Casting away

Here they are, a cute little pair of Crusoe anklets, knit for my youngest out of the beautiful fleece artist that I so unceremoniously unravelled after its last mis-adventure. I altered the pattern a little bit--did an eye of partridge heel, since it had looked so good last time! I like the way they turned out, and how this pattern really doesn highlight the yarn beautifully. I have to admit that I had originally intended these for myself; but then when I noticed they looked small, for our older daughter, and then, when I finished one, for the one who really wanted them all along--my youngest! I have knitted this pattern before, and I remembered that they were not really stretchy because of the stranded pattern, but have actually worn other pairs I knitted! It's that cursed gauge thing, no doubt! On other fronts, I have picked a pattern and ordered yarn for the man socks I am going to make for Sockapalooza--more on that soon.

I feel lucky...

Oh so lucky! My new yarn came in after my recent shortage experience, and it was the same dyelot and everything! (Thank you ebay!) So I have been knitting like mad and finished my neopolitan socks tonight! The stripes don't match, but I really don't mind it. And I have to give a plug for this "Belle Maman" sock pattern--it was a really easy one to memorize it (believe me, if I can memorize it, anyone can) and it looks so cool. I even had the courage to do the picot edge and knit the hem as I went--a new thing for me. So now, on to the next socks, more pattern searching for Sockapalooza 4, and jumping back in with my Fleece Artist from my last sock debacle--I'm thinking about trying the Crusoe pattern from Knitty, which I made a while back; I think it would show off that pretty yarn.

The agony of defeat....

Okay, I admit defeat! I have not met the sock in a day challenge! But it was not for lack of trying, really! This sock has been, well, sort of an exercise in patience--not sure why, it was not a hard pattern, but I had to frog back after the heel twice, because the pattern wasn't lining up right on the instep! I still haven't figured out what I'm doing wrong--it's not working right again! I started with the idea of making these really cute Nasturtium Anklets that I found online--I decided to make the cuff longer because I really like how the pattern was looking! Luckily (or not), they are looking like they'll be too tight a fit, so I may frog all the way back and start all over again, which I think I have pretty much never done in my sock knitting life, but hey, there's a first time for everything! But all in all, it was fun to see if I could get a whole sock done in a day, and it really did make for a good time trying, so thanks to Liz and all! (And oh yes, the fantastic yarn is Fleece Artist merino, in a shade called Popsicle....)

The short and winding road

Think I'm going to run out of yarn? I don't know how this is happening; except that I clearly have less yarn than I thought! Of course, I only have ONE SKEIN of this Trekking XXL 126, which I was so excited to find on EBay just a few weeks back. My patterning is already messed up on the leg, despite being sure that I had cast on at exactly the same place in the color repeat that I had for the first sock. But I love the way the lace pattern and the yarn striping look, so I am going to figure out a way to finish this one (EBay, here I come). No doubt it will be a different dye lot, but I will be sure to keep my feet moving of they look too different! So while these socks hang out and wait for more yarn to appear, I will have time to get ready for Liz's "Sock in a Day" challenge, for which I have finally wound up a beautiful skein of "Popsicle" from Fleece Artist. Now to find a pattern. And Happy Mother's Day to all you moms (and all you daughters) out there!

It's a boy! (Help!)

It's a boy! My Sockapaloooza 4 pal, that is! This is a challenge for me. Not because I worry about knitting for big feet (mine are plenty big, I'm used to it), nor because I have not knit socks for men before (husband and brother in law among them), but because I feel like sockapaloooza socks should be interesting, different, not your basic 2x2 rib, anyway! Any ideas for good, interesting patterns that a man would like (any other guy sock pals out there)? I am also in the process of deciding about yarn--he likes his yarns natural but not muted; I'm thinking of either "petroglyph" or "gendarme" from Lisa Souza's sock colors; any votes? The great thing about this is it gives me an excuse, I mean good reason, to buy some more sock yarn for this project instead of just raiding my abundant, yet very girly stash! Hope to hear from you all soon!