Too much science

I just watched a few too many hours of pre-dinosaur and dinosaur shows on the Discovery Channel (of course, Mike has met most of the people on the dinosaur shows). Maybe I should put in a Golden Girls dvd to dial down the smart.

Anyway, I finished two projects Saturday night, and started another Clapotis (it seriously is an addiction--now I understand). But FIRST...


This sock belongs to Nittany Knits, and it's made with my Twilight Sock Yarn in the colorway "I Kissed a Girl." She let me borrow it for a photo shoot while she finishes the other one.

I am so pleased with how this is knitting up I just can't stand it! Plus I dyed more skeins today (last I looked there was one left at the Celtic Knot).

Ok, onto the FOs!

Solana Neckwarmer (#11)


Pattern: based loosely on Fourteen by John Brinegar
Yarn: Brooks Farm Solana (100% superwash wool), held double (*stashbusting*)
Needles: US #11 (8mm)
Finished size: 4.5" x 19"
Modifications: I cast on 16 stitches on smaller needles and did the button band end first. Here's how I did the button band row:

k4, (yo, k2tog, k2) three times

I also changed the stitch pattern to brioche stitch (since what he has written in the pattern is technically fisherman's rib) which I wrote out in this post.


I really love these buttons--since they're 7/8" in diameter I decided to go down a needle size so the yarn over button holes wouldn't be too big.

---

Spitcurl Scarf (#12)


Pattern: Spitcurl Scarf by Staceyjoy Elkin
Yarn: Noro Kureyon (100% wool), color #184, 1 skein;
Knitpicks Merino Style (100% merino wool), Coal, 1 skein (*stashbusting* for both)
Needles: US #8 (5mm) 32" addi turbos, and a US #10 (6mm) for binding off
Finished size: 5.5" x 38" (i.e., boob-length)

Modifications: None, really. I ended up doing the keyhole option instead of the applied curl thing.
Blocking: When it was finished it was remarkably flat, but had a couple tiny bumps, so I wet blocked it (which really softened the Noro).


I ended up ripping parts of this out so many times, but it was mainly due to not reading things thoroughly/misinterpreting directions. I'm very happy with how it turned out, and I will probably make this again.

Note: I had a good portion of the ball of Noro left over, but I had exactly 1 yard of the Merino Style left--I really thought I was going to have to start a new ball to do the bind off.

---

When we went to TNNA in Columbus last year we stopped by the Mango Moon booth and I saw this colorway (Saturn) of their handspun viscose and I needed it. BAD. As soon as it came in I squirreled a few skeins with the intention of making a Clapotis (of course, I had this intent with almost every yarn I've bought in the last 6 months or so). Someone poo-pooed that idea, and I put it on hold for a while (plus I was starting the business so that kind of kept my attention). But recently when I've been straightening up the shop I kept looking at the viscose that we haven't yet sold (there's a few skeins left of this color--go get it!) and I really wanted to start this Clap. So I did. Screw the skeptics!


I'm only going to make a scarf-sized clapotis, but since it's the first one I've started with non-fingering weight yarn, it's going real damn fast! A few repeats in I was wondering how much blocking would actually affect the viscose, so I swatched (swatching after you start knitting the project--good plan!) and wet-blocked it. And it turned out quite nice (it's really soft and the yarn bloomed quite a bit--and it's perfectly flat).

I was also concerned about the dye bleeding because I was getting a tiny bit of blue rubbing off on my fingers while knitting. As soon as I tossed the swatch in the sink the water turned a lovely shade of blue. It didn't really make a noticeable difference in the yarn colors, but I'm definitely going to throw some Synthrapol in the sink when I soak the finished scarf.