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Pinwheels Lace Bookmark

Last week, I knit up a quick project to turn in for a Quidditch event in my Harry Potter knitting forum, because I am nerdy that way.

This is my Pinwheels Lace Bookmark…

The challenge was to knit an item of luxury, so I interpreted this to mean that my Trekking Pro Natura sock yarn, from which I used leftovers from a different project, is a prized possession of mine and hence should be considered a luxury.  In addition, I explained to my “professors” that reading was once considered a skill taught only to the elite, thus it was a luxury.

The pattern is free on Ravelry.  If you want to learn how to knit lace, it’s the perfect small project for this.  If you love knitting lace but don’t have a lot of time, it will fill that need and provide instant gratification at the same time.

I used size 0 needles, and it still came out rather large; however, it lays flat and actually does its job quite nicely…

It was a good way to use up a bit of yarn without requiring the purchase of an entire new skein of it!  I only used 23 yards to finish this.

The only modification I made to the pattern was to braid three strings together instead of making a tassel.  I found that the instructions for the tassel were confusing, so I did my own thing.  An i-cord would have worked well also.

Knotty or Knice Socks

Woo Hoo!  These socks are FINALLY off the needles!

First, the pictures, and then the info…

Knotty or Knice Socks

Knotty or Knice Socks

Knotty or Knice Socks

Knotty or Knice Socks

The pattern is called Knotty or Knice Socks from the Fall 2008 issue of Interweave Knits.

I cast these on 9/28/08 and bound them off yesterday (1/3/09).  The main reason why it took me so long to complete them is because I put them down many times to work on other projects.  Yes, I am a one-project-at-a-time kind of gal, but I had obligations…Guy Friend’s Beanie, charity blankets, stockings for the soldiers…

Plus, the yarn was so thin that I had to use a cable needle.  Argh!  Once I got the hang of the way the cables worked, I flew through the pattern repeats.

The yarn is Trekking Pro Natura, colorway #1545.  I used size 1 (2.50mm) needles.  I knit these using two circular needles…my favorite method.  I worked five pattern repeats on the foot and five more on the leg.

If I were to change anything, I would have left more stitches across the toes.  I do not have pointy toes, and these definitely go to a point.  This is the neat thing about making your own socks is that you can customize them to fit your own feet perfect.

Ok…a note about the yarn.

I’ve gotta say that when I started working with it, I found it splitty.  The needles kept poking through the center of the strands, making it difficult to cable.  However, I got used to it and eventually didn’t have a problem.  I also found the yarn a bit rough.  The yarn is 75% wool and 25% bamboo.  After putting them on for the pictures, I have decided that they are going to be warm.  I’m sure they’ll soften up with a few washes.

Another thing I’ve decided is that I want sock blockers.  Sister, if you’re reading this, make a note of it for my birthday.  These are the ones I want (click on the link to go to the Etsy store to purchase):

Oh, and I just had to comment about the pictures of the socks.  Soccer Chick took them for me.  That’s her room.  We’ve taken a couple of pictures against the green wall before.  There’s just something about the green that makes for good knitting pictures!  She was so funny too!  She had to lie down on her stomach to take the pictures.  Every time she took one, she got up to show me.  Of course, something was wrong with each picture…the sock was wrinkled, my foot wasn’t positioned correctly…you name it, we did it wrong.  She was fuming by the end, claiming she was not a photographer.  She still managed to get some GREAT shots, eh?

Ok…I’ve just cast on for my next pair of socks.  I’ll post some pictures of the progress another day.

A Beautiful Day for Knitting

Behold, my latest project…

Knotty or Knice Socks

Knotty or Knice Socks

The yarn I’m using is this:

Trekking Pro Natura

Trekking Pro Natura

It’s actually much darker than the picture above.  For some reason, I can’t seem to photograph purple stuff very well.

Here are more photos I took today in my attempt to get a more accurate color rendering:

You can find the pattern in the Fall 2008 issue of Interweave Knits.  Here’s the picture of the completed pair in the magazine:

I hope mine turn out as nicely!

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