Going for Gold

Bobicus Maximus has declared the Ravel*****s open, and I'm going for gold.

It was tempting to consider an easy event for an early win (frogging old WIPs is a Ravel****c sport), but I dutifully started with my top down Piscean Sock. I added an Estonian twist to the cast on – in gold, of course – to increase the degree of difficulty, also to forestall any doping inquiries. For all that, at the moment the sock looks less Ravel****c and more like I'm rooting for UMich.



The ribbing was proceeding uneventfully when it occurred to me I know I can knit a pair of socks by the Ravel*****s deadline at the end of February and certainly by the Sockdown deadline at the end of March – the challenge is not if I can, but if I will. However, I've never spun sock quantities of yarn – the challenge is quite different. So I switched to spindling, which for me is an excellent companion activity for mass quantities of television-viewing.



Half the top is now 480 yds (438 m) of fine singles. This batch will get a rest on the niddy noddy before plying and finishing, then there's the second half to spindle. I'd peg current project progress at 30 percent.



By chance, all the gold is in the portion already spun. Plan A was to spin each half of the roving and ply it back on itself to maximize yardage. However, I'd like to have the gold distributed throughout the finished yarn. The maximum capacity of my spindle is half the roving. Hm. In the quest for gold, Plan B is going to involve some dross.

Redacted 6/26/12: The Ravelry event formerly known by a name that rhymes with and supposedly infringes on the Olympics™.

A Ravel*****s Triple Cast On

While I've been known to boycott the Olympics, I'm happy to participate in the nutty goodness that is the Ravel*****s. The outpouring of generous creativity in the form of blog buttons alone is enough to sway me. This year I've joined three teams and amassed a project queue sufficient for a triple cast on (so to speak) on February 12.

By popular demand (and only a little ballot box-stuffing), my Team Jersey project will be Piscean Socks by Jessica, also known as singleton Sock of Shame #6



Ordinarily, completing a Sock of Shame project would mean knitting one sock for the WIPs Dancing event, but in this case I'll be attempting a pair. That's because the sock pictured was a test knit of a toe up pattern and, alas, most toe up socks don't fit my Frankenfeet. This sock, lovely as it is, is no exception (sigh). So I'll modify the pattern for top down with a Frankenfoot flap heel and gusset, knit two, and enter the pair in two events, Sock Hockey and Nordic Colorwork Combined. I'm not going to frog Aerial Unwind the toe up singleton unless I run out of yarn.

By a happy synchronicity, an SKA mod gave the nod to new iterations of old UFOs. So cuff down Piscean Socks also qualify for February Sockdown. If I don't finish in time to medal in the Ravel*****s, I'll have until the end of March to finish for Sockdown [g].

My Team Spindlers project is this cheerful Spunky Eclectic Superwash Corriedale roving, colorway Tahiti; the event is the Flying Camel Spin. My goal is to spin, ply, and finish enough fingering weight yarn for a pair of socks. The old STR put up was 320 yds (292 m), which seemed scanty to me, so I'll call that my minimum yardage to medal.



I'd like to measure my spindling speed, too. I've read that the mighty Abby Franquemont averages between 200-300 yards (183-274 m) of singles per hour. Talk about Respect the Spindle! I've never timed myself, but would be amazed if I clocked in at half that rate (we'll see). I imagine speed is a matter of skill, materials, equipment, and technique. Regarding the last item, I usually sit and therefore wind on frequently, a time-consuming step – for the time trial maybe I should try standing or perching on a high stool.

Finally, my Team WIP projects include two instant gratification Aerial Unwind entries, Peace Socks (toe up socks just do not fit right) and languishing Titania. I'm trying hard to resist adding a WIPs Dancing entry, singleton Sock of Shame #2, which ran a distant third in the year end poll (Fox Faces (#11) was second, but it's already finished). Must resist.

Unlike last time, this Ravel*****s projects may be added or edited after the torch is lit. It's strangely reassuring to this process knitter to know that the option to lose my head altogether exists.

Redacted 6/26/12: The Ravelry event formerly known by a name that rhymes with and supposedly infringes on the Olympics™.

Tabi or Not Tabi

Roundabout Exit 151 the main effect of the ginormous weekend snowstorm has been overcast skies and a perpetual feeling it's about to snow, but there's been no snow so far. Which is making me restless and irritable. Happily, knitting is good for what ails one.

For February Sockdown, I started Split-Toe Sweethearts by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, an underappreciated pattern in Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn. Following the pattern as written yielded a toe that is too big for me.



So I did some maths and some re-knitting and eventually cranked out a pair of tabi toes. I did two now lest I forget what I did. Not that it made much difference – I accidentally made two left feet.



At this point the toes are theoretically reversible – it's not until the heel that left and right are irrevocably set – so I just flipped one over to get a right foot. The flipped-left-now-right sock is not quite as pretty as the left, but knitting right would make me crabby it will serve and that's good enough for a snowless Saturday afternoon.

Smitten

My last mittens for NaKniMitMo are the official NaKniMitMo10 mitten, an excellent combination of stranded and gansey knitting, Anna's Mittens by Spillyjane. (I got the pattern as a gift download through Ravelry, which worked well.) I knit mine out of odd bits of Patons Classic Wool.



The excellent pattern is meticulously written in a way that is clear and helpful for novice knitters without being annoying to more experienced ones. There are some fine design elements: the colorwork section, which is thicker because of the stranding, covers the wrists like a pulsewarmer for extra warmth; the moss stitch frame forms a graceful arch at the top of the mitten. So clever!

Just to show off, here's the inside of the mitten. I expect with wear it will full, locking in the yarns and becoming fuzzy-cozy.



The only mod I made was to shape the top of the thumb with mirrored decreases to echo the top of the mitten. I like the pattern enough to want to knit it again (gasp!) – I could see knitting pulsewarmers from just the colorwork section or mittens from just the gansey part.

Overall, I had a happy and productive NaKniMitMo. The moderators were unfailingly encouraging and the other participants expanded my vision and my queue. I never did get to my UFO thrummed mittens (cough), but I end the month totally smitten with mittens, eager to knit more, and looking forward to NaKniMitMo11.

Up next, the February knit-alongs. I understand a bunch of obsessive Sockdowners will be staying up past midnight tonight to stake their claims to sock patterns with fewer than 15 projects – already a few Sooners have been called for jumping the gun. Apparently manufactured scarcity works. I plan to participate eventually, but for the moment I'm focusing on Zarzuela's S/KAL and the mighty Ravel*****s.

Redacted 6/26/12: The Ravelry event formerly known by a name that rhymes with and supposedly infringes on the Olympics™.

S/KAL!

Yesterday this unexpected delivery made my day: 5.1 oz. of Zarzuela's Fibers Blue Face Leicester, colorway Snowy Wood in January. It was my prize for the October-December 2009 Spin/Knit-along (I knit mitts).

Behold a thing of beauty!



Not only are the colors lovely, the fiber was so gently handled that its luster and crimp are readily apparent, as is its staple length. This is going to be fun to spin.



I plan to spin it during the spinning portion of the February-May 2010 Spin/Knit-along. The knitting objective is a shawlette, but I'm not sure this fiber wants to be a shawlette, so I'll decide when it's plied.

Many, many thanks go to Jessica for offering and creating the generous prize and for delivering it after a trying commute. I’m impatiently waiting for the February 1 S/KAL start.