# What are you working on? April 2015



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

During the last week I have calmed my mind and spirit by spinning a decadent new sock yarn.

I should get 2 fairly similar socks, with long color changes.
Now I need to decide on a pattern. 



















I am also working this pair of toes-up socks.
They have been my back-up project for when I cant sit at the wheel any more each night.
I don't normally love to do them this way, but I want to use every bit of this purple yarn up. 













What about everyone else? 
What are you making in between all your other springtime chores?


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## susang (Sep 28, 2014)

Only one pair of socks, rarely do I only have one knitting project. If course I have two or three quilts in various stages. I think spring just keeps calling me outside.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Just the softest sweater I've ever had on the needles.....

4-5 strands Cascade alpaca/merino 70/30, 4-5 strands various mohair, one strand sport weight wool.

Crazy soft, almost like angora.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Your sweater sounds nice. 
A bit heavy maybe, but hard to tell from the pic. 
I would think that getting the sleeve length right would be a trick with that much weight?
Looking forward to seeing it further along.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

I love GAM's sock yarn...my favorite colors! As for the Forerunner sweater, oh my it looks positively divine. He can rock those heavy sweaters! I found a 100% Cashmere sweater at the 99 Cent thrift store sale some weeks back. I just couldn't bear to take apart that thick warm cozy sweater...such luxury for a buck! 

I am still spinning away...really trying to finish the fleece I have~! Over 80 skeins into this with another bin and a half of fleece to card then spin. I did wash my fleece and then I spun the easiest part without carding....the Icelandic was dreamy cloud light in my fingers. Then I scored a mohair fleece from AverageJo and that....was wonderful fun...done with that, then I got some Angora carded roulags and I am on the end of that and found this crazy soft amazing roving...just a few ounces so I spun that next into a pearly white yarn. So now I have to card up the remaining Icelandic and hope I can card out the tiny bits of VM that are difficult to get out...I did knit a few head bands, crocheted several roses to pin on scarves and one lace scarf out of the most delicate pink soft wool yarn, crocheted a ten snowflake ornaments and made several pairs of bent wire and crystal earrings for orders... That about covers the past 6 weeks.

Oops, forgot about the all the yarn I dyed with the coffee, cranberrry, strawberry, blueberry and wine dyes I made. It was my handspun yarn I used to do it with though. So I had my first yarn dyeing adventure.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

gone-a-milkin said:


> Your sweater sounds nice.
> A bit heavy maybe, but hard to tell from the pic.
> I would think that getting the sleeve length right would be a trick with that much weight?
> Looking forward to seeing it further along.


Believe me, I've made heavier...... :whistlin:

I have been paying particular attention to gauge, to take full advantage of the fiber character, so the drape on this one, though still characteristically chunky, is umm, special ?

Sleeve length has come to be somewhat of a snap.
I start thinking about cuff ribbing around 17 inches from the shoulder seam.
That measurement will generally coincide with approximately 35 rounds of knitting, depending on fiber and needle size.
For a while, everything was on 19s.
I have actually found that a size 17 makes what is, to me, a perfect sweater gauge and thickness.
On a smallish (for me) sweater, or....if I'm setting up for a rolled cuff, that 17 inches does it. For a bit longer sleeve, not rolled, 18-19 inches is good, and 20 inches makes a sleeve cuff that wants to gently swallow most of the hand, and some of the fingers, too. 
Of course, the last adjustment is made with the length of the ribbing on the cuff.
I've rather settled on 7 rounds of ribbing, either k1p1 or k2p2, and then bind off on round 8.
Some fiber combos knit up so that it works better to bind off at 7....some at 9.
For a rolled cuff, 18-24 rounds ribbing seems to work best, depending on the fiber combo and fit preference.

I hope none of that sounded too much like a pattern!!


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Finished......

.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I finished grafting the toes on these ones this morning.
They are just a simple 'waffle' stitch pattern (k2,p2* for 2 rounds, knit all for 2 rounds).
Nothing fancy, but sometimes fancy is more than I can really manage. :teehee:

View attachment 46662


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

.........says one of the fanciest sock knitters of all time.


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

Beautiful socks, GAM. Love the colors, and for being 'simple' the pattern sure does look impressive.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Since it just seems to want to rain lately
I have taken advantage of it to spin another skein of sock yarn in the last couple days.
This one is SW merino and 25% tencel for shine and strength.
View attachment 46804


I am trying to do something other than concrete porch shots,
so here is what is happening inside one of my repurposed enamelware planters.
Too many marigolds and strangely the Johnny Jump-ups are coming up later.
Its weird because the ones in the sidewalk cracks (and the lawn) are blooming already.

View attachment 46805


View attachment 46806


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

So YOU'RE hogging all the rain.....

Cast on for the knit version of fishnet tights, (honeycomb cable stitch) in mauve.

Size 15 circs, 6 sport wool/alpaca strands and one mohair.

Gunna be somethin' special, I'm thinkin'.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Making progress.....one leg down, second cast on.

.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Just be sure to remember that tights are not pants.

View attachment 46848


View attachment 46847


View attachment 46846


View attachment 46849


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Absolutely!!


Eats my lunch whenever somebody calls my tights "pants".......

The nerve.

:indif:


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

Still working on my Barn Sweater. It is going much faster than I thought it would; figured it would probably take me until nearly Fall to get it done; but I finished the body last night and started on one of the sleeves all ready!


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Kris, your sweater is coming along nicely. 
I like the pockets too. 
What kind of yarn is that?
I really like the tweedy look of it.


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

GAM, the yarn is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes worsted. The colorway is forest heather. I chose it because I wanted the sweater to have kind of a tweedy look. I am totally loving how it is working out.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Last call for April.....

Say, wonders never cease.

Of all things, I've finally discovered my default mitten setting.



.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Uh-huh......


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

When it rains, it pours......


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

Forerunner said:


> Finished......
> 
> .


LOL! Surely, your motto is "GO BIG OR GO HOME!"


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Well, yeah....... Go big, go fluffy and go mohair.....or go home, to be more specific.


:grin:


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I will admit that fashion absolutely confounds me.
Putting tassels on the fingertips and thumbs of mittens just strikes me as an absurdity. :teehee:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

They tell me........GAM, old buddy.......that I am an _editorial_ knitter.

Now, yes, I did have to ask what was "editorial".......


:whistlin:


.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Finished these socks a couple days back.








Getting rolling on my Avocado sweater, or at least I think so. 
Still early days and I reserve the right to rip it all out the moment it upsets me.
So far, so good. :angel:


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Forerunner said:


> They tell me........GAM, old buddy.......that I am an _editorial_ knitter.
> 
> Now, yes, I did have to ask what was "editorial".......
> 
> ...


LOL! I guess I walked right into that one.
:heh:


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## commonthistle (Oct 13, 2014)

Just finished three projects while on vacation! A sweater for myself (called The Pink Nightmare), a shawl, and a lacy scarf for a gift exchange. As soon as they come out of the self-blocking pile, I'll get pictures!
Started a new little lacy bit of a shawl, so far have started it four times...


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