The second crafting date was with two knitters (Dyddgu and White_hart), one of whom had come to play with my spinning wheel. I gave a mini-spinning lesson (and my student produced a mini-skein of genuine yarn!), learnt the Norwegian purl technique, and talked a lot about knitting as well as about many other subjects. I knitted on the new stranded project, which you can see to the left. This is going to be a slipper rather than a sock, and the swirly pattern is from “Kiehkuralapaset – Swirly Mittens” by goldenknits / AnneL, which I found on Ravelry. I’m really happy with this project so far. The colour contrast is much better than both of the previous attempts, I love the swirly pattern, and I’m really starting to get into the two-handed knitting thing. I even, with benefit of Dyddgu’s Norwegian purl lesson, added some short rows on the sole at the base of the toe, to lift the pointed toe up slightly.

Also inspired by the knitterly conversation, I’ve taken up the purple cable cardigan again, and am making solid progress. For once I seem to be doing quite well on having two projects actively on the go at the same time – this is now nearing the point where I can split off the sleeves, and it will then go much more quickly. 

Part of the reason I’m now making progress on this cardigan is that I’ve finished spinning the yarn for my next purple cardigan, but I am being strict with myself and not casting on until I’ve finished another one. Three cardigans in progress is too much! And to minimise the chances of me cheating on this, I haven’t yet washed and set the yarn, so I can’t just cast on on a whim – it’ll take a few days of washing and drying first, by which time I might be able to summon up enough sternness to tell myself off  

Yesterday I finished the Coriolis socks, and I love them. They match rather than mirror, because I forgot to read the ‘second sock’ bits of the instructions, but I don’t care.

I used a modified version of Cat Bordhi’s modified icord bind off, continuing the stitches from the spiral ‘seam’ into the icord. It’s a bit wasted because the tops curl out, but it seemed the right edging to use – I tried single rib, but it didn’t really go with the rest of the sock, and I didn’t want a too-fancy edging. I’m wearing them now, and they’re very comfy. The spiral does slightly restrict stretch in putting them on, but not too much, and they’re fine once on.

In other knitting news, I finished the red mini-cardi and frogged it – the back flared out, and I just didn’t like it. I don’t know yet what the yarn will be reborn as.

I’ve also frogged the BMP riverbed socks. There were too many mistakes, and it had been neglected for too long. Their successor is already in swatch, though, so the general plan is still active.

Finally, I’ve started spinning up some BFL, but I’m planning to write that whole project up in one go, so no more details yet.

Oh, and I’ve got two knitting/spinning dates coming up in the next few days, so there will probably be more to write about soon.

Still thoroughly in love with the Coriolis socks, and I’m now a good way through the increases, so it’s starting to spiral

The yarn is variegated, but in the straight section at least, it’s spiralling a bit itself, which ties in nicely with the theme.

(I worked out why I was struggling to pronounce the name – it’s because my mouth was trying to say ‘Coriolanus’, and getting confused partway through. Working this out means I am now able to say ‘Coriolis’.)