but rather a journal of sorts to keep track of projects (mostly my hobbies) and most of all to help me pick up where I left off because I am likely to have 15 projects going on, and maybe even to push me to finish them. I also really need to start cataloging labels (fabric, yarn, etc) because I am constantly guessing at the gauge and I hate knitting swatches. Also because I just got an iPad and it would be a shame to use it only to watch netflix movies, although Masterpiece Theatre movies don't count because they're good for you.
So about these projects, I'm currently working on a baby wardrobe for little sis who is about to pop one out. So far I've got
A striped summer cotton hat
A winter hat with ear flaps
A gray jacket
It's all a mish-mash of color, sizes, styles, nothing is matchy-matchy because I don't have enough yarn of anything to knit anything bigger than a sweater size 3 mos, and because I really need to make a dent on my yarn stash.
Ongoing project#2 is this cardigan for the man in my life. Design is my own, gauge is tiny, not sure whether it should be buttoned, shawl style, or what. Oh and I've run out of yarn which was purchased in Chicago and I live in Brooklyn. But I located a yarn store in the Hamptons that carries this yarn. Reminder: order yarn.
Ongoing project#3 is this suit, FOUR years in the making, even I've lost track of how long it's been. It just hangs listlessly, it's become part of the decor, and in a torturous twist, the pants have been finished for some time but can't be worn without the jacket. In the meantime, their intended wearer has gained a little bit of weight (just very little) and professed the pants to be on the snug side. Gah!
Ongoing project #4 this linen jacket HAS GOT TO GO but I am having a hard time convincing a certain someone to let me take it apart so I can copy it. Not quite a project yet. But in my mind it is. I would probably make it in a flecked grey cashmere flannel, with some buttery leather accents. The reason I want to take it apart is the fit is really perfect, there will be minimal tailoring save for an inch on the hem. Could be a masterpiece.
Ongoing project #5 is this log cabin quilt made of scraps of shirting fabric (I used to be a bespoke shirt maker). It's really pretty, airy, summery. Because most of my shirt clients tended to stick to blues and whites, I ended up with a variegated spectrum of dark blue for the log center fading into shades of whites for the outer edges of the motifs. I just need to finish quilting it, and add a small border.
Ongoing project #5 is a pair of men's socks I cast on yesterday. This yarn comes highly recommended.
Yarn Trekking XXL
Gauge Tbd
Needles 3 for cast on, 1 for the rest
Pattern I prefer simple st st no frill pattern, economical for yarn and easy on the hands
CO 68 sts on #3. Change to #1 and rib 1x1 for 4 inches.
HEEL
Heel flap is worked in Heel Stitch over 34 sts (half of all sts) in st st for 2.5 inches. Place the other 34 sts on spare yarn and ignore for now.
Knit 34 sts, turn work so WS faces you.
Row 1*sl 1 stitch knit wise, k1*. Repeat to end of row.
Row 2 Sl 1 stitch purl wise, p to end
Repeat these 2 rows until the heel flap measures 2.5 inches or forms a square.
TURNING THE HEEL
Separate the heel sts into 1/3 as best as possible. 12 sts on left side and right side, 10 sts in center. 34 sts.
With RS facing you, k up center 10 sts. Ssk, turn. (ssk is slip 1, slip 1, put these sts back on left needle and k them tbl).
Sl 1, p 10 sts, p2tog, turn.
Sl 1, k 10, ssk, turn.
The last 2 rows form Dutch Heel. Continue until all side sts are used up.
Always sl the first st on either row, and end up on WS with 12 sts.
Split these 12 sts into 2 needles, 6 sts on each needle. This marks the beginning of the round. With needle 1, Knit up 22 sts in each of the slipped stitch edge, or however many rows you have knit.
Knit up the 34 instep sts with needle 2.
With needle 3, knit up 22 sts down other side of heel flap and the 6 sts.
DECREASE
Knit up sts on needle 1 to last 3, k2tog, k1.
Knit instep sts on needle 2.
Knit 1 st on needle 3, ssk, k to end.
Knit 1 round. Repeat these rows until you have 64 sts.
