Wednesday, April 30, 2014

FO Retrospective Roundup: Socks, Gauntlets, and a Giveaway!

This is the last of the posts summarizing the projects I've finished over my months-long hiatus. Starting next time, there'll be all-new content! And lots of it, too - I'm suffering a serious bout of startitis and the number of projects on my needles has exploded exponentially.

Now, don't let the title of this post fool you into thinking I've finished any socks over the past nine months. Because I haven't. Not a single solitary sock. Oh, I tried to finish some socks. I've even knit quite a lot on socks! But, you know, I think I might just be suffering from a curse in this department. I finished almost an entire sock for Pickle, only to find that it was so small that he couldn't even put his foot into it. This is the fourth time I've tried to knit him the pair of socks that I promised him for his birthday nearly two years ago, and it may well be two more years before he finally gets them.

Meanwhile, I made an astonishing discovery.

Knitted scalemail gauntlets! How cool is that? After I heard that such a thing was possible, I found out where to buy scales in bulk, sat down with my needles and some trusty Cascade 220 Superwash, and made a few swatches to figure out sizing.

You can see that the scales have holes at one tip that allow them to be seated onto loops of yarn in exactly the same way that you would bead a stitch.

Scales, even lightweight aluminum scales, do odd things to knitted fabric, making it stretch and pull in odd ways, so I kept half of the gauntlet scale-free and added ribbing for extra stretch.

I'll be knitting at least two more pairs of these, as commissions, and I'm wondering whether I should write up a tutorial or a pattern walking through the exact steps. It would be an awful lot of work... but it's also too exciting to keep to myself!

Finally, in honor of my return to blogging - and in an attempt to break my sock curse - I'm holding a giveaway!

I'm giving away this skein of Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock Yarn in Fields of Heather, a set of size 1 Kollage yarns Square DPNs, and a DPN/sock project holder.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with what project you'd make with it (doesn't have to be socks!) and a way to contact you (either email or Ravelry username) before May 15th! On May 15th I'll do a random drawing to determine the winner. Open to everyone worldwide.

(Please note that this yarn is beautiful and lovely and squishy and dyed locally to me and I don't want to let it go... but also that it's just 370 yards per skein. You may want to keep this in mind for project planning.)

22 comments:

  1. OH MY GOODNESS, girl! Those scaled gauntlets are amazing. Do a tutorial, yes, I know lots of people who would love to do this sort of thing. Can I share on my FB page Dayana Knits?

    Also, yes, giveaway! I would actually make socks because it's the one thing I never sit myself down to make... but I wear them all the time until they are dead. Need more! dayana on Ravelry, www.dayanaknits.com

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  2. Wow, those gauntlets are super cool! I'd say there's definitely a market for it, I've never seen a pattern that does that. You should go for it.

    As for the yarn, I would absolutely make socks, they're be such a lovely color. I'm shoelaceswitcher on Rav.

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    1. Thanks! I'm definitely starting to consider the details of writing up a pattern now.

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  3. This would make a beautiful pair of socks! I've been wanting to make the Lancet socks and I think it would be beautiful.
    ~ K8erpillar on Ravelry ~

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    1. Lancet is a beautiful sock pattern! Added to my faves :)

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  4. Wow! Amazing gauntlets. I went on the Game of Thrones tour here in Northern Ireland (to see places they filmed)... This would have been a good accessory for the day! I think you would inspire lots of people. Really amazing!

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    1. Thank you! Also, I'm totally jealous that you got to go on that tour!

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  5. Wow! Those gauntlets are the coolest thing I've seen in ages! Not sure I would do it but there are heaps of people who would.
    As for the sock yarn, that's lovely stuff. I would make my usual socks from it to show off the colour. ~~AliInPerth

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    1. Thank you! Yes, I'm a little concerned about exactly how much interest a gauntlet pattern would generate if I wrote it, but I'm sure that the people who are interested in it would find it.

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  6. Wow, those gauntlets are so interesting! I will have to show my husband, he'd be intrigued to see them. I don't know what I would do with that yarn...maybe a headband or a small hat?

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    1. Thanks! I've found that these gauntlets appeal to a lot of guys - suppose I'll have to calculate a few large men's sizes.

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  7. Just woke my hubby to show him the awesome gauntlets! I just wonder if I could find a way to make it SCA legal.... hmmmm. As for the yarn.... hair goodies!!! And a neckercheif for my mother in law as a stoma dust cover. I would do the neckercheif first really. I find it hard to make myself things when others I love are in need of things.
    - Sheri

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    1. Thank you! I've always been interested in the SCA but never found a local group to join. Perhaps I'll look up the SCA garb regulations and see if there's a way to make these legal.

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  8. I am SUPER impressed with those gauntlets! If you can make a tutorial I'd definitely give them a try. I'm guessing the scales are made from aluminum? They seem like they could be a little on the heavy side if I'm not careful...or, maybe not..

    I think a yarn with such a pretty variegated scheme would look great with this lovely textured pattern that's been in my queue for months:
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/many-hands-sock
    A close runner-up would be the Syncopation Socks:
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/syncopation-socks
    The yardage does run into the 400s though, but my smaller-than-expected shoe size (and a small cuff length adjustment) would hopefully help with that!
    Of course, if I were to win the yarn I'd hold it in my hands and see just what it might want to be, weird I know, but it feels important to do sometimes!

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    1. Thank you! Yes, these are anodized aluminum, and are pretty lightweight when worn, though the gauntlet still has a satisfying this-is-real-metal weight when you just hold one. I've also knit some with mild steel scales, which are substantially heavier. Eventually I couldn't knit on them without resting what I'd already knit on some kind of support.

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  9. Love the yarn! I would definitely want to do up some socks -- it's been a while since I knitted myself a new pair! Amy Singer's Autopilot Sock recipe is a favorite for quick & mindless socks w/perfect fit:
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/autopilot-sock-recipe

    Or, for something jazzier, I'd consider these babies:
    http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/feather-lace-toe-up-socks

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    1. I like the Feather Lace socks! Can I get your Rav username?

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  10. I abosolutely adore those gauntlets! I would love a tutorial. I would make socks with the yummy yarn. Thanks

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  11. Look look I'm entering the giveaway! I'm just going to keep commenting under different aliases until I figure out how to link to my website! (Still Alexis, BTW.)

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    1. And I suck at commenting. Not sure what I would make, probably some great socks for myself with cables.

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  12. What a gorgeous color! I think I'd probably make some socks with a simple pattern on them :)
    katie(at)katilimade(dot)com

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