A Hat a Day....

Keeps the boredom away (or at least the foot tapping fidgets).....I had to to travel this weekend for a conference and sat through lots of long talks--some quite interesting, really. But ever since I have started knitting again (aka become obsessed with knitting constantly), I have a great deal of trouble sitting still when my hands could be productive! So I managed to overcome my knit in public meekness on the second day and made this very cute beret. It for the Charmed Knits Knit a long for Warm Woolies. It's a free pattern from Alison Hansel's new book of Harry Potter Patterns, Charmed Knits. I am honestly not all that acquainted with the Harry Potter stuff, my daughter is too young for the movies, and it will be a few years before she can read the books. But I was looking for both a knit a long and a charity knitting cause, and this seemed a good one. Alison manages the whole Sockapalooza experience every year, so I figure I can knit some hats in return! I will make a beanie next, and then make myself pack and mail them (my weak point, for sure!). As for the Neopolitan socks, I have made some progress, but not ready to show yet! More soon!

What's done is done!

And thanks be to God! Taxes (as best as my non-accountant self could do them), work budgets turned in (if overly ambitious), and forced sleep deprivation and stress relieved! Can you say relief? It's not that I wasn't knitting two days ago; it's just that I was feeling guilty about it! But for tonight at least, I can bask in the glow of a few tasks met (and stop dodging them hanging over my head--makes it hard not to drop stiches!). So I started a hat for Alison's Harry Potter/Warm Woolies charity knit a long and got back to work on this wonderful sock pattern I found online for Belle Maman socks. I am using some Trekking Yarn that you have probably read about in blogland before; it looks like those layered Brach's Neopolitan candies that they still sell in some supermarket bins. Neopolitan ice cream was the favorite treat of my childhood, and I really like this yarn! You can see it knit up here, the color # is 126--you can still find some on ebay, it you love it. So back to knitting--and thinking about what yarn I might be able to get with some of that little refund!

What I should be doing...

Budgets for next year (for work, that is....I don't dare plan all the knitting I'll do next year!), or maybe, Finishing our taxes (can you say "last minute pressure spurs me on"), or maybe, sleeping! But I finally, and I mean finally, finished this pair of socks, and I just had to post them. These were the socks from h-e-double-hockey-sticks (as we say around our house). "Why," you might be asking, "those socks look innocent enough!" Well, the first problem--the color of the yarn (on-line supersocke 100)--dark and other purples, with flecks of black, and a tiny bit of white. I love purple, and just fell for this yarn as perfect "sort of plain" socks for my hubby. But I had a lot of trouble seeing this yarn on my dpns (I blame the yarn, not my eyes!), so I switched to bamboo, but broke 2 of the 2.25 mm babies before investing in a set of silver steel needles--which helped, but not enough. Something about the texture of the yarn, or perhaps the fact that I dreaded picking up these socks, made for very tight knitting, and so they are smaller than I planned, as well. But I can get them on--though I'm not sure I want to wear them....they remind me too much of how long they took to finish (I picked them up and put them down for almost 6 months!). And I guess they will also forever remind me of budgets, and taxes, and not sleeping :)!

It's been a long time since I rock n rolled....

Gosh, it's been a long time since I posted. Please accept my apologies for my sudden and unceremonious disappearance. It has been a crazy time, and I think blogging became harder and harder to start again once I stopped (I picked up a bad habit of wanting to sleep just a bit!). Plus, I kept thinking I should come back with something incredibly (if not so very characteristically!) profound, and so kept putting it off! I missed it though, and missed the blog buddies I had gotten to know. External forces finally brought me back, most notably the incredible need to have a way to post this wonderful picture my niece (5) made and sent to me. It may not be profound (or perhaps it is) but it is cute! And yes, I did make her some socks, and I put them in a box. They escaped before they got photographed, but my sister is promising a photo of C's footsies in those sox! I made them with the softest, most wonderful yarn, Crystal Palace Panda, which is bamboo, cotton and elastic, and used a cool seed stitch pattern that I found on Trek's blog--called Gumball Footies. What fun! Oh, and then there's Sockapalooza 4, too, which I have been aching for....I have been knitting socks like crazy, if not posting about them! So THANK YOU to those who emailed to say you missed me, and I hope to visit you soon.

When I'm 64...

I hope someone knits me flowers! (Actually, I guess I hope someone knits me anything!) I knitted this one up from the felted flower wreath pattern in the new issue of Knit Simple, (Nicky Epstein) and I finished it just in time to give to my mom, who is arriving at our home tomorrow for some birthday celebrating. She is, yes, 64! My original intention for this flower was to make it into a pin she could wear; she is very into flowers and told me she saw some on a recent trip to Italy (who knew) that she liked. Alas, I didn't read the pattern too carefully, and this is about 6 inches across--probably too big for a pin! But I am going to make it into a sort of "tussy mussy" (something else she loves) and can give it to her that way. And one more thing: I have found a new use for my Kitchen Aid stand mixer-- yes, the appliance you mix cake batter with. It actually works incredibly well for felting small objects like this--just put the little knitted pieces in with boiling water and a bit of soap, and turn it on pretty low. These felted in about 10 minutes (paton's wool) . Hope ya'll had a great Halloween--it was a bit wacky around here!

Everything old.....

.....Is new again! Cast On is back, with a new series. I haven't even listened to the first episode of the new series yet, but I am very excited. If you have listened to Brenda Dayne's podcast yet, go to her website and check it out. She is eloquent, her voice is wonderful, and she talks about knitting, life and all sorts of deep things in a very helpful and informed way. She got my started on my podcast listening obsession. Pictured at left is the yarn that arrived today to be knit (I say "to be knit" as if it will magically happen, ha ha) into a clapotis, which I hope to give to my mom, who is dear enough and appreciative enough of handknits to make it more than worthwhile. This yarn is so beautiful in person, silk and merino, called Max, in a colorway called "Joseph's Coat," for reasons that are probably apparent. It's from Lisa Souza, as you can probably tell from the photo! And I have to tell you what I "heard in the hall" this morning. I was taking a very uncustomary rest in my bedroom reading a knitting magaizine with the lights down low. My husband and younger daughter were out in the family room with the dogs. All was fine, until I heard my daughter yelling, "Honey, Honey, no!" at the dog. I could hear my husband speak up, "Don't get too excited sweetie, what is Honey doing?" "She has mommy's knitting," daughter shouted, and I heard my husband jump up and wrangle the knitting away from the dog. "Phew," he said, "Good thing Mommy's not in here!" So good that my family knows what's important, hee hee! Talk to you soon! 

Three from the road

At last, some pictures of some of my knitting lately. The first is a bag I knit and then constructed out of the fantastic handspun from Hello yarn. It is slubby and nubby and soft soft soft, and I just had no idea what to do with it! So I started out with the Chunky Funky pattern from MagKnits that I had used for some red plied handpsun before. It has a really cool twisted cable that runs the length of the bag and gives it very cool texture. But then I decided to modify the pattern and wrap it around a dollar store mini tote (made of, well, plastic.) This meant I had to line it, which I did, not very artfully, but effectively enough, with fleece (there was a 50% off sale on fleece this past weekend at the fabric store, and my gosh, does that bring out droves of people!). It's very funky and not incredibly practical, but I like it a whole lot, and it makes me feel good to use it.
The second is another bag, the famous Booga Bag, which I knitted with Paton's Soy Wool Stripes, in Natural Navy which stripes beautifully when used single stranded and FELTS LIKE CRAZY (and I mean that-even with my front loaded, this was shrunk in half in about 15 minutes). I had used this yarn in their geranium color for another bag, and I really like it. This one was a fun and oh so easy knit; it was great to have those endless rounds of stockinette while try to pay attention to other things. I have to admit though, that knitting 7 feet of icord almost sent me over the edge!
And the third picture is a headband I knitted from the Nakiska pattern from Knitty. The yarn is this super soft angora blend called Fat Bunny that I got from Lisa Souza. It knit up beautifully, and I love all the cables. I had thought it might be a gift, but I think I may just keep it for me; I love hats but have a real problem with hat hair! Headbands are much more forgiving! And I still have socks in progress, fear not. I have not had the courage yet to frog my Jaywalkers; I like them so much. But of course liking them is the reason to make them so they will actually fit me!I got word that my clapotis yarn shipped, I can't wait!

Stayin' Alive

I'm still here! Well, actually, I'm back. I actually spent last week at a conference at which there was no internet access (!!!!!!). I could check my email (somehwat laboriously) on my cell phone, but that was it! Boy, did I miss reading blogs and message boards and blogging! The good news, though is that I had knitting time! I had worried about "knitting in public" at this conference, but when it started, I noticed two other women pull out knitting (a clapotis and a scarf) and one another take out some quilting (!) I was so excited! And what was really cool was that the incredible woman who led the conference managed to work our quilting/knitting into her remarks on the last day in a wonderfully artful way. Yeah! So I will have some pictures to post: of a bag I knit out of some gorgeous Maisy Day Handspun I got from Hello Yarn, and an almost finsihed Jaywalker that I think I am going to have to frog (they are not going to fit me, and I think the colors are too wild for anyone else I know), as well as a Booga Bag I made (which I hope to felt tomorrow) and a lacey scarf I am still struggling with from some ridiculously expensive (but gorgeous) hand dyed mohair silk that I got at a LYS in the area. And I finally finished the toe of my hip hop socks (I had actually lost the little sock bag that I was carrying the WIP in; talk about panic, but yes, it was found!). I was so inspired by watching the clapotis evolve through the week that I came and promptly ordered some beautiful hand dyed silk merino from Lisa Souza to (finally) make my own! I fear I am rambling somewhat incoherently(as well as using too many exclamation points), but am so glad to be back on line and blogging, and will get to all you and your wonderful comments from my last posts soon. K1P2!

Double Cast Ons

Better late than never. Pictured at left are my Jaywalkers, which I started the other day, in the Lime & Violet Lisa Souza yarn. I will, I think, let these socks do double duty for the Lime & Violet KAL and Soctoberfest! Now that I'm finally knitting this pattern, I understand why it's been so popular: it's a great, cool and easy knit. And I am surprised but pleased with how the yarn is working with the pattern, too. At the far left are the real start of my Socktoberfest socks, the very beginings, (cast on this morning) of the "Heelless Sleeping Sock" from Knitting Vintage Socks. I am wondering about the sizing of the socks--there are very few stitches for fingering weight socks, but the pattern recommends 2.75mm needles and claims they are very stretchy and don't wear out (despite the looser gauge) because they have no heel. We shall see!The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Potluck from my stash, and it's gorgeous! I can't believe I waited this long to knit it up. I'm so excited about all these "sockportunities"! (Yes, it is probably time for me to go get some sleep (I am getting a but punchy) or at least go back to my knitting!

It's Socktoberfest!

My very first pair (some moons ago...)!

Yes, I am a little behind on this, though I always have some socks going! I'm so excited, because I love to have a good reason to do what I do all the time anyway, in this case, knit socks. I'm excited about Socktoberfest, and grateful to Lolly, one of those super-functioning, amazingly organized and generous people that we are so lucky to have in the knitting world, for organizing it all. I can't wait to see what everyone is doing! I cast on for a pair of Jaywalkers today (yes, I am the last person in the world who hasn't made them yet!). I was really inspired by Knit Mongrel, who made me think the simplicity of the pattern was just the lack of dizzying effort I needed right now! So now, I need to answer the Socktoberfest questions. Here goes!
When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class? I started knitting socks about a year ago. I was inspired by an episode of Knitty Gritty, on which Karen Baumer made it all look logical and wonderful. I learned from online tutorials, slowly! If I had taken a class, I no doubt would have made fewer mistakes along the way (and since) but that really has been part of the fun (and the learning).
What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
My first pair turned out really niceley--the stitches looked good, the heel turn was lovely (if I do say so myself) and the kitchener on the toe quite respectable! There was just one problem--they were, as my daughter would say, "gynormous!!!" But I did two of them anyway. If they hadn't been pink, (well, they were coordinated pink & grey actually, because I was running out of the pink yarn; clearly I have always had this difficulty) I would have given them to my brother in law. But since they were, I kept them, and since they've not really been worn, they've held up just great!
What would you have done differently?
Nothing, really, except, well, probably swatching better! Or perhaps not ignoring the little voice in my head that said, "Wow, this sock is sure looking big!"
What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
I like all sorts of yarns--I have knit with a lot of Lorna's and Regia, and lots of Knitpicks. Recently, I have developed a real bias for "homemade" yarns, buying from places like Hello Yarn and Lisa Souza.
Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
I knit my socks, and use all three methods. I learned first on DPN's, and they are still my first love. But I usually have a pair going on DPN's and a pair going on one of the other methods as well. Variety is important to my knitting (or at least my attention span!)
Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
I mostly do flap heels, they seem to fit me best. I've also done a fair number of band heels, a few strong heels, and exactly two short row heels (they are hardest for me).
How many pairs have you made?
I've not kept a real count, but probably about 15 pairs. I wish I had kept a log from the beginning (meaning preblog), because relying on my memory is always dicey. But I never stop knitting socks!
So, I am editing this post to include a photo of these first socks, please, no laughing!

In our ends are our beginnings

A few finshed objects: the Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting, done in Lion Cotton, pure white. It is, I hope, destined for a "real" baby, but in the meantime, my daughter has appropriated it for her doll (at least it fits the doll perfectly!). This is a fun pattern, very easy, all in one cool piece knitting; I love that kind of thing. Makes me want to try the Baby Surprise Jacket I have been reading about here , and also here. Also pictured are the cable purse, finally sewn up--I love it (even if I don't love sewing things together at all); the felted clutch, with the ornamental buttons finally actually sewn on (why is it that the last minutes details so often elude me?), and the scarf that wanted to be a purse in Tagliatelli--it's the pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts that I have made at least 10 times with different yarns. I always love how it comes out. I made this one last night (yes, it was a bit of a late night, what with all that sewing up of other projects), and is supposed to go in the mail tomorrow with some soaps for my mom's birthday! Now, it is time to figure out what my next socks will be for Socktoberfest....and what I will knit for the Lime & Violet Knitalong (my beautiful yarn arrived today). Sometimes I think (though only sometimes) that I am too much of a joiner! More soon!

Can't buy me love?

I am so in love. I bought this incredible, beautiful, touchable handspun yarn (called "uppity", how appropriate) from Hello Yarn. I wanted to just keep the beautiful ball it came wound up in on my desk and pet it all day when I needed to release stress, but decided, probably for the best, to knit it up. I was so afraid to do anything that would detract from it, but found this cool purse pattern in MagKnits, which was specifically written for handspun. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the pattern has a beautiful intertwining cable pattern down the middle. It's blocking now; I can't wait to sew it up and use it. I think I will sew a lining into it, just to protect the gorgeous yarn from whatever I might put in the purse. And I have to give a big shout out to Adrian at Hello Yarn, who not only has beautiful yarn and lots of free patterns on her site, but also gracious and wonderful customer service--the yarn came quickly and was lovingly wrapped in tissue. I can't wait to order more, actually, I ordered some more today. It makes me want to spin, it makes me want to bury myself in handspun! I will post a finished pic once it's sewn up, as well as a pic of the baby kimono, which is also blocking, but less photogenic at this point (and I ran out of yarn on that one, too, and had to steal from a dishcloth in progress to finish (just to increase my chances of elevation to duchess-hood!)

Of felting and other monsters

I finally finished the Noro bag. Yes, I went and bought a whole additional skein to do four rows, but glad I did it, because I got to the end of the bag, cast off, and noticed that the handles were off center!!! I don't know how it happened, I don't know how I didn't notice it before, I don't know why I didn't check it before I bound off! So, I tried to unwind it, but it, well,.....it tangled (what is it with me and tangles lately!). You can see the resulting Noro monster in the photo below. My daughter enjoyed it (tangled noro makes quite a monster whig!). But I did finish, and then I felted and felted and felted some more, until I finally got the pretty cool looking bag being modeled by both daughters. It took 3 days to dry, but I like how it came out! Then, I happened to be listening to Lime & Violet, and heard a tip about using dish soap and putting a pair of flip flops in the washer with a front loader to help the agitation.
So I knitted up this really pretty new craftstore yarn: Patons Soy Wool Stripes, and the clutch pattern from One Skein. It felted really well and really fast (well, it was fast except for the extra trip I had to make to the craft store to get, yes, you guessed it, another skein of the yarn to finish the bag). The pattern calls for buttons to be sewn on; I'm still deciding about that. I have some cool things on the needles, including the toe of my formerly tangled sock (almost done!), a Baby Kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting (no, I am not having a baby....) and a scarf for a friend out of the prettiest wool ribbon yarn I found on that last LYS trip. It's called Tagliatelli, and it is gorgeous! But my hands are itching to start more socks. More socks. More socks!

Oh the agony....

I ran out of yarn. I am an inch or two from finishing the bag and I ran out of yarn (if I keep repeating that over and over I think perhaps I will believe it). Now you may be asking, how did you not notice you were getting near the end? I can only answer this by saying that I am great at denial--I kept looking at the rapidly diminishing second ball of noro and thinking, "I'm sure I only used two balls or noro last time I knitted this pattern, surely I am going to make it." Well, surely, I am not going to. So I am not felting tonight, (nor am I sleeping of course...) I am trying to figure out how I can sneak out of a lunch time meeting tomorrow to run to the LYS that I don't particularly like (but it's within sneaking distance of my office) and get one more ball of noro. Oh boy. On another note that certainly deserves to be its very own post, I spent four hours in the car today and listened to 4 side-splitting hours of the Lime & Violet podcast. Do give it a listen; but not necessarily while driving, lest you be pulled over by a kindly police officer who just doesn't understand that you're fully capable of driving even though you can't stop laughing! And oh yes, Lime & Violet talked me into a knit-a- long, too. I'm so impressionable! But I am still out of yarn...sniff.

The unwind...

Thanks to all for the helpful comments on how to wind my newest ball of hip hop to avoid another tangled disaster--it worked, yeah!!! I am happily knitting away on sock number two and am on the heel flap (in the end, it's the small things that matter, right--where did I find such thrills in my life before I took up obsessive knitting?) In the meantime, my bag that will be felted is progressing--amazing how used I am to very tiny needles--this bag is just flying by! I should finish it in carpool line, and then it's on to felting, which is not my gift, nor my washer's gift (I have a front loader and it's hard to get that agitation). But this is a big weekend, so I am determined to get it done (hope I'm not up all ALL night tomorrow opening and closing my washer) :) If anyone has any insight on felting in a front loader, feel free to share (yes, I do need some sleep)!

Good, and Plenty done....

Here are the finished "Good and Plenty" socks (I know you've been waiting with bated breath after that last post!). I just had to get a box of Good & Plenty for the photo after Twig's suggestion (though I do admit to a definite fondness for this candy, well, pretty much any candy on some days). And thanks again to Yarnbeans for the contest that got me this cool yarn in the first place! These were a lot of fun to knit; Broadripple is one of the best combinations of looks complicated and easy to memorize I know. The "extra skein" of hip hop arrived last week from the very friendly "Yarn and Thread by Lisa". Now I am ready to go back to work on the tangled web socks in progress. But here's the riddle: since I had so much trouble when I pulled from the center of that skein, if I pull from the outside and wind it back into a center pull ball, can I knit from the outside and have the pattern repeats in the right order???? This is too much logic for me at this point (I am babysitting three of my sister's children right now, so I am blaming that for my inability to figure this out.) Any input very much appreciated!

Homeward bound

Okay, I have no pictures yet, but I just had to post this. While at my very crowded conference, I wound up seated (well squeezed) on a back bench in the meeting room. The man next to me was an old friend, so I decided I could take out my sock and start knitting. I was happily knitting away (and of course paying attention to the speaker), when I noticed my benchmate squiriming a little. Finally, he leaned over and whispered in my ear "Is that a knitting needle brushing my leg, or are you just glad to see me?" Lesson: socks in very tight quarters are best knitted on dpns, which makes for no needles hanging down to "caress" the leg of the man sitting next to you. Good thing he was an old buddy! Hee Hee! Enough said! Good and Plenty sock pictures tomorrow!

On the road again....

Have I mentioned before that I really dislike business travel....but off I go, for just a few days, into the wild, blue yonder (wild and blue enough, anyway, that I will probably NOT be able to blog, boo hoo). The crucible for me is whether or not I will be able to knit with all the men at this conference ogling me (well, ogling my hands if they [my hands that is] do anything but look like they are diligently taking notes!). We'll see, wish me luck. I hope to bring back a pair of finished "Good and Plenty" socks--(a big thanks to Twig for the name suggestion). Ciao.

Oh what a tangled web....

It is someting about me and ball winders.....and in this case, something about the stickiness of this Kroy Sock, which once tangled will never, I mean, never, ever, let go. This is the mate for the lonesome sock of my recent post--and it will be awhile before it is warming a foot. I wound up with such a tangled mess with this I had to cut the yarn to try to work it out, and I fear it is hopeless. I managed to find a matching yarn and dyelot on ebay and have ordered another ball, because when I finished the first sock, I had about 25 inches of yarn left--so there's no way I will get all the way to the toe on this one once I get this tangled mess cut out. Sheesh. I know, I must wind too fast. I try, I really do, try, to slow down and to keep it loose, and yes, I use a swift, but boy, what a mess. But on a sunnier note, I did finish, largely without incident, one of my Broadripple socks. The yarn is very soft and nice, and the colors knit up beautifully in the broadripple pattern. I have the second one cast on, and since this is both sport weight yarn and for a small footed friend, it should go quickly. I love this pattern. It looks so cool, and it really is simple enough to memorize (if I can memorize it, anybody can! I travel this week for a few days for work (car trip, alas), and should be able to get some knitting in. Now I just have to plan what to pack!

Dog days

Happy Labor Day weekend, all. It has been a busy one around our house. I started another pirate sock and had to frog it, knit away on my self-striping thuja, and started a pair based on the Broadripple pattern from Knitty with the cool pink and black yarn I won from Yarnbeans. I have no pictures, because, basically, well, I've been busy taking pictures of our new dog. Yes, we already have a dog, no we had not actually planned on another one, but had been thinking about it, and when we went to Pet Smart on Sunday for supplies, their weekly "Rescue Fair" was there. The rest is history, but we are happy, and so is Honey, our new dog (the little one in this picture) and Laika, our "old" dog (too shy for this picture) and especially our younger daughter, who is thrilled, of course. Our cat, well, we're working on that one! All is mostly well so far, and blessedly, Honey the new dog is as uninterested in messing with my yarn as Laika the old dog! Pictures of knitting soon, promise!