September 25, 2006
Last Year It Was Cloud Hats, This Year It's...
Remember how I said that I was going to knit Avalanche Vests until my ears bleed? Ta-da!
All knit with Avalanche yarn, the ones on the left and right knit in the original colors, the vest in the middle knit from the cream-colored yarn that was subjected to a liberal trowelling-on of grape Kool-Aid.
The buttons I found for the red vest had a look, feel and matte color so identical to that of the yarn that it was as if someone had taken some of the yarn and processed it through a magical Buttonator, for reals. It’s hard to tell from this picture but, in the real world, if you squinched your eyes while looking at the vest, you wouldn’t even be able to see the buttons, they blend so well. As Stephanie would say, very "matchy matchy."
And I think these sophisticated yet earthy silver buttons give the purple vest a little je ne sais quois:
I did discover while knitting Vest #3 that I need to make some modifications to the pattern—not errata, more clarificata, if you will. However, this does not seem to have stopped our Robbyn from putting the pattern through its paces! I am so thrilled!
I also learned this weekend that I’ve completely lost my sock mojo. I’ve knit, what, 30 pairs of socks? Meet #31, otherwise known as the Sock That Has Kicked My Glutes from Here to the Galapagos and Back.
Other than the change in color, do you notice anything strange or unusual or complicated about this sock? Anything? No? That’s because there isn’t anything strange or unusual or complicated about this sock. It uses the old vanilla formula of cuff, heel, heel turn, gusset stitches, gusset, foot, toe, and my old tried and true pattern, Evelyn Clark’s Railroad Rib, which I have knit three or four times prior.
I’m firmly convinced that the sock has become a sentient being and hates me with a vicious, blind hate, like something from one of the tackier episodes of the original Star Trek. It’s the kind of sock that you put down oh-so-gently and pick up oh-so-gently, only to discover that ten stitches have escaped from the microscopic needle and have run six rows down just for the hell of it; the type of sock which develops a problem in the middle of the gusset which somehow forces you to frog all the way back to the beginning of the heel; the type of sock which makes you pick up 15 stitches on one side of the heel and 19 on the other and not notice until much, much later. And the sock is determined to drag both me and TMK down to the ninth circle of hell because this is the Koigu (now Koigu and Lorna’s Laces) sock I promised TMK I would make her to compensate her for the fact that I spent 110% of last year’s knitting time on Dulaan. Having watched me struggle with the sock until I was spitting, swearing, foaming at the mouth and clawing at my cheeks, she has been reduced to cringing in her chair and whispering guiltily at me across the living room, “Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa.” Tragic, this, all of it. But as God is my witness, I will prevail, even if I have to clamp the sock into a vise grip to do it.
P.S. If you need a good laugh, take a gander at this entry from knit-blogger Erika who recently moved into a new abode.
P.S. "The Sock That Has Kicked My Glutes from Here to the Galapagos and Back" has given Ryan such a hard time, that it actually had me apologizing to Ryan for having two feet since she still has another whole sock to knit. ;-)
Posted by: The Mysterious K on September 25, 2006 01:56 PMThis is true. TMK did indeed apologize to me for having two feet. See how insidious this sock is? We're almost talking mind control here.
Posted by: Ryan on September 25, 2006 02:08 PMOH MY BUDDAH. My heart has nearly stopped at the sweetness that is the (well, sort of) clothesline of vests in that picture. I wanna do that, I wanna do that!!!!!
Posted by: Norma on September 25, 2006 02:27 PMNorma, if it helps any, each vest only takes about seven hours to knit (although I haven't clocked it exactly). As I never get tired of telling people, the armhole ribbing and the buttonband/collarband all go like this: Pick up the stitches, knit one round, knit a second, cast off. 'Struth, it takes longer to pick up the stitches for than it takes to knit and cast off!
Posted by: Ryan on September 25, 2006 02:34 PMThose are Pretty Damn Cute(tm). I like, I like. I may have to add sleeves to the pattern someday so I can avoid those 80s flashbacks from when I liked to ensconce my own bodacious tatas in man-suit-vests. Warning: tatas and vests don't go together well.
Good luck with that sock thing. You had best put it in some locking receptacle lest it crawl out in the night and come after you, dropping its stitches all the way.
Carrie, you DO realize those vests are designed for 3-4-year olds? They won't be ensconcing anything even faintly bodacious ta-ta-like.
Posted by: Ryan on September 25, 2006 03:05 PMI think your sock must be related to my beaded scarf. I decided to teach missfancypantsbeadythang a lesson....I put it in a cookie jar, am very seriously considering canibalizing the beads for jewelry, and cast on for dulaan mittens instead. Tough love.
Posted by: marylee on September 25, 2006 03:09 PMIt's not like TMK hasn't got any other Koigu socks to wear in the meantime...Mary B
Posted by: Mary B on September 25, 2006 03:18 PMMaryB: You are not wrong. I wore the aforementioned Koigu socks every cold, damp day last week. TMK
Posted by: The Mysterious K on September 25, 2006 03:28 PMHow true, how true, MaryB, and, in fact, TMK was wearing her other, much more well-behaved Koigu socks last night while all of this drama was going on. She DID tell me, after she received her other, much more well-behaved Koigu socks, that now I didn't need to knit my pair but the stitches were already on the needles and the damage was done. And now, quite simply, I have to win.
Posted by: Ryan on September 25, 2006 03:32 PMI am not a knitter having only made one item thus far...so when I see something as pretty as this sock...I just want to give credit where it's due!!
Beautiful colors!!
Now wish me luck...I'm planning on making some felted catnip toys for my local shelter!!
Posted by: shelleyginger on September 25, 2006 03:33 PMRyan - that line of vests is the cutest thing ever :) Nice and warm! Nice colors too :)
Posted by: Robbyn on September 25, 2006 03:43 PMNo question, Ryan, there's something going on with that sock. It may be jealousy. . .
Hey -- if you can get one of the sewing-type people to take a look at the appropriate patterns for fleece pants (yes, I know extra layers and windproofing are best, but hell, any pants = better than no pants!) and recommend a couple of the Simplicity/Butterick/McCall's type patterns, I bet a lot of us lapsed home ec types would give it a shot. . .
Thanks for the avalanche vest -- I have some monster Bartlett bulky purchased for a since-repented-of project, and I think it's going to be just the way to get rid of it.
Posted by: Elizabeth D on September 25, 2006 03:44 PMWell, sweetie, if you're thinking of finishing those socks as "winning," you are doomed. They will continue to misbehave,and the second sock, when you finally get there will be more troublesome than the first.
You have to sneak up on this project and tell yourself (and the sock, very loudly) that you don't care if they ever get done, and it's of no consequence to you or TMK because she really doesn't need them, and you'll find that they will IMMEDIATELY cooperate and hell, they'll practically knit themselves.
You see, Koigu has supernatural power. It has a brain. It knows what you are thinking. Powerful shit, that Koigu.
Mary B
Posted by: Mary B on September 25, 2006 03:46 PMNorma? I forgot to mention something. The Koigu I'm using for the troublesome socks is the Koigu YOU gave me. Coincidence? I think not.
Posted by: Ryan on September 25, 2006 03:51 PMThose vests! So! Cute! So cute. Also, I think "The Sock that has Kicked Etc." and this sock that I'm grudgingly working on now are evil twins. Mine is a pretty basic sock as well. Used this pattern a few times, I have. But never have I despised a sock so daggone much. The dropped stitches, the one round of stitches that appears to be a completely different gauge than the rest of the sock, the way it snarls at me from the top of the bookcase, mocking me. I'd just throw it out, but it's the second sock, darn it. (Ha! Darn it! I so did not mean that, but I'm leaving it!) Anyway, it's good to know that I am not alone in fighting an evil sock.
Posted by: Julie on September 25, 2006 03:52 PMClarificata? bwahaha!
Posted by: CarolineF on September 26, 2006 05:46 AMComing out of lurking to give you this: http://www.littlebellesoakers.com/doodlepantspattern.html it's a free pattern for wool pants. It's written for worsted 5 sts/inch, and they're in baby sizes, up to a 23" waist/12.5" inseam. I'm certain that avalanche yarn would yield pants big enough for toddlers & young children.
Posted by: jen on September 26, 2006 09:27 AMOh SURE, BLAME IT ON POOR OLE' ME!! Everybody blames EVERYTHING on me. Nobody loves me. I'm just gonna go in the corner and EAT WORMS. LOL
Tell me.....do you think if I triple-strand worsted, I'd get about the right weight of that yarn? I need to make some of those vests. Or maybe double-strand Lamb's Pride Bulky? I do realize you have given a gauge there...I'm just being lazy. Must be I can find some fun colors around here to use.... I just love the brightness of your colors. They are just as cute as the dickens.
Posted by: Norma on September 26, 2006 12:54 PMHeh, thanks! (Psst, Norma - 2.5 st/inch, triple-stranded worsted should get you close.)
By the way, I bow to your much greater expertise. How the heck do I get a fire to, you know, make heat? I get enough heat that you wouldn't want to touch the woodstove - but not so much that you could actually boil water on it.
(Last night I tried making cocoa by putting a mug of cold milk atop the stove when it was at its hottest. After 15 minutes, the milk had gone from "cold" to "between cold and tepid." I gave up and drank it anyway.)
Posted by: Erika on September 26, 2006 07:12 PMLove that photo of those little vests! They look so cozy and warm, that wonderful handknit-with- love look no machine can duplicate. I can't wait to try one after finishing 1 last lingering old project. And what fun looking for cute buttons will be!
Thanks for giving so many a wonderful opportunity to help others by knitting and then providing an easy pattern, too!
The vests all in a row are adorable. I can't wait to see pictures of them on little ones.
Posted by: Becca on September 27, 2006 09:40 PMClarificata!!!!! Love it! I'm totally stealing that one.
I see a stripey vest in my future. xox Kay
Posted by: Kay on September 28, 2006 12:53 PM