The BBC
weather forecast this morning predicted not only frost but also “wintry showers”
(=snow) for somewhere in Scotland
Tennis
Oh, dear.
But he did well, and was gracious in defeat, and it would be awful, wouldn’t
it? to have climbed the highest mountain at 25 and be a multi-millionaire and then
what do you do for 50 years?
Knitting
I finished
Alexander’s sock, as hoped. I don’t think he’ll like them, but he can always
wear them for gardening. The new Zauberball is looking good. Maybe there will be enough for a pic tomorrow. I refreshed my
memory of the Sweet Tomato Heel this morning. Cat Bordhi’s generosity with her
clever and original idea contrasts favourably with the way Donna Druchunas
reserves those Lithuanian heels for paying customers only.
Lou, thank
you for the link to
the Sidewinder socks. I still worry about gauge – especially since, in that
case, she is so fierce about how one must achieve both stitch and row gauge. I’ve never managed to do that in my life, and so much prefer the EZ approach where you establish
your own gauge first and then bend the pattern to fit.
But I love
the idea of knitting a pair of socks with one vertical and the other
horizontal, so maybe I’m going to have to try.
For the
Longitudinal socks in Knitty that Kristie pointed us to recently, you have to
cast on the whole length of the sock, top to toe, with Judy’s Magic Cast-On. My
first thought is that I could never do that – it would all spring apart if I
let go for a moment. But it wouldn’t, if I were doing it right, because the
stitches are locked to each other. I found it a bit hard to remember which
needle I had just put a stitch on, and once one got past a dozen or so it would
be awkward to stop and count all the time. There’s probably a way around that.
I had a
look on Amazon.com at Judy Becker’s book in which she takes her magic cast-on
in various interesting directions. I am tempted. Thanks for the tip, Daisy.
Amazon.co.uk hasn’t heard of it, but ordering from America
That link in a comment yesterday to a video called The Knitter's Curse looked a bit spam-like but seems to be innocent enough. It goes to a song about not knitting for boyfriends.
Today is
the today they are supposed to start putting up our new dining room ceiling.
Re: Sidewinders
ReplyDeleteI've never achieved row gauge either, but the socks worked out very well for me.
The only fiddly bit was the provisional cast on. I googled Lucy Neatby on You-Tube and watched her provisional cast on using a crochet hook and one needle. Worked a treat.
You may find the ending to be a pain. You have to Kitchener the entire sock up the back " seam" . Fortunately, I enjoy doing Kitchener so I didn't mind.
Some people say turning a heel makes them feel clever. That's the way I feel about Kitchener.
Have you seen Kate Davis's most recent blog post, Jean? I know you're a fan.
ReplyDeletehttp://katedaviesdesigns.com/2012/07/08/the-o-w-l-sweater-a-design-story/
I doubt she can afford to take on the Debenhams legal team, but some public support wouldn't hurt. Assuming you agree with her side, of course!
I'm not sure if frost in July counts as this season's or the next, but it would certainly mean the end of any garden that got hit. Unbelievable for July.
ReplyDeleteHere is how I did Judy's cast on for the Logitudinal Socks. Because I was using self-striping yarn I made sure it was divided at a colour change so one colour was being cast on the top needle and the other colour on the bottom. I hope this helps!
Sidewinders are a HOOT! ;)
ReplyDeleteWith the Sidewinders, row gauge trumps stitch gauge, since stockinette fabric stretches knitwise much more than row-wise. Nona's instructions are so detailed that one can easily see how to adapt stitch count (for the length of the foot) to one's stitch gauge. In any case, give them a shot - you have so many sock recipients, you'll be sure to fit someone's feet!
ReplyDelete-- Gretchen