Antithesis

After I finished those grey socks back in January, I needed some socks that weren't grey. The spouse suggested using up my next oldest sock yarn. Since it happened to be a delightfully loud minty lime green, I went with it. These are the results:



Pattern is Nancy Bush's Anniversary Socks. Yarn is sKnitches Kettle Drum in Aegean. I'm not sure how long I've had it, but I added it to my Ravelry stash in 2008.

I've not actually cast on anything new since finishing these. I'm decluttering, and since most off my clutter is WIPs it makes no sense to start a new project.

Spinning and knitting in January

In further adventures of things that are not Tudor shirts, I present the two most boring projects I've ever made in the same month.

First, in an attempt to use up some of the random bits in my spinning stash, a hank of cashmere/silk, spun on a spindle and 2-plied using a plying bracelet. Still not keen on plying bracelets, but it's less effort than winding it off the spindle for something this small. About 25 yards of worsted-weight yarn.

Second, a completed pair of socks that I started over a year ago. Ringwood ribbing for the cuffs and a plain foot. In charcoal grey on 2.25mm needles. YAWN.

The good thing is that this was the oldest sock yarn in my stash. Now that it's finally used up, I've cast on the next-oldest sock yarn - something that isn't grey or white!

Some things that are not shirts

I'm working on two more Tudor shirts (this time both for me). They're going to become a series of posts that give complete guidelines on how to make shirts, but in the meantime, I've finished a couple of smaller things.

First up, a belt favour masquerading as a sock. Belt favours are a custom in the SCA - non-fighters give them to fighters as a token. Wearing them can mean a whole bunch of things, but literally means that the fighter has found favour with the non-fighter. In this case, it's a running joke with my "wife", who once caught a sock flung at her head and proclaimed herself a free house-elf.



Yarn is leftover Kauni from a shawl I made a few years back. This sock is a Very Significant Project. It's entirely made up from inside my head - I guesstimated all the numbers, including the ones for turning the heel. I also knit the whole of the gusset in the dark while I was at a gig. I definitely levelled up by knitting this.

Second, a SNOOOOOOD for Tyger Friend. Like me, she dabbles in steampunkery, and so when I dug up some discontinued bronze lurex yarn from the deep stash it occurred to me that it would make an awesome gift for her. It took about 7 hours, or one very lazy weekend spent mostly playing Skyrim.

Recently

Despite all of the planning and thinking and cooking that's been going on recently, I have actually been making things. First up, a pair of socks for a certain Viscountess.



When asked how she had liked the socks I made her earlier, she hinted that she really wanted another pair. "Hinted" might be the wrong word. I think her exact words were, "I'd like another pair just like these, only purple." So, purple socks she got.

Then with the leftovers I made a pair of booties for an imminent SCA baby.








You'd never guess they were from the same yarn. But they are, and there was much cooing when I presented them.

Finally, some spinning. Not a lot, only a wee sample.



This is from a mystery fleece that I acquired last autumn. I'm aiming for a bulky 3-ply to make a cabled cardigan/coat thingie at some point. Still need to bulk this up a little bit. It is very difficult to consistently spin fat yarn.