Done!

Yeah, here they are! I didn't trust myself to wait until for better weather for the "phot shoot"-- the color is so much deeper and truer in person)! I know I haven't posted lately, but I really have been knitting! These Sockapaloooza IV socks--well, I thought they might be the end of me! They have been variously known as "the socks that wouldn't end," the "why didn't I just make Thuja's," the "see what you get when you try to impress people you don't know," to, well, almost affectionately, "the brown bombers." This summer has taught me several things....when one is in the middle of a giant job stress, a baby is born in the family (a niece for me), and your cat of 14 years dies, one will quickly turn to knitting to comfort oneself. This is a good thing. In my case, though, it basically meant knitting everything except my Sockpal socks--so I made a couple pair of baby socks, a really cute baby hat, a pair of socks for no one in particular (a three-pointed modification of Jaywalkers), and a very lengthy, curiously non-essential silk and cotton scarf. Then I woke one morning about two weeks ago, dreaming about the giant balls of this gorgeous yarn sitting in my knitting basket with a cuff of the first sock and about 2 inches of a 10" cuff done, and well--I was having bad dreams about it! This gave me a chance to prove, one again, alas, that I work best under pressure, and that sore fingers are just the consequences of being me at the end of a knit a long! So the socks are done (phew) and washed and blocked, and drying. I will pack them up with some koigu and send them off to their guy in waiting, on time. I just knew finishing early during Sockapaloooza III was a fluke! But now that these are done, I like them and am glad I chose the pattern, which involved my first ever shaping on a cuff, and the most yarn I've ever used up on a pair of socks (525 yds+)!

Sockapalooza update: It's not too late....

I have the yarn, I have a pattern selected, I have a sockpal's preferences firmly in mind, and I think I am (finally) ready to go. I know it seems like it took a while for me to get started, but there seemed like there were sooooo many decisions this time. I love Sockapalooza, really, but I always feel so much more pressure when knitting for someone I don't know. I want everything to be perfect! Well, I think I did find perfect yarn; this absolutely gorgeous yarn called "Thoroughbred" from an Etsy Shop called Fearless Fibers. It's the most beautiful, subtle mix of browns and other subtle colors; a technique called "rainbow dyeing"; I can't wait to knit with it! And I have a pattern selected "Gentlemen's Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern" from Knitting Vintage Socks (thanks to all who pointed me in this direction for men's patterns in my last lamenting post). Even though this skein of yarn has a whopping 550 yards; I am a little worried about having enough (see recent experiences) I plan to increase the number of stitches used for the sock; the last few pairs of socks I've made have come out too narrow; I think I must be knitting more tightly these days (can't imagine why!). I might shorten them a bit; not sure (have to have something to wonder about as I go, right) I will cast on for these this week and knit away--nothing like a deadline to get my needles smokin'!

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!

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!