New York Minknit

Here’s how far I’ve gotten on the scarf, in almost two weeks. Of course, it wasn’t until after I had finished a skein and a half that I realized that I had been twisting all of the slip stitches, so every few rows, the stitches are twisted. I briefly thought about ripping it all out, but then I realized I would go nuts. Adam, the receipient, says he can’t even tell, so I’ll just ignore that mistake. (See if you can spot the twisted stitches in the close-up.)

Also, I have realized that the Addi Turbo’s points are good, because they are sharp enough to flip the stitches around, once I realized the error.

Photograph by baba lu.

Pattern: From the software at Artfibers (sleeveless turtleneck)

Yarn: Artfibers Kyoto (silk/mohair/wool)

Needles: 9 / 10.5 Clover bamboo circular.

This sweater is temporarily on hold while I finish the scarf, and since it’s a spring sweater (having no sleeves…though it has a turtleneck), it’s fine. Artfibers is a very Bay Area, and since I grew up there, I can make that comment. All of their yarns have vaguely ethnic names, and it has a somewhat strident hipster San Francisco vibe. But I do think this yarn feels nice, at least while knitting, and the free pattern deal is useful for a beginner knitter like me. What I have learned so far is…really, don’t twist your stitches when you link them together, otherwise you will end up with a mobeius strip like me, and then have to rip them all up.

Photograph by baba lu.

Pattern: From Naive Knitting blog

Yarn: Knitpicks ambrosia in fog

Needles: Addi turbo circular in 5

I am not such a big fan of these addis turbo that all the knitting bloggers love. This is because they are metal and do not bend, and thus, are a little bit uncomfortable. I can see why everyone says they are fast, and why they are called turbo, because they are pretty slippery, and for the plain knit stitches, do make the rows go by fast. The problem is that this pattern makes me have to think a lot, so I can’t go that fast anyway. If I knit this again, I would probably do it on plastic needles. Also, don’t be a fool like me and buy 24″ circular neeldes, which are apparently only used for children’s clothes. Because I know no children. They might be useful for dogs though, and as mentioned earlier, will come in handy for any plain knitting done on size 5 needles because they really do make knitting fast, if kind of hard on the arm/wrist.

Photograph by baba lu.

Pattern: “My So-Called Scarf” from Sheep in the City

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay in 63 (2.5 skeins)

Needles: Plastic Bryspun in 10

I cast on 10 extra stitches than what the pattern used, and went down to size 10 needles (size 11 seemed so big, that it didn’t seem right) and thus, ended up needing another half a skein. Perhaps less if I had blocked. On hindsight, I might have attempted to use the size 11, because the stitch is kind of tight and might have looked nicer a little looser, but otherwise I think it’s fine.