Back in January, I lamented a pattern I purchased because it was lace but not charted. It was for the Lace Eyelet Cowl, comprised of three lace sections. I got through section 1 and then it essentially stayed on my needles without much progress, one of those UFOs getting stale at the bottom of a knitting bag. It just wasn’t wowing me enough to keep going.
Pic from January – note the space heater going and the blanket draped over my legs. What I wouldn’t give for a blast of January weather in the middle of this July heatwave!
Well, it turns out it wasn’t the pattern, and it wasn’t me; it was the yarn.
I originally cast on with Robosheep Yarns Sock in their Zombie Face colourway. It was purple and green and lovely. It wasn’t right for this pattern, however. Last week, I frogged it back and cast on again with Log House Cottage Squishy Sock‘s Sweet Orange colourway (a fun orange speckled yarn), and I couldn’t stop knitting it. It was simple enough to work on while camping for a few days but exciting enough to capture my attention and get it finished in a week. One week. After sitting for six months untouched, this cowl was finished in a week.
Now, I haven’t completely changed how I feel about the lack of charts. I do love me some charts, and lace knitting is SO much easier for me when charted, but sometimes all a project needs is a little change in order to get it done.
On the first Thursday of the month, a number of sock-knitting bloggers share their progress with the theme “Once Upon a Sock,” an awesome initiative co-ordinated by Paula @ Spin A Yarn! It’s well worth checking out the other posts because it’s always interesting to see what other people are looking at; it’s like sock yarn eye candy!
My knitting this month, admittedly, has been dominated by the Soper Creek 2019 Yarn Challenge project. It’s still super secret until later this month, but I am SO PLEASED with how it’s progressing so far. I have a number of rows to finish and giving it a good bath before I turn my submission into the LYS. Can’t wait to post pictures.
But, anyways, in between the super-secret-project, I’ve been working on socks! Last month, I mentioned how my two sock projects on the go were simple vanilla socks. After finishing the purple socks and wanting something new to work on, I wound this beautiful skein Leo and Roxy Yarn Co. 80/20 Sock and started a simple lace sock.
I ACTUALLY started a different texture for the sock, a simple 1×1 cable, but the texture was getting lost in the variegation. So, after 15 or so rows, I ripped back to the ribbing and started with the lace. It’s a lovely, simple design, allowing the yarn to showcase the colours and speckles, and this pattern was one I’ve improvised, inspired by a historical pattern. (Is it fair to say something this simple is something I’ve ‘created’? I’m sure others before and after will undertake this simple lace… just a musing, I guess.)
Take 1 for this sock didn’t take off. Frogged before starting again
The lace inspiration came from The Stocking Knitter’s Manual: A Companion to the Work Table, by Mrs. George Cupples in 1870. There are a number of patterns for socks in this book, and after reading and re-reading different variations, I settled on an adapted lace, like below:
See, really simple. I’m working away at the foot and am VERY happy with how it’s progressing. The lace adds interest but is not taking anything away from the yarn, which is doing its own magical thing! If I was to make this pattern again (and, I very well might), I would swap row 4 and 8 of the pattern – the way it’s currently working is that the first instep stitch after turning the heel and picking up for the gusset, is a yarn over, and the first stitch of the heel (when looked at from the RS) was a yarn over as well. By swapping these two rows, the yarn over would always be in the middle of the pattern, not the first stitch somewhere. Things to keep in mind next time. For now, I’m going to keep working away and am looking forward to seeing this pair progress!
You know how I love shawl style cowls, right? If not, you must be a new reader. Thanks for stopping by! Well, I love bandana style cowls that look like you’re wearing a shawl, but it doesn’t have the fiddly ends to adjust perpetually though the day. I’m constantly scouring Ravelry for different patterns of this style of cowl, and in early January, I bought the Lace Eyelet Cowl pattern. Super cute, with three distinct sections to the cowl. I got through section one in bits at a time, a great put-down, pick-up project. I got to section two and was VERY sorry to realize that this section, which is a little more intricate with the lace, Is. Not. Charted. I repeat. Not. Charted.
I’m dragging my feet to keep working on this right now. I got so far as to play around with Stitch Fiddle to try and chart these directions. Stitch Fiddle is a website that can be used to chart knitting patterns, and I’ll be honest, while playing around on my iPad, I’m not 100% convinced I knew what I was doing, and didn’t have the gumption to leave my blanket and space heater to get my laptop. It’s been cold here in southern Ontario. Really cold. Like, currently -15C (or close to 0F) cold. Blanket and space heaters are necessary.
So rather than knit using these written instructions, I’m whining on my blog about how much I hate written patterns. I’m sure, in the end, it’ll be worth it and this cowl will be lovely. However, next time, I’ll pay better attention before I click ‘Pay.’
In The Rounds 