A question to all Malabrigo lovers

A question to all Malabrigo lovers (and they are oh so numerous!):

Where do you obtain your yarn?
Where/how have you done it so far?

All answers will be appreciated. :-)

Thank you.

I should be called "Small Foot"!

I should be called "SmallFoot", as opposed to BigFoot. I am frustrated that (almost) all sock patterns are for bigger feet than mine. I am a woman size 7 and I feel that the rest of the planet is size 8!!! Most (non-cable) patterns call for 64 sts and my personal number seems to be 56. Yes, even with fingering weight yarn and 2.5mm needles. And, even if I am a thight knitter.

So, that means that a significant part of my knitting a sock involves adapting patterns to a 56 sts, which is not always possible without altering the pattern itself (sometimes majorly) and knit/rip apart/start over again and again, which is frustrating and not as productive as I want. (sigh)

Any small feet knitters in this room with a word on this? <:-)

Happiness

Malabrigo soon to be in my hands

You know what makes a knitter happy? The promise of more yarn! Guess what there'll be on my Christmas list... :-) A few luxurious items that I so want to try but cannot afford as a regular thing. In other words, a knitter's treat! Plus, I have some Malabrigo on the way to my doorstep any day now... Yay!

On my wishlist...
Originally uploaded by LotusKnitter.

I think that every knitter realises at some point what is the correct equilibrium for them. At least, it helps. How many projects at the same time? What kind of projects? What level of difficulty/concentration for each?

Malabrigo soon to be in my hands

For me, I realised that I need to always have a sock ongoing, while knitting something more substantial. It is like having dessert. I couldn't go on only knitting socks or too many in a row, because the rapid satisfaction will lead to a lack of feeling fully satisfied, just like if we had desserts all the time. If I had dessert all the time, man, would I appreciate a substancial meal! Plus, if I were knitting only heavy projects, I'd feel heavy and stagnant. Everyone needs a little dessert to bring joy! So here goes the sock permanently casted on!

On my wishlist...
Originally uploaded by LotusKnitter.

So, I try to stay focussed and keep my attention on 2 projects only. I know very well what comes next and I have a generous queue list, but I keep myself from working a little there and there or even casting on. I want to fully enjoy what I am doing at the moment and progress at a good speed.

So, what works for you?

A hope for warmth!

Wool of the Andes Bulky
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

My friend, FuzzyMitten came home recently to help me figure out how to produce a mitten. With her generous help, I have been able to achieve a pair within 24 hours! Woohoo!

I wanted a basic and easy way to knit mittens and she popped a pattern out of her hat, as we went! So, for those who are interested, here is how I did them.

Basic Mittens
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

Basic Mittens

Yarn: Wool of the Andes Bulky Hand Dye, from KnitPicks
6.0mm needles.
RedWood Forest colourway.

Cuff (15cm circumference)

(Wrist circumference - 2 cm) x (number of sts per cm) rounded up to the nearest even number.

(15 - 2) x 1.7 sts/cm = 13 x 1.7 = 22 sts

CO 22 sts.

K2P2 for about 2 in.

Palm (18 cm circumference)

(18 cm x 1.7 sts/cm = 30 sts.)

Round 1: K around
Round 2: *K3 M1L, repeat from *, then finish with M1L. (30 sts)
Round 3: K around
Round 4: K2, PM, [M1L, K1, M1L]*, PM, then K until the end. *thumb formation. 3sts
Round 5: K around
Round 6: K2, [M1L, K3, M1L], K the rest. Thumb has now 5 sts
Round 7: K around
Round 8: K2, [M1L, K5, M1L], K the rest. Thumb has now 7 sts.
Round 9: K around
Round 10: K2, [M1L, K7, M1L], K the rest. Thumb has now 9sts, which is enough.

(Hand - palm = thumb)
(22 cm - 18 cm = 4 cm)
(4 cm x 1.7 sts/cm = 7sts. But 7 sts would have been too small, so we opted for 9 sts.)

Subsequent rows: K around until the work reaches the base of the thumb. Finish after knitting the thumbs stitches and place them on scrap yarn for further use.

Finish the round.

K1, M1L (because the palm lost a st for the making of the thumb), K2tog (using a st on each side of the thumb to join them together), M1L (to compensate for the loss by the K2tog), K until the end of the row.

K around until the reaching of the little finger.

Decrease rows:
- *K3, K2tog, repeat from * until end of row.
- K around
- *K2, K2tog, repeat from * until end of row.
- K around
- *K1, K2tog, repeat from * until end of row.
- K around
- *K2tog, repeat from * until end of row.

Break off yarn and darn the end.

Thumb

Put the 9 sts back on needles (3 sts on 3 needles).

Make 3 sts in the gap between thumb and palm leaving a long end inside the mitten, K around. (12 sts)

K2tog to join with the gap, K around, K2tog to join with the gap (10 sts)

K around until end of thumb.

- *K2tog, repeat from * until end of row. (5 sts)

Break off yarn and darn the end. Use the thumb long end of yarn to close any holes or to insulate better the gap between thumb and palm.

Enjoy!

Now, I need to make a pair using Malabrigo yarn!!!

Yarn envy!

I know I am not supposed to think about this, but I feel yarn envy!! Despite my yarn diet, I have ideas of mittens using Malabrigo yarn... 2 different colors. And a matching scarf for each pair... (2, so I can match my 2 winters coats: the light black one and the warmest navy one!)

In that respect, I need to try to resist buying a few skeins of Malabrigo Alpine Pearl, in worsted weight, but I may fail... It seems that this yarn is wonderful and I don't want to be left out!

As for the other yarn, I need your help!! I saw a someone using Malabrigo Merino, in worsted weight, Sealing Wax colorway (a non-solid red). Where can I find it???? I can't seem to find it anywhere I look on the interwebs!! Help!

In addition, where is the best place to order some Malabrigo? Who has the best selection and good prices? This yarn seems somewhat hard to find... :-(

Thank you!

A finished project!

Penelope
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

Last July, I bought Perl Grey's Penelope pencil skirt kit, which includes the pattern and Handmaiden's Ottawa yarn, in beet colourway.

I had to start over 3 times. because I am bad at gauging properly my tension and I am a tight knitter in transition towards looser. Yes, I made a swatch, but they are always misleading!

The first attempt was way too small (I am not 27 inches around the hips!!), the second way too big (jumped up to 40in). You know what they say, third time is the charm. Well, apparently so. :-) So, I started for real in August, left it on ice for the most part of September and October, only to really finish it just now. In total, it must have taken slightly more than a month to execute.

My first (major) piece of clothing!

Knitting puzzle

I have been meditating about a design I want to make and for which I ordered some gorgeous for. One little problem is that I can't figure out one detail in order to achieve what I have in mind. I have been struggling over this for days now, trying little tests/prototypes with scrap yarn, meditating some more, consulting the stitch libraries I have, but to no success.

What I want to do is so very simple, but puzzling. I bugs me to not be able to solve something so simple! (Yet complicated , I guess...)

I want to be able to find a stitch that will generate a bump on the knit side. In other words, something like "Kn P1 Kn", but the reason why this latter stitch pattern fails is that the bump is inward as opposed to outward (the inside, or Purl side displays what I am looking for).

I know that going for "Pn K1 Pn" would make my life easier, but I want a K-based pattern!

The whole goal behind the bump I want to create is to, after many rows, have a vertical line... It doesn't have to be of a specific shape. Something different than a P-looking or a K-looking stitch would actually be a bonus!

Any ideas?