Bugs of all kinds....

I'll start with Bugs In My Garden Mystery Pi Knit Along....

It is a mystery, because there are only patterns posted at intervals, on the EZasPi Yahoo group. I believe they are up to clue three having been posted - I downloaded them, but have only printed the first batch so far. Essentially, the Pi shawl, from Elizabeth Zimmerman, is knit from the center out, doubling stitches every time you double rows. And, if you scroll back through my archives, or if you've been reading my blog for a while, or if you check my photo album, you'll see my first Pi shawl - done mostly from EZ's pattern - in red. I still haven't blocked the thing - but now that summer is (mostly) here again, I'll try to get it done soon. It is so big, I'll have to dry it outdoors. Anyway - there was a garden mystery pi last year, but I didn't get very far on that one - same idea. Each section that increases, there is an appropriate selection of lace patterns to do in the section. But there is more than one choice, on a theme. This one being, of course, Bugs In My Garden. So - there are buggy patterns and lace patterns. For the smallest repeat - a 6 row repeat, among the choices were "peas" and "traditional ladybug". So, since they were both 6 stitch repeats, and I couldn't decide, I did both :) For the 12 row section, I wanted to try combining things, too, but it didn't work out...so I just did some petals. And that is how far along clue one goes - though there are more lace patterns than the ones I picked....

I rather like how the petals created a sort of star pattern...

Now, for another kind of "bug"....

It all started when I decided that since the last few pairs of socks I've finished, as well as most of the ones that are more or less UFO's are lacey types for me, that I'd better get on with knitting DH a pair or two.... So.... Since I'd seen someone's sharing a picture of their Horcrux socks from the six sox group, done in a new-to-me and reasonably new anyway yarn... I had fallen in love with the colour, and my LYS is carrying that brand/type of yarn...

So... the bug, or the yarn? Well, the yarn is Fabel, from Garn Studio. I glanced at the label when I bought it - 75% Superwash, 25% polyamide... Didn't give it much thought. Figured it was wool.... I was knitting the two socks at once on two circs, no special pattern, since it is a self striping/patterning yarn. Re-read the label... it said, it was "alpaca/camelia/safran"... luxury!!!! No wonder I was loving this yarn :) Though, I didn't know what a "safran" was, and I don't know the exact percent of combination - but at least, the Garn website seems to indicate that "safran" is cotton.... and there can't be much of that in there, 'cause this yarn is WAY to soft and nice to be cotton....

The bug? You'd think I didn't have any complaints about the socks, since I love the yarn. Well, I do.... It is a "pet peeve" of mine.... but.... let's start at the start.

When the self patterning yarns first became the "rage" - I bought some Kroy Jacquard. In blue. Figured I'd make them for DH. I went to the trouble of pulling out and starting the second sock (did them on dpns) at as close as humanly possible to the same spot in the yarn as the first. Knit away, everything fine.... (no pic, btw - will have to snag them again someday from his sock drawer and take one) until I got to the toe area.... there was a factory knot in the yarn. Not a tangle, a knot, where the yarn had ended, and was tied together. I pulled for a bit.... wondered... figured, Ok, Kroy is a name brand with some history.... the knotted area was in a section of black and white spotted... figured, they have to have made some effort.....

The colour pattern wasn't followed - so, I have a pair of socks that almost match, except the toes are very different.

Next, I used some Socks That Rock merino handpaint... Now, I understand about hand painted yarn. There are some variations. Fine. But - if you look at them (Rhodonite) in my photo album (link on the right hand side, socks album) you will see they are very different....

Another six sox pattern, done in a yarn that came in a 100 gram ball - so, two socks at the same time wasn`t an option for me - again, I didn`t worry about them starting at the same point - they match. Title in sock album is simply 6sox.

The next pair - Kroy self Striping. Green. Same dyelot.... didn`t worry about it. Didn`t care if they matched. They did - except that one is solid, the other one has speckles. Pretty Petal socks...

Took another chance on Kroy Jacquard - since I`d already bought it. Again, couldn`t be bothered matching start point.... the socks matched. Pic is in album....

SO - here I am, with a self striping from Garnstudio. Thinking about how the first pair I made for DH didn`t match, despite my best efforts and frustration, and how much he loved them, and didn`t care the toes didn`t match. (gotta love that guy - he just appreciates handknit socks -doen`t care about colour or pattern!) So, I figured, the heck with it. Seems to work out better if I leave the yarn to it`s own devises....

I took a picture before I started the toe. I knew the timing was, that I would finish the socks, and he`d snag them immediately, so I figured I was better off taking the picture almost finished...

Anyway - you can see the yarn, that I did center pull on both, that I knitted them at the same time.... and you can see my pet peeve. This seems to happen with many brands, many qualities. I`ve had it happen with Red Heart Acrylic variegateds and ombres alike.... Yes, same dye lots where applicable....

So... Can you see in this picture why I am wondering if I should continue to buy and bother with self striping or self patterning yarns????? (not to mention, all the self yarns that I already own in my stash right now....)

Leave me a comment - let me know if you can see what the problem is/was. If not, then I`ll try to tell you all later.... will be away most of next week, so don`t know how much time I`ll have....

Oh, and if anyone knows how to undo it when the keyboard suddenly decides on it`s own to change - let me know that, too.... I was typing away just fine, then suddenly all the extra characters get screwed up... you know, like the apostrophe isn`t where it should be, now I get this french accent (can`t recall from highschool a million years ago if it is ague or grave)

In the meantime...here`s a picture I snapped the other day of Lady Ashleigh... yes, that *is* a cat bed :)