Winging it from the toe up

We're getting creative here people, watch out! Why I choose to make things as complicated for myself as possible, I'm never really quite sure. Either I overestimate my skills or I just secretly love the challenge. Case in point: No one needs to make fortune cookies from scratch, but of course I did. I am a baker, but that was just crazy. What was I thinking? I wasn't! I just went for it and figured it out along the way. The process: A huge mess, lots of trial and error. The outcome: Many freakishly deformed and/or broken cookies, several salvageable ones, and a gift I ended up being quite proud of. I can only hope my "winging it" knee highs will yield a similarly pleasing result.

These knee highs will be chock full of many firsts: First knee socks. First knee socks with calf shaping. First toe-up socks. First short-row heel. First time using self-striping yarn. As you can see, this encompasses a lot of firsts. Should be interesting!

I've been itching for knee highs for months and months now. Cute knee socks have been seen everywhere, and dangit if I didn't want to share in the fun! After much deliberation (I will spare you my erratic thought process through it all- poor Dis already had to live through it once), I decided on a simple stockinette pattern, with contrasting toes, heels, and cuff. I was leaning toward stripes, but somehow coming up with coordinating stripe colors on my own seemed to require a little too much decision making, so I opted for this self-striping tweedy variety of Lana Grossa Meilenweit for the main body and an espresso brown color for the contrasts. Now, back to self-striping yarn for a second. How does it work? No idea. How would I like it? No idea. But, I came across this yarn and thought, Why the heck not?

Verdict thus far? I'm liking it. All of it. It took me a while to find a toe up cast on that worked for me- I went with a Turkish CO. I won't embarrass myself by disclosing the number of times I had to start and restart the first toe. But, once I got the first one, the second one was a breeze, and I felt like I had one mini triumph already under my belt. I'm finding that the stripes are keeping my interest, and I'm making a concerted effort to try to not get too psycho about symmetrical stripes, but I'm nothing if not a stickler for symmetry, so we'll see how far I can go with that. (Yeah, I know- it won't be far. I'll pack light.)

I will also have a challenge up ahead when I get to working on the heel, but I have managed to not think about that too much thus far. Nor am I thinking ahead yet to the calf-shaping segment of the show, since more math is involved, and I have profound problems with math- even knitty math. Actually, I know I should start thinking about the short row heel now. I hope I can make sense of it.

So, how'd you like the differences in lighting for the three photos? Yeah, sorry about that. Well, at least you can a sense of the colors in the yarn. The first photo clearly shows the colors best, but I wanted to throw in some progress pics, so crappy night-time lighting was my only choice. They're coming along nicely, though, don't you think?

PS: What is with me and this color scheme?

First Pair of Socks: Check!

I can hardly believe it's true, but I can finally say that I have knit my first PAIR of socks! Woo-hoo! I am so happy, I can hardly contain myself! This is a huge milestone for me, after many months hobbling along on this sock journey . There have been many triumphs along the way, too- turning my first heel, kitchenering up my first toe (which reminds me: don't look too closely at sock #1), finishing the first sock, and now completing my first whole pair! The excitement and giddy sense of accomplishment is almost to much to bear.

I could not have done this alone. I would very possibly still be sitting here today without a single sock to show off, let alone two, if it weren't for a few lovely ladies, so I think a quick shout out is in order. Many thanks to my friend-slash-sock mentor for showing me the ropes (or yummy Koigu KPPPM, as the case may be) and for all her guidance along the way, and thanks also my two fabulous Loopy Girls for all their support and encouragement (you can never underestimate the power of repeated "Youcandoit!" cheers). And I couldn't leave out a special shout out to the Knitting Olympics, for providing me with an opportunity to challenge myself to just finish these freaking things already!

These socks are not perfect. But, they are my first born pair, and they will always hold a special place in my heart, wonkiness and all! I couldn't be happier with them.

The only downside to all of this is that I am embarking on what seems to be a burgeoning sock yarn addiction. I want more Koigu KPPPM! Like, now! But I will (try) to hold off until I use up the ball of Lana Grossa Meilenweit that I bought months and months ago, as well as the hank of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock that I bought at Stitches. I can see why sock knitting can be so addictive. I can't wait to start on another pair! Hopefully the next one won't take me 5 months and an Olympics to complete! ;)

My First

These are them. 'Member?

They look innocent enough, but as my first, they are the ones that ushered me into the wicked world of sock knitting (addiction). Why this trip down memory lane? To commemorate the start of Socktoberfest, of course! Lolly is encouraging us to share our sock histories, and as short as mine is, here you go:

When did you start making socks?
Just about one year ago! Guided with care all the while by the lovely Julia.

What was your first pair?
The aforementioned and depicted Artic Chars. A basic top-down sock pattern with 2x2 ribbing, knit with Koigu KPPPM on size 2 bamboo DPNs.

How have they "held up" over time?
Still kickin' (ha)! They are in good shape, as they should be- after all, they're less than a year old!

What would you have done differently?
Nothing, really. I'd rather have finished the pair sooner (if you recall, I suffered from a severe case of the dreaded SSS, so there was great lag time between sock one and sock two). But, as for the knitting process itself, I wouldn't change a thing. It took me a while to figure out what the heck I was doing, and how this thing would eventually turn into a sock, but the process was great. I learned so much, and had great triumphs like this one along the way.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
So far I've only used Koigu KPPPM (first and third pair) and Cherry Tree Hill supersock (second pair), and I enjoyed them both equally (read: very much). I have and plan to use Lana Grossa Meilenweit and Sundara sock yarn in the near future, and am looking forward to it!

Do you like to crochet your socks? Or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the magic loop method?
I enjoy knitting on DPNs. I tried the 2 circulars method, and while I didn't hate it, I much prefer the DPNs. There's something about the way the work in my hands that I just enjoy. I knit my last pair of socks kindasorta simultaneously on two sets of DPNs, and found it to be a great way to go. I'll probably try magic looping at some point, just for the heck of it.

Which kind of heel do you prefer (flap? or short-row)?
I have only knit socks with heel flaps thus far and like them just fine. Though I think I may incorporate a short row heel next, just to try it out. Being that I'm still such a new sock knitter, I want to try different techniques, for the experience, if nothing else. Won't know if I'll like something (or not) until I try it, right?

How many pairs have you made?
Depending on how you look at it, it's either "just 3" or, as I prefer to look at it: 3 whole pairs!!

I really can't believe I've only been knitting socks for a year. But then again, I've only been knitting in general for around two and a half years. When I take a moment to look back at all I've learned in the last couple of years, it kind of blows my mind. In a good way. :)

Artic Char Socks

Thanks to B and Nobu, my first ever pair of socks finally have a name! I am happy to bestow upon Sock and its mate-in-progress (MIP) a name inspired by one of the delectable dishes B and I feasted on during the early V-Day dinner B treated me to at Nobu Malibu on Saturday night: Artic Char with Crispy Baby Spinach. Naming projects after food is, after all, not a new thing for me. I am frequently inspired by (my love of) food.

It was our first time at a Nobu restaurant, but it certainly won't be the last! We had some of the best food I've ever tasted, the artic char being just one of them. We ate a lot, and everything from the "new-style sashimi' to the rock shrimp tempura with ponzu sauce was to die for. As I savored every bite, I wished I could make this dining experience last, and that's when it hit me that at least part of it could continue to linger in my memory. Now, every time I look at these socks, they will not only conjure loving memories of the proverbial blood sweat and tears that went into knitting this first born pair, but also my first visit to Nobu. Heck, depending how my fast memory goes, it may also remind me Anthony Hopkins, since we basically shared a (long) booth with him at dinner.

BTW, I don't think I've mentioned yet that my somewhat lame Olympic "event" is completing these socks. I feel like a bit of a loser choosing a project like this- especially when other knitters are tacking far more intricate projects and seeing that socks are something that most knitters can do in their sleep- but considering it took me around 4 1/2 months to finish ONE sock, I consider it a personal challenge to finish the other one in 2 weeks. And anyway, this little self-inflicted push seems to be working- I've already got most of the leg done. Yay!

FO: Stripey Tweedy Knee Highs

Yes, they're finally finished! And it only took a year! *shaking head- at myself* I started these roughly a year ago, during last year's Socktoberfest. Oh the shame! But, I was determined to finish them during this year's Soctoberfest, and here we are, just in the nick of time! Ta-daa!!

Let's see if I can recall all the details...it's been so long...The fabulous stripey, tweedy yarn is Lana Grossa Meilenweit Colortweed and the contrasting espresso brown yarn is Lang Jawoll. Knit up concurrently on US2 DPNs. Um, what else? Lots of firsts may be checked off the list:

First knee socks. Verdict: They definitely won't be my last!
First knee socks with calf shaping. Verdict: Love it, not to mention it's a total necessity for someone with normal sized ankles and *ahem* "shapely" calves.
First toe-up socks. Verdict: Kind of fun.
First short-row heel. Verdict: Not so much. I like the way they look, but I think a heel flap is much more suited to my particular foot/heel/arch.
First go with self-striping yarn. Verdict: Fun, though a little stressful for such an uptight symmetry nerd like me.
First tubular bind-off. Verdict: Totally worth it and another necessity. I couldn't have finished these (and worn them) without it.

I will do a lot of things differently the next time I knit knee highs - like oh, maybe follow an actual pattern - but this was such a great learning experience for me, and I did rather enjoy making it up as I went along. Well, for the most part...(Thank goodness they fit!)

Final verdict: I love these. I mean, come on. Who doesn't love knee highs?

I'm officially ready for autumn and winter now. Happy Halloween!

FO: 4 Month Socks

I've got a few FOs to show, but I'll spread 'em out, to keep things interesting. ;) First up are a pair of socks I recently knit for Bean. It's getting chillier, and her cotton socks seem insufficient, so I thought it only right that I knit her some *real* socks. :)

4 Month Socks
Pattern: Baby Socks by Bianca Boonstra (Ravlink)
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM (100% merino wool) - way less than 1 skein (leftovers from my Tiny Chicklets socks)
Needles: US1
Made for: Bean's feet

I LOVED knitting these! The colorway, first of all, makes me all kinds of happy. And I can't think of a more gratifying way to knit socks - these are so small, they knit up so quickly - no second sock syndrome here! Last but not least, if there's anything I love more than wee baby feet, it's wee baby feet in wee baby socks.

So. Tiny. What's not to love?

I can't wait to knit another pair!

Easter Eggs

Little did I know that when I picked out this sock yarn more than six months ago and embarked upon what are now my first pair of socks that they would be Easter socks. And how appropriate indeed. What else would you call yellow, purple and white socks? It's a natural, really. So here they are in all their glory, my Easter Egg Socks:

These are a basic sock pattern made with a 2X2 rib for the ankle and plain jane stockinette stitch for the rest. Julia helped me get started using a basic sock formula, which will let you make a pair of socks for anyone of any size. Pretty slick, huh? The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock in Layette (303). I used under two hanks and there is quite a but left over.

They are a little wonky because after all, they are my first pair. But, I love them and I am still in shock that I made a pair of socks! Now, if I just could get out of my mind this insanity that is my idea to make the socks that then get made into sock monkeys, I may survive my next pair. I already cast on for a pair of Bavarian Twisted Stitch socks from Cat's socks on circulars book, or as we like to call it around these parts, the SOC book. So far I'm finding the method a little awkward, but its only been a couple rounds so I haven't called it quits yet.

WIP Catch Up!

First of all, thank you for your nice comments about my capelet and Silk Garden Lite socks! I'd probably already be well on my way to a finished second sock except that knitting these socks is killing my hands! That when combined with A LOT of typing at the office has made for a seriously sore right hand. So sore, that I've had to forgo knitting in the evenings a couple times this week. :-(

Anyway, I wanted to follow up my FO Catch Up post with an equally enthralling ( :-P ) update of my current projects. First of all, I've FINALLY started my Icarus. I had been going back and forth on what yarn to use for this project since it was first published and nothing I had in my stash seemed to be right. Then on our way to this year's retreat, we made a quick stop in at A Mano where Nonnahs and I found their stash of Malabrigo lace. I fell head over heels for the Pearl colorway. It's a lovely, subtly variegated combination of soft grays, purples, pinks and white. I knew instantly it was destined to become my Icarus! And so, as soon as I got home from the retreat, I cast on.

I am now almost done with the third repeat of the repeat portion of the first chart. I've been working on the shawl fairly consistently and it has served as my break-from-the-killer-socks project.

I am also test knitting these lovely stitch markers. A friend of mine at the office is in the process of opening an Etsy shop and plans to carry stitch markers. I'm test knitting with them to make sure they are aren't too heavy and don't snag. I really like them and will let you all know once they are available for purchase.

I have also started a new wool project. I've been itching for a 'real' sweater to work on, but also I know that wool is easier on my hands than cotton and except for my shawl and socks, everything I have on the needles is cotton. I have several sweaters in my queue, but I don't quite feel like reading a cable chart, so I decided to knit my Hourglass from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

I'm using the Brooks Farm Solana that I got at Stitches in February. It reminded me a lot of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted, which I really liked in the version Knitzalot knit. So, I swatched and ended up casting on last night.

I'm a bit concerned about the quantity of yarn I have, so I decided to knit the hems in a different yarn. Cora had a ball of a dark gold Mission Falls that matches perfectly. It should be exactly what I need to stretch the yardage of my Solana. But of course I didn't manage to take a photo!

Finally, I have made a little more progress on my Britannia. I still really like the looks of this top, but I hate knitting the twisted rib. I picked out some Kona Bay Cotton I had in my stash for this project because I thought that the pattern could work with the way I know the cotton is going to end up flopping. However, part way through the ribbing on the front, I began to question the ability of this yarn to hold up the ribbed waste band at all.

I contemplated just stopping now and riping it out completely, but the idea of knitting all of that twisted ribbing again in a different yarn killed me. So, once I finished the ribbing for the front, I pinned it together and tried on the complete waste band portion. It actually fit better than I expected, at least well enough to continue with the stockinette portion of the front. I will seam it together once the front is done and try it on again before I knit the sleeves and all the collar twisted ribbing. I do want this top, but I DO NOT want to knit any more of that ribbing if it isn't going to work out.

(Incidentally, don't look too close at this WIP photo, after I took it, I discovered that I had made a MASSIVE mistake on the front portion when I divided it for the front and back. I have no idea what I was thinking (or not, in this case) but, I'm just glad I discovered the mistake when I did or I KNOW Britannia would have never, ever seen the light of day again.)

FO: Pine

Yay, as this was just gifted, I can finally show you my first FO of the year, and one that I completely adore, too!

Pine
Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket (Ravlink) by Elizabeth Zimmerman (pretty obvious, but hey)
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight (100% superwash merino) in Beryl - less than one skein.
Needles: US4
For: Dis' soon-to-be-born baby boy!

This was my first BSJ - actually my first EZ project - and I can say with complete confidence and certainty that it won't be my last (of either)! I thoroughly enjoyed knitting this little sweater. I loved working with this yarn, watching the subtle shades of green and specs of brown emerge, and I loved knitting this pattern, watching as a non-descript blob magically turned into an actual garment.

I know I am late to the party (understatement) but that EZ: genius! That being said, I found all the extra information on the BSJ incredibly helpful. My brain can comprehend only so much even without the presence of pregnancy hormones- so I found everyone else's notes on Ravelry very useful. Again, yay Ravelry!

I'm especially in love with the little wooden buttons I found. This was, however, not without some frustration. I headed over to my local fabric store (which boasts, in addition to the usual rounders, an entire wall of buttons), thinking I'd have no problem finding just the right ones. Silly rabbit. I looked up and down, through rounders and bins and little tubes and nothing spoke to me. Nothing. Seriously?? Then, when I was just about at my wit's end, I spied a tiny section of wooden buttons, including these which I immediately fell in love with.

So.cute. They definitely completed the sweater!

I also decided to knit a pair of socks for the baby. May I present what may just be the teeny-tiniest socks ever.

Pattern: Playful Pairs (Ravlink) by Diane Soucy
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight (100% superwash merino) in Beryl - way under one skein.
Needles: US2

This is a really good, easy pattern/formula for basic baby socks- I definitely plan to use it again. It doesn't call for a lot of yarn, so it's great for using up leftover sock yarn (who doesn't have that?) and they knit up ridiculously quick- I would start one and before I knew it, I was finished!

I can't wait to see Dis' little one decked out in these! :)

Bougainvillea Socks

O Happy Day! My Bougainvillea socks are done! They were my first attempt at socks on two circulars, and as such, I thought it only fitting to use Cat Bordhi's Basic Sock Pattern to try it out. You may remember that I wondered if I was crazy while I worked on the first sock, because so many knitters l-o-v-e this method, however, I found myself missing my DPNs. Yet, I wanted to reserve judgement until I had finished the pair. Didn't want to jump to any hasty conclusions. Well, now that I've completed a pair, I can say that...while I don't hate this method (hate is such a strong word), I will be knitting my next pair of socks on DPNs.


I did enjoy knitting these socks, though, I must say. I may or may not have mentioned before that I llllllove this yarn. Cherry Tree Hill supersock. And get a load of these colors! Well, sadly, you can't so much, because it seems that no light can ever do it justice. I've tried all kinds of lighting situations, people, and unfortunately for you, it looks so much prettier and more vibrant in person. The pinks! The purples! The greens! Aagh! Hopefully you can get at least an idea of it's beautiousness in these photos or the ones back here.

I'm not saying I will never knit socks on circulars ever again, but all I can think about right now is how I can't wait to bust out the trusty ol' DPNs and cast on for another pair of socks. Now, to decide on a pattern...

The Last Day

There are a couple more gifts I wanted to share with you before we wrapped up this holiday season and 2006 for that matter. I spent the majority of my knitting time the week or so before Christmas on a sweater for my brother. This has been a secret knit for a while as I wasn't sure if he ever looked at the blog. I know that his wife reads from time to time, but I figured I really wanted it to be a surprise, so I better err on the side of caution. So, this is what he got Christmas morning: A 3/4 finished modified Durrow Sweater in charcoal Kilcarra Donogal Tweed ordered directly from Ireland from this wonderfully friendly and fast ebay seller Irish Yarns and Crafts.

I had planned and really wanted to finish it (and I believe I could have), but after discussing issues with his sizing, it made more sense to have him try it on and check out the measurements before it was all sewn up and finished. My sister-in-law had helped by measuring his existing sweaters, but his arm measurements were way off from what the finished measurements were in this pattern. Let's just say I am really glad I decided to finish it later. Once the body was on him, I could tell I was going to have an issue with the neck openning. After talking to my other sister-in-law who also recently finished a Durrow for her husband, she turned me on to what is apparently a fairly common issue with this sweater. Again, I saved myself a ton of work by decided to do a pre-fitting. I now know what to do to finish this puppy up and should only have to rip a little of the front and possibly the top back. You've got to love the internet. Now if I could only get myself in the habit of doing full Google searches on patterns BEFORE I start them!

The best part was that by decided to hold off on Brother's Sweater meant I had all of Christmas Eve to work on whatever I wanted. This meant that the socks I was making for B (and had planned to finish this week while I was off for a belated Christmas present), got a second chance to become an on-time FO. I got them out first thing that morning and decided if I could get to the toe before he got up (I was about a 1/3 into the foot), I would be able to finish them that day. Well, sure 'nuf a disk worth of 24 episodes did the trick and was half way through the toe by lunch time. I ended up adding them to the toe of his stocking and then alternating all the other stocking gifts with pairs of plain store bought socks to through him off. It worked! When he got to the last pair, he pulled them out and said - oooh, and warm snuggly socks! But didn't realize they were handknit! So then I whispered - I made them. And he said - Your kidding!! That was the best present I got!

And they fit!! The pattern is the TechGuy Socks from MagKnits in the 3X1 rib version made in the amazing Socks That Rock. For the body of the socks I used almost a full hank of lightweight Obsidian and for the toes and heels a bit of lightweight Black Onyx. Both colors I either called or emailed them about. I had some issues with these socks, mainly running out of the main color yarn. Luckily Blue Moon happened to have one hank of exactly what I needed to finish them out properly!

And since a week off from work also lent itself to lots of Jenny time, here is Jenny in her new favorite place:

Wrapped up in the microfiber blanket my mom got us. She LOVES this thing! We wrap her up in it before we leave the house and you can see it in her face as she goes - Ahhhhhh.

Have a safe and wonderful New Years Eve tonight!

Fall Fun: Bring it on!

It's October, and fun is in the air! An anniversary, a baseball game, a pair of socks, and...a spindle?

Fun stuff:

1. Today marks the 3rd anniversary of B's and my first date. 2003 was an especially significant year for me, full of soul-wrenching lows and schoolgirl-like, giddy highs. The first few months of the year were the hardest of my life, with my mom's passing in March. Those first few months were a blur. But then, things looked up, and the year ended on a sweet note. With the laws of convergence working the way it does sometimes, I am able to look back on 2003 with some fondness, because I met B later that summer. We met through a random association of friends and neighbors, and went on our first official date 3 years ago today. My mom told me she would "work on" sending a great guy my way and boy did she come through! :)

2. Today is the first day of the MLB playoffs. Now, the playoffs and World Series are exciting only as long as your team is in the running. So, I'm into it for now, because the Padres are in it- for the second year in a row, I might add! Game 1 is today in San Diego and you have to know how much I'd rather be at Petco instead of my little office, so we'll just stop here. Go Padres!!

3. This month is Socktoberfest. To celebrate, I plan to tackle my first pair of knee-highs, of the toe-up variety...with contrasting toes, heels, and top ribbing, calf-shaping, the whole nine. I will probably follow parts of different patterns here and there, improvising as I go. I'm sooo excited! Stay tuned to find out whether I'm challenging myself just the right amount here, or if I'm being way too ambitious. I think I'll be just fine. Theoretically. ;)

4. And this is really freaking exciting- are you ready? This month, I plan to...dundundun... learn how to spin! What? You thought I swore off spinning, purposely averting my gaze out of fear a potential addiction, and with knitting already an addiction, there wouldn't be any room left for another, and what the heck would I be getting myself into anyway? Well, that's right. All true. But, I'm gonna try it anyway! Hah! I mean, it looks like way too much fun, and a girl can hold out for only so long. And knowing I will have a wonderfully generous, talented, and supportive group (of enablers) around me, I really have no excuse to not give it a go. So there, I said it, I give up! UNCLE! (Who knows- maybe I will be totally inept at it, or maybe I just won't care for it all that much. And yet, I can't help feeling like a person who's about to try crack for the first time. Why is that?) I'll let you know how it goes, of course. Wish me luck!

These Socks Really Rock

I have been meaning to post these pictures of my finished Socks That Rock FOREVER. I finally sat down to do it because I have several other things to share that will have to wait until tomorrow when, hopefully, I will be able to get a little daylight.

I made these roughly following the basic sock pattern from the Cat Bordhi book. I used a hank of Carbon Socks That Rock (of which I have quite a bit leftover) with my size 2 Addi Turbos. I modified the pattern a bit to make them a little smaller. But what I now realize is that I should have made them as directed, only on smaller needles.

I think that the stockinette part of the sock is ok, but the ribs seem like they pull a bit. But, they fit me much better than my first pair, so these can actually stay with these feet. I was able to get a bit of the Nike swoosh on the second sock, but it isn't a perfect match.

I realized two things while working on these socks. First, I really need to learn Kitchener stitch. I follow the instructions, but I am not really getting the technique. I've been meaning to watch one of those helpful online videos, but I haven't gotten around to it. Now I will put that to the top of the list. Second, I realized that I really like the 2 socks on 2 circulars method. I didn't mind the needles hanging around and I felt that my speed and joins were highly improved from my last pair. I doubt that I will give up my dpns, but I think for most socks I will stick to this method.

FO Catch Up!

Recently it seems like I've been living one of those secret knitting lives. I have been very remiss in showing progress on my current projects and have neglected mentioning new projects all together! I have managed a couple finished object posts (thank you for all the great comments - one of these days we will have a blog that will be more conducive to personal thank yous), but it was difficult. I don't know what the problem is, but my goal is to get back to posting more as things happen, rather than always playing catch up.

So to get things started I thought I'd clear my backlog of finished objects. First up, I finished my Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet in Espresso Kona Bay Cotton.

The knitting was done several weeks ago, but it took awhile to find just the right broach to close it. After searching a few brick and mortar stores (and finding out that apparently broaches are "out") and turned my efforts to Etsy. Let's just say, I need to start making Etsy my first stop for searches like this. I stumbled upon Cocoonwillfly.etsy.com and found the perfect broach. Her shipping was super fast and she was *really* nice. Plus, the packaging was cute as can be once it arrived.

As for stats, I re-gauged the pattern for a light worsted weight yarn. I ended up using a little over 3 balls of Kona Bay Cotton in Espresso (78) on size 6 needles. I also reversed the stockinette to right-side being right-side out. Other than that, it was a super quick knit and I look forward to actually wearing it out, but with the weather getting cooler and my move back into pants, it may be a little while before that happens.

So fortunately, I have a couple more seasonally appropriate projects on the needles. This one is part FO and part WIP as it is a pair of socks!

This is my September contribution to the 2007 UFO Resurrection Challenge. It turns out that I started these LAST September and put them down when I started to have some hand problems. While very fun to knit, Silk Garden Lite is not easy on my hands, especially at this gauge.

These are now back in my knitting bag for my spare time at the office and I look forward to having a pair of socks I can actually wear! I've already cast on for the second sock, so my poor left foot won't be cold for long!

The Good, the Bad, and the Cute

Wow. This has really been my week. I guess it was bound to happen as things had been running pretty smoothly around these parts. And as they say about the Matrix - it just doesn't feel right when there isn't "something" going on.

The good news is that the electricity is back on. The bad news? It could have been on this whole week. Apparently neither B or I knew how to "properly" switch a breaker. The fun part is, it took the maintenance man the building property manager finally sent over 2 seconds to tell us that. Why didn't the electrician our unit property manager uses know that last Friday?

The bad news was yesterday I locked myself out of one of my bank account because I couldn't remember the super obvious passwords I had chosen. (I swear Nonnahs, it is amazing my world doesn't implode with the amount of stuff I can't seem to remember these day!) The good news is that I was able to find my account papers (buried amongst the 10 months of papers I have to file) with all my super obvious passwords on it, which means that now I don't have to go down to the office in person to verify my identity before they'll un-lock my account.

The bad news is that someone decided that the random dog poop left someplace in our building belonged to us and deposited it on our front door mat. (Seriously? Just because there is a dog in a unit, does not mean THAT dog made the poop...especially a poop that was clearly NOT made by a mini dachshund). The good news? High and Mighty Jerk who left it there, had to touch the poop to put it there. Ha!

The good news is that despite our current financial woes (aka the bad news), we have a plan. And I think as long as we can make it until Wednesday, we'll be ok. Not great, but Ok. And the good news on top of this? I have a stash. And I plan on using it. (At least I better, because the shocked looks I keep getting when people catch sight of it for the first time are starting to get a little embarrassing.)

And finally, the good news is that my friend Dr. Nyl who so kindly hosted us on our trip to Australia summer before last, is moving back to San Diego! And you know what? She's a knitter now, too!
The only bad news about this is that she won't be back until end of February/beginning of March. Although if next year is anything like this year, that will be here before you know it. Hopefully she will find the low humidity here in San Diego more knitting-friendly that Brisbane. She may also be a sock knitter convert. While she was here after Thanksgiving, she picked up her first Addi Turbo and Koigu for a little Magic Loop sock magic. Not being much of a sock wearer herself, she was planning to make these for her mom. That was at least until she tried on a handknit sock. I tried to tell her that handknit socks are unlike anything else, but until you put one on, you really don't understand. So I had her try on my only non-eaten sock, which she promptly wore for the rest of the evening. I was able to catch this picture as B was in the middle of showing her a plethora of our vacation pictures. Hopefully, her first pair of Koigu socks will be the first of many to come!

Stitches Recap, Part 1

First of all, I want to apologize ahead of time, because you are going to be hearing a lot from us in the next few days, well at least a lot from me. There are several things I have put off posting because of the Olympic knitting. First and foremost, we have our Stitches trip to tell you all about.

We started out trip on Thursday with Nonnahs and myself driving up to Santa Clara. Nasus had class Thursday night, so she flew up to meet us afterward. We rented a rockin' Cobalt Cobalt


(never heard of one? Neither had we) to spare our aging vehicles the road trip and had a fairly uneventful drive that actually "seemed" a lot quicker than we were expecting.

We saw some of those famous Happy Cows from California as well as those very sad cows off the side of interstate 5. We also saw quite a few sheep, which we kept pointing out to each other like the little kids we are.

True to form, we had a little loopy experience at the airport making numerous loops around the San Jose airport while Nasus dealt with a potentially lost suitcase. Fortunately, the airline was able to locate her bag and her precious Stitches homework was rescued.

The next morning we got up early in time for our class on Friday morning. As mentioned earlier, we took Melissa Leapman's Basic Pattern Drafting class. It was great and perfect for our level. We had all the basics down that we really needed to have to get the most out of the class, but we still learned a ton. It was well worth the price of the course and Melissa was great. If she comes to your LYS, I highly recommend taking her class. We left feeling that it was completely possible to make our own things and modify patterns from others. It also made us really interested in taking her next class on pattern drafting, too. By the way, isn't it amazing that three people with the same instructions get such different results?


After our class we headed off to the market place where we ate hot dogs and french fries for lunch and saw more than we ever thought possible! Unfortunately, we were barred from taking pictures in the market - what the heck?


It ended up being mostly a sock yarn haul for us. Since a lot of the LYSs in San Diego don't carry some of the most coveted sock yarn on the web, we took the opportunity to pick up some Socks that Rock as well as Cherry Tree Hill and some Koigu KPPPM. I also had to get some Claudia Hand Painted Yarn "Oops" - a name like "Oops" has Dis written all over it. We also each picked up a copy of the Socks that Soar on Two Circular Needles, a technique we are all itching to try.


I was also impressed with the yarns at Ferncrest Farm. They raised their own Angora goats and died all the yarn with plants from their own farm. The yarn colors vary from year to year depending on the plants that year. I found the proprietor wonderful to talk to and I appreciated that she still had time for me despite on obviously busy day (unlike one other - to be left nameless - shopkeeper who made a nasty comment to my back - grrrr). I look forward to ordering some of their great yarn when I have the right project.

After several hours at the market, we were pooped and made our way back across the street to the lovely Hilton where we were staying. First of all, the hotel had some of the best beds ever - I slept like a baby the first night, something that rarely happens to me. Plus they had a seat in the window! How cool is that! I spent as much time as I could in the window because how often do you get to sit in a window? Everyone should have one of these, really.


We ended up waiting way too long before getting dinner. We didn't want to go out but we needed to, but we had no idea where to go. After looking through the dining books in the room, which were obviously geared toward business people on expense accounts, not three yarnaholics sharing a double room, a little ad for the Olive Garden in the local phone book caught our eye. I called the restaurant and asked how to get there and a helpful hostess promptly helped me with directions. However, I failed to ask what we came to realize was a critically important question - how far away are you? We ended up driving about 20 miles and making a complete U-turn with the freeways to get to a stinking Olive Garden.


Not only that, when we finally got there, at which time we were close to passing out with hunger and completely delirious, the place was packed as if it was 1988 and the new cool place to eat. This was when we realized we had just driven 20 miles for take-out.

Knit Salon

The Sock Leg
Originally uploaded by Disentangled.

I had a very enjoyable evening last night. It was the first time I ventured out to a formal sit & knit. This particular one was hosted by the Grove in South Park San Diego. They hold a knit salon every other Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:00 (I think). There were at least a dozen knitters there - notice I didn't say ladies? Yes, there was a guy knitter too! Yay - it's so nice to see that. I wish more guys would knit. B actually talked about learning, but it will be interesting to find a fiber that isn't going to drive his hands crazy.

Nasus was able to join me which was great because I hadn't seen her in a couple weeks. We chatted and knit and checked out what everyone else was making and the next thing we knew it was 8:00! The owner of the store was making a bobbi bear - so I had a chance to ask her about that project, since I will be making one soon (and found out they were going to have a bobbi bear class in December! I don't think you really need a class to follow the pattern, but how fun would that be?). Another lady was starting a baby kimono in the cutest green wool and we all commiserated about how it wasn't really a quick knit. Just because it's small doesn't mean you can knit thousands of tiny stitches quickly. And I think one of the most fun things was the show and tell of the monster hat kits that you can see here. These were so cute and would be great for kids and big kids, I mean adults.

Nasus and I made some progress on our own WIPs. I got a bit more done on my very-first-sock-leg-ever and Nasus looks like she is now at least 1/2 done with the Kyoto sash. The owner commented on Nasus' lovely knitting - she told her that she had never seen that yarn knitted up so well - "Mine never looked like that." As for my sock leg, you can now see the pattern of the Lorna's Laces I am using (details in my yarn review section). I think the spiral will be cute, but I am trying not to wig out about matching it to my second sock. I see knitters (and I mean Knitters) post pictures of not perfectly matched socks all the time, but I have a feeling that the impulse to match could take over rational thought if I don't have a couple glasses of wine first when that time comes. I seriously understand the theory behind making a sock that matches, but logistically? I keep telling myself it's my first pair, it's ok for them to be different. This is a learning process after all, right?

Anyway, I will definitely be going back and I can see how this could be a seriously addicting activity. So, until next time...

Disentangled's SP6 Questionnaire

I thought I would post an updated version of my secret pal questionnaire. Just a reminder that there are two members of our blog participating in the SP6 so hopefully it doesn't get to confusing for our secret pals. This is my info and Whirlypurly will be posting hers shortly.

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

I love natural fibers and high quality yarns. However, I wouldn’t be able to knit as much as I do, if I restricted myself to just the good stuff. (My first poncho cost me about $80 in yarn). I think there is a time and a place for acrylic, especially for articles that would be difficult or annoying to hand wash all the time. But, most of my larger projects have been made with good yarn.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

I do not spin. Although in my profile it says one of my hobbies is spinning, but in this case, I’m talking about the stationary bike. I have taken an intro crochet class, but have only made one project and its not even done yet.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

Not to any of those things – just good ol’ pollen.

4. How long have you been knitting?

For about a year and a half.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes, I have an Amazon wish list.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Lavender. But then I’m not really picky, just not a big fan of vanilla.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

Yes – I love chocolate with orange.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

I love scrapbooking, stained glass, collaging and various other art projects – I tend to have a short attention span and like to do lots of different things, but I’ve never become exclusive to one hobby – knitting is the closest I’ve ever come, but with all the different patterns, its something new all the time.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I love different kinds of music, but have a special interest in classic jazz from the 40s to 60s. I love trance, especially those that incorporate music from other cultures. I am a fan of the oh-so-descriptive “alternative” scene. My computer plays MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

I love blues and greens. I’m not a big fan of day-glow colors.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I am married with a mini Dachshund, Jenny, for a child – I mean doggie.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

To be an artist, full-time.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

I love anything that is soft, especially cotton and wool.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Scratchy wool and ribbon looking nylons.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Everything! I have a list of at least 10 future projects to knit.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Things for other people and things where you can see your progress quickly.

17. What are you knitting right now?

Knitty’s Kyoto, Glampyre’s One Skein Wonder, Interweave Knit’s Baby Kimono and a recycled t-shirt rug.

18. What do you think about ponchos?

I like certain styles of ponchos (like Cape Mod from SnB, but not the long triangley ones).

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

I like them both – but tend to use my Denise interchangeable needles a lot so my stitches can breathe – scrunched stitches are a pet peeve of mine.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Depends on what I’m knitting. So far, I have found each kind useful for different yarns and projects. I have a selection of each, but I love Lantern Moon needles.

21. Are you a sock knitter?

Haven’t tried to knit socks yet, but I’m sure I will some day.

22. How did you learn to knit?

Two of my friends and I learned to knit from a book.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

That would be my Kyoto, which I started at the beginning of June.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

I love Butters from South Park and Stuart Little. I love monkeys and apes. My new favorite bird is the Kookaburra.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

I have been a prolific collector since I was a kid. However, I have tamed my collecting urges in order to save my marriage ;-)

So, right now I have two collections at the office: 1) unique and international paper clips – don’t ask; and 2) misfit toys – because every toy deserves a good home even if they aren’t perfect.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

Interweave Knits and Creative Knitting

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?

I have a couple that look interesting in my wish list, but I wouldn’t know which one to pick first since I haven’t seen any of them in person yet.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??

Not really, except for the books listed in my wish list.

30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?

I usually wear a size 8 shoe, but don't know what my foot measurements are. I like thinner socks that aren't itchy. To be honest, I've never worn a pair of hand knitted socks before.

The things we do for the ones we love

This Saturday we had our first sweater design class in a 6 class series at a local San Diego LYS. The purpose of the class is to go from swatch to sweater. We could use anything for inspiration - a favorite garment, another knitting item, whatever. For me it was a fairly easy choice: B’s sweater. Ever since he got his socks, he’s been hinting about a sweater. In fact, he often says I should hurry up and finish my brother’s sweater (yes, it still isn’t done), so I can start on his! Now, his enthusiasm threw me for a loop at the beginning because, well, B has hand issues. His sister talked about it here (see the bit right below weird #6) and it is definitely something that runs in the family. Because of this, he is super sensitive to the way fibers feel…especially knitted fibers (even holding my hand when I am wearing a sweater drives him crazy). And until the success of the socks, I don’t think he thought there would ever be a knitting item that would or could work for him, so he never said anything about it.

When I first stated knitting, I thought it was a softness thing. But after repeatedly see him recoil after having him feel the softest things I could find, I realized it wasn’t an issue of what the fiber was, but more of how it was spun. If the fibers are tightly spun so there is no fluff, he can deal. This is why the Socks That Rock work and why organic cotton does not. It also means, that most sweater wool is out. So, the fiber choice was going to play a key role in this project.

Also, B is a furnace. So, the type of sweater was going to be a challenge. I knew that pull-overs were out. I started showing him photos of sweater jackets with full zippers because he often wears light jackets throughout the year. He kept coming back to the photo of the Urban Aran that Brooklyn Tweed made. I started to think that despite the gauge being drastically different, this sweater would be wonderful in Cotton-Ease. It would hold the cables nicely and be very wearable in both feel and temperature control for B. And don’t get me even started on the ease of care! Shoot, no brainer here.

Finally, came color. Although, B isn’t super particular about the colors he wears, I figured he would want something that could be more or less worn with everything. I assumed that charcoal gray would be the obvious choice and planned to pick up the new Charcoal Cotton-Ease. But then B came right out and said he didn’t want charcoal. Ugh. So after talking about it and knowing that his current jacket is black, we settled on black yarn. It would be a nightmare to knit, but I would have the class schedule to keep me on track, so I knew I could do it.

I ended up picking out TLC Cotton Plus in black. Although clearly not Cotton-Ease, it had basically the same properties and was more in the budget than some of the other options out there. In fact, it is probably the cheapest sweater quantity of yarn I’ve ever purchased (~$25). I knit up all my swatches for class on Saturday, but I because increasingly dissatisfied with the way the yarn looked. B felt the swatches and like them, and my knitting teacher re-enforced that it was a very "guy fabric", so I knew I needed to get over it. But, the Cotton-Ease kept calling my name…even so far as to encourage me to order the Charcoal last week when it got back into stock at Joanne’s…you know, "just in case".

Well, its call became even stronger, when it turned out I would have to re-swatch to account for some scaling changes I’m going to make to the sweater. So, if I’m re-swatching for design anyway...I may as well re-swatch for different yarn, too. Right? So, the plan is to make B’s sweater in Cotton-Ease after all. After discussing the color and yarn issue, he says he would be happy with the Charcoal. However, in the event that it just doesn’t do it for him, Knitzalot has kindly offered to trade some of her stash of discontinued Licorice for my batch of Charcoal.

So, wish me luck! This is going to be an interesting endeavor for me. But I am really excited about the changes and modifications that I will be making to the sweater in order to get the yarn to work while keeping the overall theme and elements intact. I was concerned that I wasn’t doing enough to justify using this project for my design class, since it isn’t really a design from scratch. However, given what the original pattern looks like (being a woman's pullover and all) and the gauge change (which is leading to some interesting cable and element modifications), quite a bit of work is needed to get everything to come together. Fortunately, my teacher alleviated my feelings of doubt by being as excited about my project as I am! Now I can’t wait to get started!!

Understatement

I have a new love: Socks That Rock. To say they Rock is putting it mildly. It is the most amazingly squooshy yarn. It knits like butter using my Addi Turbos. It is taking every ounce of determination I have to go back to my desk after my morning and afternoon breaks. I just don't want to stop knitting! My first hank of STR is in the colorway Carbon and the picture just doesn't do it justice. It is very "me" yarn and has pretty much all my favorite colors in it.

Thursday night before our Vegas trip I became obsessed with starting a pair of socks. I decided that the fist fight I was having with my Claudia's Hand Painted and my Addi Turbos had to stop. The yarn is great, but I think it was destined to work on more pointy needles. So, I grabbed my STR that I picked up at Stitches West, wound it up and started swatching. Although, I didn't think I had the right needle size for a while, because I was once again on some sort of yarn crack high, I realized I was fine and could bring the sock along with needles on hand to Vegas. Most of the knitting on the ankle of the sock was done at the airport and the ankle has now sprouted a heel. Last night I started the gussets. This is my first attempt at using 2 circulars and while I hated it with the Claudia's Hand Painted, I am love, love, loving it with the STR. I have absolutely NO ladders! This is a first for me. Although I haven't made it all the way through a single sock yet, I think I am developing an appreciation for this method. However, I doubt I will ever give up dpns entirely.