Friday, May 2, 2008

New Routines

Sorry for just disappearing there for a while. April was a crazy month and my knitting and blogging suffered. I started a new summer job, finished my winter teaching and tutoring and spent some unexpected time hanging out in the hospital as a visitor. I think the craziness has now abated but it did kind of consume all of April.

I did manage to get some knitting done in my absent month. I am still working on my blue Juno after setting it aside in frustration over the way the back of the neck is worked. I think I've figured out how to fix it so that it meets my standards for symmetry but while I was adjusting to new routines I couldn't bring myself to waste energy solving knitting problems.

I knit my first socks using handspun. I used the cabled yarn (2 2 plies plied together) that combines mohair and white BFL that I was spinning back in March. The socks are unfortunately stiff. I think that cabled yarn is less stretchy than simple plied yarn and that I probably made this worse by adding what I am sure was too much twist. I also could have gone up a needle size. There is no way I am going to frog these, though. I will see if some wear softens them up a bit.



I also knit a pair of secret socks that I can't post the details of. I will say that I was amused that April's sock challenge on Ravelry was knitting a pair of socks from a pattern without a picture and that is exactly what I did. Of course I couldn't post pictures or details but I'm still happy to have fulfilled the requirements.

Anyway, this month I plan to post a lot more (not hard I've already posted more than last month). I'm hoping to have something to say and show at least twice a week. I just need to make knitting and blogging a part of my new routine.

3 comments:

Briley said...

I'm so glad you shared your thoughts on your hand spun socks. I am spinning some yarn I want to use for socks, and I was thinking a cabled yarn might be sturdier, but perhaps I will re-think that. I'm glad you are back, and I hope you are well.

knitty_kat said...

Despite how they turned out, they look lovely. I'm glad that things have slowed down for you a bit. As always it's a pleasure to read one of your posts (and see you out at knit night!)

OzB said...

I can't imagine what's been keeping you so busy Jenny [laughing].

Those handspun socks look great - what a shame they didn't turn out soft and smushy.

I've been toying with the idea of knitting with string algae.....as long as it stays damp there should be no problem with breakage. Swimmers perhaps?? [LOL]