Ribwarmer and Ribbed Socks

So I was needing a quick, easy project - just for you know - my own mental health. Most of my projects tend to be pretty big, and not too many are just mindless knitting. A skein of yarn that I spun up last October had been screaming at me for a while, it just kept telling me it would make a lovely little Ribwarmer (one of the projects in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop). So I balled up the yarn and started knitting. It took me a hot two and a half days to get it done.

And here she is on... Bolero's are just so "in" right now - and I swear I'm not one who pays much attention to what's hot this season... But I've done a couple of these (years ago - way before blogging) and I thought sure - why not? I'm also pretty pleased with the whole working out thing, and noticing some difference in my waistline.

It's surprising how much warmth this teeny tiny little thing actually provides, and it's comfy, and handspun.

As you can probably see from the pic of the front of the Ribwarmer (up at the top of the page) I still have a lot of yarn left over - I started off with 8 ozs, and maybe used half of that. I'm thinking maybe some long fingerless gloves to go with? Maybe? Or would that just look weird? Oh, I don't know - I do know that I love the color gradations in the yarn itself, and it really fit the bill as far as knitting something quick and mostly mindless.

I've also closed up the moth holes in my No Sleeves in Your Pi - or I guess I should just call it a Pi shawl now. I still haven't figured out where I'm going to block it, so no pictures of that yet.

I've also finally finished the Socks O' Shame... I still can't believe that it took me so long to actually finish these suckers. You know how most people are pretty good with the first sock, and then go oh - shiny, pretty new pattern/sock yarn that must get knit up now. Well, I'm kinda the opposite. I start a sock, and it takes forever, then I finally get around to the second sock, and it just trucks right along, and I'm done in no time. I am not kidding when I say that I started the first sock about 2 years ago - would work on it here and there, not much. I'd carry it around with me, just in case I had an odd moment, I guess I just haven't had many odd moments over the last couple of years. The second sock was started about a month or so ago, I haven't been working on it exclusively or anything, but it's done! As you can see they're just really basic 2x2 rib socks - knit out of Sockotta on size 0 needles. I can't remember where I saw the idea, but some lovely blogger mentioned that she really liked to demarcate the toe shaping with a row of purl stitches right before the toe shaping. I wasn't so sure with the first sock, but I carried it on with the second sock, and think I'll be using it again.

Anyway - that's it for this installment - I'll try to not have so much time elapse until the next one - there have been technical difficulties.

Back in the saddle.

Yeah, so I've been really crap about updating this here bloggy thing - and I've been totally crap about taking pictures of the stuff that I've been working on lately.

I spun up the rest of the Bubble Yummy silk, I ended up Navajo plying the two bobbins together to end up with a 6 ply 100% silk yarn... With lots of tangles and snarls. D'oh! I don't like Navajo plying very much to start with - but I had two full bobbins, and I needed some serious grist to it so I could use it with the original Bubble Yummy yarn. I ended up with 190 yards which will knit up nicely with the 3 ply that I made earlier, and hopefully be enough to make myself something purty.

I also did the last minute, oh shit - must knit presents for everyone... starting the Thursday before Christmas (Yeah, I know - remember I am crap!). Anyway, I ended up starting a Log Cabin baby blanket for my adorable nephew Zane. I hadn't made him one, and have been feeling guilty about it. Christmas just does bring up all kinds of guilt issues for me - there's always so much that I want to do, and feel like I should do - but I don't have the time or the energy or the money to do everything that I want to do, so what ends up happening is that not much at all actually gets done. This turns itself into a vicious cycle. I wish more than anything that I could just take to my bed, until it's all over - I have contemplated doing some sort of religious conversion just to get out of Christmas - but I'm not much for organised religion in the first place, and really not much for knocking on the doors of complete strangers. Basically I do end up getting through it - but it's a bit like bad sex.... Just lay back and think of Scotland.

The blanket got done, and I did not get one picture of it. Not.one. What was I thinking? How could I have not gotten the picture. It's really not so difficult - my brother's house is only a five minute walk from my house, and have I gotten over there since? No. Sigh - oh well - I will get one soon and post it up here.

I ended up using commercial superwash wool for the baby blanket, and I realised that I have not knit with commercial yarn in some time now. It was not nearly as satisfying, that's for sure. I've been in on a conversation with some other spinners about how we as the creators only see all the imperfections, and are much harder on our own work than any one else would ever be. But at the end of the day that's what I really love about knitting with my handspun - it has character.

So anyway. It was a very quiet, low-key Christmas around Abi Abode. I did get a new (to me) couch thanks to Craigslist. I just love it! I could live on this couch - it is so comfy and cozy. Totally covered in denim, and like a comfortable pair of nicely worn in jeans. And yes, that is my Wings o'the Moth shawl covering the back. And yes, that is me spinning on my Joy. Pretty much my normal posture while spinning. I like to lounge baby. I also really like the Single Treadle, couldn't get this comfy if I had to have both feet working the peddles all the time....


I've been working on the CVM that I dyed in blues and greens on my last big dye day. It wants to spin up extremely fine - and there's 8 ozs of it. It's taking me days to just fill one bobbin. I'm planning on spinning up a bobbin of blue and green silk to ply with it.... Should be loverly! And hopefully a bit more substantial as a three ply. If I just did it up as a two ply it would only be good as a shawl, and this stuff is definitely next-to-skin soft.

Other big news around AbiAbode is that my daughter is moving back in with me. I've written before about how tiny my place is, but luckily there is crawl space above the entire length of my two studio apartments, and she can store most of her stuff up there. It will be cramped, and crowded, but we will make it work. It's awfully nice having her around though. She's getting settled in nicely, and trying to figure out what she wants to do as far as work and school.






And the last big item... My Christmas present from the BBE - sorry, I just have to show it off. I love it! I've always wanted emeralds. It's a Promise Ring, and something to show that my guy has "marked his territory". I still need to take it in to get sized, I have some skinny fingers, and it's a bit too big. But I don't want to give it up.

Anyway - I guess that's about it for this installment. One of my goals for the New Year is to make sure to update this thing on a more regular basis. There have been conversations about getting internet on again at my house, which will definitely make things a bit easier.