Fo: Reyna #2

My Reyna #2 has been laying finished, blocked to my new foam mats for several days. At first, it was left alone to dry before heading out to the Wisconsin Dells for the weekend, but then I just got busy. You know how it goes, I bet.

I used my own personal KUAS Yarns fingering weight skein of "Fairy Cove" for this project, and have a like-dislike impression of this colorway used for mesh lace. It's "nice," but I think these colors work best blended together into stockinette stitch.

I extended the pattern a little bit, so I played a horrible match of "yarn chicken" (the race to finish a project before the yarn runs out) for this one. It was a match so horrible that I lost to 29 sts in the bind-off. I had to pull an emergency "slide remaining sts onto a spare needle, then psso all the way across starting from the very end and back to where I ran out of yarn" because I didn't have yarn close enough to be a proxy yarn. It was a tight faux-bind-off, but it did the trick. I had about 435 yds for this project, and could have used about 437, possibly.

Pattern: Reyna Shawl by Nora Laivola (free Ravelry pattern)

Yarn: 1 skein KUAS Yarns fingering weight yarn in the colorway "Fairy Cove"; 435 yds

Needles: size US 5 circulars

Start date: 4/18/16     Completed: 6/10/16

Mods:  Lengthening the last mesh portion, as well as the last garter section, adding visable eyelets running down the middle of the shawl. 

I decided to make the eyelets in the middle of the shawl visible for two reasons: to help open up the shawl while blocking, and for visual appeal. To do this, instead of knitting/purling the increases through the back of the loop, just knit/purl them as normal.

I think that this is a great shawl for any beginner. Just be sure to either knit the pattern in sport/worsted yarn if following the pattern exactly, or to extend the bottom of the shawl for 10-15 rows if working fingering weight yarn, because the shawl most likely will not be as long you wish for. At least that is my opinion and the common census for this pattern from users. 

Next up: finishing my "Skimmer Socks" that are short, no-show socks. Have a happy weekend!

Toe-Up Socks ("Skimmer Socks," aka "no-show socks")

I am really excited because I forced myself to learn a new skill: Toe-Up Socks. Well, actually, this involved two new skills because I first had to learn "Judy's Magic Cast-on" in order to do this.

I've knit plenty of socks, but I've been really stuck in my ways knitting them all cuff-down. Seriously, I would always say "Ok, self: the next one I'll try toe-up," but I never got around to actually doing that. Well, not until the Skimmer Socks (no-show socks) pattern. I bought myself a new pair of white Peds shoes, and this free pattern would be perfect for non-slip no-show socks!

So, in the car, on the way to the zoo, I decided to learn this new cast-on technique (word of the wise, it is best to NOT learn new techniques while in the car!) with the cellphone in my lap and needles at the ready. I used this video below to help me:

 And...voila! Several increase rows in, it's starting to look like the tip of the sock. Success!

Yarn: Paton's Stretch Socks (colorway: Sugar)

Needles: size US 1.5 (2.5mm) Addi Turbo circular needles

Pattern: Skimmer Socks (no-show socks) by Sheila Toy Stromberg

Skimmer Socks (by Sheila Toy Stromberg)--Source from Ravelry Pattern Database

I'm doing the sole right now. It's working up mighty quick. I can't wait to have a finished pair.
I decided to go with an elastic blend cotton/wool so that it can do a little bit of stretching; the blend should make for a sock that isn't too warm. My only concern is that the yarn is on the thin side, so I hope the sock won't be too small, overall.