What Santa Brought

A load of Socks that Rock! From left to right, Pirate's Booty and Falcon's Eye in lightweight, and Sugarplums, Froggin', and Olive Garden in Medium weight. Sweet! Also a generous gift certificate to the Loopy Ewe for emergencies.

My new project is the Lotus Cardigan. I've finished the back, two fronts, and both sleeves, although this picture shows only the fronts and part of the back.



I knit both sleeves together on a circular needle, and it seemed to take forever. But I'm glad I got them both done. All that's left is the skirt, which begins with "Cast on 535...." Yes, cast on 535! I hope to finish that before lunch today.
I think the skirt might take me close to a week to finish, judging by the 800 yards of yarn I have left. Unless the amounts are way off.

Stay tuned for my New Year's resolutions in my next post!

I can't stand it!

Isn't it cute? I used leftover sock yarn and it took all of an hour to make. Free pattern is available here. Thanks so much for sharing Andrea!

And I had the leftovers because I finished my broad spiral ribbing socks:


Another outstanding fit. I'll be wearing these Christmas Day. What's my next project? You might be surprised!

Allow me to gloat

I've finished my holiday knitting. Packages have been mailed, gifts have been wrapped, cookies have been baked. I've really very little left to do before Christmas.



We had a severe snowstorm on Thursday, and I wore my cold front socks. I wish they were a little bit longer. That's my only complaint about the Spaghettoni--more yield please!


I finished the cross-stitch block socks:

Here's the stitch detail shot:

This is a very generous pair of socks. The leg is nearly 7 inches long, and they fit great. The colorway is Grinchy from BMFA.

On the needles now is Broad Spiral Ribbing (another Charlene Schurch) in BMFA mediumweight Jingle Bell Rock.

This is my favorite holiday colorway, but I'm not sure that this pattern was the best choice. I like the pattern a lot, just not with this colorway. I think I'm going to make this my last holiday sock for this season. I still have two more colorways I can save for next year.

Book #56 A Rather Lovely Inheritance

All better now

What I thought was the flu turned into an ugly bacterial infection. Thanks to some super antibiotics prescribed by my fantastic doctor, I was up and knitting again in just a few days. While I was staring at the tv for days unable to knit, a panic began to boil inside me that I wouldn't finish all of my holiday to-do's. I hadn't even started my baking yet!

It's been a flurry of activity here the past week and I'm happy to report that I'm all caught up. In fact, I might just be ahead at this point.

The second day of my plague I found an email from Sheri that there was a sneakup over at my favorite yarn shop, the Loopy Ewe. I didn't think I'd be buying any yarn before the end of the year, but look at that, 4 skeins jumped in my basket to help me feel better. Later that day I thought that I'd give the box to Da Man when it arrived, and he could give it to my for Christmas or my birthday. But when the yarn arrived a couple of days later I was feeling even sicker, and opened it up anyway. Here's my haul:

From left to right, Lime and Violet Yahtzee, Gypsy Knits Victorian Tea, Chewy Spaghetti Fingering weight in Cheeky, Woolly Boully Meanie in Cherry Cola, and Bella Moden superwash sportweight in Fahrenheit 451. My favorite of this lot is definitely the Bella Moden. Wonderful base yarn, and fantastic dying effects.

My final installment of Chewy Spaghetti's Holiday sock club did arrive, and the socks knit up fast.

The colorway is called Wintry '07. Pattern is Charlene Schurch's Crosshatch Lace from More Sensational Knitted Socks. I very nearly ran out of yarn on this one. I think I even shortened the length of the second sock by 2 or 3 rows just in case.

On my needles now is BMFA mediumweight in Grinchy. Pattern is Charlene Schurch's Cross Stitch Block again from More Sensational Knitted Socks.

I'm hoping to finish up my holiday preps this week so I can relax into the last week. Oh, and there's more yarn in the mail to me too.

Oops.

Book #54 Run
Book #55 The Other Mother

Sick. Very, very sick.

sniff.

Thanksgiving

The turkey is in the oven, and I have only the potatoes to peel.



I've finished %$#%^ Syncopated Cap number 3.




It finally fits Da Man. I've cast on number 4, and I'm so thankful it will be the last of these colors for a while.




Also finished are the homecoming socks, and I'm wearing them now.

Next up is Syncopated Cap #5 (the last one, yay). Also some socks in jingle bell rock, unless the final installment of Chewy Spaghetti's Happy Holidays sock club gets here first.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Book #52 Remembrance of Things Paris

Book #53 A Charmed Life

I'm Falling Behind

Even though I've finished a few projects, I still feel like I'm way behind. The Little Gems Mitts are finished. They look great, but my fingers freeze in them. They'll have to be relegated to early fall/spring.

The final scarf is done--My So-Called Scarf III. Thank god. I loathe this pattern after 4 scarves. I figure I've knit 25-30 feet of it.

Also finished yesterday was Syncopated Cap II. This is a puzzler. The first one I made in the women's size was too big for Da Man's Manly head. So I made the women's size, and it's too small. I think I used the wrong needle size on the first one. I've cast on a third version, size Manly, with the proper needle size, in the same colors as below except reversed. Hopefully it will fit someone's head.

Also finished was the first of my Thanksgiving sock from Chewy Spaghetti's Happy Holidays Sock Club. I was intending to do some modified ribbing pattern of Charlene Schurch, but I liked the k2 p2 ribbing so much I just continued it through the whole sock. I cast on 56 stitches on size 2.75 mm and they are a perfect fit. Couldn't ask for more.

I wrote last time that I had ordered some yarn. Here's one--Schaefer Heather in Julia Child colorway. I had been looking for this yarn for a while to make some matching socks for my Mr. Greenjeans, and it turned up at www.yarn4socks.com. woohoo!

Then I got the new Webs Catalog and absolutely fell in love with Nora Gaughan's Lotus cardigan. I ordered the yarn immediately from Webs, but it was a bit of a crapshoot whether I would get it or not. I don't get an email confirmation from them, so you basically just have to wait and see if the yarn shows up on your doorstep. I picked the same color on the model--Rosso Asiago.
I have a little beef with this yarn. It's put up in 98 yard skeins. My size called for 18 skeins. EIGHTEEN! That means winding 18 cakes, and weaving in at least 18 ends. Don't like that. Nope, don't like that at all. Bit it is nice yarn.

I ignored the last sneakup on the Loopy Ewe, but went back and ordered some patterns, including 3 for fingerless mitts. I thought it would make a nice departure from knitting socks. I'm still in denial about the freezing fingers thing, I guess.

And then yesterday I ran across this site. What a neat little shop! Take a look at their sock kits.
I had to have the Bird Foot kit. Had too. And I added a few more patterns too. They've got some unique patterns. And patterns don't count as stash, right?

Proud Moment

I finished the first Little Gems Mitts:

I was quite pleased with it, and then turned it inside out to weave in the ends:



It looks almost professional, doesn't it? I hope to finish the mate this weekend. Also off the needles is Lenore:



This pattern was wonderful, but I've decided that the finished product just isn't me. So they're going to my mom (she who wears black. lots of black.)

The Loopy Ewe had a sneakup on tuesday, and while I had every intention of passing, four skeins just hopped in my cart. From left to right, Yarn Nerd Love and Peace or Else, and Dot Matrix, Fleece Artist Sea Wool in Stone, and Numma Numma Toasty in Olive Tapenade. Yarn Nerd and Toasty have very similar base yarns--they might even be the same. The Sea Wool I'm not so crazy about. Apparently I already had a skein in my stash, but it was packaged differently and I didn't make the connection. I might have to offer this up for a swap. Although the colors might work for my mom...



Also in the mail this week was the Thanksgiving package from Chewy Spaghetti's Holiday sock club:



It's called Thankful '07. I think it's very varsity!

Blue Moon has unveiled their Raven collection, and although I like the colors a lot, I haven't ordered any yet. They look so similar on the screen I'm going to wait and see how they look knit up. Thank goodness for Ravelry.

I've made a few other purchases this week, but they haven't arrived yet. Next week...

White Meat or Dark?

Hooray! Halloween is over and that means it's a straight shot through three weeks to Thanksgiving, and another month until Christmas. These are my two favorite holidays.


Let's tie up some loose ends.


My So Called Scarf II was finished last weekend:

My So Called Scarf III is about 4 feet long and I hope to finish it this weekend. It looks just like the one above, only shorter. Lord, I am tired of this stitch pattern but there's only a couple of more days left of if before I can move on.

I finished the first Lenore sock, and have turned the heel on the second.
I've got no complaints with this pattern. Extremely well written with notes to accommodate a wide range of sizes. I hope to have this finished this weekend too. Two big toes up for this one. I've also received my 2008 Rockin Sock Club confirmation, so no worries that I'll miss anything next year. The Club is open to new members today, so be sure to check the Blue Moon website.

In the mail this week was this:

That's Schafer Miss Priss in colorway Julia Child. I had to exercise a lot of patience with this yarn--it took 6 weeks to arrive but now that I've seen it, it's well worth the wait. I've got 5 skeins ready for Mr. Greenjeans. I'm wondering if I can finish it in time for Thanksgiving. Probably not. I love the colors. I might just have to get some matching socks in Heather!

Also in the mail was my ill-gotten-gains from the latest Loopy Ewe sneakup. I wasn't intending to order anything, but I did have a $25 credit to use, so I picked up a few patterns, and one skein of Sheepaints Bamboolaine. The colorway is...interesting. I'm not even quite sure why I bought it--it was labeled Turqey, but after looking around her website, I found that it was actually called Turkey. And then it all made sense to me. You can see a photo of the color on her website here. Now I ask you, doesn't that make you want to go baste something?

Book #51--Hungry Hill

Fifty Books

One of my New Year's resolutions was to read 50 books. Last night I finished #50! The complete list:

50. Loving Frank
49. Songs Without Words
48. Birthdays
47. Living in a Foreign Language
46. Evening
45. On Chesil Beach
44. Eat, Pray, Love
43. A Year Without Made In China
42. Animal, Vegetable, Mineral
41. Plenty
40. Oh My Stars
39. A Year of Pleasures
38. Two Steps Backwards
37. The Birdcage
36. A Chateau of One's Own
35. Best Foot Forward
34. Notting Hell
33. French at Heart
32. The Manny
31. A Pig in Provence
30. What Comes After Crazy
29. When in Rome
28. Saving Agnes
27. Three Bedrooms in Chelsea
26. As Seen on TV
25. Class Mothers
24. The Lucky Ones
23. The Tavern on Maple Street
22. Pope Joan
21. The Observations
20. Welcome to the Great Mysterious
19. Bed Rest
18. When Madeline Was Young
17. A Trip to The Beach
16. Jane Austen in Scarsdale
15. School for Husbands
14. Caliph's House
13. Chasing Matisse
12. Floating Through France
11. Yummy Mummy
10. Friday Night Knitting Club
9. The Knitting Circle
8. Swapping Lives
7. Theft
6. The Breakdown Lane
5. Round Ireland with a Fridge
4. The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again
3. Arlington Park
2. The Baby Trail
1. A Tale of Two Sisters

It's a different world

Across the country hundreds of homes have burned to the ground in California. A quarter of a million people have been evacuated. Georgia is in danger of running short of drinking water because of serious draught. And New Orleans is flooding.

Yet if you turn to the Boston news you might think you were living on a different planet. The Red Sox have come from a 3-1 game deficit to play in the World Series. The Patriots are undefeated. And we're experiencing summer like weather with temps near 80. It's all good in this city, and I'm feeling rather guilty.

Have you seen Holiday Gifts? I'm thinking of Garter Mug Cozies, Little Gems Mitts, and Twisted Stitch Gauntlets. On Friday I ordered the yarn for the Mitts from Woodland Woolworks. It came in the mail yesterday! Now that's fantastic service! Also shipping soon will be the October STR Rockin' Sock Club, and Chewy Spaghetti's Thanksgiving Holiday sock club. I think we're going to have a little log jam of projects.

And don't forget about My So Called scarf (now 36 inches), another Shifting Sands, and another So Called Scarf. Gotta Knit Faster.

Welt Not so Fantastic

So friday evening I had turned the heel on welt fantastic and began the gusset decreases. I thought that would be a good time to try the sock on and admire it on my foot. But it wouldn't fit.

I immediately frogged it and the yarn is now being punished. I should have listened to my inner voice earlier.

So I moved on to the indian summer socks, with the embossed leaves pattern. Here's the first leg:




I just finished the first sock a few hours ago, and I'll be starting the second later today.

Also nearly off the needles is shifting sands II. I'll be adding fringe to this one, and I hope to finish it off today. The next scarf in the queue is My So Called Scarf II in STR Carbon.

I'll leave you with a view from my front yard, bug's eye view.

Spooky socks are done!



And my Posh Yarn arrived--this is Helena 4 ply sock weight in colorway Indian Summer:


And I cast on my Tiny Toes sock. I was wrong about the color--it's called Colorado Treasures. I started the corded rib pattern and worked a couple of pattern repeats but it looked like crap, frankly. So I ripped and looked for another pattern. You'd think with nearly 10 sock books and 20+loose patterns this wouldn't be a problem. After a few hours of waffling, I settled on "Welt Fantastic" from Sensational Knitted Socks. I love what this pattern did to the yarn, and vice versa. Doesn't it look like a fireplace? So glad I started over.


But all is not wonderful in Tiny Toes land. Despite how it looks, I'm not in love with this yarn. Firstly, it comes in 50g skeins. My skeins do not match. One has significantly more orange than the other. This irritates me, and I think the dyer should have a little better quality control. And speaking of quality control, both skeins were hopelessly tangled. They were a mess! I hate wasting an hour trying to wind yarn. So, it's going to take a lot of convincing for me to order this yarn again.

But that sock does look good, doesn't it?

Horrifying!

Here's the first of my spooky socks:

The pattern is Fiber Trends Railroad Rib. This pattern is one of my old faithfuls. It's written for 3 different weight yarns, and always gives me a good fit. Now if only it glowed in the dark!



The second shifting sands is about 14 inches, and nearly through the first of four skeins. My plan of half Christmas knitting and half sock knitting is working well. I don't get so bored of either project so quickly. Still to knit on my Christmas list is Shifting Sands III, My So-Called Scarf II and III, and Syncopated Caps II and III. I think I've got plenty of time to finish these, plus my seasonal socks. Well, maybe not the socks. Still to do for October are Interlacements Tiny Toes in colorway October something, a Posh Yarn Emily in Indian Summer, which hasn't arrived yet, The Thanksgiving sock from Chewy Spaghetti, a skein of Dream In Color November Muse, The Christmas Sock from Chewy Spaghetti, plus the following Christmas colorways from Blue Moon: Jingle Bell Rock, Xmas Rock, Hollyday, and Grinchy. That's nine pairs before Christmas.

13 weeks left until Christmas. That's going to be very, very close! Can I do it?

Tolerance

So I ran out of yarn for My So Called Scarf. One skein took it to 60 inches, which is just a little too short for my taste. So I ordered another skein. And I treated myself to this:

A skein of "Grinchy" Looks a lot like another skein--Holiday Rocks maybe? that's ok. Can't have too many Christmas socks, right?

So after I ran out of yarn, I should have started on the next Shifting Sands, but I didn't. I decided I just wasn't happy unless I had a pair of socks on the needles. So I cast on with an unfamiliar yarn and pattern. I knew immediately that I wouldn't like the yarn. Very scratchy. The stitch pattern was lovely, but I wasn't thrilled with the construction. Last night I turned the heel, and then I gave up. It just wasn't going to work for me. I knew I'd never wear these socks. So this morning I ripped and tossed. Yeah, that's right. Tossed. I'm getting too old to work with yarn or a pattern that isn't making me happy. There was nothing anyone would ever be able to do to make this yarn work for me. So it's gone. No guilt. Well, maybe just a little.

So along with the second skein of Nodding Violet and Grinchy, this came in the mail yesterday:

I joined Chewy Spaghetti's Holiday sock club, and this is the yarn for Halloween. It's funny because I was completely expecting orange and black, and look what I got! I like it a lot. I like it so much that I'm going to cast on with it today to replace the sock who shall remain nameless. I figured that if I knit socks for half a day, and then whatever Christmas gift I'm working on for the other half, I can get all the gifts finished, and still be knitting socks.

And that will make me very, very happy.

And another off the needles

Finished last night is shifting sands in Posh Yarns Eva 6 ply, colorway blackboard.

Three skeins took it to 62 inches in length. I'm not adding fringe on this one because it's for someone who drives a hearse for a funeral home. I thought it would be a little more somber without swingy fringe.

That's the next project. My So-Called-Scarf knit in BMFA heavyweight, colorway Nodding Violet. This scarf is going to complement the syncopated cap. I love this scarf. I started on size 7 needles but went up to 8 because it was so stiff. This is a very dense knit. I imagine it would be quite lovely as a bed coverlet. Exquisite texture. I'll definitely be making more of these.

Speaking of Blue Moon, they loaded some new colors on friday. Lots of new colors. I think I know what I'll be asking Santa for this year.

And in the interest of stash reduction, I've listed 11 skeins on ebay. Blue Moon Seduction (the tencel blend just isn't for me), Lorna's Laces Shephard Sport (Never going to use this one), 3 skeins of Perchance to Knit (Much to fine for my taste), 3 skeins of Yarn Pirate (ditto on the fineness), 4 skeins of Claudia Handpainted (don't care fore the texture), and Sundara sock (the color just didn't grow on me).

I guess I've turned pretty picky with my yarns. But with a stash as large as mine, I'm being truthful. I'm never going to use these skeins, and they really belong with someone who will love them more than I do.

Two more off the needles

The finished Chevron Scarf:

Finally! I just knit until I ran out of yarn so as not to waste any, and it's long enough to wrap around my neck twice. It's a very cozy scarf.

And may I present, the Syncopated Cap:


I'm very very pleased with this color combo. And it occurred to me that a chevron scarf in the same colors would be a nice accompaniment. But, I had already ordered the dark color only for my so called scarf, so I'm going to stick with that. Hope SIL likes it.

My Posh order finally arrived--4 skeins each of Eva 6-ply in colors Blackboard, In the Navy, and Russet. These are destined to be 3 shifting sands scarves. I'm afraid they're going to be a little shorter than I intended. I'm not very good at knitting math, and I guess I miscalculated how much I would need. Next post should be the finished black scarf.

Are you surprised?

That I did place an order at BMFA? I ordered 17 skeins, but I have plans for all of it. Honest.



I've finished the uneven ribbing socks:

Nice, eh? I had plenty of yarn left over and could have made the legs a little longer. This stitch pattern is extra stretchy and will accommodate a wide range of sizes.

My next project:


"Syncopated Caps" from Interweave Knits Summer 2007. I had a very hard time deciding on the colors. I really wanted to use something from my stash, so I pulled out a few possibilities and looked at them for a few days. Nothing seemed right. Until I moved two of the skeins and then shazam! I ended up with Nodding Violet as the main color and Blue Moonstone as the contrasting color. After a couple of rows of the ribbing it was clear that I had made the right choice. Don't they look great together? The pattern calls for you to change the contrasting color halfway up the hat, but I'm not doing that. I figure the main color already has enough variation in it--why mess with it?

I'm kinda sad to see the Nodding Violet go--it's a great colorway and I was hoping for some socks but hey, one small sacrifice in the interest of stash reduction, right?

And it's not like I can't order more. (That was a joke. sorta)

I'm going to finish this hat over the weekend, and I'm at a bit of a loss on what to do next. I've been expecting a special order from Posh this week, but it hasn't arrived yet. That order contains 3 Christmas gifts, and I was really planning on starting those.

Hmmm, maybe some shibui instead?

It's been a while

Yeah, I know. School started Thursday and I got a little caught up. The needles for Queen of the Waves arrived last Wednesday and I immediately cast on. I finished it on Thursday, making it an eight day knit. This was not a happy project for me. I ordered the pattern from Anjelika (who is an absolute doll to work with--very fast shipping). The pattern arrived with an errata sheet dated June 2007. It didn't occur to me to check for more changes, and that was my mistake. There were more errors, and some of the directions were not at all clear. But I've finished it, and will post photos when I block it next week.

Onward.

In happier news, I took advantage of an early sneak-up over at TLE and placed a pretty big order. Here's how it all broke down, from left to right:

This is all Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn, in colors Some Summer Sky, In Vino Veritas, Dusky Aurora, Chinatown Apple, November Muse, Cloud Jungle, and Spring Tickle. An impressive haul, no? I really enjoy knitting with this yarn, and I promise you it won't go to waste.

Also:

Yes, more! I told you it was a big box. From left to right, Shibui Knits in Earth, All Things Heather superwash merino sock yarn in Punzel, and Golden Plum II, and Crystal Palace Merino 5 in Herb Garden. The Merino 5 reminds me of Fiesta Boomerang. It's very soft. I wasn't really enamored of the ATH--it felt rather prickly on the skein. But I took the Golden Plum II and cast on the Uneven Ribbing socks from More Sensational Knitted Socks, and guess what? Love it! It's quite soft and I love the heathered quality of the stitch pattern. Definitely a keeper.


Oh, and the Shibui Knits? Very very nice. So nice, in fact, that I ordered some more this morning. One of the advantages of being on Ravelry is getting news on yarn availability. Although not technically a sneak-up, Sheri posted that she had restocked Shibui, so I went back and ordered 4 more skeins. And two more of ATH (oops).

Speaking of yarn availability, I also read on the Ravelry Boards that some STR colors will be retired on 9/15. I fought the urge to go over there and order more. I'm still fighting that urge. Some of the colors going away are my favorites--Rhodonite and Carbon. What to do. Will I succumb?

A pair of socks only a mother could love

Even that is pushing it. The second sock came out slightly better. If you look closely, you can see how the spirals reversed direction after the gusset. Don't ask me how I managed to do that.

Here is my next project:

Loverly, ain't she? This will be SIL Christmas gift #2 since Miss Lambert met her untimely demise. I'm just waiting for needles to arrive hopefully tomorrow. In the meantime I've picked up the Chevron scarf, and I knit about 2 feet on it yesterday. But the kfb is really hurting my left arm, so I can't do much. I thought about starting the Rockin Sock club August sock, but I haven't decided if I really like the pattern that much.

Ugly Knitting

You sensitive types might want to turn your heads. What you are about to see isn't pretty. I give you, the first completed stems sock:

Arrrrrrrrggghhhhh! The pooling is horrid! I didn't change needles so my gauge must have gone wonky after completing the gusset. I spent the entire instep trying to get it to stripe again but it just...wouldn't....budge.

SO there I was, thinking I was knitting the most beautiful sock in creation, and I come up with complete crap. I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I'll certainly finish the second sock, if only to feed my curiosity. Who knows what it will look like. Can it get any worse?

Onward. The mailman brought two boxes from BMFA yesterday. The first was the sock club kit. No pictures here--you can look for it on someone else's blog. It's mmmmm, interesting. I'll knit this one, and save my reservations until it's finished.

The second box was an order I placed a few weeks ago. From left to right:

Backstabber, Xmas Rock, Hollyday, Falcon's Eye, Lunasea, Ms LaRock, and Lucy in the Sky. Love them all.

Also in the box was:

It's mmmmm, interesting. I believe it was the Harlot that said something like "Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD". And I wholeheartedly agree with her. I flipped through the pages thinking "Now why would you want to go and do something like that?" A lot of my reservations come from the designs being so asymmetrical. Which is fine. But my brain does NOT like asymmetrical. I would be silently screaming "adjust! it's twisting! Center it!" and that just won't work with this book. For those of you who like to challenge yourself, and can completely trust yourself in the instructions, you're going to love love love this book. Me? I'm not totally writing it off. I'm going to put it aside until the dead of winter when I can give it my complete attention. Maybe I'll try one. Maybe.

I had to rearrange my stash basket yesterday. I traded a skein through Ravelry, and the one I was looking for was way on the bottom of course. So I emptied it, and put everything back in a way where I can see more of the skeins. There's more underneath this top layer. There's also 12 skeins of Wollmeise in a plastic bag to the right. And about 27 skeins of STR hiding in the coffee table.

But it sure looks nice, doesn't it?