Mastering Color Knitting

From last week I had started the stranded cap from Mastering Color Knitting. I think the first thing to master is reading the instructions.  I am incapable of really reading instructions like a normal person.  I read the pictures, I skim the basics and get started.  So I read through the instructions (again, I use the word "read" loosely). And started up the hat.  It went great, I kind of got into a rhythm and it all came off fine...until I put the thing on.  Its Gi-normous. wow, it comes down to my nose.  So I pick up the instructions and "read" some more.  I realize I've used the wrong needles.  Arrrrggghhhhh. 

It did turn out pretty though:

Lol. So there you have it, my first stranded knitting project albeit completely too big. Oh, and my color selection stank too.

A Productive Weekend

I've finished the baby surprise jacket (BSJ) originally patterned by Elizabeth Zimmerman.  Just needs buttons.  I did the version with a collar:  I picked the stitches from the inside the first time so when I'd finished the seam showed.  I pulled it all out and added the collar again so the seam is on the outside.  Looks better this way. 

I also finished a pair of cotton socks that I was trying.  These took less than a week.  So easy.  I selected Antje Gillingham's chunky, cozy cotton socks from Knitting Circles Around Socks. 

Wanted to try working with some specialty "yarn."  I bought a pom-pom, an eyelash and Patons Bohemian, which looks like velour or something.  We watched the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday so I had lots of time to fiddle with these.  I didn't actually do anything with the Bohemian.  So far I'm just admiring it. 

Pom-Pom:  Cast-on using e-style.  I tried regular and it was a little lumpy.

Eyelash is really easy to use.  No Problem.

I also bought a book this past winter (I love books and have bought far too many of them) called Mastering Color Knitting by Melissa Leapman.  I have been trying a few samples.  So far its been hit and miss.  I actually only bought this to learn stranding, intarsia and double knitting.  The stranding did seem to get better with a bit of practice.  The first checker board was too tight and bunched up a bit.  The second is flat and smooth but the stitches look uneven with tighter and looser chains. I actually bought this book so that eventually I could do some work in another book that assumes you already know of this colorwork.  Since I didn't, I thought I'd better learn.

I haven't tried the intarsia yet but I did buy some yarn to give it go with from my local Wooly Ewe store.

I did try the double knitting.  This was a challenge.  I knit with my working yarn in my left hand.  This is called Continental style.  I kept getting the yarn twisted.  Since double knitting requires two working yarns, I thought well maybe I should hold one working yarn in my right hand and one in my left.  I had to then practice knitting with the working yarn in my right hand, English style.  You can see from the sample that I twisted the knitting a few times because I was concentrating on the yarn instead of what I was doing. The double knitted piece, small as it is took me for-bleepin-ever to do.  Of course, I shouldn't have used a yarn that is so difficult to work with, lol. Oh, wonderful, the picture is so bad you can't tell how I goofed it up!!!

The best way to learn anything new, I've discovered is to just cast-on and try it out.  I have a whole basket of failures from the past year.  Some of these will, no doubt end up there.