Random Thoughts

I considering posting my near-done sock #2, but it looks a whole lot like his near-done sock #1.
Instead, I’d thought I’d share with you all some links I’ve come across that you may or may not have seen before.
New Project Ideas

  • Sideways Short-Row Seaman’s Scarf — Really interesting technique, and a great way to use just 1 ball of Noro!
  • Breast Cancer Sock — I need to make these for my Mom, who’s a 15 year survivor!
  • Saxony Sock — While visiting Lisa’s site for the Breast Cancer site I came across these cabled socks. Very pretty!
  • Lite Brite — I don’t know why I didn’t notice this pattern when it first came out. It has a solid-colored body, and uses Noro only on the raglan arms. I can get my Noro and avoid horizontal body stripes! Put this one in the hopper for next fall.

Resources and Techniques

  • How to test if your fiber is wool — without the chance of setting your house on fire!
  • Nicely illustrated knitting basics. This is the site I link to whenever someone asks me things like “How do I do a lifted increase?”. Their illustrations are clear and easy to understand.
  • No-wrap short rows — By now you all probably know I LOVE the OzYarn no-wrap short row instructions. I was describing them to my friend Hope and she told me that they’re called Japanese short rows. I thought you’d like to know that.
  • Great resource for old lace stitch patterns. Warning — the charts indicate the stitch you’d knit when you’re on that row, not the way it would look on a RS row (the more common way). I find it hard to retrain my brain to knit this way and actually rewrite the chart beforehand.

I feel like I had more than this to share! I’ll add to it if something comes to mind.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Added Later
In keeping with the randomness of this post, I have a question about Opal yarn. How do you know which Opal pattern you have? The only thing I see on the ball that would seem to indicate the type is “Farbe 5 Partie 16″. I’ve googled and translated and searched all over the place and still can’t seem to find a way to figure this out!

12 thoughts on “Random Thoughts

  1. About the Opal — sometimes it does have the pattern designation (Rodeo, Magic, whatever) on the ball band above the color and dye lot (Farbe/Partie) designations. And sometimes it doesn’t…I’ve got some both ways. I think MAYBE it has to do with whether it was produced for the US market or the German market. I’ll have to check out my stash when I get home to see…I have some I ordered from Germany and some from here.

  2. It’s not always easy to find your color listed online, especially if it’s an old one. What colors are in the ball? Could it be blue and white? If so it may be the crocodile pattern. Hey, isn’t Opal yarn fun because you never really know what you are going to get. Live dangerously, cast on and go!

  3. Thanks for all the great links! I am really happy for your mom being such a long time survivor too! It is always great to see something like that. My aunt has been about 6 years so far.

  4. Maybe you can find the Opal yarn you have on the Opal distributor site: http://www.ptyarn.com
    If you can’t find it there, you could post on the OpalChatters yahoo group list…I’m sure someone there can tell you what it is! They always seem to know all of the patterns.

  5. I just finished a pair of Natalya gauntlets and you can see them on my blog today. (www.whatsthatgonnabe.blogspot.com) I LOVE THEM!!!! Thank you for so generously sharing such a beautiful pattern!

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