Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Firsts

Who knew? Ok, so I guess someone must have known, cause someone wrote books on it, but I didn't know. Now I do!
Socks two at a time are a blast! I bought the book, Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks a few weeks ago, thinking it would be kinda fun to get two socks done at once. I haven't done very many socks because it always seems hard to start/finish the second one. This is right up my alley! These are for Derek for Christmas. Only one mistake so far! I waffled a little when I started them last night, I wasn't sure it would be wise to start a new method on a Christmas present, but once I got started it was cake! This is another first for me; first time I've used something besides handspun since I started spinning 6 years ago.
My first lacy hat! The gray hat was my real first hat, but this one is my first pattern with a 'pattern' to it, the first with cables!


This pattern is from 'Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Small Indulgences', but beware! There are many corrections at Storey Publishing to the patterns in this book, something I wasn't aware of when I started the hat, the knowing of which would have saved me a few gray hairs! Everything went great until I got to the decrease for the crown. A particular stitch sequence said 'slip 2tog kwise, K2, p2sso'. K, so someone with experience may already see the problem, but I didn't until I had already tried to 'fix it' and got three rows away before I realized that I couldn't. And of course, and of course after I'd frogged it at least three times. I finally frogged back to the last row before the decrease, counted my stitches, went to the lap top and looked it up. It hadn't occurred to me before that moment that these people that write/edit/publish these books don't have someone or several someones to test the patterns! Something else I know now.

And how can I post so soon after Halloween without a picture of my favorite spook on her first Halloween? Well, elephant...

7 comments:

Michelle said...

Welcome to the T-U 2AAT club! I honestly can't figure out why anyone would do it any other way....

Mim said...

Great!

KiniaCat Crafts said...

Your spinning, knitting and elephants are quite spiffy!

ChYmEc!nDy** said...

Nice!

Sharon said...

You have taken off on knitting like you took off on spinning. Very impressive - both projects! Joy looks a little confused, but just as adorable as ever.

Laura said...

After several bad experiences with a well-known spinning/knitting/weaving publisher, the errata page is the first place I look after picking a pattern. I agree - there should be way more "practice" knitting before they're published - not everyone makes stuff up in their head!

I've tried the socks 2 at a time, but from top down. I guess I'm to stubborn/stuck in my ways to change from double points. I have a favorite pattern, with fitted toes (a left and a right sock), so that's what I'm sticking with!

Good for you making gifts - I don't know where all my time has gone - it's November already!

~~Sittin.n.Spinnin said...

Sharon, I think she looks like she's posing :)