bioengiknitter

Just some little things this time. Seems all I'm able to knit these days.

First, some socks for C the older. These were for February's Ravelry: Sockdown, during which we had to choose either a Eunny Jang pattern or a sock with a heel that was new to us. I like a lot of Eunny's patterns, but I have been really excited for February to come around so that I could learn a new heel. I love learning new things I haven't tried before. Believe it or not, I'd never made a toe-up sock with a heel flap before, so I chose Widdershins from Knitty. Can I just say that the designer must be the loosest knitter on the planet? The suggested gauge for these socks is 7 st/in on US0/2mm needles! I'm a pretty loose knitter and often need to go down a needle size to get gauge, but yow. Even I get 9 st/in on US0 in sock yarn. But it worked out in my favor, because I wanted these to be for almost-8-year-old C, so I knit them per the pattern on US1/2.25mm needles, and they're perfect! At 8.75 st/in, thankyouverymuch. Something was off on my row gauge on the second sock--I started the gusset increases at the same point in the stripe pattern, but somehow I got to the required number of stitches before the first one. So from the heel up they're slightly different, but it doesn't bother me. C will certainly never notice or care.

Being my first heel flap, I definitely had to trust the pattern while knitting the first sock. I had no idea what was going on until it was done. During the second sock, of course it made a lot more sense. And the fit is much better than the short-row heels that his previous toe-up socks had. So I'm happy about that. I'll have to try a toe-up heel flap for some socks for me, so that I can compare how they feel.

It was my first time using the (relatively new) Knit Picks Felici, too. Ooh, and making that link I notice that they have new colors! I really loved knitting with this yarn. It's really soft. I can't say anything yet about how they wear, but the feel of the finished socks is really lovely. I got some balls for myself, too--I want to try the Rainbow Socks from MagKnits with one color, and some knee-highs with the other.

click for bigger

click for bigger

Pattern: Widdershins, by Brooke Chenoweth Creel, from Knitty
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici, in Firefighter
Needles: US1/2.25mm
Gauge: 8.75 st/in
Dates: 2/25/08 - 3/8/08
Notes: I don't think I changed anything on the pattern, other than knitting it at a tighter gauge. I enjoyed learning the new heel!

Next, something really small. I've had this Curly Purly Egg pattern printed out for ages. I had some leftovers from this scarf, and these two socks that I thought would be perfect. With Easter around the corner, I finally got to knitting my egg. Super fast pattern. I wonked up the increases, but I think it's still okay. Then the stuffing showed just a tad, so I felted them slightly to tighten them up.

Before felting:

click for bigger

After felting:

click for bigger

Pattern: Curly Purly Egg, by Marnie Ann Joyce
Yarn: Yarn: Leftover Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Carrot and Debbie Bliss Maya in color 16
Needles: US7/4.5mm
Notes: I couldn't get the paired increases next to each other the way she mentions in the pattern, without creating a hole. So I spaced them out, and I think it worked okay. I think I'll try the other pattern in the link below next time, to see how they compare.

I wish I had more variegated worsted yarn, these are fun to make. I did find this pattern, though, which reminded me that I can just stripe or make other patterns, so I see more Easter eggs in my future!

click for bigger