26 
Tagsit’s begun!
The Shocking! Skirt is in the works. There are no good pictures in the magazine or online anywhere to help me out with any close-up details of this thing. I’ve completed one panel, and it’s going well–the skirt is pretty straightforward–but I hit a small snag and as a result I’m rejiggering the pattern a bit. Annie and I dissected and discussed it tonight, and I feel pretty confident with my new direction. I’ll give full notes upon completion, especially because by then I’ll know for sure if it’s a good change.
Basically, the deal is that I want to weave in next to no ends at the end, and obviously with three colors in the works that’s going to be tough. In order to achieve this, I spit-spliced two colors together for the very first time. I asked the folks at knitting group if anyone had experience with two-color split-splicing, and Dame Candle Company (yes! I sat next to the woman behind Dame Candle Company; I’m a geeky Cast On fan, what can I say) said she’d not had resounding success with her attempts. I was daunted but unwilling to give up on the idea that I could make it work. Embarrassing aside: I was all brazen about declaring spit-felting god’s gift to knitting, showing people who didn’t know the technique how cool it is, and of course the first time I was impatient and it didn’t felt all the way, so my triumphant “and then see! it’s one strand!” declaration was a pathetic, separating mess.
On my second try (“for reals this time”), it felted the way it should, and I hit the right color-changing spot exactly. Success!
But the biggest issue with wanting to weave in no ends is that is seems the pattern wants you to knit each consecutive panel in a nonconsecutive piece. That is, the last row worked is a WS row, but the first row of the next panel is also a WS row. Well that will just not do. So I’m going to work it out that the last row worked is RS. We’ll see if this is all foolhardy laziness or a smart trick.
At knitting group tonight we all got to meet Anastasia, Annie’s 2.5-week-old baby! She slept pretty much the whole time and is SO TINY. Mom’s planning to knit them matching Anastasia socks–quite an honor for me!
26 Responses to it’s begun!
What a compliment- she named her baby after your socks. ;)
That’ll teach you to get cocky about your spit-splicing skills. haha
OH boy! How exciting you got to meet the Dame Candle lady… I feel like I already know what they smell like just from Brenda’s descriptions!
I like how you are making the pattern work for you, so smart.
Such a cutie pie baby :-)
spit splicing two colors?!? and I thought I was fancy splicing one! How do you get the join not to be muddled in the knit?
and what a sweet tiny little baby!!
Aww, what a cutie! I’m glad you’re able to rework the pattern a bit to minimize end-weaving. That RS/WS bit sounds really dumb but what do I know? I haven’t seen the pattern. Anyway, I hope it works out!!
Great meeting you tonight! I bow down to the queen of the felt-join. :)
i’m excited to see your skirt! and that baby is CUTE.
I have always admired that skirt but am afraid of anything knitted below the midriff area. Look forward to seeing yours in progress!
I’m delighted that someone brought such a teeny baby to knitting group – I just hope I can do that too!
I hope the Shocking skirt and the successful spit-splicing has restored your knitting mojo!
I love the picture of you knitting with you knife! And heh heh, the join that didn’t was pretty funny. I am very curious to see how the skirt comes out, ’twas fun to discuss. Thank you for posting such a cute picture of AM(2)! (Can you email it to me? It’s a good one to send to the grandparents!)
You’re an intrepid woman with that fancy two color spit splicing.
Why do Bryn Mawr physicists need to carry pocketknives? Is there some kind of gang war going on with the Bryn Mawr philosophers?
How did you get the colors to change at the correct time? Was it a guess and hope thing, or something more thought out? :)
too cute! your re-work sounds interesting – glad the split splice works! it’s tricky to get it to land where you want the color change!
I subjected my all sorts of people who didn’t care to the wonder that is split splicing when I first learned it. I understand the glee, “look look, two pieces right, not any more!!” Needless to say, people who don’t knit aren’t as impressed as people who do… Hey way to be the boss of your knitting and knit that skirt the way you want. I can’t wait to see it!
This is unrelated to knitting, but I am jealous of your pocketknife.
I am jealous of said pocketknife because Bryn Mawr is still a women’s college. My beloved alma-mater (the institution formerly known as Randolph-Macon Woman’s College), is not.
Looks like I should have gone with Bryn Mawr when I had the chance.
Is that knife life-size!? What an adorable baby.
XO Mom
Are you a Mawrtyr?? Wow, I almost feel like I should ‘anas’ but I never have started one in public…
..oh yeah, and of course I don’t know how to spell any of it!
It was nice meeting you at the sit n’ knit. The special guest was so cute it was hard to concentrate on knitting.
By the way, I checked out your anastasia socks and can’t wait to make them. They are georgeous. But I must start with something simple first.
Till next time.
I want to get brave about pattern mods like you. No, wait, I take that back, because I have been brave about pattern mods before and it’s always come back to bite me in the ass. So let me restate: I want to get brave and smart about pattern mods like you. Maybe someday if I work hard.
Am I just stupid because I have no idea what you mean by “knit each consecutive panel in a nonconsecutive piece”? I’m just going to chalk it up to not having read the pattern. But, yay spit splicing! One of my favorite knitting tricks!
Oh, weee little Anastasia socks…so cool.
I just spit spliced for the first time on my Sunrise Circle, and I have to say I was a bit scared to do it b/c I was so afraid it would fall apart. I made sure to tug on each one a bit just to make sure. Now it is my new friend. Although it didn’t work that one time that I tried it on superwash sock yarn…Hmmm, I felt a bit silly when it hit me after a few times of trying.
“For reals this time” :) Love that!
I really like the skirt. That will look great on you. Maybe you will have it done by the time I visit in a few weeks?
I have never tried the splicing. Maybe you can teach me…
Have a good weekend, girl!!
I am so so glad to see someone else making this skirt! I started it a while ago and similarly “jiggered” the pattern to do all of the pieces together. I’m anxious to read what you did. I remember having to make an adjustment after the “seam.” Mine is currently in repose, shall we say, due to my urgent need to cast on something else with that size needle, so for now I will live vicariously through you.
PS My LYS owner says she’s seen one in person, but I have not, and found you through googling the skirt!
Yay Bryn Mawr! I’m a Mawrtyr too, but not a physicist, alas — the one behind the flowery query on flickr. Your pocket knife drew me out of my lurking ways.
Ok, as a physics major from another seven sister school (Mount Holyoke) I am wicked jealous of the swiss army knife! I have to go talk to the alumnae assocation about that one… ;-)