Spinning Malabrigo

I've been spinning lately and really enjoying it.

I bought the following two braids at Red Purl a few weeks or months apart. I think I bought the second one with the gift certificate I got for Christmas from my boss. (We get to chose our own certificates. I think you're "supposed" to get a restaurant certificate, but I get yarn.)

 Both braids are merino from malabrigo.

I thought the colours had enough overlapping tones that I could maybe combine them.

So far I have spun half of the second braid pictured.

 With the supported spindle, I am much better at getting thinner yarn.

For those of you interested, I pulled the braid into two halves (the long way) and then spun the colour as it presented. Theoretically I will get two spools of yarn that have close to matching colour progressions.

The purples don't come through very well in the photograph, but I think you can see a little of how the colour progresses through the length of the yarn in the picture above.

After watching the Craftsy class "Ply to Knit: Spin the Yarn You Really Want", I really wanted to make some 3-ply yarn. So that was my goal with these two braids. But I haven't been able to think how to combine two colours into three plies. (If you have any ideas, please let me know.)

Hmm...I just thought of an easier solution. Buy one more braid that will coordinate. Good plan!

Mmmalabrigo March

Mmmalabrigo March (you have to add the "m"s because it is just so mmm mmm good) is an event on Ravelry wherein the participants celebrate all things Malabrigo.

It is crazy popular and there are a lot of events. General categories like "sweater" or "accessory" but then also "most cast on," "most yards knit," and "very variegated" (a special case of "best use of color"). And there are lots and lots of knit-a-longs of specific patterns.

The only real rule (besides having to use Malibrigo yarns) is that you have to cast on and finish within the month of March. People are really avid Malabrigo fans, but I have mostly watched from afar and enjoyed the virtual parade of projects.

But about a week into March I bought a half priced skein of Mal sock and realized that I had little enough on the needles that I could join in. (By "little enough" I mean I still had the pink Tshirt and Zig Zag skirt going, but they were both nearing the end.)

This was my first experience knitting with Mal sock. (I think I've only used Mal worsted.) What a dream it is! When I'm away from Mal, I wonder what the big deal is, and then when I work with it again I can't imagine how I ever forgot! This is not to say that I think it is the be all and end all, but it makes a pretty persuasive argument.

Soon after the toe, I made my first major change to the
pattern. Looking at the first two repeats of the sock on the
left, the leaves are leaning one way or the other. I couldn't
take it and changed the pattern to have symmetric leaves.
I felt no need to take out what I had done to make it all
match.

I shopped around for a pattern as I mentioned here, and I really like the combination. I know a leaf pattern would traditionally be done in a green, but I like the look of this. It reminds me of white asparagus, or other blanched "green" things. But maybe that's just me.

I realized while making these socks that I seldom actually follow sock patterns. I would not be the person to ask if a pattern was any good. I read through the pattern and I mine from that what the author intended. And then I go off and do my own toe. Lately it's a short-row toe and for this pair I did my first Sherman toe--no wrapping and still no holes. I really like it. New default toe.

Once the toe is done, I start to follow the pattern, but soon have it memorized so I don't need to refer to the chart or instructions. By the time I get to the heel, I do my own heel (this time a Sherman heel--a lot like a Sherman toe), and then scoot up the leg making as many changes as necessary to make the pattern match better above the heel section and grow in circumference in proportion to my calf. And then I finish with lots of ribbing and my "invisible" kitchenered cast off. By that time the pattern has been long jettisoned and I am just having fun with a sock. "How was the pattern?" "Oh it was great," I'll say. "Just how I like to make a sock!" The only trouble might be if you didn't take enough notes to make the second sock match!

Can you see the Sherman heel? It has the classic look of a short row
heel with its diagonal turn line. But with no wraps at the turns, it's
more efficient to do and produces a less bulky result.

Going up the leg, I added an extra yarn over row after two repeats of the pattern. This added two stitches to each of the four needles and made the leaves a little larger. Two repeats later I did it again.

This was a very subtle and effective way to increase the circumference of the leg without breaking up the flow of the pattern. Normally I just change needle size, moving to larger needles as I go up the leg, but I like that I didn't have to give up any firmness of the fabric. I'm thinking that will decrease the likely hood of the socks sagging.

Once again, I finished with the "invisible" Kitchener bind off. (Yes, I'm still planning to put up a video, but it's not done yet.) I shouldn't even put quotes around "invisible." It really is. Those stitches look like they either come from nothing, or they go up and just stop, depending on which way you think the knitting is done. And it's good and stretchy too if you don't pull it too tight while you're doing it.

Another change I made was the way the leaves change. The original pattern just had one of the leaves fade into ribbing right in the middle of the leaf. It didn't work for me. So I added stitches in the purl field rather than with yarn overs and started ribbing as enough stitches were created. I think it came out great.

These were the socks that wouldn't stop--they went on forever. But the pattern is completely addicting. With a 10 row repeat, you were always either just starting or just finishing a leaf. Nothing like that to keep me going!

And I want to make sure my socks are good and long. I really hate cold feet, cold ankles, and cold legs! I find it drafty where I work (ok, I find it drafty everywhere), so I don't see the point in knitting my own socks too short!

Project Stats
Started: 9 Mar '12
Finished: 27 Mar '12
Pattern: Spring Sprout by Jeannie Cartmel ($6)
Materials: Malabrigo sock, Ochre 803, all of a skein ($10)
I ended up with very little of the ball left, but I had measured the first sock (49 grams) and the remaining ball (51 grams) and figured I was ok. And I was...never a doubt in my mind.

Plus I had a back up plan just in case.

But I knew I wouldn't need it...

And now Mmmalibrigo March is over and all there is to do is wait to see if I won a prize. Oh yes! There are prizes. Yarny goodness!! I'll let you know...

Catching Up

Let's catch up on a few projects I've started or finished lately:

1. I started a red better plastic bag yesterday.

I am just loving the solid red colour; it's surprisingly rich and looks like it's just been soaked in dye. It looks like I'll have plenty to make at least one large tote. (Phew!) This bag has a rectangle bottom (about 4" x 12") and I'm not sure yet how tall it will get. I think I will do short "in line" handles (like the black and white book bag) instead of the longer handles I did on the other large totes.

2. I cast on for another Hat Fit for a Boyfriend. This one is for a co-worker's son who was recently deployed to Iraq. It's cold at night so I thought a soft, light-weight, Malabrigo hat would be just the thing. I should have enough of the same brown left over from the two hats I made previously.

3. I finished my Birthday Cowl. I had a few false starts but really like how it turned out. First of all, the Malabrigo colour "Snow Bird" couldn't look better! Second, it fits well and is so warm; it seems to keep a cushion of warm air around my neck--so nice!

I did modify the pattern slightly. It's a biased rib, written to slant from right to left. But doing decreases right to left means you have to do a slip stitch decrease (aka ssk) which is a) time consuming because you have to pause in your forward momentum and "back up" to slip and pass the slip stitch over; and b) not as attractive. No matter how you do it, the ssk is never as smooth or nice as a simple K2tog. But the K2tog leans left to right so you can't use it in this pattern...right?

Nope, you simply need to accept a left to right slanting bias and reverse the instructions. So sl1, k1, psso, k6, yo, k3 becomes k3, yo, K6, K2tog. Simple, right? It was, and is. And then I made one more small change: I didn't like the hole left by the YO so I just picked up the yarn from the previous row. (This is exactly equivalent except the YO makes the yarn a little longer and that's what I didn't want.) So my final pattern was k3, M1, K6, K2tog.

3. This session's Caps for a Cure:

I did the yellow in November and got the red one done during my travels and time off over Christmas. I like the Foliage pattern a lot. They will be sent to a cancer center in LA, CA. (Why do they need hats in such a warm climate?? Mostly because of A/C being set too cold! :pet peeve alert:)

You may notice I tried a little modification on the second cap at the crown. I didn't really like the heavy look of the four two-stitch "ribs" going down from the top so I tried the second cap with a one-stitch rib. Besides not really liking the look, this was also suggested by the pattern which has you decrease the extra rib stitch where they end in the pattern: if you have to take it out later anyway, why put it in in the first place?? So I took it out. I'm not sure it's a big improvement, but it was fun to try and turn my irritation into action! I also fiddled with the decreases: the pattern had a left leaning double decrease which really should have been a center double decrease. That was definitely an improvement, but I'm quite sure you won't be able to see the difference in these pictures.

4. And finally: what happened to my Candle Flame Scarf?

I got it finished in early December and it came out great. The Kitchener stitch to connect the two halves worked great and the seam is nearly invisible. Despite being made from the delectable Malabrigo, it turned out a little itchy on my neck. I have been advised to wash it in vinegar and then treat it with hair conditioner (wool being animal hair after all). I haven't yet tried this, partly because I'm quite enamoured with my cowl.

[ETA: the Candleflame scarf won a 2nd place ribbon at the 2009 County Fair (knitted hat, scarf or mittens set).]

Up next, I bought supplies today for the lovely "Sahara" designed by Wendy Bernard.

I'll be doing it with cap sleeves out of a silk/merino mix and the trim is a silk with sequins. Oh...it's so exciting! I haven't cast on yet because I need to take a breath and some time to get ready to do the necessary swatching and gauge-checking. (So tedious; so essential.)

And I also bought a unbelievably lovely Malabrigo lace weight in "Jewel Blue." At 470 yds I thought it might be enough for a shawl, but now I'm not so sure. Looking through lace shawl patterns has got me all fired up, but first things first. (And first, the Sahara!)

All this makes me wonder, how can I convince my hubby that I really should leave my job and be a stay-at-home wife?

Let me know if you have any great ideas on that!

-christina

What's on my Needles

Like a good girl, I spent some time getting things organized the other night so I again have a few projects to take with me to knit at lunch breaks, meetings, and waiting for tellers at the bank drive throughs.

First, my travelling slippers. I finished the sole and top of one slipper and sewed the parts together just to make sure my alterations worked before I committed all the work of the second slipper. I then I weighed the assembled slipper and the left over yarn just to make sure I had enough yarn to do the second one. I do! (yeah!)

I still have to knit around the top of the slipper, but I'll wait until the second one is done to again make sure I have enough wool. If not, I'll do that in another colour. (This was the last skein of this colour at the LYS.)

Next is the Hat Fit for a Boyfriend that I am actually making for my BIL (hoping he isn't reading this of course!). I made it out of dreamy Malabrigo (worsted weight). I'll try not to wax on for hours but the stuff really is dreamy; soft; squishy (in a good way); warm; lovely...well you get the idea. It is 100% wool, but those of you who think wool is "itchy" have no idea. It is gorgeous to the touch.

The pattern is also simple and genius. Although this pic does not show it off, the decreases are done in the best possible way. Each column of knitting drops out in orderly fashion, exactly when it is supposed to. If you follow the link to the pattern, you'll see what I mean [third pic].

I did not calculate how much yarn I need correctly and bought two skeins when I only need one (less than one) to complete the hat--even in the longer length. So even though you see a picture of a completed hat, I DO have this on my needles because my hubby wants one now too. And I am only too happy to have an excuse to work with this wool some more. It just glides over the fingers so silkily...oh oh...here I go again...

And yes again: because the next project is something for me in the dreamy Malabrigo. I found a good shade of red (which does not photography true) for a scarf to perk up my utterly boring new dark grey winter coat.

The pattern is another brilliant piece of work. It is knit from the bottom up on both sides (in two pieces) and then joined at the back center with a seam. I will use the Kitchener Stitch so that it will in effect be seamless; you will only be able to notice where the pattern "flips." (Now I'm really setting the bar for myself, aren't I?!)

I'm planning to make the scarf shorter than the pattern calls for and am just going to make is as long as one skein will get me. I got a little carried away with the first half and knit it past half way through the ball. (Again, I just weighed the two parts to decide whether I was past half.) So I started the second half with the other end of the ball and I'll see how far I get. Worst case, I undo some part of the first half OR my two halves are not quite the same length. (I'm mean, really, it's not only worn at the back of my neck, it'll probably be under my coat!)

All for now,

christina