Pretty pretty!

Here are the purple socks, freshly blocked and everything. Pretty, no? I'm pleased with these.

I have to admit I did wear them without blocking--just couldn't wait. Anyone else do that?

WIP

A shot of the socks in progress. I'm about to rip back to the heel flap; I forgot to center the pattern, and it's driving me nuts. On the side visible in this photograph, there are two purl stitches; on the opposite side, none. I think I can fudge it without ripping the heel flap out as well. Maybe I'll rip the heel flap out as well...it's not a lot of knitting. The error is quite visible in this worsted weight yarn.

Also, I realized that at about the point my middle finger is I began make the cable shorter, so that problem will be fixed as well.

More snow day, and The Project

The Project: some Yarn Over Cable socks in Cascade 220 Superwash, from Sensational Knitted Socks. Wow, it's fun to knit socks with worsted weight yarn! I can see that I will not love it forever: it's almost too fast and easy. Also, unlike socks made of normal yarn, you could very easily have too many heavy socks unsuitable for wear outside the house. Very useful for me, though--I love wearing heavy socks around the house and to bed when it's cold out.

Charlene, she makes you work a little, doesn't she? Great book, though. I love the flexibility and organization. And next month, there'll be another one coming out.



Here's a shot of, what, 4 inches of snow stacked up on the scrub oaks in my side yard. Love that!

And this is the picnic table I sat on less than 24 hours ago. Freaky, no?

It snowed on and off all day, until the sun came out an hour ago. I've got to go shovel or my poor DH won't be able to get the Civic up the driveway and into the garage.

Snow Day

Here's a wee peek out my front window this morning. Ick. Can you believe the kid and I spent an hour playing in the back yard yesterday? The garden steps he climbed at 4:30 pm yesterday were covered with like 5" of snow this morning. Crazy, eh?

I love the sugar-frosted trees. The snow stacks up on the trunks and spindly branches of our aspens and scrub oaks.

I'm feeling wimpy and don't want to venture out into it, but in half an hour or so I've got to stuff the kid into the Subaru and get him to gymnastics. Not looking forward to that drive, but at least it's a short one.

Same Sock, Different Cat

Is this lame? Another picture of the same sock, but with the other cat?

Yes, it is lame. I should have stood on the other foot and at least photographed the other sock. I was, after all, wearing both socks at the time.

I didn't knit at all last night. Does this happen to anyone else? Rush to finish something and now I don't know what to start.

Maybe this is a sign that I should just go finish something already on the needles.

More socks, and the kitty

Purple Opal socks=DONE! I kitchenered the toes last night, again without looking at the directions. I'm very happy with them!

Stats: Yarn: way less than one skein of Opal sock yarn.
Time to knit: Almost two months. I cast on Christmas Day, as this yarn was a gift from my husband. My son picked out the color, and the fine women at the Wool Cabin were kind enough to direct my husband to the sock yarn.
Needles: Crystal Palace size 1, also a Christmas gift.
Pattern: Yarrow Rib Socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks, another fantastic gift from my fantastic husband. I modified the pattern by doing a wedge toe.

See why we call these the Christmas socks?

These socks were so fun to knit! After I got the hang of the German Heel, and Susan straightened me out on how to measure the sock for the toe decrease, they gave me no trouble. I lugged these around everywhere, and they provided me with as much security as my kid's lamb. I felt better just having them with me. Although I considered giving them away several times, I can't let them go. Sock love!

Socks!

Here are the Fantastic Socks of Unsuitable Yarn. I like them so much that I think I will get some proper, sturdy superwash and knit myself a long-lasting pair. Great pattern, Susan!

To Blog, or Not To Blog?

After a period of procrastination, I have decided to get off my butt and start blogging again. Blogging makes you a better knitter! And I want to be a better knitter, so am getting off my butt.

Am going to go snap some pictures of stuff I'm working on and get to it, but here's a brief summary:

1) The no-longer thrummed mittens: am still thinking about these. I gave away the orange roving last week, as I'm sure I will not thrum the mittens. I wish the roving a productive life in the hands of another knitter. Am now considering some options. Do I still want to double the yarn, using Opal and Brooks Farm, or do I want to stop that? And I am also considering doing some 2 color Norwegian mittens in style of Eileen. But they would still be orange, as I'm still in love with the orange mitten idea. But I'm also in love with the matching sideways garter stitch scarf idea, so... the mittens are in a holding pattern. Am also considering making some fingerless gloves and matching over-mittens. While I review my options, the mittens are marinating in the pile.

2) Purple Opal Christmas Socks: it's all over but the kitchener! And they're awesome. I finished them the night before last, and immediately started on:

3) Susan's seriatum socks, which are almost done. I used that Patons SWS Soy Wool stuff, color 70530 (pink pink burgundy brown pink pink pink) and I'm not a big fan of this yarn, at least in this application. It's pretty but extra splitty and single plied. It would be great for felting; I bought it to make some Valentine's potholders or similar, but ran out of time. There the yarn was in plain sight when I looked around for something else to do after the purple socks were finished, so I went for it. Impulse project. The pattern is awesome and deserves better than the yarn I'm using for it, but the colors are pretty and the yarn is kind of shiny in a pleasant way. I followed Susan's kitchener instructions, and for the first time I was able to kitchener without looking at the directions and chanting, and I'm actually looking forward to kitchenering the second sock. These will be my "lounging socks", and I'm fully prepared for them to, ah, not have much longevity because of my crap yarn choice. I will be satisfied with the two or three evening's entertainment they've already provided me with. Really I will. Really.