I've been working on a sock commission for a lady in the Barony. She wanted gold, green and purple...this yellow is called "Dandelion"...I thought it was going to be a bit darker, but it turned out rather like the tumeric yellow I dyed a few months ago. I hope she's OK with it. I have nearly finished one sock and gotten up to the beginning of the motif on the second. She sent me a clip art pic of the thistle, which I blew up and converted into a pattern. The knitting of it has proven to be a bit of a challenge, but I think it's turning out OK. I need her to try it on to see how much more I need to knit in length as well as fit--I need to see if I have to tear it out and start over...I hope not!
I also cast on another pair of socks for myself...just cause I need a pair in every color of the rainbow! I have red, green and blue, as well as blue & white, and that crazy mottled purple-red...and now PURPLE! The color is called "Duchess Heather" (laid on the recently made blue socks for comparison) and is really buttery soft and gorgeous! The great thing is that I have improved my toe box--going back to the 11th c. Egyptian style rather than the slower "swirly-toe" increases I was doing on the blue socks. I've got the spacing and increases down for a sock to fit me (huzzah! A fail-safe pattern!) and other ladies with full-grown heffers (instead of dainty little calves). I also found a new heel turning method that seems to work well and is easier than the slip-wrap-slip-back thing that I was doing. I don't know which is more period...and unless I get my butt over to Europe to actually look closely at these things, I doubt I'll ever know. It's not the same kind of heel as the Egyptian socks, which I suppose I could use...next pair, I guess.
Am I working hard on the A&S 50 for A.S. 50? Not really. I suppose I have a list of things I'd like to try for breadth of learning:
10 garments (with new techniques) in Middle Eastern, Viking, and a cotehardie;
10 foodie things--translating recipes, making and tasting, and maybe make a go-to recipe book for camping;
10 needle-crafty things--socks, embroidery, blackwork, weaving (no needles, but still string-related);
10 articles written on stuff I know;
A few hard-science things (shop class stuff) in woodworking, carving, lampworking, etc. I don't know if I can come up with 10, but it's a possibility. I'd love to build a yurt, a six-board box, and a comfortable camping bed that breaks down quickly and easily.
That's 50. I have a bunch already in process, and a few finished...part of the set-back is money. Isn't it always? I've actually started the yurt, but ran out of funds to buy materials. Six board box...same story.
With that...bed.
Elewys
