FO: The Alpaca Silk Shrug

Hot damn--I finally finished!

shrugside3

Alpaca Silk Shrug
Pattern: Silk Shrug designed by Bobbi Intveld for Blue Sky Alpacas
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk in the Ginger Colorway
Purchased from: kpixie.com
Needles: Addi turbo US size 3 (3.25 mm) for body
Knitpicks Options US size 9 (5.5 mm) for ruffle

I'm quite happy with how this turned out. As always, I apologize for the less than ideal pictures and the less than ideal model, but, hey--I figured out how to use the timer on my camera! Cool, huh?

shrugside2


shrugback


It's not blocked yet. But I really wanted to wear it today--look how excited I am!

shrug


This is my first grown-up sweater. I've knit a couple of baby ones, but never a full-sized, adult garment. The pattern was simple...occasionally boring...but finishes in a very elegant garment.

Thank you for your comments on the sock. I think I'm going to use Marianne's suggestion and start a sock on larger needles just to see what happens instead of ripping back blindly. If I like the modified version, I can always rip the first and start over, but if I hate the new sock, I haven't lost any ground. In all honesty, I was astounded by this suggestion. It's absolutely brilliant. Simple, elegant, practical...I wish I had thought of it. I knew there was a reason I always separate skeins of sock yarn into portions. And here it is.

Please advise....

Right. So, I've been knitting on a new sock. It's done in a merino-tencel blend and was the Yarn-Pirate Booty shipment from, like, September. I like the colors, but I'm not sure how I feel about the way they're striping in my chosen pattern. So, I want to know what you all thing.

butternutsock(Note: We have sun today. It's frigid, but there's sun.)

I'm using the "Dublin Bay" pattern from Mossy Cottage Knits. I like the pattern. The little strips of lace on each side of the sock is just enough decoration for me. Well, that and the picot. I like me some picot trim. But the stripes are awfully wide, aren't they? I've thought about yanking it out and working it on slightly larger needles for fewer stitches to see what would happen (that there sock is 72 stitches on size 0s). Then I think, it's a freaking pair of socks and they really don't look that bad, do they?

So, what do you all think? Rip out and start over? Not that bad? Other thoughts as they may or may not apply?

Hey, Look What I Found!

My camera! Woo-hoo!

Now I can show you pictures of my baby socks and the finished Calamity socks. Can you stand it?

babyrr4

Baby Socks
Pattern: A variation on the Magic 28 theme (I think they were Magic 36)
Yarn: Yarn Pirate 100% merino sock yarn in the "Rum Runner" colorway
Purchased from: Yarn Pirate "Booty Club"
Needles: Susan Bates US size 1/2.25 mm (5-7 inch DPNs)


Cute, aren't they? But a little small for me. These fit a bit better:

calamity

Plain vanilla with a side of picot socks
Yarn: Yarn Pirate BFL sock yarn in the "Calamity" colorway
Purchased from" Yarn Pirate "Booty Club"
Needles: Knitpicks US size 1.5/2.5 mm (5-6 inch DPNs)


The lighting is crappy. I apologize. I miss sunshine, but am too lazy to use the photo editor right now...

calamleg

calamtoes


I like them. They're cute. They took forever to finish, but I blame the Alpaca Silk Shrug. No pictures of that one, yet. I'm on the ruffle, which means it is almost done. The ruffle is supposed to be six inches long--I've knit three. It's killing me. The 5x5 ribbing may be more boring than the miles of stockinette. But I try to keep going because the end really is in sight.

I also started a pair of socks out of the "Butternut" colorway. I'm not thrilled with them. I like the colors and I like the texture of the yarn, which is a merino/tencel blend, but the colors are pooling funny. Now, I'm generally not bothered much by pooling, but, thus far, my sock just looks goofy. I can't get a picture that even approximates--I'll need sun for that one. I'm not ready to pull it out yet, because I can't be sure that it won't get better. I can live with a goofy looking cuff it it evens out eventually, but... (whine).

In other knitting news, I got a Ravelry request to use one of the photos of my Epiphany mittens (this one, I think) as a featured photo for the pattern I used (Basic Pattern for Children's Mittens by Elizabeth Durand). Neato, eh?

Otherwise, there isn't much else to report. Work is, well, work. I had my 90-day review last week, and they're letting me stay, so, that's good. They're happy with my work; I just need to get faster. Which I already knew, so...

The Beloved and I are refinancing the house. I'm sure it will be fine and it's the right thing to do and all, but just thinking about the large amounts of money involved just makes me feel ill. When the papers are all signed and its over, I'll be fine, but until that point I think I'll just hide under the bed or something.

PFC Sibling is still in medic training in Texas. She called last week to report that her orders now state that she will be shipping out for Iraq in June. It's not a surprise, but it's still a rather jarring reality. Last Sunday I was at a church brunch and someone asked about my sister. Another woman sitting with us said in shock and horror, "well how old is she?" My sister will be 28 next week. "Oh, well that's OK. At least she's not a baby."

Excuse me? Fortunately for everyone, I had a seven-year-old sitting next to me so I couldn't tell her what I really thought. Like it's somehow less horrible for my sister to go to war since she's "older." Like if her transport gets blown up on the way to some tent city hospital it'll be OK. You know, they should serve liquor at church brunches.

On that happy note, it is frickin' freezing here. I need to see why my fire isn't warming up the room. Maybe I should put my new socks on?

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