Round 2

The first of the RSC 2009 kits has been completed. I can't even tell you how much I love the colour. My Blue Heaven. As I was knitting, I was thinking "Oooo, I think this colour is my favourite" then it would change and "Oh, maybe this one", then "No, I think it's this one". Turquoise, cobalt, teal, all of them so so pretty. The pattern is Queen of Beads, by Sivia Harding



I had some minor challenges starting these socks. You see, they begin with stringing approximately 140 beads onto the yarn. I read that dental floss threaders were the way to go, but couldn't find any. But I had a dentist appointment 2 weeks after the package arrived and asked the hygenist for some. But then of course, I had to explain why I needed them. Needless to say, she was amused. So I attempted to string the beads with the threader on the end of the yarn. No go, the beads wouldn't fit over the doubled up bit of yarn at the end and I kept breaking the end of the eye of the threader. Then, I tied a length of dental floss to the end of the yarn and put that through the eye of the threader. Better, but still difficult to get the bead from the floss to the yarn. Then I tried a length of sewing thread instead of dental floss. Bingo! There was the occasional bead that would not go on, but I'd just put that one aside and use another. I had the beads strung in no time after that.



The knitting went quickly. It's a fun pattern that is really, really pretty. With or without beads. I put beads only on the leg, but I should have done the first repeat of the instep as well, to line up with the heel flap beads. Oh well, no one will really know, will they? And I did the extra repeat in the leg, can't have a short sock!



I finished these socks a couple of weeks ago, I'm very behind in my blogging, there are a couple of other things to show you too. My next RSC kit arrived today, it too is awesome. Very girly which isn't so much me, but I love it. I've worn my Queen of Beads once, so far, and the fit is great. I lengthened the heel flap a little from what I have been doing because my socks are feeling tight around the instep and some of the are harder to get on, this worked.

Fabulous sock, pretty pretty colour. On to the next finished project!

Five for five

After 5 RSC packages, I have maintained my goal and I have knit all five kits thus far. The final package was shipped on Monday and I hope to have it by the end of the week.

But, again I am negligent in the blogging of the completed item. The September RSC package was lightweight STR in the Tide Pooling colourway. I love this colour, love it. It's totally me.
Both in the skein


And in the cake.


I cast-on for these as soon as I finished Vintage, they were waiting for me, my reward. Yes, every fourth row was fiddley, but I cabled each and every stich without a cable needles and soon got a pretty good rhythm going. I don't think I'll cable more than one stitch cables without a cable needle but I think it was definitly a time saver on this project. The first sock worked up pretty quickly.



I really love the almost randomness of the colour on the legs, not the typical striping I get with STR. Loved it so much in fact, that I didn't want to rip it out and go down from a 2.5mm to a 2.25 mm needle on the leg for a little bit more negative ease.



I did switch to the smaller needle for the foot though and got the same wonderful little stripes and, the correct gauge.



And there we go. I would have to say the 5th RSC kit is a hit, I like the socks a lot. I'm going to wear them tomorrow in fact. Look at the colours, they're just so pretty!



I almost forgot about these. I think she liked the socks.