Radiate

Radiate
Originally uploaded by ShelbyD

I've decided that I need to make more sweaters. After all, how many scarfy things and socks does a girl really need? (Answer: More.) And Indiana has a proper winter, unlike Ventura County, where winter means it's a good idea to bring a coat for about seven weeks or so, but if you just have a sweater on it's not like you'll die. So I figure it would be prudent to have some layering options for under my walrus skin parka or whatever I end up wearing in the icy months.

Last night I cast on for a Radiate sweater from Knitty. I'm glad for the finished object photos on Ravelry, because the pictures with the pattern aren't necessarily the best. I bought this yarn, a Berocco cotton blend, with the intention of making a Mr Greenjeans sweater out of it, but I think that pattern would look better in something wooly to have better definition on the cables. I'm also thinking that the Greenjeans may accentuate my shortwaistedness.

It's Thursday again, which means knit night at Stitches and Scones - yay! It's great to have found such a welcoming bunch of knitters. Last Thursday I got there and pulled out my sock in progress only to discover that I was missing a dpn. It later turned up, broken, in the garage. Must have dropped it on the way out. The other project in my bag was on 14 inch needles, which is is a little awkward while sitting close to others. I had been reading on Ravelry about working socks on one small circular needle and thought I'd give it a shot. I bought a size 1 Hiya Hiya 9 inch needle and transferred the sock to it. It's tiny! It took me a few inches before I stopped feeling like I had giganto hands. I used dpns for working the heel and picking up the gusset stitches, as well as for the last few rows of the toe. It's nice not having to change needles as I'm working around the sock. I did realize how much I used the dpns for knowing where I am, though, like decreasing for the gusset stitches one stitch away from the end of the needle. When there's no end of the needle, the autopilot hiccups a bit. Using the circular also gave me a chance to try out some recently purchased pretty little stitch markers for small needles. I'm on to the second sock of the pair and am continuing the single small circular experiment.