FO: Lace Cuffed Socks

I've had a long weekend. I was last at work on Wednesday. I go back tomorrow. I've had the lovely opportunity to do a lot of knitting. (and spinning, but I'll get to that another day.) I finished my Lace Cuffed Socks from A Gathering of Lace.

These socks are usually not my style, but the theme for this month's Sockdown! was lace socks and I wasn't feeling the full on lace socks (which are mostly what I knit in reality), so I found these. The cuff is turned down, and it reminds me of the frilly socks I had when I was a little girl.

The body of the sock is knit in Wildfoote sock yarn, with the cuff in some leftover Regia yarn. I didn't read the pattern thoroughly, so I discovered after the fact the the top two inches of the cuff in the main color are supposed to be ribbed. It makes a lot of sense - the ribbing would help it stay up. But I'm just going to cross my fingers and hope for the best without the ribbing.

It was an interesting knit. The foot was plain and simple, but the lace on the cuff was a little tedious. There were a lot of triple decreases, but the decrease instruction was slip 2 together as if to knit, slip 1 as if to knit, knit all three together through back loop. It was a bit more annoying that the usual slip 1, k2tog, psso, but did create a different effect. These socks could probably stand a good blocking, but they're not going to get one. They'll just be tossed in the laundry with all the other poor handknit socks, poor things.

FO: Shetland Tea Shawl

Pattern: Shetland Tea Shawl by Dale Long. From A Gathering of Lace
Yarn: Blackberry Ridge Silky Merino in Samarkand Blue. 1.75 hanks.
Needles: Size 4 Clover bamboo circs
Started: April or May 2007
Finished: November 8, 2008



This is a beautiful pattern. I didn't have any trouble with it (my edition is revised and the pattern is updated: earlier editions have extensive errata for this pattern). I didn't make any intentional changes to the pattern, although I think I may have made a couple of errors in the edging. And I believe I may have dropped a stitch at the very end of the edging where it's grafted. This error is the only clearly visible one, and I will repair it eventually.

The yarn is fantastic. I did encounter a limited number of places where the yarn was slightly slubby, but not often enough to bother me, or slubby enough to cause me to break the yarn. The silk content makes it very nice and crisp, and the wool content made it possible for me to splice a new ball of yarn in when I reached the end of the first ball.

The sheer size of it may be intimidating to a beginning knitter, but I don't think there's anything in the pattern that can't be overcome by perseverance, practice, patience, and maybe just a little bit of cursing.

Preblocking. Doozer for relative size.


During blocking. I soaked the shawl in lukewarm water for about 15 minutes, and wrung it out prior to pinning. I used all but two of my foam alphabet blocks for this one. And it's not a precise circle, but I am content with the approximation. I used individual t-pins for most of the points, but also flexible blocking wires for two sections.


Post blocking with doozer for relative size:


Detail shots:

Oldest WIP

This is my oldest WIP (work in progress):


That's the Shetland Tea Shawl(ravelry link) from A Gathering of Lace. I began knitting it up way back in the spring of 2007 with Blackberry Ridge Silky Merino from my pal Madam. Now, the yarn is fabulous stuff. I used the same in white to knit my wedding stole, which, for the record, I knit much more quickly than the Tea Shawl.

I stopped about 10 rows after you increase to 574 stitches - 574 stitches is a lot. Especially with blunt bamboo needles. What was I thinking when I was advocating bamboo needles for lace? Sure, the stickiness is great, but the pokiness leaves something to be desired. Another argument for the Knitpicks Options set I've been pining for. This pattern is based on the Pi Shawl formula, so you only increase in certain places, not continuously. Since I picked it back up again this weekend I've knit about 7 rows - so that's over 4000 stitches. Maybe an inch? Tops.

But it is pretty and I feel a commitment to it. Here's hoping I can get this finished and off the needles before the new year, taking into account my various Christmas projects.