A blue stripe in the Sky Scarf this morning, the first for a while. Lifts the spirits.

Miscellaneous, again

Roobeedoo, that is simply the most wonderful model-picture for a pair of kilt hose I have ever seen – and the hose are pretty wonderful, too, although I’d make the turnover deeper. I haven’t heard from Athens yet, what Archie thinks about having his grandmother knit his kilt hose. My sister warns me not to rush into it, lest I make him the laughing-stock of the school.

Anyway, first I'd need to see the kilt.

I was interested that the designer uses Schoeller & Stahl Fortissima Socka. That sounds and looks like a plain-vanilla sock yarn. I have knit two or three pairs of kilt hose, can’t remember, all of them in DK or sport-weight. Sock yarn would mean more knitting, but perhaps a trimmer look. It doesn’t seem to be available in Britain, from a quick search, but it shouldn’t be beyond the wit of man to find a German supplier. The colour range looks good.

Although that is one project where I’d really like to see the yarn before buying. Maybe I’ll go to the farmer’s market tomorrow and make my way home via K1 Yarns. Or maybe not. All her sock yarns (I’ve just looked) appear to be the sort of thing I’m knitting now, not the sort of thing required for kilt hose.

Cotton and Cloud has an enthusiastic blog entry this morning about a free Icelandic design-your-own-Lopi website. It looks good, although I didn’t persevere because it needs a free Microsoft download on the lines of Flash Player, and I didn’t want to tax this poor old computer beyond its capacities. I think maybe Easter will be the moment to buy a new one. I’ve been talking about it for years.

Ron (comment yesterday), where does EZ set out the percentages you mention? I think I’ve got the whole corpus here, but I could only find yoke sweaters or drop-shoulder, nothing on how to approach a set-in sleeve or sleeveless vest.

As for actual knitting, I am rounding the second Sweet Tomato Heel without even looking back to the instructions (famous last words). It consists of three short-row wedges stacked on top of each other. I am just starting the second wedge.

Amazon seduced me this morning with Ann Budd’s “Sock Knitting Master Class”. If nothing else, I’ll emerge from this phase with the best sock-knitter’s library in Drummond Place.

Two of the sock yarns I ordered the other day have made their appearance. I chose the blue colorway for Marasca (the new Yarns-of-Italy yarn), thinking it might be darkish and gentlemanly, and it is. Not for my husband, who is anti-blue, but for anyone else, even for a son-in-law who wears a suit to work. I don’t think I’ve ever knit socks for Helen’s husband David.

The other is KF’s Random Stripe in “Heather”, which I long to cast on.