had to take a trip to the frog pond with my Inside Out Socks. The cable pattern on the leg is just too tight of a pattern. I initially used size 0 (2.0mm) CN's, but pulling the socks over my heels is a bit tough. I can get the sock on and it fits well - it's just getting it on that's the problem. I kind of have to pull the heel to get the sock all the way on. It works, but I'd rather have an easier time of putting the sock on & off. I'm going to try a size 1 (2.5mm). I hope this doesn't leave the sock too loose on my leg. That is a possibility, because with the smaller needles, once I managed to get the sock on, the fit was perfect. I'll never know, though, until I try.

I had actually knit 42 rows of the cable pattern before I decided to frog. That was almost the complete sock (and two at that!). Oh, well, I'm more of a process knitter anyway, so I don't mind doing it all over again.

Here are a few pictures before my socks went RIBIT:

Progress Report

*****Progress on my Inside Out Socks*****

Here, I'm about two thirds of the way through the foot. I'm using size 000 (1.5mm) Addi Turbo's, 47". I started out using the 40" length but with such tiny needles, I needed to go to the longer length to work the Magic Loop easier.



In this picture, I'm just about finished with the foot. The goal here is to end at about 1.75" before the back of the heel.



The heel is finally complete. I knit about 69 rows for the foot and then started the heel. I switched back to size 0's (2.0mm), still using a 47" length. It's actually quite interesting the way the heel takes shape using the short row technique. And there's no need to worry about picking up gusset stitches!! Knitting these socks from the toe up has been a lot fun and a great learning experience. I am really enjoying knitting something in a manner entirely differently than what I am used to.




Here's a view of one heel complete next to the other sock "in waiting."




*****Progress on my Icarus Shawl*****

Icarus is moving along quite nicely, as well (about 55% complete). I've pretty much decided to go with just 5 repeats of chart 1, although I still have a few more rows to go before I make a final decision. I do think the shawl will be big enough, though, without the 6th repeat.

Inside Out!

The name of the pattern is Inside Out and it is designed by Kaci Kyler Hays. The yarn is Socks That Rock Yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in the colorway Monsoon. It's the first edition of the 2007 Rockin' Sock Club. This is my first foray into knitting toe-up socks. I've wanted to try toe-ups, but have been kind of intimidated by the thought of it. I know how to knit cuff down, I really enjoy it, and I think I am pretty capable of knitting any type of sock from the cuff down. So if that formula works, why fool with it? To coin an old phrase: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Well, forget that. I love trying new things with my knitting. I enjoy teaching myself different techniques and taking on new challenges, so why not try toe-up socks? The perfect opporunity came with the Rockin' Sock Club's first kit for this year. And so far, I'm not disappointed. Here are the toes, short rows and all.




And true to form, I am knitting these both at the same time using the Magic Loop method - 2 socks on one circular needle. I'm using Addi Turbo's. For the toes, I used size 0 (2.0mm), 40". The pattern instructions called for a crochet provisional cast on, but I prefer using the magic 8 method. In that way, my extra stitches are already on a needle and therefore very easy to pick up and begin kintting.

Cleo came by and gave me her official meow of approval.



I'm now about 13 rows into the foot of my socks. I'm using size 000 (1.5mm), 40" Addi Turbo's. (The pattern was written for a size 10 foot and I'm only a 5 1/2, so I am using smaller needles). You may not be able to tell from the pictures below, but the pattern on the instep is slightly different from the pattern on the sole.

Instep

Sole

Needless to say, I have not knit Icarus for a few days. I may work on her a little bit tonight. I am making slow, but forward, progress on her, so that's a good thing. I'm up to row 150, which is not quite half way through the 5th repeat of chart 1. I still haven't decided whether or not I'll go for the 6th repeat. I'm 42% complete if I stick with just 5 repeats & 35% complete if I go with 6 repeats.

Rockin' Sock Club

Stay tuned for updates regarding this:



I'm back to knitting socks - this time a toe-up pair. I'll try to post some progress pictures this weekend. I'm using the magic loop method, 2 socks at once.

I also am still working on Icarus. I'm on the 5th repeat of chart 1, although I haven't decided yet whether or not I'll go for the 6th repeat.

The checkerboard afghan is still on the back burner. I probably won't pick that up again until at least this current pair of socks & the Icarus shawl are complete.