On the Edge

Beading on the edge of the Evenstar Shawl!

 I don't know if the edge I am refering to in the title is the edge of insanity or the edge of the shawl I am working on. They seem to be very similar at the moment. I am almost done with the Evenstar shawl. I just have the border edging to finish. The beads I chose look great with the yarn. They are dark beads against the light of the yarn and pop off it nicely. I enjoyed knitting this shawl but I underestimated the amount of time it would take. I was not sure I would get it done in time. I will probably need a few days in August to complete it, but with one week of camp in the middle of July, I think that is acceptable. Especially as there is no one standing over me telling me I must finish it on time. I am looking forward to blocking it and seeing it in all its glory, so to speak. I will need to purchase some bigger blocking boards, however. The ones I have are not large enough for this shawl! It is supposed to be 5 feet in diameter, mine might be a bit larger. I used a size 4US needle instead of the 3 called for in the pattern. We will have to see how big it is when I block it!

POV Socks

I have finished two pairs of socks in the mean time, the POV socks and the Gentlemen’s socks. The POV socks look great and feel better. I have noticed, however, that they need to be reserved for winter as they are very warm. That does not bother me though, I love wool socks in the winter and am looking forward to using them.The Gentlemen’s socks are very soft and look great. I have not seen the gentleman they were knitted for so I still have them. I am sure I will see him before I leave for the States though and they are a weight off my mind. I had taken them to camp to try to finish and they were the only thing I knit on. It was very hot at camp with temperatures over 100°F. With limited time to knit, I am proud of myself for finishing them with everything else that was going on. 

Gentlemen's Socks

I am working on a set of laminated cards for myself. These cards will be used for sock knitting. They contain various styles of heels, cuffs, and toes as well as charts for the number of stitches used for which shoe size and how long I need to knit them to fit a certain size foot. Basically, I condensed a lot of my sock books into a set of cards for knitting socks. The only thing they will not have is the pattern for the instep and leg. There are too many options to choose from to do that and if I did, I would have a stack of cards that would reach the ceiling. They will allow me to choose a leg and instep pattern and make a pair of socks without having to lug around a lot of books or charts. I am thinking of making a set for various sweaters as well, for the sleeves, at the very least. I like the set in sleeves from Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmerman and the set in sleeves from Knitting from the Top by Barbara Walker. They are both easy alterations to make to any pattern and fit me very well. Set in sleeves are the best type of sleeves for my body type, but I don’t like carrying around the books. As I am trying to keep my luggage to a minimum on furlough, the card system will be better and easier for travel. Best of all, I will have to means to make either a sweater or a pair of socks at my fingertips without having to carry heavy books with me. 

Work sheet for Socks Cards

I am still working on Green Feet and will test-drive my new sock card system with these socks. I also am planning next month’s projects. I have a tiny sweater planned for my new niece/nephew, a present for Christmas and the Green feet birthday gift. The next couple of months may be a bit sparse in regards to blogging. I am getting to the part of the year where I cannot talk very much about my projects, but I will try to at least blog about what I am learning with each one. Some of the recipients read my blog and I don't want to spoil any surprises.

This month, I learned that a slow consistent knitting pace will accomplish more than hurried knitting. That some socks are not meant to be blocked (they turn out too big to wear if you do). And that books on tape make great knitting companions. So, until next time, keep on knitting and learning.