Phew! I did it.

Well, after many, many attempts I finally got the knotted wad in the yarn. :-)

I can continue now

I made a beginner mistake.  Of course, I am a beginner so I don't feel too bad. I just started using yarn straight out of the skein.  I didn't make a ball first.  The yarn got a HUGE knot in it about 3/4 of the way through.  It was bad because I had so much on the needles I didn't want to frog it.  So I had to undo the partial ball that I had already started.  It took at least 3 weekends of frustration to finally get it undone.

I must admit, I am very excited now to keep on working on the sock.  Of course, I have learned my lesson the hard way but i do feel proud of getting it fixed. There were many times I wanted to just grab some scissors, cut out the yarn, and restart.

Onward and upward.:-)

 

Go Team!!

I am continuing to work on my socks for the 2012 Ravellenic Games. Currently I am getting ready for the heel flap.  I have finished the leg part.  I counted 25 rows from the cuff to where I have stopped.  I am not sure if this is the length I want.
Pros:

• It is the same length as the socks that I wear now
• I can get finished quicker
• I am getting a little bored with the stockinette stitch

Cons:

• They seem quite a bit shorter than those in the book
• I don't want to regret making them too short.
• I can use more stash if I make them longer

can you tell which is handmade?

I am excited about starting the second part of the sock.  I am trying to make notes on everything because I don't want to have the second sock look different.

I deliberately tried to make it look like the picture.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast....

For Ravelympics 2012!!1
This is my first year participating and I am excited to actually begin something on-time.  The team I am on is Team Tribute after The Hunger Games. WooHoo!!!
The project I am trying is my first pair of socks.

I have had to reknit the cuff several times. First, I measured the widest part of my foot like the book advises. Then I multiplied it my 5 stitches per inch.  Multipling 8.5 *5 gave me 48 stitches. The opening ceremonies were starting and I wanted to get started so I cast-on these and worked for about 5 rows.

After the Internet was available again, I looked up the gauge of the yarn I was knitting.  It turns out the yarn I was knitting is 4.5 stitches to the inch.  This gave me 39 stitches which was easily divisible by the 3 needles used to knit the socks.  I had 13 stitches per needle. Following the directions, the ribbing was worked in knit 3 purl 1 for about 2 inches.

It didn't match up.  It was always ending up with a knit 2 section before starting again. After feeling disgruntled, I read the instructions.  It said that these socks would be knit using a double ribbing, knit 2 purl 2, for the cuffs. 
Yikes, I had to restart again.  This time, cast on the 40 stitches to make the pattern work out. It turn out that 40 stitches was what the pattern suggested I cast on in the first place!! 
Sometimes you have to do things wrong 4 times to get it right once.

Training for the Ravelompics

Well, I have decided to try and participate in the Ravelompics 2012. 

The pattern I am going to do is the Basic Socks in the book Getting Started Knitting Socks.

Team Tribute is the group I am going to be knitting for.  Since I love the Hunger Games, I thought it would be great.

Because I am doing these socks as a present and using some old yarn, this projects can be counted under:

• Synchronized Stash Busting
• Holiday Hurdles
• Sock Put

According to the rules, I can't cast on for the project until the Opening Ceremonies of the Games.  However, I can knit a gauge to make sure the yarn and needles are the right size.

I am using the Bernat Cot'n Corn in Avocado and the current gauge is

4 knit and 41/2 purl stitches to the inch on size 7 needles.  There are approximately 6 knit and 7 purl rows to the inch as well.

Ravelry

WooHoo!!! Well I finally have my Ravelry account organized. I can't believe how amazing it is. I love how everything in in a place on my account. The books, needles, and yarn are easily found and I even have some offers on yarn.  It was almost too much too soon. We will see how it goes though.

Punt

In American football there is a phrase called "Drop back and punt".  What that means is that you have to see that your progress is not going well and just stop and punt to the other team and try again.


This is what I have done with my knitting.  My UFO's are now frogged and ready to try again to knit something.

It looks like a big pile of Ramen Noodles:-)

Much better

This has also helped me to add some pictures to my Ravelry page!  I have been meaning to do this for a long time.

Worked on for SOOOOO long

meh

The yarn below is the socks that I showed in the previous post.  I have lost the orginal pattern and am not experienced enough to convert one pattern to another.