Jobo Designs

I have always wanted to try some socks with those tiny 2-stitch cables all over them, but somehow hadn't gotten the chance yet.  Well my chance has arrived!

Iron Knitter Round 4 features just such a pattern:  Maeve by Janneke Maat

With lots twisted stitches and teensy cables and celtic knots galore... this pattern is really well written and has very complete charts and stitch descriptions. 

At first glance I was thinking that they would be really difficult and it would take me forever to finish these... but after I brushed up on my cabling-without-a-cable-needle technique I realized that I had either overestimated the difficulty of the pattern, or underestimated my skill level with cables. 

I haven't had much time to knit over the last few days, only an hour here and there, and already I have the first sock almost finished.  I am 2 rows from beginning the cuff chart, and it is mostly twisted rib with a few tiny cable braids scattered.  That part should be finished tonight, and hopefully the next toe started.

The little braid/rope that runs up both sides of the front of foot design is very satisfying to work.  It looks particularly good slightly stretched as it will on the foot when completed... I think I may have to snarf this design element next time I design to make up my own socks as I go. 

The columns of twisted stitches are fun too.  The first few rows I had a hard time remembering to knit through the back loop, but I am over that now, and things are flying along quite well

The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Kettle Dyed in "Gold"...Which is particularly difficult to photograph properly.  In daylight it is a mix of warm golds and light browns, kind of like a knotty pine board, but in artificial light it seems to look more flat and boring.  I will try and take some photos outside in the sun before I am done.

I had imagined little celtic knot nightmares, but they really aren't that bad.  Since I have been working on them after work, at times when I am a little tired and less attentive than I'd like, I decided to print out the pattern and mark each row completed.  I know this is a pain in the derriere, and requires stopping and marking after each row, but at least then I was certain of a few things.  Because I marked all the way across the pattern I was able to quickly see which row I needed to focus on in the chart.  I won't have to recount my rows to make an identical second socky, since I know exactly how many rows I did.  I can put down my knitting quickly and pick it up again quickly without thinking too hard... which is nice for breaks at work and rides in the car.  Otherwise I would never be able to knit 1-2 rows at a time and drop the sock without getting lost.

I am hoping to finish Number One tonight, since I am only 2 pattern rows from the cuff, and hopefully I can get the toes of number Two started too.  My goal is to have these completed and blocked by Friday, though we only need to finish by March 20 to stay in the running for Iron Knitter.  I can't believe it... I'm still in the competition.  Some of these knitters are SERIOUS cats!  One lady (SarahBess) knocks off socks in 18-20 hours... which is an amazing feat in itself not considering the fact that these are kamikaze-cable socks.  These are not a simple design.  She is a real inspiration to me.  I think of myself as a pretty fast and efficient knitter, but she puts my skillz to shame.  I want to fall in the same vat of radioactive superhero-inducing goo that she found... maybe then I'll have a chance at the Iron Knitter Title.

Anyways... back to the knitting!

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To all you readers out in the Blogisphere... are there any Techniques or Knitting Styles that you've been eyeing up but haven't had the chance to try yet?  Are you Entranced by Entrelac?  Captivated by Cables?  Fascinated by Felting?  Tempted by Toe-up Socks?  Mystified by Magic Loop?  Freaking out for Fair-Isle?  Leave me a comment and tell me what you're interested in!

After seeing my Fiddle Head Mittens, my father asked if I could make him a pair of colorwork mittens... but perhaps something less girly looking.

Dad so rarely asks me to do anything for him, especially knit anything, that I set out on the design process right away and placed an order for some Knit Picks Palette in more manly colors (Cream and Asphalt Black) 

I decided to try and come up with my own mish-mash of a pattern instead of knitting one directly from a book.  It seems that many of the Norwegian style mittens feature different motifs with different meanings - so I thought it would be fun to incorporate symbols with some meaning to dad.  In particular, he is a sport fisherman who spends as much time as possible in the springtime sitting in a boat hunting for that elusive granddaddy rainbow trout.  So obviously, this mitten needs a fish of some sort on it, and I will probably use a motif for the palm of the hand that looks like fish scales.  Also, Dad is a big fan of his dogs (2 adorable shih tzus - Molly and Sophie) so I hope to be able to add in a small dog motif for them too.

Here is the first cuff underway.  I have charted out the wrists, but am having a hard time putting on paper the thumb gusset...  My plan is to just wing it for the gusset and then continue on with my fishy idea for the back of the hands and the fish scales for the palms.  The other big unknown - He wants mittens with separate "pointer" fingers and the other three fingers together... like Newfoundland Mittens.  Apparently he finds that mittens shaped that way (while a little "live-long-and-prosper-ish" Mr. Spock!) more utilitarian and easier to maneuver around with.  So the end result will be kind of like a glove, but with one finger by itself, and the rest like a mitten.  I might have bitten off more than I can chew?

Here is a sneak peak of the Fish motif (modified from Fisherman's Friend Mittens by Jorid Linvik to be a single fish, and to look more like trout and less like Koi)  and some of the other motifs I plan on incorporating!  The little dog pattern is from Traditional Scandinavian Knitting by Sheila McGregor.

I had some vacation time stashed away... waiting for an excuse to take a break... so I decided to take 2 weeks of it!  I'm one of those people who often saves the vacation time, thinking that I will use it to do something exciting or travel somewhere.  The last few years, what with the wedding, Hubby being in University while working full time, and the long commutes to work, there just hasn't been much of an opportunity to get away for very long.  We used to travel down south to the Caribbean once a year, but bummer, not able to do that this year. 

So instead of lounging on a beach in the Dominican Republic or sipping Cuba Libres down in Havana... I'm having a "Stay-Cation"  Basically, I am going to play housewifey...  do a few things around the house, cook supper, pretend to be a tourist in my hometown, knit a little whole lot, and play with my spinning wheel and perhaps dye some fiber!

Someday when we are more mobile again, and not as financially or time constrained... I want to travel again.  On my list of places I MUST see at some point before I croak - Ireland and Scotland.  Being a fiddle player, and lover of all things Celtic, I have always wanted to see these countries and wander into some traditional pubs, sit in the corner and drink the music and atmosphere in.  Also high on my list - Australia and New Zealand.  My best friend was living in Australia for a while, so I thought for sure I would get to go and visit her there, but alas she is moving back to Canada this spring.  It will be really nice to have her be closer to home, but sad that I won't get to see her in Bundaberg.  New Zealand has always held much intrigue for me also, which grew exponentially when the Lord of the Rings Trilogy came around.  Seriously... the country is fantastically beautiful, and apparently covered with Sheep!  (wink, wink)  If you ask me, that's a total win win!

What about you, bloggers?  If you could take off and go on a travel adventure... where would you go?  and more importantly, what project would you pack to keep yourself out of trouble on the way there? 

For me it's usually socks... compact, interesting, useful, amusing.  For me Socks have it all :)