2010 in numbers

A year ago when I summarised 2009 in numbers, I hoped 2010 would be a year of finishing. Don’t think it was. Maybe the year of socks, since I finished three pairs of socks. In doing so I doubled the number of knitted socks I’ve made so far.

2010 in numbers

FOs: 8

Frogged: 1

 

Started: 12

 

WIPs as of end of 2010: 15

 

Maybe not so much goals, but hopes for the new year.  I’m hoping to reduce the number of WIPs again this year. I’m hoping to try something new and that I will have time to knit at all. The something new I see in my near future is using beads and I hope to try a project with steeks (Scary!).

 

Progress

It’s been awhile since I’ve used my blocking puzzle. I just laid out my cardigan without to much effort to get it to size. Once dried I have to weave in some ends and then I have a new FO.

 

Last FO of 2010

So I joined my first mystery KAL. I started late but for the fourth and last clue I had caught up. It was Stephanie van der Linden’s advent calendar. She posted a clue on the Friday before each advent weekend and shared bits of the holiday spirit with us on each day up to Christmas.

Pattern: Gaudete by Stephanie van der Linden (Ravelry)

Yarn: 22 grams left from 2 balls of Drops Fabel in coulorway 105, dyelot 8180,  turquoise

Needles: 2.25 mm circular for  two at a time magic loop

Size: 38 wide

Started: December 3 2010

Finished: December 19 2010

Notes: Well written pattern. Laying it out flat it really has the same shape as a foot, which is probably why it fits superbly. Just as a reminder, I should not knit socks in December and use 2.0 mm needles. Why? Well, I used the 2.0 mm needle for picking up stitches for the hem and just as in December 2009 I put my hand on it and it snapped. Maybe I can put the two broken ones together and make one whole???

 

Dissertation defence

Five years of hard work has finally come to an end. On Friday morning it was time for my dissertation defence. I passed and now our home is filled with beautiful flowers.

I also got a wonderfully wrapped present from my lovely friends L & A. Yes, they are knitters .

Part of the decoration was two cones of Bart & Francis Shantung Yaspee in the SY 713 colourway. I spent quite some time yesterday browsing Ravelry for a suitable project and my fingers are itching to cast on for at least a swatch. But I’m gonna be strong and finish two WIPs first.

Inside was a wool winder. Usually I just put the skein around my neck to not waste time winding a ball by hand. Now I just need to find a swift and bye-bye to the skein necklaces. Thank you L & A!

 

A sad day

I added some ribbon to my geodesic cardigan in December. Come New Years Eve I couldn’t find it. Today my husband found it in with hid laundry.

Unfortunately, he found it before loading the dryer but after washing a complete cycle.

 

Printing

Yesterday I went to the printing office. My thesis is finally being printed! There’s still the defense left, but now it is time to relax.

I’m a bit tired, so I’m chouchsurfing trying to decide what to knit. I’m thinking of joining the sock knitting advent calender. Never done a mystery KAL before, but I need to find the right yarn for it. The latest issue of Interweave Knits just fell on my door mat. So I will look through that for some more inspiration.

 

More beads

Pattern: Trendy circles by Carol Dean Sharpe (Interweave store)

Beads: Size 11 seed beads

Thread: Nymo D in light pink

Technique: Odd-count 2-drop peyote stitch

Modifications: The pattern calls for cylinder beads, which I now know is the same as delica. This means the size is not the same. In the original pattern there are 6 repeats of the circles, mine only have 4.

Notes: This was the first time I tried peyote and that’s probably why the setup row looks a little bit wonky. I guess the tension was off. It was a fast and fun project. Yeah for using larger beads. I’ve bought a few bead patterns from Interweave and they are not nearly as clear and direct to follow as knitting patterns. For me as a beginner, they are quite difficult to follow. It’s a beautiful pattern though and I love the clasp.

 

Wedding necklace

I wore three hand made things on our wedding day, the Wedding shrug; the Till minne shawl and this necklace.

Wedding necklace:

Beads:

Swarovski bicone 4 mm in 501 Ruby and Crystal AB (I think)

size 11 Miyuki delica transparent pink mist AB

size 15 Miyuki pearl white AB

Silver details: Filigree heart toggle clasp, end cones 11 by 8 mm, Flat ring with the text Love three times on each side. All bought at Silvergrejs)

Thread: Nymo D, held double

Wire: Sterling silver 0.6 mm

 

Notes: I got inspiration for this from the Larks head knot used in the  Bliss necklace by Rebecca Cambell in Creative Jewelry volume 7. The beads are strung on Nymo D, held double, and which is tied and glued to a silver wire loop hidden in the end cones. Except for the knot around the ring, I just made things up as I strung the beads until it was long enough to hang nicely around my neck.

 

Sorry for the bad photos. But the light this time of year is terrible.

 

My feet aren’t swollen

I finished these socks back in February. They were my Knitting Olympics project. But at the time of finishing them my left foot was too swollen to wear the sock. So here comes the FO post they deserve.

Pattern: Skew, by Lana Holden in Knitty winter 09 (Ravelry)

Yarn: 1 skein of Colinette Jitterbug in Adonis blue

Needles: 2.5 mm

Started: 13 February 2010

Finished: 26 February 2010

Modifications: None. Well if you don’t count gauge. My feet are small.

Notes: I haven’t knit that many socks, but this is truly a completely different way of knitting a sock. Just take the plunge and follow the pattern and trust that it works even if you have no idea where you are and what you are doing. They fit really well and it was a joy to knit. However, this was the first time I tried this yarn. I’ve been wanting to try it for quite some time. It did not stand up well to my high expectations, especially not since there was a knot  in it. It’s probably still a good yarn but just not as fabulous as I thought before trying

 

Wedding

At the end of August me and M celebrated getting married. It was an almost perfect day, and we and our guests had a good time. Of course I had to make a little something for this special occasion. I managed to make a necklace and shrug in addition to the shawl I already had. The necklace is seen in the photo below, but I’ll do a separate post on that one.

Wedding shrug:

Pattern: Ribbed Lace Bolero

Lace Pattern: Based on Spring Leaves (Ravelry)

Yarn: 3 skeins Sublime Yarns Cashmere Merino Silk DK

Needles: 4.0 mm

Modifications: I did a picot cast on and the inner part of each leaf was in reverse stockinette.

Notes: Although I did a swatch and blocked and measured, the shrug was slightly too big and I had to keep tugging at it to pull it back onto my shoulders. The yarn is very nice and felt like just the right amount of luxury for such a special day.