Needles & Spins

It felt rather strange this morning, on a Monday, not to be headed to work. But it is a federal holiday, which obviously means that the weather is completely rotten since it is still “weekend.” Gave me the perfect opportunity just to stay inside, knitting, reading and spinning. And dishes and laundry, let’s get real here.

Knitting

Instead I finished up the second of Inside Out:
Inside-Out
Inside-Out Detail
Rather than kill my hands or switch back and forth with needle sizes, I stayed with 2,5 mm needles through out. Including all the changes made with the second sock-I cast on 26 stitches for the toe, decreasing to 6 stitches at the tip. When the toe was complete, I picked up three stiches on each side between the front and the back sections of the toe. Distributing accordingly, I adjusted the number of 2/1 and 2/2 ribs to match the number of stitches. After the heel, I again picked up stitches along the edge to increase to 65 prior to starting the cable section (and to avoid any holes). I knit almost 15 rows prior to starting the pattern, adding in a 2/1/2 cable on the inside of each leg crossed every five rows for a total of 5 large cables plus the five stitch cable. They feel extremely comfortable and well padded.

I knit the heel flap, turned the heel and got half-way down the foot on the second of sock of my ChameleonColorworks Sock of the Month Club.

And finally, I have hauled out my Chinese Red Vest, from Folk Vests by Cheryl Oberle. I have tracked down at least some of the extra yarn (For You, Gedifra, 125m/50gm, Merino on 4,0 mm ebony circ). About 10 cm or more past the armhole split, I just don’t have all that much left to do. This is what I decided to get done as my first project in the Red Sweater KAL. My only issue now is locating my copy of the book, so I have the pattern.

Chinese Red VestBottom border deatil

Spinning

Taking a break, I pulled out the lovely corridale pencil roving that I got from Crown Moutain Farms in color fire. It spins like a dream and I am planning on a fine singles on the Timbertops chairwheel, then plying it on the Dutch upright that is currently being used as a roving holder. It should be more than enough to do some colorwork with, once I find a solid that I like for contrast. I am thinking of a dark red since brown would be boring. It should knit up on a 3,0 to 3,5 m needles.
The Fire Roving
singles on the bobbinl

Books & Tapes

The Sayers are all finished untill some more come in the library.
The Friday Night Knitting Club
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs is a lightweight novel that centers around a knitting shop in Manhattan. Since I don’t live there, I can’t address how accurate that portion of the novel is, but the research supporting other portions of the novel is extremely week straining my credubility. This story of a single mother and her daughter suffers from too many two dimentional characters, continually shifting times and points of view, and a forced ending. Sad to say, it will probably do fine in the book clubs but I can only recommend it if you enjoy reading any fiction having to do with people and knitting.

McNally's Dilemma
McNally’s Dilemma by Lawrence Sanders is currently in the cassette recorder. Boyd Gaines is the reader. Another in the Archy McNally series set on the Florida Gold Coast, the usual cast of characters is present, and the good guys win (sort of).

-Holly

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About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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7 Responses to Needles & Spins

  1. Michele says:

    Love the socks! I wish I could have done mine small enough for striping. And the sweater vest is gorgeous 🙂

  2. Angeluna says:

    I tripped over here from STR, liked the changes you had made to your sock (I’m gathering everyone’s good input to save time when I do mine). Glanced around your website and just have to say…Holly, you are amazing! A juxtaposition of so many interests and capabilities. Wow! Inspiring.

  3. Angeluna says:

    BTW, spent as much time in Heidelberg as possible way back when I was in school in Germany. Loved it. Still remember a summer concert in a ruined castle with a peacock posing high on a wall against the sunset. Pinch me, was it real? Yes.

  4. Tanya says:

    Let me be the first to say “great job on the socks!” You must be a more advanced knitter to make the changes to the pattern that you did. I did the trick with the needle changes (which is a new techique to me that I am now incorporating into all my socks!).

  5. kristen says:

    Nice variation on the STR pattern!

  6. Kay says:

    Thanks for the comment on my Inside Outs. Yours look beautiful.

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