Transformations

Knitting is all about transformations. First of one starts with a string of yarn, and, by using two long sticks, one turns that string into a flat or even three-dimensional object. It's pretty amazing if you think about it.
But it doesn't end there.
Depending on the material used (preferable natural wool) and the addition of water and agitation, one can turn that somewhat flobby object one has made, into a far more tense and sturdy thing.

Exhibit A (category felting/fulling):

It's not finished yet, really, as I would like to add some embellishment to it. What exactly, I'm not 100% sure yet. My first idea didn't work out, so I'm thinking about alternatives.

Another examble for the magic that is post-knitting transformations is blocking. By soaking the finished object one has knitted into water for half an hour or so, pressing most of the water out and then stretching it with the aid of some blocking wires and/or half a million pins, one can change something that once looked like a bowl of uncooked ramen noodles into something that defys description.

Exhibit B (category lace / blocking, pre-blocked):



and Exhibit C (category lace / blocking, post-blocking):
This is a pair of curtains I've been knitting for my new place in Dresden. I haven't hung them yet, so please keep your fingers crossed they are the correct size.


Another kind of transformation is currently taking place as fall/autum is clearly over for this year and nature has decided to dump a respectable amount of snow on us last Friday. Yep, it's winter.
With snow this early, my guess is that around christmas it will be spring like temperatures ...

Glees

A few weeks ago Aldi had a sale on wool for felting. Never one to refuse to buy yarn on sale, I bought two packs, one in red and one in grey.

For a while already, I've had my eyes on the pattern for the French Press Felted Slippers, so I purchased the pattern, got me a set of needles and went to work. The knitting up was done quickly (I did add some Cascade 220 for the sole and the straps). I then sewed them up and last Thursday I've pulled out my bucket and plunger and started on the felting/fulling process. While I splashed away, I did listen to the soundtrack of Glee on my ipod, hence I dubbed them 'Glees'


It worked out pretty well and they fit nicely.

I might end up making another pair soon ....

One sock, two sock, three sock, ...

After knitting gloves, I've went back to knitting socks. I guess, my turnover for socks is just bigger, simply because I'll put on my socks in the morning and then off again before I go to bed, wearing them the whole day. However, with gloves I only really ever put them on when I go outside and it's cold. This means of course, that I need to wash my socks much more often than my gloves, meaning that I go through more of them in the term of a week.

And this means, I guess, I'll need to have more socks.

Also, a few weeks ago, I went through my sock drawer at home and culled some of my older experiments in sock knitting and discarded them. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with those old pairs, but this made room in the drawer for some new members to move in.

First of those is this pair.

The pattern is from the first Verena Spezial: In 80 Socken um die Welt ('In 80 socks around the world'). In fact, it's the pair on the the cover, though I shortened the part between the jaquard border and the beginning of the foot by quite a bit. A new technique - for me at least - was the so called Vikkel braid, which is a bit fiddly to do, but the end result's very nice.

Second pair is the pattern 'Lindsay' from Cookie A.'s book 'Sock Innovation'

The yarn is a cotton/wool/nylon mix. It makes for somewhat slouchy socks, but very comfortable. It was the first time I made a garder stitch short row heel and toe, but it was no problem and they turned out really nice.

I'm on the next pair already ...

To knit something else, I've also made a quick hat from a devine silk/merion mix. I haven't actually worn it yet, as the weather was either too warm or too windy.

I'm working on a matching scarf in the same yarn also using the snowdrop pattern. I think I might need to buy another skein of the yarn, as at the moment the scarf looks to be very short. Hmm, as if I need another excuse to visit my favorite yarn store ....