The jury is still out

After reading about 9" circular needles here, I decided to invest in some for socks and sleeves. I order four HiyaHiya - US1, US2, US6, US7 - from Knitting Today. My, they look small. Yesterday I started a sock:



This particular sock has 72 stitches around. Not sure how the circs would work with fewer stitches. Knitting with such tiny points feels odd, too, and I'm tempted to abandon the effort. But in all fairness, I should knit at least one complete pair of socks before passing judgment.

Still pooping along with Seascape, done with chart A.



There are a LOT of m1's, right AND left slanted, and they are driving me crazy. Occasionally, I get in the groove, but usually each one is a little trial of patience.

Several dishcloths left the gift drawer recently, so when I need something relatively brainless to work on, I work on dishcloths.



I started one with these colors a while back and did not like how the variegated yellows pooled, but decided it's not so bad. Besides, it's just a dishcloth, not the freakin' Mona Lisa. I have a whole CONE of this variegated yellow, plus two other cones almost like it, and I'd like to use them up, so expect to see more of these dishcloths in the future.

UFO is OFO

OFO = Officially Finished Object

The Slouch:



Pattern: Slouch from Mother-Daughter Knits
Yarn: Classic Elite Duchess in "Genteel Gray"
Needles: US11
Modifications: None

The Slouch is basically a big tube with a little ribbing at each end. A ribbon gets woven in vertically, but I'm leaving that step up to my daughter (WHO MAYBE WILL SUPPLY A PHOTO THEN, HINT-HINT). The yarn felt stiff, like cotton, while knitting, but really softened up after a soak-n-block. The yarn also shed a bit while being knit, but maybe post-blocking the angora will adhere to the wool and cashmere.

Re lace knitting, I've temporarily abandoned Cold Mountain for Seascape, which has given me the idea that maybe what I'm not liking about Cold Mountain is the needle size. While contemplating starting over AGAIN, I will carry on with Seascape. Both may be found at knitty.

My lunchtime knitting has mostly been Mittnz, as they are quick and easy.



The infant mittens are based on a pattern from Lizzie, the others are Life Line Mittens from Mariella, each with a few modest modifications. Five pairs down, four to go!

Not too fun

I started the Cold Mountain shawl last week, on lace weight, and decided I could do a pattern repeat (30 rows) before employing a life line. On row 11, I was regretting that decision, as I dropped a stitch and it fell almost to the cast on. Oh, well, I'll just start over, I said to myself, and I did. I started over. And over. AND OVER. Finally, when I made it back to row 10, I added a life line, and have been adding one every ten rows since. Not that I have made it very far - I'm up to row 30, the end of one pattern repeat of chart A. At the rate I am going, this will take forever. The problem is not the pattern, but the yarn. I rarely work with lace weight, my eyes are getting too old for black yarn, and the whole thing is quickly becoming tedious. I'm debating whether to continue.

Meanwhile, I did block the Slouch...



and the February Lady Sweater.



My daughter will weave a ribbon into the former, I will sew buttons onto the latter. The FLS is a bit snug in the armpits, but otherwise not bad, not bad at all.

On a sad note, last week Hip Hop the angora lop, suddenly became ill and died. He was fine Monday morning, obviously sick Monday night, and by the time I came home early from work on Tuesday to take him to the vet, he was gone.



I have baggies full of his fur, so I am hoping to blend it with some wool and knit a memorial scarf or something. Poor bunny guy. I really miss him.

Note to self

If the sales clerk asks you whether you want that 100g skein of lace weight you are purchasing wound, JUST SAY YES! Last night I hand wound that sucker while watching a movie, and the movie finished before I did. Gah.

My last post mentioned going on a yarn diet, and what do I do? I purchase enough yarn for TWO shawls. The problem is I don't have enough summer weight cardigans. Also, chilly office + hot flashes = sweater wrestling all the live long day. So I got the bright idea that I should switch to shawls. Ordinarily, I don't like wearing shawls, but if I'm going to be fiddling with whatever I am wearing anyway, it might as well be something pretty. Also, I recently purchased two skirts and none of my sweaters really goes with either. So, YES, I needed more yarn!

I visited both local LYSs but they really didn't have what I envisioned. That did not stop me from making some purchases, three balls of Kidsilk Haze in indigo at one, the lace weight mentioned above at another. The latter was missing its band, but I think it is Skacel merino, in black. I'm knitting Cold Mountain from knitty, but am wondering if my eyes are getting too old for black lace. I'm up to row 10, but it's been slow slogging.

Opportunities to knit have been thwarted by home and garden, but the house is cleaner than usual and the privet has been tamed, so I'm thinking tomorrow will be a fiber day. The agenda is to block the Slouch and the FLS, and maybe, if I am feeling brave, assemble the nearly forgotten Minimalist Cardigan.

Happy Independence Day!