Currently Knitting - August 17, 2009

My knitting has been frustrating me lately. I have been ripping at least as much as I have knit I think. This is Rauma 1272 Margrethe. It is a lovely pullover sweater that I started in June. I worked on the hem and bottom border while we were at TNNA. The yellow recommended in this pattern has been discontinued so I have had to make a substitution for it. There is also a green in the pattern that doesn't look green at all on the cover picture so I have substituted a dark gold for that one. You can see how little of that there is. Click on the picture and you will see that there is also one row of a lavendar. Surprise!

This first picture shows the first yellow that I tried. I actually farther along than this when I finally decided that the yellow and gray were just too close in value. You couldn't make out the fan patterns at all. So, rriiiiiiipppppp it went back to the border!

Now this is a Finullgarn sweater, so that was a LOT of knitting on very small needles!!

For this second try I chose a much lighter yellow. Ahhhhh, that's better! It had been moving right along until this past couple of weeks when I have not had as much time for it. I can't read and knit on this one! TV is okay, when I have the time for that.


I have been working more on this pair of socks than on the sweater. The yarn is my favorite teals and blues hand-dyed by Ray at Knitivity. He calls it Turquoise Fade. You will find it toward the middle of the page here.

I am using instructions from Wendy Johnson's Socks from the Toe-Up. I tried Judy Becker's Magic Cast on with the double point needles that I usually use for socks and found that it is nearly impossible to do. I was working in the car while we were traveling to and from Wisconsin so I didn't have much choice along for circular needles. I did have a couple of needles though which were only slightly different sizes so I grabbed the closest two circulars and tried it again. So far, so good.

They were working so I continued on using the Magic Loop technique with the Hiya Hiya needle I had. I don't usually enjoy knitting socks with one circular this way but this needle was particularly cooperative and was slightly smaller than my double points. I liked the knit that I was getting with them so I continued on.

I now have 2 socks up to the ribbing. I like my ribbing to be tightly knit so I was working along in my usual tight mode and decided I should try the socks on again before I finished the rib. Guess what? They were too tight! So again.....rriiiiiipppp when the knitting!

They are back on the needles again and almost finished now. Let's hope I remember to take the finished item photo too!