A and some oddness

Published on by Jane
A is for Abundance.


I’m blessed with an abundance of delightful yarn. Soft wool, silk and wool, silk on its own. Dyed by hand, hand painted, not dyed at all. Yarn for lace, yarn for socks, yarn for scarves and shawls and hats and mitts. Oh, the anticipation of knitting pleasure!


~:~

Most evenings lately I’ve been working on just two projects. I have several more (ha!) in process, but these two have been holding my attention.



The Japanese Vines scarf is growing steadily, and though I haven’t had time to give it my undivided attention, it’s always a pleasure to pick it up and work a few repeats. I’m not sure I’ll ever capture the color — a purple-hazed green — but I promise that it is not grey!

This pattern reminds me why I love to knit simple lace. I can read the knitting as easily as I can read the chart. I’ll find myself saying things like, “Oh, here’s where I switch to ssk,” or “Together, two, over, purl,” as I work a row. I can pick it up and figure out where I left off with just a glance. It grows with little effort or intense attention, but needs just enough, or else I’ll look down and realize that I knit a whole motif too many times. It’s a deeply satisfying experience, especially with this soft silk and merino yarn, and it’s one of my very favorite things about knitting.

The other project du jour is a pair of socks in the new Noro Kureyon Sock yarn. First we have the just-finished sock (color S185, Blueberry Waffle pattern, 2.25mm needles):


What the photo doesn’t show is that this sock is stiff as a board. Not dense, just stiff. So, into the Soak it went:


The result: a softer, more relaxed sock, which is also not visible in the photo. Sturdy enough, I think, even though the yarn is single ply. I’ve been carrying it around with me, and I’ve decided that it’s a good sock, just odd. I’m proud of it, even though it’s a little homely. Its mate will join it in a few days, and together they’ll do what all socks are meant to do, keep my feet warm.


I just can’t seem to shake the feeling that it’s a strange little sock, and I wonder if I’ll continue to be slightly astonished by it even when it’s on my foot.

I’ve been spinning a bit, too. Keeping up with NaSpiMoMo is harder than I thought! My goals are modest — spin, just spin, and use the Reeves wheel for some of it — so I’m just about to finish up a bobbin of Blue Faced Leicester from The Painted Sheep. It’s delightful to spin, and I’ll post a photo when I’ve spun another bobbin and plied it. I’m planning to make some real spinning time in the next couple of weeks.


~: Bonus A :~


Annabelle, who adds all the cat hair to my yarn and project photographs. She was my A in the first ABC-Along. I wanted to choose another thing for A, but since she inserts her self into everything I do anyway, here she is. I love her to bits.

17 thoughts on “A and some oddness”

  3. Blueberry Waffle is a nice choice for the Noro–I knew you’d come up with something that works. My Noro sock is still in the stiff as a board stage…I know what you mean about beholding its oddness. Not what we normally put on our tender feet.

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  4. I read often, comment seldom, but *always* enjoy your blog (and photos). I have to say A is definitely for Annabelle as it reminds me a favorite Tasha Tudor book by that name. Perhaps you know it?

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  5. It looks like a lovely sock to me, not odd at all. In fact it has me wanting some Noro sock yarn. The Blueberry Waffle pattern works well with it. I like your As!

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  6. Oh, is it this time of year again? Of course A is for Annabelle! Love it. I can’t wait to see the lace in person, I’m intrigued by that pattern. Where have I been? NaNoSpiMo? or something like that. Great idea, but I just GOT my stash in October!

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  9. Nice to see your “A” Jane! I am going to post mine in a few days. It’s semi-fiber related.I don’t belong to Ravelry where I think you said you got the pattern for the Japanese Vines scarf? Is the pattern available somewhere else?I like your sock! WIll you show us the mate when it’s done? Maybe it just needs its partner to feel less odd.Hah! I see your Mohair button … I took the quiz and came up with Mohair too!

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  10. I LOVE that scarf pattern. Beautiful.However, I am jealous of you in two big ways: (1) Lace patterns kick my butt. I can read the knitting but it’s a struggle, one that i don’t find particularly relaxing; and (2) socks seem to just flow off your needles. Second socks, too.2008 might not be a lace year, but it will be a sock year for me!

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  11. It doesn’t look like an odd little sock at all, to me. It looks like a wonderful sock which is going to be great peeking out of your shoes. I love it!

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  13. Easy to read lace is my favorite too. It’s as mindless (almost) as stockinette without ever getting boring. I definitely need to cast on for that scarf soon. The Nutkin sock pattern (which I first saw in your Ravelry cue) is a great example of that kind of lace.I’m dying to see some of the Noro sock yarn in person. I have a love/hate relationship with Kureyon in that I want so desperately to love it but in fact hate it. So I know better than to buy the sock yarn sight unseen.

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  15. abundance & Annabelle. What better combination could there possibly be? not much I think (unless we were to add chocolate.. but that’s not and “A”)Those socks are really cute – the pattern and the dye lot goes so well together. I suspect that it must be the stiffness factor that has thrown off your eye for the true beauty.I’ll be so interested to hear how they actually wear.

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  17. A strange sock, perhaps, but I love the stripes and the colors. I look forward to hearing how the yarn wears.

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