FO Friday: Knitting *and* Spinning?!

The world has gone mad! I have FOs to share....both knitting and spinning!

Let's start with the knitting.

Pattern: Caffe Macchiato by Marian Moldan

Time Frame: started May 7, 2016; finished October 16, 2016

Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in 24914 Rainbow

Needles: US #1 (2.25 mm) long circulars (2)

Size: Medium (64 sts)

Modification(s): Oh lordy....modifications. I did 20 rounds of ribbing before I started the pattern stitches, which is almost double what the pattern uses. I also moved around the stitch pattern. This is a pair of socks that is actually different for each sock, as the pattern stitches run down the outside of the foot...and that's just not something I wanted to do. So, I putzed with it. Instead of one band of pattern stitches down the outside of the foot, I had two bands of pattern stitches going down the middle of each instep. I inserted my usual double gusset heel decrease and worked the foot on less stitches (30 instead of 32). I also goofed and did my toe decreases without buffer stitches so I had my decreases right next to each other, which means I may have some issues with stitches being more open because of the decreases. None of the modifications were huge but they definitely changed the look of the socks. Oh, another thing...I did all the specific pattern stitches with the first stitch knit through the back loop. I don't think you are supposed to do it that way but it's what made sense for me at the time. So, I did it.

Thoughts: The pattern is well written and, generally speaking, I have no issue with denoting the different socks but for some reason, I just didn't want to deal with that so I made them match. I think it's because these were my "purse knitting," so I didn't want to memorize one foot and then get screwed up on the other one (which, let's be honest, probably wouldn't have happened). Sooooo, there's that. I don't know that I'd make them again but for a pair of socks, they serve their purpose.

Here are a few other shots of various parts:

Double Gusset Heel Decrease

Close up of the stitch pattern

In addition to the finished socks, I also finished up some spinning projects.

Fiber: 60% Polwarth, 40% Tussah Silk from Corgi Hill in Hoar Frost

Singles: started July 21, 2016 (first single finished August 14, 2016); finished October 10, 2016

Plied: Two-ply (larger skein on October 12, 2016) and Andean ply (smaller skein on November 1, 2016)

Yardage: ~ 338 yds (larger skein) & ~ 39 yds (smaller skein)

Yarn Weight: Heavy fingering weight...maybe sport weight

Skein Weight: ~ 145 g (I lost a couple with some spinning/plying snafus but not much), which is about 5.1 oz

Fiber: Unknown greyish brown wool from a spinning class I took c. September 2011 from Luci Williams (she provided the washed but otherwise non-processed wool)

Singles: stared October 7, 2016; finished October 12, 2016 (just one single)

Plied: Andean ply (on November 1, 2016)

Yardage: ~ 33.3 yds

Yarn Weight: No idea but probably sport weight

Skein Weight: No idea...too lazy to weigh it.

Many moons ago, I took a spinning class from Luci Williams at Knitch in Delafield, WI (okay, it was roughly September 2011). She provided us with the fiber and wheels (I brought my own because I had one). The deal was the fiber had been washed but we needed to pick out all the veg matter, we learned to comb it with hand carders, we made rolags, and then we spun. We actually did drop spindles first and then the wheel (it was a 2-day class) I initially had quite a bit more of this fiber. It remained hidden in a plastic bag in one of my eighteen bins of yarn and fiber until a couple months ago, when I discovered it and decided to finish it. I was going to just Andean ply the original bobbin (which was full) but I screwed up and wound up throwing it away (I tried to ply it in the same direction it was spun, which did not go over well...I blame late night sleep deprivation for that). However, I had a little bit left that looked like it had been carded so I spun it up and the above photo was the result. It's coarse and scratchy and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. But, it's done. I might just stick it in a jar with some other minis for pretties. I don't know.



Anyway, those are my FOs for you. I hope you're having a lovely Friday :) I should be back on Sunday for my Year of Projects update.