Sapphire Socks

My Minions,

I finished knitting the Empress Mum's socks over the weekend and had a grand time dyeing them blue.  It thought it went really well when I pulled them out of the dye and hung them in the basement to drip dry.

I thought it went so well, that I started knitting The Heir's mittens with the intent of dyeing them in the same manner.  Look how far I got while the socks were drying in the dark basement...

That's the right mitten.  And the left was cast on before I brought the Empress Mum's socks upstairs for rinsing and blocking to find...

...that my dye job would have made great variegated yarn, but leaves a bit to be desired when applied directly to a finished product.  I may try to dye them again and see if I can even out the color a bit. With respect to The Heir's mittens, he'll just have to deal with the dye job he gets the first time around since he did not conveniently forget that I said I would knit these up for him after the Empress Mum's socks were finished.  I think I should be able to finish knitting the left mitten tomorrow.

When The Heir isn't looking, I've been swatching for my first sweater.

The ladies at my local yarn shop did not think my choice for my first sweater was a good one, though all agreed it is lovely and should stay in my queue.  They directed me toward some better "first sweater" pattern options and I decided on a basic pullover knit top-down in mostly stockinette.  It does have the option for lace at the neckline, so it won't be entirely boring.  And they helped me pick out the yarn you see above, which is Malabrigo Rios in Cumparsita, which is a rich wine red (I don't know why my camera insists on showing reds as purples).  Unless that swatch grows when blocked, I'm going to have to go up a needle size.  I'll know for sure tomorrow.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

An Imperfect Skirt

My Minions,

It is with my head hung in shame that I report to you that I was not able to fix the awful seaming and top-stitching on the Donna Karan Skirt.  After much unpicking and resewing, I had the same wonky results.

This waistband has defeated me.  After so much time invested, I was too stubborn not to finish the skirt.  The zipper installation was unevetful and had great results.

The fit on this skirt is great despite the waistband issues.  The tops I'm likely to wear with this will cover the waistband, so I'll probably wear it quite often even though it is flawed.  So here it is.

I think this fabric was too thick for this particular pattern, though doubleknit was on the suggested materials list.  It is quite a bit thicker than the other material suggestions of gabardine and crepe.  I believe I have a roll end of gabardine in my stash of sufficient length to give this another try, but I will need to recover from the trauma of this particular skirt first.  I may also try it again in doubleknit since I have enough left for another skirt.  Only time will tell.

During this period of healing, I will be working on pants.

My plan is to remove some of the flare from the leg and make the pants without the cuff.  The welt pockets may be my undoing on these so I plan on making a few practice runs with scraps.  I'm planning a pair in a lush and drapey metallic gunmetal silk and wool blend suiting fabric and another pair in a creamy wool twill suiting fabric with black welts.  So basically, I'm reproducing both of the pants on the pattern cover above.  Since my sewing self-esteem is currently a bit lacking, please prepare yourselves for a few muslins before any fashion fabric is cut.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

It was finished in time!

My Minions,

I finished the Prime Minister's scarf in time to wrap it and put it under the tree on Christmas Eve!  I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to put something new in that project bag!  Here is the finished scarf being modeled yesterday.

He really likes it and was planning to wear it skiing today, but I think it will be too warm for skiing or scarf wearing today.

The Empress Mum's socks continue to grow as the yarn balls continue to shrink.  This is project is now my primary focus once again.  I do not foresee any further disaster knitting these socks as all that remains is to knit the leg and cuff.  Disaster may still strike during the dyeing process, but let's hope that goes smoothly.

On Christmas, I received four hanks of Blue Sky Alpacas Techno.

These go with the two hanks I got in my Yarnbox Luxe earlier this month to make this!

Which I am hoping will soon become this!

This is Blue Sky Alpacas Thea's Pullover.  I think it's lovely!  I really want to start it right now, but I know if I do, the Empress Mum's socks may never get finished, so I'm using it as a carrot to keep myself working on the plain boring socks.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Socks, ect.

My Minions,

The house is sparkling, the gifts have been wrapped, the cookies have been baked and decorated, and my focus is now returned to my knitting!

The Empress Mum's socks are coming along fairly well, though I realized on Friday I may have been delusional when I thought they would be finished before Christmas.  On Saturday, I was finally had a long enough instep to start turning the heel.  The pattern gives instructions for a short-row heel, which is not something I've done before.  My goal was to have both heels worked by last night.  And I did indeed work two heels, but one was an absolute disaster owing to my inability to read my knitting and/or count and it had to be ripped out.  I realized I had a problem when I knitted across the heel and picked up a wrap the 5th stitch from the end and then purled across to find the next wrapped stitch to be worked was seven stitched from the end.  Curious, and totally unacceptable for a gift! Below is the result of the second heel, which was much more successful. However, I still have a sock without a heel that needs to be addressed today.

In addition to the socks, (which have certainly challenged my mental capacity) as I have been working through my Christmas preparation to-do list, I've been knitting a row here and there on the Prime Minister's scarf.  It turns out that hoping it will knit itself has resulted in less than desirable progress. And look!  The end of the 4th ball of yarn arrived this morning!  That makes me 80% finished...YIPPIE! I may be able to get this completed by Christmas with a little bit of continued focus.

I hope to update you with some finished objects and new yarn later in the week. I hope you all have a lovely holiday with your family and friends!

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Coordination Fail

My Minions,

I have started the Empress Mum's birthday socks four times at this point.  This is my first time trying to knit socks toe up, and my first time using circular needles instead of double pointed needles. I think I have too many "firsts" going on to have been successful the first time around.

On my first try, I got about 5 rounds in, had to put down my work to go do something, and had no idea where I had left off when I picked it back up since it did not resemble anything recognizable.  It seemed like there were cords everywhere!

On my second try, I dropped a stitch before the work was recognizable and decided it would be faster to rip it out and start over than to try to pick up the stitch, wherever it had gone, and then figure out where I had left off, as per attempt one above.

Before trying the third time, I may have had one too many glasses of wine, and while my work did remarkably resemble a toe this morning, the increase rounds and knit rounds did not necessarily alternate per the pattern instructions.  Also, while there were both left leaning and right leaning increases in the toe, they showed no evidence of having been applied with any sort of pattern in mind. As a result of these failings, this work was ripped out.

I had much more success on my fourth attempt.  Increase rounds alternated with knit rounds.  Left leaning and right leaning increases were applied with consistency.  And once I got to this point:

the work quit trying to turn itself inside out and the connector cords also started behaving nicely and in a rather predictable manner.

I have since finished the toes and am now working on knitting the instep.

These socks are a basic toe-up pattern knit with KnitPicks Bare Hare on 2.5 mm needles.

Despite the trauma I experienced getting these socks started, I was nearly overcome with the need to cast on all my sock yarn and get the toes knit before proceeding with the Empress Mum's socks. I was able to resist, at least for now...

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Purple Mittens

My Minions,

The purple mittens for my friend are complete!

They are a little pointier than I was anticipating but fit well.  Unfortunately I'm unable to show you this as The Heir could not be coerced into convinced to be a hand model or photographer.

Getting the house ready for Christmas has really started cutting into my time, so I'm exceedingly pleased that this last knitted Christmas gift was finished up just as panic and the need to madly clean my house was setting in.  The choice between polishing the stainless appliances and working on these mittens in the evenings has been really tough, but I stayed focused on the mittens (imagine that statement in sarcastic font please).  I'm generally of the opinion that focusing on one thing at a time is more efficient than flitting from one activity to another in an effort to make progress on lots of things in one evening, but I'm really starting to wish there were more hours in the day.

With my Christmas knitting now complete, I will be starting the Empress Mum's birthday socks, with the hope that I finish them before Christmas so that I only have to turn my cutting table into a wrapping station once this winter.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Christmas Knitting Progress

My Minions,

Life interfered with my grand knitting plans for the weekend and I not only did not find time to post about the finished headband, the progress made on the mittens I decided to make for another friend was less than I had hoped.

Here is the finished headband.

I need to get it wrapped and under the tree, and I think I'll have to venture out to get the right wrapping.

I did start the mittens and was able to knit one and a half cuffs during The Heir's basketballs games when he wasn't playing.

In addition to the knitting, I did assume control of the cedar chest after The Heir and I completed our semi-annual donation of underused toys.  The toy donation made significant progress in the organization of the family room and moving my knitting supplies to the cedar chest resulted in a cleaner sewing room cutting table and a more organized dining room (you can see the table again!). Unfortunately I forgot to take before and after photos to share.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Ooh! New Stuff!

My Minions,

Look what came for me!

Shall we open it and see what's inside?!?  Of course we shall!

According to the Yarnbox information card, this is a magazine out of the UK that is quickly gaining popularity.  It contains 10 patterns, a few articles, and some technique instructions (such as casting on and binding off for 1X1 ribbing).

Four stitch markers were included, one has a festive snowflake on it.  They are very pretty!

A wrap pattern from Blue Sky Alpacas.

And yarn! Oh, and there's another pattern under there.  I didn't really make it much past the yarn with the photos.

The box had two 50 gram hanks each of Blue Sky Alpacas Metalico (147 yards per hank) in Silver (this has been on my find-this-yarn-and-touch it list for about two months) and Blue Sky Alpacas Techno (120 yards per hank) in Metro Silver.

The Metalico is a sport weight yarn made of 50% baby alpaca and 50% mulberry silk.  It puts the Lorna's Laces I was just raving about in my last post to shame!  It has a slight sheen from the silk and a slight halo from the baby alpaca.  Its very soft.  I couldn't stop petting it.  I want more! A lot more! I want to roll around in piles of this stuff and then fall asleep in those piles! Even though they only sent enough yarn for a wrap or scarf, this yarn does not want to be a wrap or a scarf, it wants to be a slinky open-backed top!   I think that will justify my need for more.

The Techno is a bulky weight yarn in which alpaca and merino are blown into a hollow silk core.  I'd really like to see this manufacturing process.  Anyway, I've never worked with bulky yarn before, but this is soft and squishy and light.  I went on Ravelry and this yarn was used a lot for hats, cowls, mittens - accessory type stuff.  I'm sure it makes delightful accessories, but I don't think this yarn wants to be an accessory.  It wants to be a warm and squishy over-sized sweater and sit in front of the fireplace drinking hot tea while snow piles up outside.  I don't think two hanks is going to be enough for it to become that sweater though...

Before coming home to my Yarnbox last night, I went to check out a local yarn and fabric store I hadn't been to yet - Silk Road Textiles.  While it is probably not going to replace Hank in my life, it was a cute little shop, and had a cozy looking corner with sofas that sort of begged you to make yourself at home with your new acquisitions while you started your project.  While I was in there I picked up this Dashing Mouse Designs Mr. Mouse's Superwash Socks yarn in Velvet (which I did not see on the website).

In the photo this yarn looks kind of purple, but it is really black and rich red.  I love the color!  It is unfortunate that  I can't start knitting this until after Christmas.

All this new yarn got me thinking that I really need a dedicated space for my knitting stuff.  There really just isn't room in my sewing room for it.  The combination of needles, books, leftover and stashed yarn is currently spilling out of a cardboard box in a corner of my dining room.  I may have to kick The Heir's board games out of the cedar chest and take it over for my own purposes.  It's either that, or I'm taking over his closet.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Christmas Headband

My Minions,

I've made good progress on my friend's headband that I blacked out and bought yarn for a few days ago.  It currently measures about 12 inches, so I'm more than halfway!  I initially started with a different pattern, but the pattern combined with all the color changes made for something that looked like it had been puked on.  I think this one looks better, though I'm still not loving all the color changes (my friend will though).  I think I'll have enough left for fingerless mitts.  I wonder if I'll like the color changes better when knit in the round...

This is the same pattern that inspired the Empress Mum's Ski Bunny Headband, except it's knit as written.  Using the wonder that is the internet, I'm going to learn how to graft the edges together instead of sewing them.

This yarn (Lorna's Laces Honor in Pocket Square) is delightful to work with.  It really is very "pretty string" even though I wish the orange would go away (this is really my biggest complaint with this yarn.  I just don't like orange).  It's 70% baby alpaca and 30% silk and it glides softly through the fingers.  I may have to go back to the yarn store and see if they have other color palates that I could use for something for myself.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Finished Mittens!

My Minions,

Prepare to do some beholding for I have finished the Empress Mum's mittens!

The Heir was impressed by my mad mitten making skills.  He said he thought I was making socks (shows how observant he is!  I must have tried them on a dozen times in front of him!).  He also then asked where his new mittens were.  Huh?!?  I reminded him that he had never requested mittens.  He corrected that oversight immediately which lead us to a conversation about what color he would like his mittens to be.  He said red because red is a "manly color" and he wanted it to "match the buttons." I informed him that the buttons could be made in any color he wanted and didn't have to be red, but he said he didn't want me to have to make new ones (so I guess the Empress Mum is expected to have button-less mittens?).  He then added that his red mittens should not be in "fuzzy girl yarn" like the Empress Mum's, but in "boy yarn".  I got out my meager stash and asked that he please show me some "boy yarn."  After trashing said meager stash and casting aside the baby llama, superwash merino, alpaca, and silk yarns, he handed me a scrap of Aran weight neon green acrylic yarn from Hobby Lobby (from one of his many school projects), proclaiming "This is boy yarn.  But I want it red."  So I guess I have to make a trip to Hobby Lobby.

I did end up having to go to the yarn store and get more Angora Haze to finish the mittens.  Lucky for me, they had a skein in the same dye lot as the yarn I had.  And lucky for my Fairy Godchild, I have enough left over to make her a Ski Bunny Headband of her own!  She was overjoyed by her good fortune and then pressed her luck by adding to her order a pair of mittens to match the Owl Hat her Mimi just bought her.  It is made from "boy yarn" and she would like her mittens to match.

I blacked out for a bit while at the yarn store and bought some Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend to make a friend some mittens and some Lorna's Laces Honor to make a different friend some ear warmers.

Both were intended to be Christmas gifts when I blacked out and bought the yarn, which happened before The Heir and Fairy Godchild put in their own mitten orders. Nothing like deadlines to ensure wool skirts won't be finished anytime soon!

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Mitten Progress Phase 8 and 9

My Minions,

I finished a mitten!

I considered waiting until the left mitten was finished to put the buttons on, but I really wanted to be able to say I was halfway finished with this project.  So I made buttons with some leftover red fabric that I think with match the Empress Mum's ski jacket.

And I sewed one on!  I think it looks pretty good!  I hope she likes it!

Now I just need to complete the left mitten to make a pair. Before starting I weighed my yarn to see if I would have enough and the short answer is no, I do not have enough.  I will have to unravel my swatch and use that yarn and still might not have enough.  Thankfully I still have the ball bands with the lot numbers so I'll head over to my local yarn store if necessary and buy another ball.  Needless to say, this means Fairy Godchild will probably not get her own angora headband.  She was horrified when I told her.

But look! I've already cast on the left mitten!  And without starting a new project too!

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Seriously though, what's the deal with socks?!?

My Minions,

My Thanksgiving was wonderful.  Approximately 80 people packed themselves into my Favorite Aunt's house and waited impatiently for dinner to be served.  While they waited, we put all they babies born since Easter on the couch and took some photos.

It's almost too much cuteness to have in one room.  Fairy Godchild is the second baby from the left. She was definitely the cutest and most rotten of the six, but she is also the only one with a Fairy Godmother to make her so rotten.

Imperial Family Gatherings are loud and chaotic and always a good time.  Much wine was consumed, and in the process of consuming said wine, the subject of my Christmas list was brought up. Favorite Aunt was not happy with the list and said I had to come up with something other than yarn and a Ninja blender.  I asked that she be open-minded, head to the yarn store, search for patterns she thought I would like and yarn to go with the pattern and then present me with the sweater/scarf/hat/etc with a note that some assembly was required.  She didn't buy into it.

Then her son, who is the Brother I Never Had, asked what kind of yarn was on my list, so I showed him some sock yarn on my phone.  Knowing that he wears him store bought socks inside out because the seam irritates him, informed him that hand knit socks had no seams.  Astonished, he put in an order for me to make him 36 pair or black socks and was not deterred when I informed him that it was likely to take 36 months or more to fill his order.  At this point Favorite Aunt informs me that she would like a nice pair of fuzzy socks to wander about the house in, and the Empress Dad jumped on board and order a pair of socks in "whatever was warmer than wool" for him to wear when hunting.  More family members submitted their orders and I left with three thoughts:

1. Why do people who've never experienced a hand knit sock want them so badly?
2. I should go ahead and let the sock yarns in my virtual carts become a reality in my home.
3. I better get some effing yarn for Christmas!

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Mitten Progress Phase 6 and 7

Happy Thanksgiving Minions!

My mitten success continues!

Phase 6: Outer Mitten Top

I picked up the yarn over stitches off the Addi Click cord and used a cable cast on (thank you YouTube) to create the additional stitches necessary to form the circumference of the mitten top. This part was no big deal after figuring out the cable cast on.  I just went round and round while drinking wine until I had reached the top of my pinky finger.

Here's the palm:

And the back where you can see the transition point of the flap:

And here it is with the flap open:

Phase 7: Mitten Decreases and Top Finishing

This was just a lot of decreasing over a lot of coffee and, again, was no big deal.  I did have to consult my notes from my sock making class to remember the Kitchener stitch and YouTube for instructions on making an I-cord for the button loop.

 Look!  It fits!  And it looks like a mitten (for a thumbless person)!

All that's left now if to knit the thumb, sew on a button and finish.  Well, and knit the left mitten.  But all of that will have to wait.  For the rest of the day, I'll be enjoying a day filled with great food and my wonderful family.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

The Allure of Sock Yarn

My Minions,

I have issues with socks.  More specifically, I have issues with sock yarn.  I keep finding it in my cart, unrealistically planning to knit socks for everyone I know.  I feel like The Heir needs worsted weight wool socks for skiing and lace weight silk to keep the wool from itching his tender skin.  And when the perfect yarn is found, suddenly I need the same for myself.  It's as if I've forgotten I'm not a kept Empress, free to knit away my days without a care for keeping the peace and order in the Universe.

So far, I have resisted the urge to buy yarn for projects I don't have time to complete this year, but its hard to remove those yarns from my cart after they've landed there, even if they are virtual carts.  I'm beginning to understand why a lot of knitters don't count sock yarn when speaking of their stash....

I did order some Lothlorien Opulence sock yarn from knitcircus to knit socks for the lucky individual who's name I drew for the Imperial Family Christmas Gift Exchange.

Doesn't it look lovely?  I also bought this individual a gift from her list, as per the rules of the gift exchange.  No sooner did I place my orders (I love shopping on the internet; it's a beautiful thing!), than the individual changed her mind about her list, sending out an entirely new one where each item falls in the established spending range, causing me to have to return the original store bought gift and leaving this yarn all to me!

In other sock news, I have wound yarn for the Empress Mum's birthday socks (only 3 weeks after Christmas - why can we not push back the celebration by at least a month or six?).

She requested angora (I have no idea why she is so enamored of that fiber), and Knit Picks obliged by introducing a Special Reserve yarn called Bare Hare.  It is 80% wool and 20% angora, so I feel it will meet the material of construction specification while being able to survive more than a day of wear as a sock.

My plan is to attempt to knit these socks toe up in order to eliminate any leftover yarn at the end of the project (what does a knitter without a Fairy Godchild do with all those leftover tiny balls of yarn?).  Once completed, I plan to dye them blue.  Why not dye the yarn before knitting? Well, its already wound, and if my plan to knit toe up fails, I'd rather have undyed leftover yarn than yarn a shade of blue I'll never be able to duplicate.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Mitten Progress Phase 5

My Minions,

My mitten construction luck continues despite not having made a gauge swatch!

Phase 5: Inner Hand

The beginning of this phase was a little confusing.  The instructions directed a yarn over that was then to be picked up and dropped onto waste yarn.  Hmmm, not sure how that is supposed to work and YouTube did not oblige my attempts at visualization.  So I held my working double pointed needles and my Addi Click core with a stopper on one end and a size 5 needle on the other end in my right hand and did the yarn over on the Addi cord needle and the normal stitch on the double pointed needle.  It seems to have worked, or at least is not currently giving me any indications that it has not worked.  I continued to work my rounds for the inner hand after making all of my yarn overs and Voila!  The fit still seems right!

Up next: the outer mitten top.

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe

Mitten Progress Phase 2, 3, and 4

My Minions,

My mitten adventure continues!  I did in fact cast on a size small with US 5 needles.  I lost about 10 minutes contemplating my row gauge issue before casting on.  16 stitches over 4 inches meant that the 12 round cuff should be 3 inches long.  However, the photos in the pattern show a cuff of about 1 1/2 to 2 inches, which was much closer to my calculated row gauge.  I moved forward.  What was the worst that could happen?

Phase 2: Cuff

The cuff consists of 12 rows of knit 2, purl 2 ribbing.  As I worked the rounds, I tried to keep in mind that I had not confirmed my needle size with a gauge swatch.  Not wanting this to bite me in the @$$ at the end of the project I've planned a series of highly technical visual checks to ensure early problem identification.

After 4 rows, I had approximately a 1/2" of knitting that was slightly less wide than my wrist.

My highly technical visual check allowed me to determined this was close enough to move forward.

After 12 rows, I still felt the sizing was right based and moved into...

Phase 3: Wrist

This section was short and included some cabling that provides the ideal location for the button that will hold the mitten flap.  And as an added bonus it still looked like it will fit!

Phase 4: Thumb

This section increased the number of stitches to allow room for the thumb and the separated out the stitched that will be knit for the thumb.  The increases weren't so bad.  The instructions were clear. When I got the separating out the thumb, I had to consult YouTube.  It ended up not being difficult, I think the instructions were just a little unclear.  Also it advised moving the thumb stitches to waste yarn.   I'm thinking a short Addi Click cable with the stoppers on the ends sounds much more secure...

A test fit showed I'm still on track with the fit!  Yes, I breathed a sigh of relief that my knitting math didn't fail me!

Until next time,

Jessica, Empress of the Universe