by Ivete on October 7, 2009
in Koigu
A long time ago I mentioned wanting to use my odd Koigu scraps to make something . . . at the time I was imagining making lots of mis-matched socks in crazy stripes of handpainted colors and wearing them interchangeably with each other. While that still seems like a good idea and I may end up doing that also, over the weekend I was reading a book and found myself with no simple projects in stockinette to work on while I read. When I’m reading I like to knit stockinette on circulars (either in the round or flat works well), but it has to be a completely mindless project. Enter the scraps bag:
This bag actually has more than just Koigu leftovers in it, it has all sorts of fingering-weight sock yarn scraps and leftovers. All the baby skeins of Koigu I got years ago at TNNA are in there, too. I’m sure there are even scraps of Koigu collected from my days at the knitting store! Apparently I hoard Koigu like it’s a precious metal. I’ve been adding to this bag for years (literally!), always with the intention of turning it all into something one day.
This past weekend, I went through the bag and separated out all the Koigu scraps from the rest of the sock yarn riffraff (as if, everything in there is awesome!). Here’s what I have to work with:
As I pulled out those partial balls and tiny butterflies of yarn, I kept remembering the projects that each scrap belonged to. It was like going through my jewelry box! The gray in the bottom right-hand was from the first Charlotte’s Web I ever made . . . the very bright orange-pink on top of it became a pair of ruffly socks . . . and on and on. It’s amazing how well I can remember working with each of these colors! Although not surprising, given how much I love Koigu and how the color is the whole point of Koigu . . .
I pulled out a set of size 4 circulars and cast on a bunch of stitches and just started knitting. Here’s what I had after one day’s worth of reading:
I’m trying not to worry about what color comes next, but I did decide on two rules:
- Colors next to each other should be different enough to stripe
- Adjacent stripes should be of varied widths
So basically what I’m doing when I finish a section is reaching blindly for another bit of yarn and then seeing if the amount is OK and if the color isn’t too similar. I was shocked to see how much medium blue is in this pile! It’ll be a challenge to make sure all that blue doesn’t end up overwhelming everything else.
So far I have about 10″ of fabric knit and it’s about 20″ wide. I was initially thinking of making a stole, but now that it looks like I have way more yarn than I realized, I’m thinking of turning it into a small throw. This may end up being a perpetual project that I add on to as I finish other Koigu projects, but that’s completely fine with me. Using up my scraps this way makes me think of old-fashioned patchwork quilts and the idea just fills me up with warm fuzzies. And knitting with all these Koigu colors isn’t half-bad, either!
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There are no words!
This fabulously 80’s colorway is 107B, dye lot 6, and I cannot wait to knit it up into a new pair of elbow-length armwarmers. I initially planned to knit up the same pattern from The Purl Stitch to replace my previous set, but now I’m planning to design something incorporating slipped stitched to play up the colors in handpainted yarns. While I think the original gauntlets are quite gorgeous, I think the shape of armwarmers is perfect for a little stitchwork to better show off the yarn! And with yarn this gorgeous, showing it off is all I really care about . . .
And speaking of Koigu, my solid colored Cecil socks are progressing nicely. Here’s how the first foot looked a few days ago:
I’ve since finished it and am about half-way done with its mate, just picked up stitches for the gusset and am about to start the foot. I just noticed that this semi-solid Koigu KPM color (color 2171, dye lot 113) looks a lot like stonewashed jeans! Kind of funny to think about knitting with washed out jeans . . .
Design-wise, I am finalizing a submission to IK and hope to have it in the mail by Wednesday this week. I intended to submit to Twist (btw, have you seen the new issue? It’s pretty awesome!) but the design I had in mind just didn’t work out when I started to swatch it, it got way too complicated way too quickly. It seems to be the case with many of my ideas, either it’s a simple, straightforward idea that works right away, or it’s a complicated design with too much going on at once. I wish there were more ideas that fell into a happy medium between the extremes!
It’s a scorcher of a day today in NYC so we’re staying indoors with the A/C on and a puppy between us on the couch. Bodes well for knitting productivity!
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That’s right, I do sometimes knit other things! Really!
I’ve been meaning to knit up my Cecil sock pattern in a solid color for, like, a year. I was even pretty sure that I wanted to use this grayish-blue color of Koigu for them, but somehow they never rose to the top of the to-do list. Now that my knitting mojo seems to be back in full force (finally!) and I’ve knit more over the last few weeks than I have in the previous few months, I thought it would be good to start a portable project to knit on my commute or in stolen moments waiting in lines. As I look through my Ravelry notebook, I see I haven’t finished a pair of socks since February . . . gotta change that, stat!
I cast on for this sock on Saturday morning and worked on it while catching up on my DVR. A few hours later I’d turned the heel! I sometimes forget how quickly sock knitting goes when you work on a sock for long stretches at a time! Usually my socks only get knit on the subway or in the line at the bank, so they seem to take forever to get done . . .
These probably won’t get done that quickly, though, because I already started something else and brought that project to work on during my commute today. I’m using this cheerful yarn:
Isn’t it so sunny and happy? I’m making a quick present for my sister with this gorgeous Artyarns Supermerino 6 in color 2278, and I need to have it done by next week when she’ll be on the East Coast for a quick visit . . . I’m already more than half-way done after just one day, so I should be able to meet my deadline!
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Folks, I think my Koigu problem is only getting worse, not better. Here’s the batch I couldn’t say no to yesterday, and I’m almost 100% sure that one of these colors is already in my stash. And I thought of that before I bought it, and bought it anyway. They’re just so pretty!
I’m definitely making a shawlette for me out of the 410 (the purplish red color on the bottom left), maybe my next design will use this color. It’s a perfect blend for me, dark enough to not wash me out and colorful enough to not be boring to knit with! And as a bonus, it seems to photograph well, which is something I so struggle with when it comes to knitting designs in colors I want to wear. Seems like a winner all around! And yes, that’s the one I’m pretty sure I already own . . .
I’m going to a wedding in Vermont this weekend so that’ll be like 10 hours of car knitting roundtrip, most of it with daylight . . . gotta plan what I’m bringing to knit so I don’t end up bored and/or running out! That would be just awful.
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I just stumbled across this Babette Blanket yarn pack from Yarnzilla and the above photo is so gorgeous, I am seriously considering ordering it! I’ve never bought anything from Yarnzilla before but I see they offer discounts based on price (the way WEBS does), so assuming you’d get the 25% discount, you could buy this pack for only $222.75! That’s a really great price, and just look at those colors! But I can’t tell from the website description whether the discount applies to yarn packs . . . although you would think it does, after all what’s the difference between ordering 22 skeins of koigu or ordering this yarn pack, right?
This is crazy, I do not need another 22 skeins of Koigu! Must. Resist.
They only have 2 kits in stock — can someone else please go buy them before I lose my mind?
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Bad cold plus grumpy mood = need for retail therapy! This color of Koigu KPM had to come home with me . . . such a gorgeous shade of orange sherbert! If only I knew someone having a little girl, I would definitely use this for a baby gift! Oh well, guess I’ll have to knit something for myself then . . .
(color is 1113, btw)
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I’ve been on a finishing binge over here! I have at least 4 FO’s to show you, and with any luck there could be even more!
These socks are so silly, they make me smile every time I look at them! The color is so gorgeous, and of course they’re made from KOIGU so I have to love them. It’s in my contract. (JK, I love Koigu of my own volition. I certainly wouldn’t mind a contract that paid me to love Koigu, though . . . )
If you want to add these ruffles to your own toe-up socks, here’s what I did:
- Knit to about 1″ short of where you want your socks to end, making sure you have about 3x as much yarn left as you would use to knit that inch in stockinette.
- Knit into the front & back of every stitch around. Knit one row plain. (you may need to add an extra DPN at this point since there will be so many stitches on the needle)
- Knit into the front & back of every stitch around. Knit one row plan.
- Bind off as follows: * BO 2, YO, bind off YO, repeat from * to end.
After you bind off you’ll probably have to shape the ruffles by hand to make them look even. That’s it!
Project specs:
Pattern: Toe up socks, figure 8 cast on and ruffle cuffs
Yarn: 2 skeins Koigu KPPPM color P221
Needles: US size 1
Started: February 14, 2008
Finished: May 2, 2008
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I am about to say something I haven’t been able to say in over 4 years:
Until this week, I had not bought yarn in over a month and half.
I know, shocking. You can pick yourself up of the floor now.
It’s not that I was consciously not-buying, it’s that I was busy doing other things. And I obviously have plenty of yarn already. And not having a discount anymore makes me think a little harder about buying stuff I don’t need and won’t be able to knit for a while . . .
Although that only goes so far. I can’t resist brand new yarns!
That’s 3 skeins of Koigu Mori, the new 50/50 Merino/silk blend that Koigu just released. It’s really, really gorgeous! Very soft with a wonderful sheen. This is color M223, bought at Purl, and it will become a lacy scarf. Eventually.
Underneath is a new novelty sock yarn called Flat Feet. This, my friends, is one of those products that I really wish I had invented! Not because it’s groundbreaking or anything, but because it’s perfect enticement for sock knitters — we always want the latest and greatest sock yarn, and changing it’s physical put up? So simple! So brilliant! I had to have it! Here’s the link to the manufacturer’s website if you’ve never heard of this. I’m not sure I’ll be able to knit with the kinky yarn without driving myself crazy though, so I may hank it up, prewash, and then knit. But hey, I’m crazy like that.
BTW, I’m doing some blog redesigning, so please let me know if something looks wacky! The picture on the upper right won’t always be of the shawl, I just have to resize a bunch of other pictures to fit so I can rotate through them . . .
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I did promise FOs upon my return from Dallas, and here’s the first one! Forgive the awful picture, my sister does not like having her picture taken so I kind of stealthily sole this shot at dinner. . .
I knit this for my Adriana’s birthday present, this is my 3rd Halfobi and I wouldn’t be surprised if I make more of them in the future. It’s so easy and quick, and it goes with everything!
This one used Koigu in color P432 held together with Karabella Lace Cashmere in color 88. Here’s a much better shot of the true color:
Sis loved it and I’m sure she’ll get tons of wear out of it!
I also finished something else . . . .
This is the big one, folks. I ended up using 10.5 skeins of yarn and I’m hoping it blocks out to 6 feet square (it might be a little less but that should be fine) . . . the blocking won’t happen for a while, but I sure am relieved to know the chuppah will be done before July!!
As for the resurrected project, I wonder if anyone will recognize this:
That’s right, I picked Katherine Hepburn back up and almost finished the 2nd sleeve. Amazing how much I got done, actually, makes me wonder why I let it sit for so long . . . oh yeah, cuz it got really BORING after not much time! Hopefully, since there’s only one front and the rest of this sleeve to do, I’ll manage to get this one off the WIP list in no time . . . we’ll see.
I’m going to try to post more frequently again — I haven’t been feeling well lately and even though it hasn’t affected my knitting output, it makes me want to zone out on the couch which doesn’t lend itself to blogging . . . hopefully this will clear up and I’ll be back to my old won’t-shut-up self.
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So, during the photo shoot for Soho this weekend, I realized I had never posted a picture of the finished Kersti log cabin blanket I finished, oh, 6 months ago. What a shame! So here it is:
Each section is knit with its own ball of yarn and used up almost the entire ball, so they get progressively narrower towards the edge than they were in the middle. The blanket came out a bit small because I got bored, but I do have a few more skeins of Kersti leftover so I may one day return and add a few more sections.
This is such a dead-easy project, aside from picking up stitches all of it can be knit without looking at it, so it’s perfect blog-reading knitting or homework-reading knitting. It wouldn’t have taken me so long to knit except I got stuck picking colors! For someone who had bought random, leftover Kersti balls, I sure ended up with a LOT that looked the same. I didn’t want to do all this knitting and end up with something that looked lopsided and unintentional, so I tried to think about what colors went where as I knit it up. Here’s a more detailed shot of one of the corners:
As you can tell I decided to stack lights and darks instead of going the more conventional route of making the darks and lights into L-shaped sections on each side. I like it well enough but I think I might see why the convention exists, it’s hard to tell there’s a pattern at all in mine!
I actually use this blanket A LOT, it is really soft and very warm. I’m not sure how it will hold up to much wear since Kersti does tend to pill, but so far it’s holding up very well. I did knit it fairly tightly on size 5 needles, so that should help it in the longevity category.
All in all I’m very happy with this project!
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Thank you to everyone for your kind words about Soho, and of course for purchasing the pattern!
I have to say I’ve worn Soho almost every day this season and it is versatile and warm, I wear it as a scarf unless I get a chill, at which point it becomes a wrap! On days when it hasn’t been that cold (ie every 8th day this season, it seems) I just wear it, and I expect to wear it well into the Spring that way. I’ve worn it far more than most of my handknits, and that really says something since I wear something knitted almost every day! I’m thinking of making another one in some mostly-solid navy blue Koigu that’s in the stash . . .
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