What to Bring? (Or, A Status Update of All My Projects)

I'm headed on a short trip and it is time to face the question of what project(s) to pack. Let's keep it easy and make it multiple choice:

A) Brioche Cowl

I only have a few rows left and could be wearing this before I even get home!

B) Wool-Aid Vest

This is pretty mindless knitting, although I'm past the arm split so there is more shaping and such going on now. It's also pretty big and bringing more wool would be pretty bulky. Also, the thick yarn and tighter gauge tires my hands so I can't do it for too long at a time.

C) Wool-Aid Socks

These have the same issue of tiring and hurting my hands. Also, I didn't wind the balls on the ball winder and since I'm working with two strands, I have two huge balls trying to roll around all the time.

D) Insulate Gloves

The first one is done and fits. I just have to try and duplicate it. This would be a lot of thinking and interpreting notes. Also, maybe I should block this one to make sure the fit will still be ok. Maybe I could do that before I leave yet.

E) Celestarium Shawl

Last week I blocked the edging that I had knit so far and it came out great.

The eyelets on the outside edge really opened up, you can see the mock cable, and it lies flat. (I also found a mistake two or three repeats back so I had to rip them out. I'm back on track now though.) I don't nearly have this chart memorized (yet) so this will involve referencing the pattern continuously.

F) Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses Quilt

Look at that! I finally got it all organized in a binder. I was wondering how long it would take me to give into the urge.

I have a section for the finished (sewn) blocks (right up front of course):

 and a section for the ready-to-sew blocks:

and a section for block ideas or partial blocks:

Anyway, back to the decision at hand. I could pack my binder, bag of thread, scissors and needle pack and be all set to travel.

This is certainly not social sewing I could do during a visit however. My eyes have to be on what I'm doing all the time.

G) Something completely new, like the True Hope cowl kit I picked up at Vogue Knitting Live Chicago:

H) All of the above

I) None of the above - just hit a quilt or knit store on the way and buy something new.

Rekindling the Spark

I finally finished these socks for Wool-Aid.

They were a slog. Two strands of nearly-worsted weight on small needles. They'll wear like iron but they were uncomfortable to knit. They were the only thing I had on the  needles and I got into a rut where I felt like I had to finish them first. I also did them two-at-a-time so I was wrestling with two socks on a long circular needle and four balls of wool. It was UGH all the time.

When I chose to use these two wools (both ravelled from sweaters) I thought one was a wool blend with nylon and other fibers which would add strength. By the time I got close to the end, I realized I mixed up some labels and they were both 100% wool. So they'll still be warm, but may wear out sooner, and they were not what I had intended. It was discouraging.

But I pushed on and finally got to the cuff, which I finished with Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.

They are 9.5" long and I couldn't be happier to be done with something. I hope they keep someone's feet very warm and to whoever you are, I'm sorry if they are filled with bad karma. It wasn't personal.

After a one- or two-day "finger cleansing" period, shall we say, I was energized to pick out what was next. A look at the stash led me to this wool/mohair mix. I previously used it for a couple pair of smaller socks, but this time I cast on a hat.

I am worn out of knitting worsted-weight socks and I think a hat is just the thing. I haven't worked on it much because it is my "take-along" knitting and I guess I haven't been out much.

I started something else to enjoy knitting at home:

Glorious fine-gauge socks! Working on these makes my fingers sing again. I've been enjoying it so much, my first sock is half done already. I'm making another pair of Stripe Tease like I made for my mom.

The sock is worked in narrow strips so it's quick to make progress (if you just look at length of your strip, not the entire project). Last time I did three strips at a time working from both ends of a ball (plus a second ball) in intarsia. I considered it again this time because, in a way, it's a more elegant way to work it and avoids a lot of picking up stitches. But I just couldn't do it. Too much to keep track of. Too complicated. I just wanted simple. So I am working my little strips and loving it.

This is yarn I got on my trip to the Netherlands with my mom (as was the yarn I knit my mom's socks with). Mom's yarn was brighter with more reds and made me think of the narrow strips of colour in the tulip fields.

Since this yarn is more blues and purples, I think of fields of hyacinths instead. The socks won't smell quite as pretty, but they'll be just as lovely! :)

Wool-Aid Projects in 2015

Here is another pair of socks I finished for Wool-Aid. They were the sixth pair this year. I did a 2x2 rib on top of the foot and around the legs, ending in a 1x1 rib to help them stay up.

I finished with the Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off that you can see below.

And I did my usual gusset, short row heel and then heel flap to decrease the gusset stitches.

These socks ended up pretty big at 9.5". As soon as they were done, I cast on another pair with a few fewer stitches but the same yarn. Here they are with only a few stitches left to be bound off. (The church service started and I had to stop!)

But don't worry, I finished them today. So that makes seven pair for the year (and 12 overall).

Here are the other projects I finished in 2015 for Wool-Aid:

I have one more sweater on the go, but I ran into yarn dyeing issues and it has been in time out for a while.

As of December 18, the people on Ravelry who support Wool-Aid have completed the following items in 2015:

Hats 2400
Socks 900
Sweaters 800
Vests 500
Mittens 400
Blankets 75
Total: 5075

10” blanket squares 275 [These are sewn into blankets by an obviously generous volunteer.)

Below is some information about each of the projects/locations supported in 2015. Most of the text is taken from postings by our fearless leader "MorningThunder" on Ravelry. She is the one who collects all of the items and arranges for shipping from her house. Yes, from her house...I don't think they've used the dining room for eating in a long time! (My comments are in italics.)

But wait, before you get to all that, I thought I'd let you know how you can help, if you would like. Obviously, you can knit and crochet things to send. Just follow the guidelines on their website.

And/or you can make a donation to help with shipping and other incidental costs. (MorningThunder does all this for no wage so your money goes only to the good of the project.) See details on their website page here. (If you're still looking for a Christmas gift for me--not that you have to--a donation to Wool-Aid would be wonderful.)

And/or, and this is the easiest one, you can designate Wool-Aid as the charity Amazon.com will donate to as a percentage of all of your Amazon purchases. Go to smile.amazon.com and chose Wool-Aid from the list. Once it's on your account, you will need to start your shopping at smile.amazon.com (every time) and all purchases will help! Go do it. Do it now! Click.

Now, here are the stories of the people the Wool-Aid group has helped in 2015:

2015 NEPAL

In June, she reported that Wool-Aid has established a new partnership with some very wonderful and dedicated people in Nepal!

Wool-Aid items will be sent to help a group of young monks at the Tendhar Lugar Choeling Monastery, but even more of our Wool-Aid items will be shared with needy children who live in the area surrounding the monastery in Kathmandu and in other parts of Nepal.

Monks from this monastery have been very active in securing and delivering relief aid to people who have been affected by the earthquakes that first hit the area on April 25, 2015, with the young monks being very much involved in these relief efforts. They are taught the significance of service -- expressing love, compassion, and universal responsibility -- in word and in deed.

There are currently 53 young monks at the monastery, ages 5 to 15. At the Tendhar Lugar Choeling Monastery, the monks can wear mustard (gold), yellow, maroon, and brown colors. They wear sweaters and vests under their monks’ robes during the winter, and socks and hats are also much needed.

They would especially appreciate receiving blankets for older children and teenagers. Even in the summer, it is quite cold when they are sleeping outside in tents (as many have been since the earthquake, because of the continued danger of building collapse). They often sleep two to a mattress for extra warmth.

After sleeping out in the open on the first night of the earthquake, they tried to sleep in tents the second night. But when it started raining into their leaking tents, they ran inside, only to have to run outside in the middle of the night when the earth started shaking again.

Blankets would be used year-round, because it is cool at night, especially when sleeping out-of-doors or in tents. During the more temperate seasons, they would help protect the children from mosquito and other insect bites in addition to protecting from the cooler temperatures.

The monastery has storage space available, so Wool-Aid can send aid throughout the year and then they can distribute it when it’s needed, either to the young monks or to other children. All items in colors not appropriate for the monks (and perhaps some of the items in monk colors, too) will be distributed to other needy children.

So for all those among you who have wondered if we would eventually be helping people in Nepal, the answer is YES! It took a bit of time to connect with the right people, but we feel that this partnership allows Wool-Aid to help many children with little or no access to other resources.

Aren't these young monks adorable in their gold and red hats!

Distributing hats, sweaters and socks to new monks. Many
of them are brought by their parents because they just can't
afford to keep them at home.

________________________________

2015 SYRIA

Our warm woolens have been requested by Syria Relief, an international relief organization of excellent repute. They have year-round effective distribution channels and can distribute aid inside Syria, which requires a solid network on the ground within the country. There are over 12.2 million Syrians in desperate need of humanitarian aid, with over 5.1 million of these being children. About 7.6 million people have been displaced within Syria by the conflict. Syria Relief provides care and support to these vulnerable people in hopes of curbing mass migration to refugee camps outside their own country.

Syria Relief sends relief containers to Turkey, where they are taken to the Turkish/Syrian border and undergo standard freight and customs inspections before they are met by ground teams inside Syria and taken to warehouses for distribution. Syria Relief is able to reach areas that most others can’t. More often than not, these are the places with the most desperate needs.

While the need is so great that anything we send will be promptly distributed, they have specifically asked Wool-Aid to help children who are 9 to 12 years old, with a focus on hats, mittens, and vests.

Because Syria is a country at war, we will avoid sending items in camouflage colorways; we have also been asked not to send items that are red. Representational images of people and animals are not appropriate for distribution within Syria.

Syria Relief is a registered NGO in the UK, with a clear aim in Syria: Relieving the suffering : Supporting the future.

________________________________

2015 ALASKA

In August, MorningThunder wrote: Wool-Aid has received a request for warm woolens from a small school district in Alaska that serves a group of seven very remote villages. The winters are very cold there, dipping to –60 degrees on some days! Snows begin at the end of October and continue through April.

The population is Native Alaskan, specifically Athabascan. Unemployment is very high, and most families are below the federal poverty line. There is no commerce -- no jobs, no stores, no places to buy things. Anything that is purchased must be flown in, which is very expensive.

We are being asked to help about 50 students who are in pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade. These are children 4 to 7 years old who need our warm woolens to help keep them warm when they are playing outside at school. With such limited resources, it seems that there isn’t money to spend on clothing that would be quickly outgrown by these youngest of children.

For these children, the specific request is for hats, mittens, and socks.

All colors -- especially bright ones -- are welcome for these children!

By mid-November, she wrote: This wonderful group of knitters and crocheters is sharing love and warmth about 50 children in pre-K through first grade in a small school district that serves seven villages (Kaltag, Minto, Huslia, Nulato, Allakaket, Koyukuk, and Ruby) in central Alaska, on the Yukon River -- and the boxes may be delivered soon!

Here’s what was enclosed in the two large boxes from Wool-Aid:

65 hats
66 pairs of mittens
7 hat & mitten sets
80 pairs of socks
________________________________

2015 KAZAKHSTAN

Wool-Aid is pleased to let you know that we are helping children in orphanages in Akkol and Urupinka, Kazakhstan this year. It gets really cold there -- temperatures can reach -40 degrees in midwinter, and the snows start in August!

Nanci from the Motherless Child Foundation (Mittens 4 Akkol) contacted Wool-Aid to see if we could help out with some pairs of socks for the children they support. We shipped out 81 pairs of socks and included 15 pairs of mittens in larger sizes, too. They will be on their way to Kaz with Nanci next week!

Your help is very much appreciated. Nanci sends profound thanks to the members of Wool-Aid for the socks and mittens that she’ll be able to give to children in the orphanages this December.
________________________________

2015 DULAAN PROJECT: MONGOLIA

In January, MorningThunder reported: Our shipment to the Dulaan Project in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is on its way! We have supported the Dulaan Project for several years. They serve children in schools, orphanages, and on the streets in Ulaanbaatar, where it is often -40°F at night in the winter.

Mongolia’s winter is extreme; the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, is the coldest capital in the world. It rarely gets above freezing on winter days, and can often plunge to -40°F at night. To survive, many of the homeless live in the heating ducts below the nation’s cities. Warm, well-made clothing can allow a child to go to school or an adult to go to work; restore a sense of dignity; and, in some cases, literally save a life.

Bureaucratic issues had kept this shipment on hold (literally for months!), but now all that has hopefully been taken care of so that when our boxes arrive in Ulaanbaatar, the labels will have been pre-approved by the governmental Ministry in charge so the boxes can be picked up without having customs fees charged.

These are the boxes MorningThunder prepared to ship.
Can you imagine having them in your dining room?
Especially before everything was contained in the boxes!?

These 24 boxes weigh 544 pounds and they contain 1307 of your lovingly handknit and crocheted items for the kids. Most of these boxes were ready to go before the end of 2014, but we were able to add to them before the final approval of the forms and labels came through.
Here’s what we sent:
Socks: 201
Hats: 620
Mittens: 220
Vests: 113
Sweaters: 153
TOTAL: 1307

Here is an excerpt from the thank you note that was sent back after the items were received, and a picture of some of the kids with their new woolies on.

You Wool-Aid folks are so wonderfully generous -- sharing your time, your yarn, and your creative talent to help children all over the world. Heartfelt thanks to all of YOU!

As with many of the other organizations, any extra items or things in sizes that didn't fit are passed around the community as needed. The "leftover" items from this shipment were given to homeless adults and disabled and blind people.

In October, another shipment was in the works: Wool-Aid is preparing shipments this fall for the children of Mongolia, working with the Dulaan Project, as we have for several years now. We expect our big shipment to Mongolia to go out in November.

We will be sending clothing for children of all ages and in all sizes -- and in all colors, too! Meredith, the director of FIRE/Dulaan Project, writes that they find homes for absolutely everything we send!

So keep those needles and hooks busy for the kids!
________________________________

2015 TIBET/YOUNG MONKS/INDIA

In February: Wool-Aid continues to support the children in Kyegu, Tibet with regular shipments throughout the year. Our Wool-Aid items are typically distributed to children at selected schools during the winter months. During the summer months, our shipments are held at the monastery until time for distribution. This is a wonderful help, since they are only able to receive a few boxes at a time. Their ability to provide storage space means that we can still move larger quantities of aid to these children.

Wool-Aid’s focus for Tibetan children is for children who are of school age -- about 8 years old through teens. These children are often outside in the bitter cold weather, and they really need protection from the elements. We most often send hats, socks, sweaters, and vests to Tibet.

While the colors of maroon and gold have special significance in Tibetan culture, the children in Kyegu love to receive our warm items in all colors and patterns. So knit/crochet what you love!

I hope you're still reading and enjoyed the stories of all the different places and people that Wool-Aid works with to keep people warm, safe and comfortable.

Wool-Aid Socks-Warm and Wooly

I haven't yet shown you the latest pair of socks I finished for Wool-Aid. A big size at 10" with a cable rib pattern.

 As usual, I started with the toe.

Or should I say "toes" since I do them two at a time? It's a short row toe over 20 stitches, which gives me a roomy 40 stitches around the foot.

After the foot, it is time for my latest favourite heel--start with a gusset, do a short row heel over the original number of stitches (in this case, 20) and then do a heel flap after the heel, decreasing the gusset stitches.

I will often leave 2 or 4 of the gusset stitches not decreased so the leg is a little roomier than the foot. They fit me better that way so I am generalizing from there.

Once I get far enough (or I'm running out of wool), I finish with some plain ribbing and Jeny's Surprising Stretchy Bind Off:

 It really is stretchy:

With these socks done and cooler weather coming, I decided it was time to send a box off to Wool-Aid headquarters. Here is what I sent yesterday:

One sweater, two little pair of socks, one medium pair and one big pair.

And I finally pulled myself together enough to gather the materials and start my next knitting project--some nice red socks for the next shipment...

Little Wool-Aid Socks

I have finished another pair of socks for Wool-Aid.

They are only 5.5" big. I started these socks with 20 stitches (for a short-row toe, so that would have meant 40 stitches all the way around) but after a couple rows, they looked huge.

So I took it out and started again with 16 stitches. After I finished the toe, I realized these were going to be a lot smaller than I had intended. But oh well, they will fit someone!

So I continued along. I started a 2x2 rib on the top of the foot and decided to fancy it up by doing a wrapped rib. Every third row I put a yarn-over in front of the knit stitches. After the knit 2, I pulled the yarn-over over the stitches. It acts like a rib but looks a little different. Also gives me something to do every third row.

I added a small 4-stitch gusset and then worked a short row heel on the 24 heel stitches.

Then the wrapped rib all the way up the leg and finished with Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. (I think that might need a trademark. IDK.)

They are cute and cosy! The yarn is a single ply, which isn't the prefered choice for socks but it's 15 percent mohair and I think that will really help with the durability.

That's pair number 4 in 2015 and 9 altogether for Wool-Aid, in case you're counting!
Project Stats
Started: 25 Apr '15
Finished: 18 May '15
Pattern: personal (2x2 wrapped rib)
Materials: Vintage Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted (67 grams)

Surprisingly Stretchy Socks for Wool-Aid

Socks really are a great canvas for trying things out. A new stitch. A different heel method. A new cast off.

I recently finished the green ones I've been working on. Unlike most wool raveled from a sweater, this wool was spun. It was rather tightly spun but still soft to the hand. Perfect for socks.

The sock body was 40 stitches around and I worked a type of broken rib (or is it a waffle stitch? I don't know) once I had finished the short-row toe.

I did two rounds of 2x2 ribbing and then purled a round.

It is bumpy and cushy and will provide a lot of insulation. But the inside should still feel smooth on the foot as you can see--

It acts just like a 2x2 rib on the inside.

Like some other recent socks, I added a gusset (8 stitches each side), did a short-row heel on the original number of sole stitches (20) and then knit a flap after the heel, decreasing the gusset stitches.

I worked the gusset stitches in purl just for fun.

The leg was worked in the broken rib all the way around until near the top when I changed to a plain 2x2 rib. I ended with a new (for me) bind off--Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.

I've heard about it for a long time (that link will take you to a tutorial from 2009) but had resisted using it. For one thing, I have a bind off that I like to use that functions very well. But it works best on a 1x1 rib and I didn't want to end this sock with 1x1 rib on top of the 2x2. The second reason I've resisted is the name, quite frankly. It's so clumsy and...I don't know...stupid? (Is that too harsh?) Even the usual abbreviation, JSSBO, bugs me because an abbreviation shouldn't be so long you can't remember all the letters. Blech!

But anyway, it was time to try it. I followed the tutorial linked above and the bind off worked very well. Unlike any other bind offs I know, you can see that it "corrugates" with the ribbing.

It will do that with any type of ribbing (3x3, 2x3, whatever) because you treat the knits and purls differently as you bind off. I will definitely us it again when needed, but maybe I'll call it "the Bind Off That Shall Not Be Named." Hmm...that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either.

The socks finished at 8" which should be good for the age group Wool-Aid aims for.

Project Stats
Started: 31 Jan '15
Finished: 18 Feb '15
Pattern: made up as I went along (more details on the Ravelry page)
Materials: 136 grams from a Pendleton sweater (used doubled)

Taking Your Knitting With You

I spent most of this weekend at my sister's celebrating her "big" birthday. (Ok, I'll tell you--it was 50.) We had a very fun time of it and I still had time for a little knitting.

I worked on the second pair of striped socks I made from my Lorna's Laces leftovers. I finished the first sock before going, so the second one was just a matter of matching stripes. I took it along to homecoming at my nephew's high school:

He was playing in the pep band. He spent his spare time trying to avoid his mother and her four sisters!

By the end of the night I had the second one done and all the ends worked in--no small feat!

The socks are 6.75" and I used up all the leftovers except the red. It worked out pretty well.

Now don't you fret--I had brought more yarn so I could start the next pair!

This was a beautiful wool I raveled from a sweater some time ago. I just did the two sleeves because I used the front and back for pillows. I thought the sleeves would be just right for socks. For Wool-Aid, I am working with the yarn doubled.

I decided to do a broken rib on this pair, just for something a little different:

I worked on this during our breaks between activities on Saturday, and also while waiting for my sister to get some necessities like ice cream...

By the time I left, I had the gusset done and most of the heel:

The wool is wonderful to work with and has quite a tight twist which should make it more durable. Once the heel is done, I'll continue the broken rib all around the leg.

More Socks: Grey and Stripes, Big and Small

I never did show you the grey socks that prompted me to dye the yarn for my next pair.

A nice basic pair.

I added sock yarn for the toes:

and heel:

It was too tight a gauge to work the sock yarn with the main yarn for the whole sock. (I may have to invest in a larger pair of nice cable needles, but I probably won't...)

I started the 1x1 rib a little early so it ended up a nice good length. I like the 1x1 rib as a good cuff to hold up the sock.

If you look closely you can see that I did little 1x1 cables when I changed from the 2x2 rib to 1x1 to keep the knit stitches knit and purl stitches purl. I don't like the abrupt change that happens if you just knit the stitches as they present themselves. It's a very small thing that I don't always worry about, but it's nice when I can change it to my liking. As I was doing the second sock, I realized I could even mirror image the cables so they lean left on one sock and right on the other! Will anyone else notice? No. But I enjoyed doing it that way.

I finished the striped socks more recently. They came out a little bigger than I intended. I don't worry about that too much because I figure a lot of people stick to the smaller (easier) sizes. When giving to Wool-Aid, I figure there's a person in need in every size.

Troy tried them on and he said they were the best fitting socks I've made him. I told him he could keep them if he gave a cash donation to Wool-Aid! (He declined.)

Of course I started at the toes:

I liked the stripes on the shorter rows of the toe. As I got to the longer rounds of the foot, the stripes thinned out and weren't as effective.

I tried a new type of heel; really, a hybrid. I started increasing for a gusset a little sooner than normal, but increased every third row instead of every other row. This way the gusset could be longer but wouldn't get any taller. Then I did a short row heel on the original number of sole stitches.

When the short row heel was done, I continued knitting up the back of the heel, decreasing the gusset stitches as I went. (One stitch at the end of each row.) This created a heel flap and makes that part of the sock taller. If you have a flat foot, this probably wouldn't interest you, but I think it would make my socks fit better. Once again, I like the stripes on the shorter rows of the heel and heel flap.

Once I started knitting the leg, the stripes became mushy again:

I did a 2x2 ribbing on the leg. You have probably realized it's my go-to ribbing for generic socks. Since I had decreased all the gusset stitches (unlike the grey sock above) the leg was a little narrower than most of my socks. When I got to the 1x1 cuff at the top, I increased the number of stitches to make sure it wouldn't bind. (Nothing worse than the top of the sock digging into your leg. Doesn't help the sock stay up either.)

I increased after every fourth stitch, but I'm thinking it could have been half that many.

Although the self-striping dye job didn't come out quite how I wanted, it was still fun (and educational) to try. And a heck of a lot more fun knitting than plain grey!

After those were done, though, I couldn't resist pulling out my Lorna's Laces leftovers from these slippers.

I knew I didn't want to go too big again (especially as I didn't have unlimited yarn) so I only cast on 16 stitches for the toe (giving me 32 total). Well, they look like they will fit a large toddler. Once again, Wool-Aid can use all sizes so I'm ok on that front, but it feels like a bit of an over-reaction!

Because I just have various leftovers, I went with a contrasting toe and heel with stripes on the foot and leg.

Working with both ends of two balls to do these two-at-a-time is not as easy as it sounds!! The yarn gets hopelessly twisted and a little bit tangled. By the time I got to the heel, I had to cut both yarns. I thought I would get away with just cutting one, but the red was knotted and twisted in such a way that I just had to cut it too. Breaks my heart.

But once the blue heel was done, I attached all four yarn ends again and striped up the leg. I figured if I could put up with it on the foot, I can do the leg. I really want to do them two at a time so that if I were to run out of a colour, it would happen at the same place on both socks.

Now that these are done, I'll try a larger pair and then I may just work with one colour until it's done and then add the next colour. (Two ends instead of four--much more manageable.) But they really want you to watch the colour changes so they look good and not like you threw together all your scraps. (I'm sure they got some sweaters with one different coloured sleeve or something like that before they made that guideline explicit.)

The Lorna's Laces is nice cushy, soft yarn and I'm really enjoying working with it. Next time more stitches though. These tiny projects sort of freak me out.