I know… hard to believe. I finally finished one of the Fluted Bannister socks. I cast it on way back in October. I’m in a self-enforced knitting lull as I wait for my Must Have Cardigan pattern to arrive. I want it to be the only thing on the needles once I start it or I’ll find any reason to put it aside. I love the look of cables, but I’m just a fair-isle kinda girl.
Speaking of the Must Have, I took Tori’s (Tori Knits) advice and washed the skeins yesterday so they’d already be blocked and ready to go. When I use the ball winder I usually wind once from the skein and then rewind from the cake. The first winding is usually a bit tight and want the yarn to be able to relax. It makes a huge difference as you can see.
Thanks to Norma (Now Norma Knits 2), I was able to start my gauge swatch. I had to go all the way down to a 2.5mm. I knew I was a loose knitter, but yeesh! I think I’ll do the sleeves first and use a 3mm since I’m pretty sure I’ll knit tighter doing the cables.
Another baby blog… I get to meet a lot of great people through my knitting addiction. I met my friend Nilda (Waltzing Natilda) on the Hebridean Isle of Mull in Scotland in July. She stayed at the same guest house so we had plenty of time to visit in the morning over breakfast and in the evenings in front of the fire at the B&B. Our most memorable moment though has to be the one-hour bumpy (and I mean BUMPY) ride in the boot of the car (station wagon hatchback…. little hatchback) that Dodie drove on the way to Tobermory. Hey Mullers! Who has those pictures, anyway?! Nilda is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met and I look forward to her posts.
This view was worth the bumpy ride:
Thanks for the winding tip – I never thought about that before but will do it next time! Your Must-Have is going to look great in that cheery color. Great photos!
Interesting what you said about winding once and then rewinding from the cake. I bought some yarn from a local sheep farmer, and it’s rustic and lovely, but one of the colors I bought she only had prewound. It is HORRIBLY tight and I’ve been very worried about it. Unfortunately it’s sat around my house for about six months like that. Just the other night, I took one out and rewound it more loosely so it could relax. I thought the yarn was “lost,” it was in such bad shape, but after a couple of days of sitting in its new relaxed shape, it’s looking like normal yarn. So now I’m going to rewind the rest of the balls. I just hate it when people abuse their yarn. Obviously this little old local lady doesn’t have the proper reverence for it.
They had Mull on our Holiday program last night, the setting for the children’s program Balamory. The island looked beautiful and one family had the whole beach to themselves. Admittedly it was the October half term week and a little cold for swimming, but wonderful to play on anyway! Oh my goodness, I’m singing the theme tune now.I love the colour of the fluted bannisters, you’re going through a burgundy stage at the moment aren’t you?
what a picture! I am so intrigued by the colors of the buildings against such a gray background…beautiful! Nice bannister, too. I need to start my second one…that’s the trouble with socks.
I love those socks and the color.Where can I get the pattern?I have never done fair isle but you got me thinking about it and I started a very simple two color sweater for my DGD.It realy is not that bad(after I finally figured out on where to put the second yarnstring while working with the other).Well DH looked at Dan’s sweater and now he wants one-am I in trouble now.Got a easy pattern to start with?
Gerlinde
Oh my gosh!! We were in Tobermory 20 years ago this coming June. I was ‘just’ pregnant w/ our son and the trip to the Outer Hebrides was our last “pre-parent fling”. What a treat to see the harbor front again…the bright paint wasn’t there 20 years ago. One of the nights we were there an ancient British naval sub docked and let the guys out on shore leave for the night…much merriment in the pub!! (and I couldn’t have a drop!) Your post makes me long to go back.
Now YOU must visit Tobermory, Ontario one day to finish the parallel experience! On the way, you can visit Philosophers’ Wool co.
The color for Your Must-Have is delicious! It’s going to look great on you, Jean. I just read your friend’s blog. What a neat lady. It would have been very interesting visiting with her, I’m sure.
Heather
You’re a better woman than me – my first fluted bannister is still languishing with about 4 inches of foot to complete before I even get to start the second sock. I never knit on these unless I’m out and about and haven’t even touched it now for a whole week and I think I only did one round last time I picked it up. At this rate I might be done next year. What kind of yarn are you using for the Must Have? It really looks like a great color.
You sock knitters make it look so easy! 🙂 The banister sock (plus one smidgeon!) is lovely – that’s a great color.
No way was that just an hour’s ride. Not because of the company. That’s just what my derriere tells me. Round trip too. Don’t think it worked as a fat reduction regime unfortunately.
I love Tobermory. We went there last September, and I walked right along the dock in the picture. I love the socks and the color, too.
What do you mean by the yarn being already blocked? I don’t understand that.
Good knitting,
MEM
Tobermore is so wonderful… We stayed in a nifty B&B almost to the monastery. Had dinner at an in in Argylle.. the best part was watching a herd of raucus goats rumble over the uneven streets at sundown. It reminded me of adolescent boys acting out one last time before having to go in for supper.