Despite not having knit in DAYS, I feel like there is much knitting for me to go over. I apologize in advance for the length of this post. The first order of business is the blog contest. The competition was fierce, and I had a really tough time choosing, but here are the winners:
Best post goes to Kate A for "A Ubiquity of Noesis." I laughed. I cried. I was in awe of how she made such words flow together so seemingly effortlessly. And I blame her for small turnout in the contest because she was clearly stiff competition.
There was no obnoxious post as far as I could tell, so I decided to give second prize to the biggest brown-noser. Melanie wins with Hokum Hosiery for her exemplary display of toadyism. I laughed. I was flattered. I was giddy with sock excitement!
And the random prize goes to..... Stariel for her post Oh Frabjous Day!.
Congrats everybody! If you are a winner, you should have gotten an email from me. If you didn't, let me know.
Ok, next order of business: Knitty! I can't believe I'm so late on this, but the Fall Knitty went up on Monday and I have a sock pattern in there. I am really really really in love with this issue of Knitty. I think it is the best issue of Knitty ever. Just like I think the Fall 06 VK is the best issue of VK ever, and how I think the current Magknits issue is the best Magknits ever. (Okay, I am probably biased because I love socks.) We are at a peak of knitting patterns here folks, and I am both overjoyed and fearful. Overjoyed because, well, because there are so many damn good patterns out there and they'll probably only get better, right? Fearful because I fear this is a fluke, that somehow the knitting gods have bestowed upon us such great patterns all at once only to toy with us for the coming drought. Please please please let this trend of awesome patterns continue. I'm crossing my fingers and enjoying it while it lasts.
Oh right, here are pictures of Red Herring (click for bigger):
I do have to make some comments about the sock. I know the brown foot is visually less pleasing than an entirely herringbone sock, but I had to do that for practicality. For starters, stranded knitting is fairly inelastic (which I learned the hard way (and yes, despite my professed love for the socks in that post, I did end up ripping them out)), so to fit over your foot/ankle/etc it's gotta be bigger than normal. Not to mention the added thickness of two strands. A sock foot in stranded knitting would be so thick that there is no way my foot would ever fit into a shoe. Hence the solid colored foot. I really did debate this for a while and even brought the matter before the illustrious BobaKnitters. They were convinced that the herringbone patterned foot, while prettier, just isn't practical. And it would be worse to make such a pattern, have everyone knit it, and then have everyone discover that they can't get their feet into their shoes.
Ok, onto the next order of business. I have been knitting less overall, but spending more time thinking about what I want to knit. Part of me wants to knit crazy ass sweaters like this one from Balenciaga's F/W 06 collection, but then I wonder who would actually look good in that? Even the model looks absurdly flat chested. (Though as K pointed out, she probably is. And I don't mean any disrespect by the flat chested remark. Some of my favorite people, including myself, are chest-deprived.) Another part of me wants to knit voluminous cream sweaters reminiscent of D&G's F/W 06 collection, but those are stockinette and would drive me crazy with boredom. There must be a middle ground, and I'm trying to find it. That's where my inspiration for the poofy sleeved sweater came from, an attempt to mix interesting elements (cables) with an interesting shape (deep v and poofed sleeves).
Anyway, enough with the rambling. At some point in the next few weeks I'm going to try to muster up the energy to write up a pattern for the poofy sleeved sweater (I need a better name for it, don't I?) and another sock pattern that's been on the back burner for a while. Once that's done, I'll be looking for test/sample knitters, so if you're interested please leave me a comment. And here I leave you with a glimpse of said sock that has been sitting on a shelf for almost a year:
I kind of want to knit every thing in the D&G collection. I went freakin crazy the first time I saw it and studied every single image for like an hour.
I love your herringbone socks-- I, too, learned the hard way about stranding on the foot of a sock.
My favorite line from the winning post was 'Hark! An inconsequential exemplar of the hosieric art:.' Well done Kate A.
The name description of your sweater as poofy sleeves reminds me very much of Anne of Green Gables who desparately wanted poofed sleeves. Even though it's an adult sweater, maybe you could pay an homage to L.M. Montgomery?
As for your offer to have someone help you test a pattern I'd love to. I've got the time, the tools and I do okay with the knitting.
Posted by: stephania at September 13, 2006 8:04 PMCongratulations to the winners, what inspired entries they were.
Love the new Knitty too, happy to see another one of your originals - bravo!
Posted by: schrodinger at September 13, 2006 8:27 PMSo, where did you get the idea to call your sock Red Herring (asside from the fact that it's herring bone and red...)? cause my school is definately doing the play Red Herring in november... interesting.... anyway! i would love to be a sample knitter for your socks! they look so pretty.
good luck with the patterns, and congrats on the knitty socks!
So digging the herringbone sock, but so terrified of stranded knitting its not funny. Hasn't stopped me from trying to pick a yarn for it though... :)
Posted by: Aija at September 13, 2006 9:12 PMD- - -! You are a great knitter, full of great ideas! I hope Interweave gets you to do a book (hint, hint to the book gods!). I agree w. you about the best out now, this season. So many nice sock! patterns. I was (actually still am) thrilled when I saw the new Knitty and your new pattern was there - cool!
Posted by: Terry at September 13, 2006 9:29 PMOh my god!! I really thought that if I won anything, it would be "most obnoxious." I'm usually pretty confident about being able to achieve obnoxiousness in words (grad schoolpractice makes perfect!), but never thought I'd get first place! But I don't want to take the blame for there not being more entries, that would be too sad! I read all the other entries, they were all awesome, and this was the coolest contest ever!
Okay, I may be crazy, but I know from the other entries that I'm not the only knitting word-geek out there by a long shot!
Posted by: Kate A. at September 13, 2006 9:37 PMSign me up for test knitting! And congrats to the winners!
Posted by: Kit Knits at September 13, 2006 9:47 PMI thought it was a cool contest but when I saw Kate A's entry, I thought, no way was I going to top that.
The red herring is a nice pattern and I think practicality and a simple foot is a good thing, cause it'll more likely be finished.
Posted by: Polly at September 13, 2006 10:52 PMBeautiful socks!! So different! A little too daunting for me just yet, but maybe one day.
I am 3/4 of the way through my first Pomatomus and I can't BELIEVE how many positive comments I've gotten! My future father-in-law, who has never started a conversation with me, walked into the room and said "that is a really nifty pattern." Of course he went on to suggest that I turn it into a turtleneck for the dog, but still!!
Don't know if you're a fan of the TV show "Bones" but last week they mentioned Pomatomus (in the original sense) on the show!! Nifty!!
How about a poofy sweater naming contest?? I suggest something in honour of its first outing, such as "Harlot" (may create confusion) or "Pearl"?
Posted by: Melanie at September 13, 2006 10:58 PMThe new Knitty is fabulous! Congratulations on another wonderful pattern. I'm with you, I am currenty in pattern heaven! So many great choices, and inspiration abounds!
I'd love to test knit the sock for you. What you've shown of it looks really great!
Posted by: Kirsten at September 14, 2006 6:12 AMYour latest sock in Knitty is awesome. All the magazines bringing all the sock patterns out is heavenly.
If you need a test knitter, I would be more than happy to help out :). I love cables and I love socks :)
Posted by: Isela at September 14, 2006 6:19 AMDe-lurking to tell you how in love I am with Red Herring. I started knitting the pattern on Monday night. It's my first stranded knitting atemmpt, and it is a lot easier than I thought it would be. Thanks for writing such a great, fun pattern!
Posted by: Sarah at September 14, 2006 6:19 AMHmm, I think that Hamlet post should have won, personally. Alas, my own partially completed entry awoke Monday still languishing in scribbles.
I love the Balenciaga sweater! And of course the model is flat-chested. She's 5'10" and weighs about 90 lbs!
I like the brown foot. :) looking forward to the poofy sleeve pattern and the sock glimpse is most tantalizing... (And I'd be happy to test knit poofy sleeves or cabled socks for you.)
Posted by: alice at September 14, 2006 7:00 AMAs a member of the flat-chested community, I'm just glad there are no strategically-placed bobbles on that sweater... for nice cables inspiration may i also suggest www.delphinewilson.co.uk?
Posted by: weeza at September 14, 2006 7:19 AMi think the sweater is super cute, so i'd definitely be up for test knitting it!
Posted by: jo at September 14, 2006 8:07 AMIf you need a test knitter for the sweater, I'd like to give it a try! But I'm a slow, slow knitter with little time to knit, so I am not sure I'd be the best candidate. :-)
Posted by: Crystal at September 14, 2006 8:08 AMOh...Poofy sweater test knitters...pick me! Pick me!
That Balenciaga sweater is outrageous fabulous!
I agree, the Fall Knitty and Fall Vogue are some of the best that's been put forth lately. Can we finally put eyelash yarn to bed? (please, please!) I, too, am yearning for some creamy, cable-intense project. Must be the time of year. Your sock project looks intriguing. Can't wait to see the whole result.
Posted by: Leslie at September 14, 2006 9:17 AMI would like to test knit your new socks. My sock yarn stash is calling to me.
Posted by: pauline at September 14, 2006 10:14 AMI'm thinking about using a combination of leftover solid and self-striping yarn for Red Herring (after I knit a pair of something in the self-striping to get leftovers!). I'm intrigued by the idea.
Only thing is, I might want to use the self-striping for the foot body, and would stripes and then who-knows-what-zags in the herringbone look strange together?
Posted by: Danielle at September 14, 2006 10:15 AMI would love to be one of your test knitters if you need me.
Have yarn, will knit.
i love the sock..., brown foot and all... plus, that part is usually in a shoe anyhow - and when it's not, once your pantleg lifts, you get the pleasant surprise of herringbone. can't wait to knit a pair!
ps: i would love to be a test/sample knitter!
Posted by: stephanie at September 15, 2006 10:17 AMwhat I like about the sock is really the pattern contrasting so nicly in same colours with the solid foot colours.
Posted by: Hanna at September 15, 2006 10:23 AMLoved your sock pattern at Knitty. I was considering that I may knit them as a gift when I came to your blog through the Harlot. Small world, no? Thanks for the great pattern. I want to be you some day!:)
Ang
Posted by: angelarae at September 15, 2006 3:19 PMI think you should knit the hat with giant braided pigtails (11 of 54, http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/F2006RTW/complete/thumb/DG)
Posted by: Margit at September 15, 2006 10:22 PMI'd also be willing to test-knit for you :)
For the sock, do you think that it would be possible on the foot portion, to knit the upper-half of the foot in pattern and the sole in stocking stitch? Of course this would involve knitting backwards at some point, but I'm inclined to experiment, though at the same time wary of the foot/sock/shoe issues.
And again, I love the poofy-sleeved sweater. A naming competition is in order, methinks.
Ooh, ooh, I'd love to test knit for you! As long as it doesnt' involve stranding or intarsia. They scare me.
Posted by: Sarah at September 16, 2006 2:30 PMI love your stuff. I am interested in being a test knitter for you.
Nan
Posted by: Nan at September 16, 2006 8:58 PMI adore the poofy sleeve number, can't wait until you write the pattern up for that one.
You look particularly fetching in it on the Yarn Harlots blog. Very nice.
Posted by: Melinda at September 18, 2006 3:15 AMHey Cookie! I just noticed the part about needing test/sample knitters (must have had my brain turned off the first time I read it...) and I'd be happy to do socks. Other things as well, but I do knit a lot of socks.
Posted by: Ariel at September 18, 2006 9:30 AMI'd love to be a testknitter! And I live in Sweden so then your pattern will have a public in Europe as well.....
Posted by: Carina at September 19, 2006 4:49 AMJust in case you do not have enough volunteers...I would love to test knit for you. I have been known to curse while working up a new pattern and seeing an idea turn into a workable pattern would be so wonderful. Socks are my favorite thing to knit, big, small, textured, lacy...
I live in Edmonds, WA, a short walk from the ferry dock.
Terri
Hi!
I just wanted to say that I really like the Red Herring pattern! I just finnished the first sock, and I'm starting the second one tomorrow I think.. so I won't get SSS. There are a couple of small things I changed though; instead of just "cutting off" the herring bone pattern I let it end more naturally so it ended in a zig zag instead of a straight line (if that makes sense) and I'm going to reknit the foot of it since it turned out a size or two too big (which has nothing to do with your pattern, I just used too large needles!)
In any case, I look forward to the next Knitty to see what wonderful sock pattern you have then. Perhaps the sock in the photo? *Really hopes for the sock in the photo*
Posted by: Alva at September 21, 2006 2:42 PM