More Socks

Another pair of socks hot off the needles for the Resident Radiologist.


The yarn is Regia Crazy Colour, bought at Woolfest in the summer. I've gone back to my standard feel flap pattern for this pair as the afterthought heels didn't fit him too well.


The regia yarn is lovely to work with - this is the first time I've used it - it's springy and smooth and gentle on the hands (which is something that couldn't really be said for the Lana Grossa in the last pair).

I've currently got Wisp on the needles but the progress is slow as I'm using Brittany birch needles and the KSH tends to stick a bit on them. I want to make two Wisps as Christmas gifts though so I need to keep plodding on with them...

Socks.

At last, a finished object!


A pair of socks for the Resident Radiologist (autumn is not that far away in Glasgow and soon the time for wooly socks will come round again). These are my usual stocking stitch pattern with an afterthought heel (the first time I've tried it for the RR - it doesn't really fit him so well so it will probably be the last time).



The yarn is Lana Grossa Mega Boots Stretch which feels like it will be pretty hard-wearing. The needles were 2.25mm DPNs.

Another pair of socks is on the needles for him as I type - it's all I can manage to concentrate on at the moment what with buying and selling houses. We've arrived at a price and move-in date for our new house now and just have to get the old one sold!

A knitted double helix

Sorry for the break in transmission, I've been on holiday in sunny Boston but more on that another day...

I know that us scientists have always been considered to be a bit strange, and I suspect that the following is just going to confirm that suspicion... but I'm going to show you anyway!

Let me present a bit of knitted DNA:



My PhD student who is currently writing up her thesis (and is therefore constantly on the look-out for more interesting things to look at) found this site on the web, forwarded it to me and the rest is, as they say, history. It spoke to me on so many levels you just wouldn't comprehend. I particularly liked the thought that the first attempt she made was a left-handed helix and as DNA is right-handed, she then set out to correct the turn. I also love the way that the base-pairs are represented in colour and always with the correct pairings.


I've knitted this in Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran and stuffed it with machine-washable toy stuffing and will be giving it to a friend who has a 4 month-old baby. I think it will make an excellent pram toy and my friend (who is also a virologist) will appreciate the biology and the washability!

Fully-grown tendrils

I've actually been on a bit of a finishing spree lately, first Betty, now Tendrils and there are a few more small projects on the final lap as well.


Tendrils was a dream to knit, the yarn was beautiful to work with (if occasionally a bit splitty and variable with respect to shade).

Details:

Pattern: Tendrils by Sivia Harding in Knitty.
Yarn: HipKnits Silk Aran.
Needles: 5mm straights.
Beads: Rowan knit-in beads (2000 of!)

The finished wrap hasn't been blocked yet and I'm not sure it would benefit from a blocking anyway as it's so heavy it stretches itself out when worn. It's currently 65 inches long and about 18 inches wide and has a really cosy, heavy drape. The beading in the centre of the cable isn't too obvious but just catches the light a bit during movement, which is what i was hoping for.


I had a little bit of yarn left over so I have used it to knit a small purse to match the wrap. This isn't lined or had the zip put in yet so I'll post a photo once it's done.

I haven't yet decided whether to dye the wrap and bag to cover inconsistencies between dye-lots or just to learn to love the variability of hand-dyed silk.

Presenting Klaralund...

The finishing went like a dream yesterday evening and in the end I didn't think she really needed a blocking. I crocheted the body to the sleeves, going in through the front of the body just underneath the top garter ridge, then through the sleeve, picking up the yarn loop at the back and bringing it through again. This way there is a tiny row of crochet stitches hidden under the top garter ridge.



The details:
Pattern - my own copying a picture of Klaralund by Cornelia Tuttle-Hamilton
Yarn - Rowanspun 4 ply held double in shades Midnight, Jade and Holly (708, 709 and 712, not necessarily in that order). 12 skeins.
Needles - 5mm circular for body, 4.5mm DPN's and straights for arms.
3.5mm crochet hook for finishing.

The dark blue-green panels are midnight and holly held together, the light blue-green panels are midnight and jade and the green edges are jade and holly together.

The darker panels have come out well colour-wise in the photos, but the paler sections are not so pale as they look and the variation between the colour sections is really quite subtle.

I'm definitely going to knit this again - maybe in Noro for next winter. Two things I would definitely change (possibly the only things), are that I would knit the shoulder saddles a bit broader so that the join sits lower on the body. I think that would give this jumper slightly better proportions. I would also knit the sleeves a bit longer. They were down over my hands when I knitted them, but once I joined them to the body, they were pulled up about 2 inches. Otherwise, I love her!