so, on a recent trip to kauai, my knitting consisted of wip's (works in progress) that needed completion, including a hat, a sock and a scarf.
first up was the hat: pattern - sockhead hat by kelly mcclure
this is my 'go to' hat pattern for 2014, which i am using as a stash buster with plans to knit one per month! we'll see if i can stick to that plan!
the yarn is a mill end skein of blue moon fiber arts mediumweight 'socks that rock'. i knit this particular hat twice. first time, i knit it 'straight up' from the skein - not such a good idea as the yarn pooled horribly and it was butt-ugly! really, really butt-ugly and i just could not stomach it so...... frog it, i did, and recaked the yarn in two equal weight cakes and began, again, alternating each row between the cakes. much, much, much improved!!!
since this was a mediumweight yarn, i cast on less stitches (96 instead of 144) but used the same 16" circular needles in size 3.00 mm. it might be a tad tight on my head but i have a pretty big head so it should be perfect on a child. next time i use a mediumweight, i'll try casting on 108 stitches.
next up: a pair of two-up socks in lanna grossa meilenweit cotton fun & strips, a mix of cotton, wool and polyamid (whatever that might be!). i have no idea when or where i acquired this yarn but there must have been two skeins on a sale table somewhere, perfect in my mind for a pair of everyday socks. knit from the toe-up with my favorite gusset heel, i tried a new toe.
i started each sock by provisionally casting on 4 stitches and knitting 10 rows in stockinette stitch. i then turned the work 90 degrees and picked up 8 stitches along one side, turned another 90 and picked up the 4 provisionally cast-on stitches, turned again and picked up another 8 stitches on the final side for a total of 24 stitches. i added stitches on the short ends on every other round until i reached 64 stitches.
this produced a wider, rounder toe which was great. i completed the first sock in no time! i had started the second sock and i was about half way through the foot when this happened!
i accidentally sat on my knitting bag and heard a crack - a crack that i knew did not sound good! i was sure that i had broken one needle and i reasoned that that would be fine as i had 5 needles and i could get by with 4. imagine my surprise when i dug out the socks and discovered that i had broken not one, but two needles! argh! and here i was on vacation in a tropical paradise where knitting and knitting shops aren't popular like they are back in the northwest! needleless to say, i was forced to punt - where there's a will, there's a way! i couldn't knit a circular sock easily with only three needles so i slipped six stitches on one of the broken needles and endeavored to persevere - it was a slow slog to completion but i did complete the mission and wrapped up sock number two! phew! i was glad when that ordeal ended!
i guess the lesson i learned from this experience was perhaps i should bring some extra needles with me on my next adventure, just for safety's sake!
only time will tell!
