Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Yarnalong: False Colours & DPN Knitting

Yarnalong is hosted over at small things - check it out!

And here is what I'm knitting and reading this week:


The book is "False Colours" by Georgette Heyer. Now, I'm not saying her heroes are Fred and George Weasley, but if you thought your reading life needed a few more witty, red-headed twins in it after you finished Harry Potter, this is the book to go to. It's a mistaken identity plot, of sorts, with one of the twins taking his brother's place for what he thinks will be a one-time event, and all of the trouble (and romance!) that follows. I'm enjoying it vastly.

The knitting is the "Basic Newborn Hat in 3ply" and it's step 4 in my self-imposed Jess-learns-to-knit-socks class. I'm vastly enjoying this too, because as fiendish as working with four needles looks, it's actually just really fun. Lovely, rhythmic work - though I'm realizing that anything knit on size 1 needles is worth its weight in gold, 'cause, well, that's a LOT of stitches in that there hat. 100 stitches per round. No kidding.

But so fun! I love how clever it looks - how clever it is really. Whoever thought up knitting in the round on what's basically toothpicks was absolutely brilliant.

More yarn-y, literary fun over here!

Peace of Christ to you,

Jessica Snell

11 comments:

Toadstool Knittery said...

That will be a very nice hat! I'm glad that you enjoy your new skill so much =) If I remember correctly I too started with a hat (my Gryffindor beret I think) before I moved on to socks. Have fun!!

Rosina {Rosy ~ Posy} said...

Oh that is such a sweet hat pattern and the yarn you chose is a lovely color :) Looking forward to seeing it finished :)

stormarela said...

100 stitches per round ... makes for a very pretty hat, and one that you will always remember knitting. ;) I am going to see about finding your book, it sounds like a very good read! Thanks for sharing!

pinkundine said...

Cute hat :)

Knitting with 4 needles always looks so much more impressive I think... People always seem more amazed when I have a sock on the go than anything else

Andria said...

I love knitting in the round, and I've been practising with the DPN's on the last few projects. I'm working to overcome my sock phobia. Your hat is going to be wonderful!

becca said...

I love that you're learning to knit! My first in-the-round knitting was teaching myself the magic loop method (which I highly endorse). I taught myself DPNs later and prefer them for some projects, but if I've got more than 50 or so stitches, I'm using my circular needles. I think you'd like it. :)

Lori ann said...

such a pretty hat, what a treasure it will be. dpn's are not as fearsome as their reputation seems. good you know. :)

Katie K said...

Hey, so I'm finally getting caught up on blog reading and I just have to say that I'm soooo excited that you have decided to join the sock knitter club. I'm certain you are going to love it and be awesome at it. I remember feeling like I had arrived at some monumental milestone in my knitting life when I successfully knit my first pair of socks. I guess I always kind of felt like only "hard core knitters" knit socks so once I could do it, I felt like I had some serious yarn nerd cred. Happy knitting!

Jessica Snell said...

Thanks, Katie! I know - it feels like REAL knitting. I'm on the heel of my first one, actually, about to turn it. will it turn? Will it turn? the suspense is killing me. :D

Katie K said...

Woohoo! Yay for heel turning! Are you doing a short row heel or a heel flap? I have come to favor the short row heel myself just because it looks more like a "normal" sock but the heel flap method does have some advantages. And just another two cents (take it or leave it) I never do a traditional toe anymore even though that's the one in all the books (that I've seen). I actually work the toes in short rows (just like I work the heels) and then use the kitchener stitch to join everything back together. The toe this creates is much more comfortable to wear, in my opinion, and comes out less pointy. I had found a really great tutorial on how to do this toe method but it's been taken down (maybe it was too controversial in the knitting community, LOL). Anyway, I obviously have many knitting opinions but at the end of the day, whatever works for whatever knitter is fine with me. You'll figure out what you like and don't like, because you're an intelligent and skilled fiber artist. =)

Jessica Snell said...

I think it's a heel flap. I'm planning to do the next sock - well, not the next sock, but the next sock PAIR - toe up so that I can learn another method. I guess I'll just keep trying methods till I feel like I've found the one I really love. Then we can have a real knitting brawl, 'cause I'll actually know enough to have a dog in the fight! ;D Seriously, though, I'm loving it, and you were one of the ones who made it look like so much fun that I just had to try.