Fawkes Socks - Learned Something New

I KNOW I CAN DO THIS...

My readers know I have been struggling with a lace stole name Voyager aka the Shawl from Hell. I have put it down for the time being. It will rise again, maybe it'll be called the Zombie Shawl in the future! It will be resurrected, no, really, it will be...

I haven't talked about it before, but I am also having issues with a new to new knitting stitch called Knit One Below, sigh.

I have cognitive disorders related to chemo and West Nile Virus. I easily get frustrated by not being able to get something the first or second attempt. I mean, I get really, really, really frustrated! Anyway, enough about that.

I decided I was going to learn something new, hell or high water. I decided to cast on a new pair of socks. Socks, you say, but you knit them all the time, what's new about that. Absolutely true, I knit at least pair a month. Now, here's the twist. The directions for this pattern has you cast on on 2 circular needles instead of on DPNs. This is new to me. I haven't used 2 circs to knit in the round before and I don't know anyone who does knit this way. Most of my friends are Magic Loop (see earlier post wherein I learned this trick) or DPN knitters.

Once again, I have Erin's new sock book, How to Knit Socks, Three Methods Made Easy by Edie Eckman to thank for great instructions on getting started in this new, to me, knitting style.

Here's a photo of the yarn I am using for this project. I can't tell you anything about it, as I can't find the ball band at this moment, other than it's superwash sock yarn and merino.



Here's the cuff and one repeat of pattern done.

It's LACE! It's coming out right on the stitch count! I have learned a new knitting style! This all happened in one project! SEE, see, I can do this! I can learn something new and not drive myself (or anyone else, for that matter) mad in the process. It's LACE!, as you can see from the photo above. Knitting lace means yarn overs and K2togs and K3togs and all manner of devilment in the stitch department and count, count, count and use a life line. That said, I am DOING IT and seeing the pattern come right and the whole thing is flying merrily along and... Sigh (this one of relief)! No frogging, no tinking, just knit, knit, knit. What joy, caloo, calay!

Now, the jury's still out as to whether or not I like knitting with 2 circs. I do have a new trick in my knitting arsenal, though. Woot! I also have a "Jeez, maybe it's NOT time for the Ga-Ga Home" sense of profound relief.

Voyager Lace Stole or Why Do I do This to Myself?

also known as What Stole My Sanity...




I am trying to knit this lace stole, it is called Voyager. The pattern is a free one from Elann Yarns. The plan is for me to do this as a KAL (knit along) for the re-read of Voyager by Diana Gabaldon with the Outlander Fans over at Ravelry.

I am trying to knit it with the yarn pictured above. It's lace weight yarn from Spirit Trail called Clotho in the Autumn Harvest Colourway. I love the colourway as it's has got two of my favorite colours in it.

So to the point of this post... I have cast on 99 stitches to start five times already. Today, I got the farthest along, six whole rows of garter stitch and 6 whole rows of pattern (out of 10, sigh). I found a mistake in the number of stitches on the sixth row of pattern (two to many, sigh), realized that I didn't have a lifeline in, yet another sigh. So, now I have to rip it, rip it, rip it (frogging). You just can't tink (knit backwards) a lace pattern without having a lifeline in. If you try to un-knit, you tend to lose the yarn overs that are inherent in lace knitting. Bleh, poopers, caca occurs, meh, and an even bigger sigh! Yes, I am starting YET again. Yes, I will get this. Yes, I can do this. Yes, I have knit lace before. Yes, I am that determined. Yes, more shall be revealed.

However, my Knitpicks Harmony Wood Interchangeables have been a real boon to my lace knitting. At least I stitch better with them. I just can't count better. They have really lovely points for finding the stitches. The wood has enough tooth to hold onto the yarn, yet the needles are pretty slick and let's the stitches slide off when you need them to. I am so glad that Erin gifted me them to my birthday.