Sunday, June 07, 2009

brown paper and orange Marlene

For all my patient friends who have been waiting for promised, but long-overdue knitwear, rest assured. Said knitwear is packed up and ready for the post.

Some are travelling locally, others across shores, but as always, all are sent with a mixture of pride and anticipation! I love knitting for friends, and I can't wait for these dear friends to receive their parcels.

All this finishing flurry (combined with a long weekend and a bout of sickness) led me to cast on a reward project.

I cast on my Marlene's, and I'm loving them to bits. Those twisted stitches really pop and the pattern is so easy to memorise; I had it after the second repeat. Also, a 10-row repeat is just the ticket to spur me on, as I like to work in whole repeats, rather than putting my work down half way through. First sock has just turned it's heel and heading down the foot, which isn't bad going for 2 days work!

Thanks to some timely advice from missfee, I stayed with the recommended 2.75mm needles, which is probably also helping the speed of progress. I usually knit socks on 2 - 2.25mm, particularly with tightly twisted yarn like the Jitterbug. missfee warned that the twisted rib in this pattern was not all that stretchy, and hers (knitted on smaller needles) were a little snug to get over the heel. I was slightly concerned that even with this rib, the combination of jitterbug and 2.75mm would make the fabric too loose, but I'm so glad I stayed with it - they've worked out perfectly.


and as always, I am now dreaming of new projects; of yarns and patterns forming perfect matches, and all the delightful planning that ensues.


It's enough to make a girl giddy!


Here are the main contenders, feel free to leave your vote :)


Ariosa Wrap Cardigan
Wallis (Rav link)
Mrs Darcy
Amelia

13 comments:

Rose Red said...

oooh, I really like Amelia (very wearable and classic), Ariosa is lovely too - those are my faves!!

and the Marlenes - just GORGEOUS! Gosh I love them in that colour, they are divine!!!

Bells said...

they are such yummy looking socks!! Great advice from Miss Fee.

And I'm with RoseRed - Amelia. It's on my not very distant horizon too!

Rachael said...

Ooooh gorgeous socks!

My vote would be for either of the first two patterns. I've been looking for something just like Ariosa myself!

cseneque said...

Amelia is really gorgeous--I love the twisted stitches there.

I wasn't too keen on Wallis until I saw this version, which makes it look pretty interesting too.

The Marlenes are stunning! :)

Susanne said...

Your socks are looking great, just the right colour for the pattern.

Out of the four choices of pattern you have here, I've got three of them on my wish list!! Amelia gets my vote, I'm thinking of making it soon too.

Great minds think alike hey?? ;)

2paw said...

The socks are stunning, the pattern is so lovely and 10 rows sounds perfect to me too!! How did I ever miss Amelia?? She's terrific!!!

Nia said...

Those socks look good enough to eat.....yummm!

I think the brown wrap or the sleeveless cardi are both very you :)

What the heck......knit them all :)

Taz

http://knittywomanonatrain.wordpress.com

missfee said...

Glad the Marlenes are going ok - I am tempted to reknit them.

I vote for Wallis - I can see you in that and it is really funky. The black one in the Rav projects is especially groovy

I also like Mrs Darcy - why not knit them all - hehheeheheh

Emma said...

Your Marlenes look lovely in orange. The more I see that pattern, the more I want to knit it, even though I'm not much of a sock knitter.

My vote's for Mrs Darcy, just to be different to everyone else! V neck cardigans are lovely, and I think it's something that could be dressed up or down.

Anonymous said...

The sock looks fabulous - can't wait to see the finished pair! I love the embroidered cloth you photographed the sock on too.

Gidgetknits said...

Those are pretty Marlenes... reminds me to put them on my queue!

Leonie said...

I'm voting for Amelia, what colour are you going to knit? The Marlenes are looking lovely, and a 10 row repeat is just perfect!

Miss Click Clack said...

Wallis. So retro batwing! And ditto cseneque's opinion about the buttons!

(maybe tricky to get a nice line around your bazooksa with Mrs Darcy.)