Top is Done!

Here is the top of Charly's dress:



I am very happy with it so far. The 3 Needle Bind Off was easy and neat.

I picked up the 132 stitches for the skirt and did the increase row and wound up with waaaaay too many stitches. I was too tired to figure it out last night so I just pulled it out. Try again tonight!

Ivy Sock #2

In the wake of finishing the Waterfall Rib socks I cast on for Ivy Sock #2. Completing this pair will allow me to cross off my color work goal on my 2010 knitting goals list.


When I worked the color work band on this sock I did not do it the same way I did sock #1. On sock #1 I carried the MC for the 2 rows where only the CC was knit and it resulted in a very tight feel. I wound up snipping and weaving in the MC after the sock was finished and it looks messier on the inside than I would like.

So this time I dropped the MC for those rows where only the CC was knit and it feels and looks great! Now that the color work is done I hope this sock will fly by and I can block it out and see the results of my color work experiment.

Also, nearly done with the top of the Little Girl Dress for Charly!

It Looks Like Something!

Look at that, it looks like the top/front of a dress! I had a major moment of pride Monday night when I figured out the instructions for the shoulder straps, I had never done anything like that and I was so confused at first by the instruction to join a 2nd ball of yarn, but then I stopped and thought about it and it made sense.

The straps look kind of skinny, partly because they are curling in a little and because they get edging that will be added later.

So now on to the back. The shoulders are joined with a 3 needle bind off, which I have never done before, so I will get to learn something else new!

Picking Up Stitches

So I finished the cabled waist band on the dress for my niece and seamed it together. I then had to pick up 132 stitches evenly in the round to start the bodice. It took me 5 tries, but here is the result:


It looks a little wonky on the circulars, but I am pleased with it so far.

When it came time to pick up the stitches I divided the waistband into 8 segments so I only had to pick up 16 or 17 stitches at a time, even still it took me 5 tries before I felt I had them evenly spaced. I will have to do it again when I get to the skirt!

And, because it deserves a closer look, here is the cool cable:

Hopefully I have some momentum going now that it is starting to resemble a garment!

It Is Good to Have Goals

I started 2010 with some knitting goals and I have done a good job of achieving those goals. Magic Loop and Color Work are now things with which I am comfortable. I have finished my first pair of Magic Loop socks:

This pattern is the Waterfall Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks. It is a 6 stitch 6 round pattern repeat that was fun and interesting to work on all the way through. You can see some of the resulting detail here:


The combination of YOs and K2TG creates a pretty lattice work. The beautiful yarn is Madelinetosh Sock and was a gift from Three Good Rats for my birthday last year. Since my birthday is now about 6 weeks away I am happy to have completed this project before the anniversary of receiving the yarn.

I am making good progress on the waist band for the Little Girl Dress, once the intricate cable is done I hope the dress will start to grow rapidly. I am also going to cast on for Ivy Sock #2 and try to complete my first pair of Color Work socks soon!