Knitting Obsession

Yet Another Single Sock

Here is yet another single sock...socks are still very comforting, and they have been small and easy to complete.
   
This is the Twisted Flower sock, pattern by Cookie A. I am using Dream In Color Smooshy Sock in Petal Shower, purchased from the Loopy Ewe, and a lovely yarn. The pattern is enchanting and the charts are very easy to follow...even though it looks intimidating. I really like the way the pattern goes down the heel too...I need to find clogs that I can wear without killing myself to show them off.

I have been saving my spare change, and selling off a bunch of my yarn, in order to be able to buy a used spinning wheel. I managed to save it all up (it's amazing how fast spare change adds up) and sold a lot of sock yarn that I wasn't going to use...I am too enchanted with my handpainted sock yarn collection. I also haven't bought yarn in a while, and the only new yarn that has come into the house has been from sock clubs that I paid for a while ago. This is all going to make my mom stick her tongue out at me and say "Nyah, nyah, nyah" since I was able to save some money. And I have knitted up quite a few pretty socks from my stash! I'll be picking up the wheel this weekend and will be sure to post pictures.

I also realized that I could go to Rhinebeck after all, though my budget will be curtailed. I am looking forward to it! I may bring my wheel!

Finito! (thank the Lord)

I'm finished with my Sockapalooooza socks! Huzzah!

Bonus mini sock to go with one of my extra gifts, the little sock blocker from The Loopy Ewe. The sock yarn is Holly Spring Homespun Silk & Ivory, a 50% silk, 50% merino blend that is gorgeous to knit with. I am going to be sad to let these go. The pattern is River Rapids and the pattern was also fun to knit. Now to find one more item to go in my box o' goodies, and I will be ready to mail on August 2.
I immediately cast on for a new sock, but I forgot to take pictures. This is going to be a pair of knee highs in Wollmeise sock yarn in colorway Suzanne. I was surprised by this when I wound it up...it's amazing how  yarns look different when they are reskeined. So far I am not a fan of the knee high as it is a lot more stitches and also....are my calves really that big? Gigantor!
I've gotten over reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and am considering rereading it soon to really get all the things I am sure I missed.
I'm watching the Tour de France...these poor men, climbing the Pyrenees. Looks horrible....the altitude must be killer and they all look miserable....but the scenery is incredible.

Ravelry is a time suck

Good gravy. I spend more time on Ravelry than is good for one. The good thing is that it has forced me to take a fearless and searching inventory of my sock yarn problem and how I need to STOP BUYING IT before I go bankrupt.
I did get to cracking on my Sockapalooooza socks!

I haven't heard from her in a while despite a few emails so I hope she is still participating. These socks are nothing but a pleasure to knit. They are River Rapids (.pdf) in Scarlet Fleece Silk and Ivory sock yarn, a DK weight silk/merino blend that is heaven to knit. Colorway is Olives and Pimentos.

The pattern has been so fast and fun.

I really hope she likes them! This is my first time in a swap. I've never been very good at deadline knitting and don't really like when people ask me to knit them something by a certain time because then I stress about it and it isn't fun to knit. But I gave myself the whole month to work on these and it has been pretty fun, actually. I'm having fun deciding what to put in the package too!

Those of you participating...what do you throw in your package? I've got some fun things but could always use more suggestions!

Hope those of you here on the East Coast are surviving this wicked heat blast. I am working nights (yuck!) but at least it means I am inside sleeping during the hottest parts of the day. I'm very tempted to wake up tomorrow and go see the new Harry Potter movie by myself as an afternoon matinée (I can't ask B to see it with me...he hasn't read the books or seen any of the movies [YET] and I just made him go see "Transformers" on the 4th of July. Optimus Prime, my heeeero!). I did promise my father that I would see it with him too. But I can see it twice, I'm sure. I'll have to call and ask him tomorrow when I wake up!

Gull Wings

Hey, I have an FO!

Pattern: Gull Wings socks from "Socks, Socks, Socks"
Yarn: HipKnits fingering weight 100% cashmere
Needles: US size 0 Knit Picks DPNs
These need a serious blocking as they are a little snug on my feet, and they are a gift for my cousin Anne whose feet are the same size as mine (I think). Anne is battling breast cancer like a warrior.  Even if she never wears them, they are soft and sweet. I think I am going to wash them and dry them on the blockers to try to bring out the pattern.

If I ever make these again (I'm not a big fan of repeating patterns. Once I've made two socks, I'm usually pretty sick of the pattern!) I would have to make the toes less pointy and adjust the decreases. I ended up with some pointy elf toes.
My dear B was going through his stamps, as he is wont to do, and he came across this gem which he immediately gave to me because it reminded him of me.

I wonder if that is a Dale of Norway knitted hat on there? It's definitely knitted. Isn't he sweet? I used the gift certificate he gave me for my birthday recently to pick up (among other things) a skein of Gems to contrast with a lone skein of Koigu PPPM that my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas last year. I'll use the Gems for heels and toes on a pair of anklets.

Should be pretty!

Maybe stockinette socks are the way to go after all.

Turns out I can whip them out pretty quickly. This is about 8 hours worth of knitting.

Plus, they really do look pretty. Maybe I'll use this pattern for all of the highly variegated yarns, the ones that wouldn't show a pattern well anyway. This yarn is Seacoast Handpainted Panda, a wool/bamboo blend that is very light and airy. There are several new patterns on Knitty that are very appealing because they are anklets that are tempting me as well....I really, really need to work on knitting up some of my sock yarn stash. Recent uploads and editing on Ravelry are making this very clear to me!
I hop everyone who is a dad or has a dad in their life has a wonderful weekend...I am going to B's nephew's graduation party and then we are going to go out to an outdoors show and hopefully to enjoy the weather. I am off work on Monday and Tuesday and I think I am going to make that long-desired trip to East Berlin to try out some wheels at The Mannings. Can't wait!

Don't blow the bank!

I have an illness!

I have second sock syndrome. BAD. I have three lone socks hanging around.

Gull Wings, in HipKnits fingering weight cashmere from Pureknits. For my cousin Anne. I did start the second one shortly after this picture. I got needles that make the simple lace pattern much easier, so it's going a lot faster. The needles are Knitpicks Options dpns, and I am in love.  So sharp! So shiny!

Garter Rib (from Charlene Schurch's "Sensational Knitted Socks." This has been suggested to me as a pattern to help me use up my neverending handpainted sock yarn stash. Unfortunately, it is mind-numbingly boring. I'm going to try the slipped stitch rib pattern next, and work my way through the easy to memorize patterns. The yarn is ONline something or other, in a cotton or cotton blend. Nice yarn, not my style in terms of fibers or colors, but the sock is pretty comfy on. These are for my aunt, mother of Anne (above).

Remember these? I started these waaaay back in June '06. They are the raindrop lace socks (from Evelyn Clark/Fiber Trends) and are done in Lorna's Laces in brick. For some reason, I did this sock in a size 2 needle which is a little big but back then, way back in the day when we didn't have electricity or anything, I was a bit of a tighter knitter. I've loosened up a bit since then and as a general rule go down at least one needle size for every project and usually two. For my Kerry cardigan, I went down three sizes.
I have some more handpainted goodness to flash at you.


That's Yarn Pirate in Culture Club and Deep Cove. Those of you who have trouble getting Georgia's stuff (and I am usually one of them...I set my alarm clock this time for her etsy update) might be happy to hear that she is now doing custom orders for some of her colorways. NAYY.
Oh! And I finally, finally got some Options.

Have I mentioned how I love Knitpicks and their shiny, sharp needles?

My grasshopper sock from the Socks That Rock Rockin' Sock Club misbehaved. I took care of that. I am not going to use this pattern as it is annoying to me. There's only so much *yo, p2tog* I can take.

I got my invitation to Ravelry. I have been spending a lot of quality time on it downloading my yarn and current projects into it. It is so much fun! I highly recommend getting on the list if you aren't already.

This is why I need your help.

First off, don't forget the contest! I will close this contest at 12:00 noon EST on May 3rd, and announce winners that night (if B and I can stop drinking the birthday Prosecco long enough to read the entries and figure out which one is most creative).
This is just some of my gorgeous handpainted sock yarn. This is why I needed ideas for fast sock patterns! I've taken some of your advice...am trying a garter rib sock now per Amanda Cathleen, and Becka noted that I should still make things pretty and consider a simple lace or slip stitch pattern. I've found two simple patterns for each (all of these are from Sensational Knitted Socks or More Sensational Knitted Socks, BTW. I love Charlene Schurch). I've tried Wendy's toe up pattern which was very easy and quick; however, I'm not a fan of the short row heel. I am going to try Judy Gibson's recipe for toe up socks with a gusset soon, and I understand that Wendy may be posting a pattern soon with same type of heel. And of course, there is the basic stockinette sock recipe much like Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's. I have made this before with some success, but I can't remember if it was fast or not.
Enough chatter...here's the yarn!

This is from a new online yarn shop, Woolgirl. Left to right: Yarn Pirate in "Shiver Me Timbers." Zen String Lotus Toes in "Argyle." Union Center Knit's Whatnot Sock in "Daisy." Zen String Serendipity in "Woolgirl." Plus a new tape measure with a fun lizard theme.
Woolgirl is a fantastic place. Terrific customer service and she ships very quickly. Plus, look at all the goody extras!

Chocolate, stitch markers (the sheep one is on my Butterfly in Bam Boo from Knitscene), a sample of Soak, Hello Kitty stickers, gift tags...I think this shop will be around for a while if Jennifer Jett keeps taking care of people like this!
Next up, some lurvely Cider Moon.

Glacier in "Go Go." Glacier in "Jackie O" (25% of retail goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research and awareness).

Flurry in "Apple Crisp." Glacier in "Birch Bark." These yarns are amazingly soft and the colors sing. Plus, look at the very generous samples of other colorways:

These are Glacier in "Banana Cabana,""Pistachio," and "Pandora Rose" and Flurry in "Casual Friday" and "Peas and Carrots."

From left to right, we have Crash Into Ewe in "Pop Life," Froebe Fibers in "Watermelon Bombe," C*Eye*Ber Fiber Softee Sock in "Kettle on the Ocean," and Pureknits Ideal Sock in "Pop."

Shibui Knits Sock Fluids from Pureknits. Colors from left to right are orchid and spectrum. Talk about vibrant colors! These leap out and grab you.
All of this gorgeous yarn is all well and good, and then something like this happens.

I almost started crying when I saw this. It's my own fault. I've been wearing my handknitted socks everywhere, as well I should, but the shoes I wear to work slide on the heel (purposefully). These jaywalkers are made of 100% merino (SweetGeorgia handpainted merino in River) and I, of course, did not reinforce the heel in any way. I never had. When I darn these, I'll probably put some reinforcement in the darn and never wear them with those shoes again. I think I need to be more careful about remembering whether the socks had nylon or tencel in them. My mother has my grandmother's darning egg, and said I could have it to darn my socks. Thankfully I keep my remainders for just this reason.
Something to cheer me up...I received my April BMFA Rockin' Sock Club shipment and I'm fighting my way through the cast on now. Another toe up pattern, but this time with a gusset.
Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather (if you are here in the Baltimore area, that is). Here's hoping this weather holds through next weekend and the MD S&W festival!

Ah, technology!

Just for you, Tonia. Here are the Monkey socks! I love them very much. The fit is delish and nice and snug, just the way I like them. The yarn is STR in "Lucy" and I can't say enough about it as well. I was knitting the first sock with a set of splintering needles and the yarn held up very well. I can see why some people love the STR! I have several skeins marinating in my stash that I am looking forward to knitting up. And actually, my current SIP is...

Inside Out in "Monsoon" from BMFA, the February kit for the Rockin' Sock club. I have been wrestling with the dilemma of what to do about this pattern for some time in terms of the heel. I finally decided, after having much difficulty with the math, to knit the short row heel as written in the pattern and try the sock on right away to check the fit. The sock fits well enough, if maybe even a little big in the cuff since I am using 2's there for the cabling. My biggest concern, that I would have tightness across the top of my ankle, has been alleviated by the lovely ribbing on the foot and instep. So, I think overall I am OK with this. I still don't really like the feel of the short row heel...there's just something about a nice firm heel flap that I love. But this club is about trying new things after all. I just won't knit this pattern again, I'm guessing. But then, I'm not sure there are any patterns I would knit again...I like to change it up each time.
I picked up "More Sensational Knitted Socks" by Charlene Schurch while in PA cleaning out my parent's basement of my accumulated junk since college. The book is a slightly different format than the first one but the concept is the same, and there are several patterns that I love. I picked one out for Anne's socks...

Isn't this cashmere gorgeous? It's hipknits cashmere, a 2 ply with two definitely different plies that seem to take the dye differently. I got 8 sts/1" on size 0, which is my normal gauge, when I swatched. These will be started after I finish Inside Out.
Kerry's sleeves are progressing! I'm well into the honeycombs at the base. I'm looking forward to finishing and trying her on! Since I finally got my adapter cable for the computer and batteries charged for the camera, maybe I'll be able to document it soon.
Have a wonderful Easter, if you celebrate it!

Still no pictures!

Not only is my camera cable missing, but Tootsie chewed through my power cord for my computer so it is down. So, a quick post here from work and I am going to try to figure out if I can remotely post from my cell phone. Then maybe I can get a picture on here!

I finished the monkey socks (pictures soon, Tonia! I promise!) and I love them. I did go ahead and start the Rockin' Sock Club Monsoon socks and am at the heel. I was going to modify and do a heel flap but then when I thought about it it would be giving up the reversibility of the sock which is pretty cool. So I am going to try the short row heel but increased to 60% rather than 50%. With the ribbing on the sock I think it will help with preventing the tightness across the ankle that I hated before and hopefully I with the bigger heel I will be able to get it on well. If I don't like it, I'll rip and do the reverse heel flap.

I was on a big "it's all about Suzanne's socks" thing this year but I just found out upsetting news about my cousin. She has ductal breast cancer, and with 5 small children...she is quite young and the family is quite upset. This family lives in Louisiana and has just begun to pull themselves up by their bootstraps after Katrina. Anyway, my small way of contributing will be to knit my cousin a pair of hot pink cashmere socks (and her mother, my aunt a pair of her own). Knit with prayers and love to help in my own way! Please keep our family in your prayers.

General Tooth

Let's just get the tooth stuff out of the way, shall we? I know you are all entranced by my tooth saga. My temporary silver shiny crown fell out as I was eating some chicken. I wasn't chewing on that side, but there you are. It was somewhat amusing to feel it fall out and then to see the teeny nub of a tooth I have left. My dentist popped it back in with some new improved cement and my permanent crown should be here soon. I didn't feel this was enough drama to warrant a yarn reward.

No pictures today (unless I can find something fun in my archives) because my camera batteries don't want to charge. Stupid dime store rechargeables! But some updates! I did finish my first Monkey sock, several days ago. I love it very much. It is really pretty on too...and I am going to cast on for the mate very shortly. I did have some issues with the little needles I was using as they were splitting and splintering. The owner of the online place I bought them from was nothing but wonderful and popped a replacement set in the mail for me. They should be here soon and I will cast on for my second Monkey. I want to get this pair finished up in time for me to start the BMFA Monsoon socks for Project Spectrum's April/May triad which is green, yellow and pink. The Monsoon socks have lots of green. I have two socks worth of yellow yarn (will have to choose between those...the Pot of Gold Apple Pie may wait till orange) as well and a cool Anne colorway with green and yellow. I also have a pureknits colorway called Pop which is a lot of gray with little pops of pink. I made (if I finish the Monkey pair, which I'm sure I will) 3 pair of socks this last triad and I think I could manage 4 if I worked harder at it...which would not be a punishment, for sure. I love the socks! I think I have figured out the math to do the toe up heel flap, using Judy Gibson's "You're Putting Me On" sock template as a guide. I won't know if it's right till I knit it! I can't always "see" knitting on paper and usually need to have knitted it to see if it will work or not.

WRT Kerry....ahh, Kerry. Bless her little heart. I have been having the devil's own time with increasing for the sleeves. I think I have the math figured out correctly now. But I've ripped several times already! I am going to give them a shot again tomorrow.

Mindless knitting above and beyond all that...I finished up a swatch for something. It's taken my fancy lately. The swatch is in Takhi Donegal Tweed (the yarn called for in the pattern) and I started out on size 8's (the needle size called for in the pattern) and had to work my way down to size 6's due to my loosey goosey tendencies. Any ideas what that is for?

Must run! B and I are going to see "Last King of Scotland" and get some dinner. Have a wonderful weekend!