Completed Simple Noro Sock

Simple Noro Sock

When we were doing the road trip to Disney World, I started on a pair of simple knitted socks using some Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn that I had purchased at the 2008 STITCHES Midwest. Yarn tends to linger in my stash for ages before I'll use it. I'm trying to break my hoarding tendencies and use up yarn that I have purchased. I'm not allowing myself to purchase any new yarns unless they are truly unique. As in, I'm not going to be purchasing any Cascade 220 at this year's STITCHES.

I've just completed the first sock of the pair. Picking up the stitches to turn the heel lingered longer than I had originally anticipated. I really did not want to go through the effort of turning the heel and knitting the foot. It took two months just to complete this one sock and I have another one to go. I'm hoping I can get it wrapped up in maybe a month.

Simple Noro Sock

I started knitting this during the road trip to Disney. This knitting project has, honestly, sucked. I knit a full three inches on day one of the trip after having cast-on 68 stitches. I placed the tube on my leg and realized this would never, ever work. So, I ripped out. I re-cast with more stitches and all appears to be going well. But I'm still on the first sock and haven't yet turned the heel. As any knitter could easily see, I have no passion for this project. We'll see what happens with it.

I'm not convinced I would ever buy Noro Kureyon Sock yarn again. I have high hopes that I can make the pair matching. But by having knit on size 2.5mm needles and cast-on more stitches I'm not convinced that it's possible.

Stripey-Stripe-Stripe-Stripe

I cast-on a new Noro Striped Scarf this last weekend using the same yarn as the new Noro Striped Hat - Noro Silk Garden, 45% Silk, 45% Kid Mohair and 10% Lamb's Wool (colorway 275 and 267). The first time I made this scarf, I used size 7 needles and found that the fabric was too dense. I also cast on almost 40 stitches and found myself not liking the width over time. So, this time, I used size 9 needles and cast-on 25 stitches.

Striped Hat Part Duex...Too Big

After losing my striped hat on Black Friday, I opted to knit myself another one. This time I used only Noro Silk Garden, 45% Silk, $45% Kid Mohair and 10% Lamb's Wool (colorway 275 and 267).

CO 106 sts.

K2 P2 for the first 1.5" (approximately 12 rows). First four rounds are in colorway 267. Next four rounds (5-8) are in colorway 275. Next four rounds (6-12) are in colorway 267.

Round 13 increase 6 stitches (total stiches 110) evenly. Alternate two rounds in colorway 275 and 267 for 6.5". (I also made a jogless stripe so the lines would line up.)

Start decreasing every round until only 11 stitches are remaining.

Sew tail of leftover yarn through the 11 stitches.

Oh my. Now that it's on my head I'm keenly aware that it is too big. This thing has no negative ease at all. One weekend, I'm going to rip it and knit again.

Stiches Midwest 2009

It's amazing how many yarn stores you can fit under one roof!

I had the opportunity to visit several this weekend at Stitches Midwest. I attended the marketplace and walked out with an awesome braided leather handle for the Formal Boot Bag in Bag Style I plan to knit and 10 skeins of Noro Korchoran. I didn't really plan on either but the Noro is not something I really thought out. It was just too good a deal to pass up and thankfully, I do have a pattern that I can use. My in-laws bought me "Knitting Noro: The Magic of Hand-dyed Yarns" for my birthday, which is awfully handy right now.

I didn't have an opportunty to touch the Noro Korchoran until I was home and it's the softest Noro I've ever felt. Wool, angora and silk are an awesome combination. The colors are rust, red, tan, purple, and gray.

Cabled Headband

This is a long post in the making.

Last month, I finished knitting the cabled headband knit with leftover Noro Tidiori. I probably should have made a test swatch but I wasn't thinking about the implications of what could happen should I not get gauge. Well...when I was finished I was three inches short of the desired length in the pattern. Since a headband is stretched over one's head, it's worked out as okay as it can. The viewer just sees more of the tangled string and less of the headband towards the back. At some point I'll hit up JoAnn's or another craft store and pick up some elastic band (in black preferably). I think I'd be more apt to wear the headband f it has an elastic backing, rather than tying string together.

On a more positive note, I finished knitting the Branching Out scarf using Crystal Palace Merino Frappe. There was a time many years ago when I had considered using this yarn to make the Spiderweb Caplet in Stitch 'N Bitch Nation. Nowadays I wonder what the hell was I thinking.