To knit ... oh what to knit

Oh what to knit I said to myself the other day. So I grabbed my binder of patterns and picked out Vinnland. This one was in my binder for a long time .. and oh joy, the yarn already waiting patiently in my stash. An even greater joy (since we just moved about a month ago) this particular yarn was right on top of the plastic tub when I went looking for it ... fate?!?! I would say so!



So I cast on for Vinnland. I modified a bit by using Judy's Magic Cast On for the toe, and I made two toes, then I transferred them onto two needles so that I could knit both socks at the same time, and be oh so happy when they are completed at the same time :o)

We are finally done getting all of our stuff from the place we used to live in. My mother owns it and we were renting it for the last few years, there's a buyer so we have to get everything out by this week. Its amazing how much *stuff* you can accumulate over the years. Now its all haphazardly piled in our new house with no particular place to go at the moment, LOL! We'll have to weed through it all and find homes for it, hopefully sooner rather than later. At least here we have a huge basement and attic ... so no lack of storage space!

Back to Blogging

I recently started using my MP3 player for what it was actually intended for. The model that I got actually doubles as a flash drive, which is why I picked it. I used to have a flash drive, though it was a measly 128KB ... and it was so small that I lost it at some point and have no idea where it went. So I picked up this MP3 player that is also a 1GB flash drive. I downloaded some knitting podcasts the other day and I am SO ADDICTED! I love them. I listed to them at work, in the car and at home while doing housework. I tried a few different sites, some, which are no longer currently casting anyway, but found two that I really enjoy.

The first is The Knit Picks podcast with Kelly Petkun. Kelly is fabulous to listen to, she has a great speaking voice and is sure to vary her tone so its easy to listen to her. She mostly discusses knitting related things, but there are a few casts where she will discuss a trip she recently went on (with knitting too of course). Most of the places she goes to are places I would like to visit someday, so I love hearing about them and her reviews are worthy of being an excerpt from a novel, I feel like I am listening to a book on tape sometimes.

The other podcast that I enjoy is Sticks and String with David. He talks about knitting and some other things, one of the recent casts was about the "T" word and it was brilliant. You have to check out the cast to find out what the word is :o) David is from Australia so there's also that awesome accent to listen to as well! G'Day Mate.

One of my goals for 2009 is to blog more ... and about more interesting topics. I usually blog like I am making a grocery list, not like I am talking to a friend. I am going to try and brush up my writing skills ... I actually have quite a vocabulary when I speak, but it doesn't come out in my writing, LOL!

2009 will be a year of stash busting for me. We bought a house late in December and I said that I wouldn't buy any yarn until I had gone through my stash ... for obviously reasons ... like I'd like to keep the house! I went a little crazy in October and November hoarding yarn balls like a squirrel hoards nuts in preparation for winter. Because of this though, I feel confident that I can keep up with this commitment and not end up in a straightjacket and padded room involuntarily in a few weeks. There are some areas where I am allowed to buy yarn ... for the sake of my sanity. I do work a part time job in addition to my full time job, so I do deserve a thrill every now that then :o) I have one project that I can buy yarn for - A Year in a Blanket. I have been thinking about this and I think for my budget I will do this in Berocco Comfort, which is affordable, easy to care for and comes in a wide range of colors. My thought was to do each square in a different color, so I will have to buy a skein a month, but that’s OK. The point is to keep my yarn buying under control and reasonable … not necessarily to stop it completely.

I did have the foresight to see this stash busting – no yarn buying – as a potential mental health hazard for me and so last Fall I joined a sock yarn club that starts shipping in February and consists of a shipment every other month for the year. And to boot … its got a nerdy, sci-fi geek theme! The Lord of the Rings sock club from The Unique Sheep is now closed, but details are here.

It snowed quite a bit today here in New England and I found something out about anti-lock breaks … while the concept in theory is a good one, and I am sure they work very well in many situations, they do not, however, work so great in one particular situation. Here are the facts: very steep decline, snowy road, red light = sliding perilously while stomping on the break pedal hoping that the person who has the green arrow to turn in front of you sees that you are not stopping, though you are trying. Luckily this person did indeed see that I was not stopping and was not inclined to cross the nearly fatal path of death in front of my truck.

And now back to your regular scheduled knitting update. While I was working my part-time job this weekend, which consists mostly of having to stay awake overnight, I made a short list of things I learned in 2008, things I want to learn in 2009 and projects that I want to complete that could have been started in ’06, ’07 or ’08.

Things I learned in 2008
Fair Isle
2 socks at the same time
Continental Knitting (this could have been ’07)
Seaming and Finishing

Techniques I want to learn in 2009
Slip Stitch
Knitting with Beads
Lace Shawl

Projects to Finish
Hooded Scarf
Faux Dr. Who Scarf
Afghan
Tank Top
Mitered Mittens
Christmas Stocking

I finished my socks this weekend and just have to cast off the second sock and weave in all the ends. Once complete I will post photos and the pattern that I came up with to use up some left over sock yarn.

Thank you and goodnight!!

FO: Jack Sparrow's Favorite Socks

I think these have to be the coolest socks I have knit to date. This is a free pattern, I can't find it on the original blog now, but its on Ravelry. I steam blocked the fair isle once complete and it really helped even out the stitches. I am usually a really tight knitter, so I had to concentrate on knitting loosely so that the fair isle came out well and I could fit it over my heel, worked out fine!

Yarn: Knit Picks Essentials Twists: Volcano Twist; Knit Picks Essentials Black; Sisu White
Needles: Knit Picks 32" Size 2
Cast On: 11/14/08
Cast Off: 11/29/08

FO: Striped Socks

Cast On: 10/29/08
Cast Off: 11/16/08
Yarn: Berocco Sox
Needles: Knit Picks Size 2
Plain Vanilla cuff down socks.

Socks, socks and more socks ...

We're still waiting to hear about the short sale purchase. The bank has had the paperwork for 4 weeks now. I did get something to sign the other day regarding the fact that we don't know these people, and its a legitimate sale. So at least that's something. I really want to move before it snows! Or we need to get oil for heat where we are now. I am really looking forward to more space and a place where I can actually have my stash yarn out where I can see it, instead of stored in tubs.

I've been making progress on some socks I've been working on. I also have 1/2 a sleeve for my Quidditch sweater and hope to have that finished up this year.



I finished one Rivendell sock a few weeks ago, I didn't start the other one yet because I wanted to get a pair done for a Christmas gift first, so I will be doing the mate very soon. This pattern is very pretty. Once they are both done I am going to try and fix the holes that formed where stitches were picked up, etc. because of the twisted stitches, I think they make the gaps look bigger. My home made sock blocker doesn't do the pattern justice, LOL!! Its a little mishapen.

This is a close up of the pattern on the leg.

I am making these socks for my MIL for Christmas as a surprise. The first one was done in a week, which is exceptional for me, although I found out if its plain Stockinette, I can watch TV and not look at what I am doing, that makes for much quicker knitting!! I am going to rip out the heel turn and redo it on the second sock, the stripes are off a row or two and I want them to match up as best they can.



This is a last ditch effort to fix these socks so that I wear them. I love the socks, just not toe, its too pointy and tight. I blocked the Rivendell one for a day or two and it fit much better, so I am going to try blocking these and see if the toe fits better. I could wash them, but was afraid if I did want to rip out the toes and redo them it would make that all the more difficult.

FO: Art Yarns Socks

I finished my Art Yarns socks today. I changed the pattern a bit by twisitng the rib stitches and using Elizabeth Zimmerman's Sew Bind Off.






Yarn: Art Yarns Handpaint Stripes
Needles: Knit Picks Harmony Size 5
Cast On: A long, long time ago for sock one. Sock two 10/17/08
Cast Off: 10/20/08

Amazing Knitting

I am amazed at some knitting techniques. I started this pair of socks long, long ago and the instructor at my LYS helped me start the toe of the first sock. Since then it sat in a bag with lots of other WIPs and I finally picked it back up the other day and finished a sock. I started the other one myself and was hoping I didn't run into problems and I was just amazed at how 4 stitches turn into a toe!



I successfully got the toe done and am on to the foot of the second sock. This yarn is Art Yarns Handpainted Stripes and it is lovely to knit with. It is so soft and squishy. The colors are so deep and beautiful.



Now I am off to go knit on my stocking so I am ready for the next class!

Sock Sorrows ...

For every pair of socks I finish, one ends in despair ...

I was making Menehune socks in Panda cotton and it was going along fine, the yarn started to get low, but I usually end up with 1/2 a skein anyway so I figured what the heck. Plus the pattern said if I made my size I would be left with about 3 yds .. which is not a lot. Well I ran out of yarn, I tried to work the toes a bit early since this yarn has elastic in it and its pretty stretchy, but the sock just doesn't feel right. So I am going to make its mate, with a shorter leg, which is fine by me I like the cuffs short, and then rip back this one to the cuff and make them match.

I am still not sure what to do with my Firestarters, one sock is complete and the other is up to the leg, but the gauge was off, so they fit, but are a little roomy ...

I made Magic Lace Rib socks and I really do not like the star toe, so I should rip them back and do a regular toe.

I ripped out the Rivendell socks because the yarn was just not working with the pattern.

I was making Hypnosis socks and then noticed that the pattern is off and the heel should have been started at a different place so that the pattern worked out right.

UUrrggg!

Its a learning process!!! However I do have 2 pairs of nice socks that I love, so I guess as I do different patterns and use different yarns I will learn more. I also learned that regular stockinette socks are pretty comfy! So while knitting lace is fun and pretty, they aren't always the most comfortable, so I started a pair of plain ole' socks.

Happiness Socks

Cast on: 8/3/08
Cast off: 9/21/08
Pattern: Happiness Socks
Yarn: Regia Jaquard

This is actually the very first sock yarn I ever purchased! I tried socks all by myself with little instruction on size 1 needles and it didn't go so well! Next I tried socks with worsted weight yarn, that went much, much better! Now 2 years later I am a sock addict! I found this yarn in my stash while looking for something with two skeins for a two at a time on two circulars class and realized it was the very first sock yarn I ever purchased, LOL!!

Sleepy Sunday

I am very tired today. I worked my third shift job this weekend and got up early today to go to a knitting class, so its 6pm now and I am so ready to crash. Sometimes when I am working at the hospital answering the switchboard overnight, when I go to the rest room down the hall it makes me think of Halloween and Michael Myers in the institution ... some days I am so tired I think, go ahead, come and get me at least then it would be over, hahahaha!!!

I am taking a 2 socks on 2 circulars class. I took this before but tried it on one long circular and it didn't work out so well, the yarn kept getting tangled, I kept knitting the sock inside out and twisting it, etc. So I wanted to give it another try, I am a better knitter in general now so I think that will help. The 2 circulars instead of one makes a HUGE difference too.



I got a better picture of the Hypnosis pattern from The Eclectic Sole.



I started the gloves my friend wanted and got a lot done this weekend, but noticed that the thumb gussett increases threw the pattern stitch off, so I ripped it back and took it with me today for help. The instructor suggested something that I am going to try and see if that works better. In the pattern you cannot see the gussett so its unclear how they worked around it or if it looked bad there too!

Sweaty Sunday

It is so humid out today!

I started Rivendell socks the other day after I went to the yarn store for a class and picked up this yarn. I had another yarn in my stash for this pattern, but I thought this colorway reminded me of birch trees and such so I thought it would work well for this pattern. This photo doesn't show the stitch definition well so once I am done I will take another photo with them on so that the pattern can show.

First Firestarter

This is my frist Firestarter, I chose this yarn specifically for this pattern. I like this yarn, not sure if its the yarn or how it was wound (because I know the lady at the store was new and had a lot of trouble with the swift) but I keeps tangling in the ball and I have to cut and attach a new strand - after getting frustrated enough to cut once I try to untangle for several minutes.

Other than that, I am loving this pattern. Its a little confusing at times and I've had to un-knit a few rows and start again two or three times, but I think the second sock will go really well.

I was worried the sock may be a little loose, but the gauge averages correctly and I think once the leg is done with ribbing it'll hold up on my leg and take up the slack in the heel that's there now.

I did Judy's Magic Cast On for the toe instead of the provisional cast on called for in the pattern. I like this toe alot, its very clean and looks much nicer.

Seduction Sock Repair

As usual, after sleeping for a good 8 hours, I decided that I couldn't live with the messed up toe, LOL! Its amazing what you can live with when you've been up all night. I did this with another project I was working on during the over-night shift and after sleeping decided to go back and fix it. Live and learn!

I ripped it out:


Then I did it correctly. I moved the markers around so that they were in the middle of the stitches and added two decrease rounds to come back to the number of stitches in the original pattern.



I am MUCH happier with this! Here's a close up of the pattern stitch:

Saucy Seduction Socks ...

I finished the first sock for this pattern this morning while at work. I made a boo-boo though that I will have to repeat on the second one so that they match, but I learned something for the future.

This pattern called for 56 stitches, my foot size is usually 64 and I think after trying this on that 56 really would have been too few. So I added stitches to the instep, but kept the heel flap the same so that the instep stitches had the correct multiple for the pattern.

My mistake was that I didn't move the markers for the toe and do the decreases in the center of each half of the stitches, so the bottom decreased quicker and the closure was more towards the bottom of the foot. To help correct this I ripped out the kitchener since it looked really weird and instead just pulled the yarn through the stitches and pulled tight to close. That worked much better for both look and comfort.




I really like this pattern and if I do it again will make sure to do the toe correctly. Hey, that's what knitting is all about, learning!!

This yarn is Comfort Sock by Berocco and "comfort" really is a good description! The yarn is nylon and acrylic, but its super soft and squishy. Really is comfortable on the foot.

Mid-April Already?

Its mid-April already! And I am not saying that because of tax season ... it interests me more because I don't have April socks almost done! My taxes were done at least a month ago, if not more and I received and spent my refunds already, LOL! My boyfriend on the other hand perpetually does his taxes on April 14th ... despite each year saying he'll be doing them early this year ... uh huh!

There's not too much going on in the knitting department here. I am still working on my Firestarters and Seduction Socks, and other numerous WIPs and UFOs crowd around me everywhere I look.

We applied for a mortgage through the Credit Union I belong to and were pre-qualified, we just have to submit paystubs and other proof that what we said it true. So hopefully we'll be moving this year!!

Because of that I have been trying not to spend any money that I don't have to ... like if I have 30-something skeins of sock yarn, there's really no reason why I need to buy more. However, I just had to purchase these kitty stitch markers from Anita's Etsy Shop. They are so cute and well crafted!

I worked last night at my part-time job so I missed the second episode of Battlestar Galactica. Since Comcast puts it On-Demand I didn't bother trying to dig through the 20 VHS tapes piled on top of my VCR to find one to tape it on (probably to find out the sound is crap anyway). So I am hoping its available On-Demand asap!

I was glad to see that the Rivendell Sock pattern was available for purhase as a pdf. This pattern will be in a book that is going to be published, but is not yet available. Being the super sci-fi nerd that I am ... how can I not knit this pattern?!?! So I purchase it, you can too at this site.

Its another rainy, grey April day here in New England, but since I worked third shift I am off to bed anyway, LOL!

Fun with Fire

I am really loving this Superwash Me Sock by J. Knits! The colors are so rich (hope it washes well). I cast on this sock last night and got this far for a lazy Sunday of sitting around and knitting.

I am not sure if I will be able to do all of the repeats or if that will make the sock too long. I am only worried about this since I did a different toe, but it looks to me like the cables start at the ball of the foot like everyone elses' anyway (I've got really long toes).

Burn baby, burn!

Where did the sun go?!?!

We saw the sun yesterday for a couple of hours, of course, this was after we got home and were inside again, LOL!! Now it seems like it will be another grey day. I went and got three pots of pansies, my favorite flower, before they were all gone. If you don't get out there and get them they dissapear quickly and since they are cold weather, Spring flowers, local places don't carry them again in the year. I am going to put them in a planter so that when it gets hot out I can move them to the shade and hopefully they will last longer.

I started The Firestarter socks yesterday ... though it was around 11PM so more like today, LOL! I had this yarn in my stash specifically for this pattern. I didn't really like the toe in the pattern, so instead I used Judy's Magic Cast On and the Standard Toe from New Pathways for Sock Knitters. Now I am going to check the length and the pattern info to make sure that this will work with the pattern. The yarn is J. Knits in colorway "Kansas".



I received my recent order from Knit Picks! I ordered More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I also ordered another 32" US 2 needle and a 40" US 3 needle, as well as US 2 Metal DPNs. Then I got a Go Knit Pouch to carry my sock knitting around and DPN WIP tubes to hold DPNs (I always poke holes in my plastic bags when I carry those around). And lastly some Knit Picks Essentials in Pumpkin to make some mittens for a friend and some Felici in Coney Island that I think I will use for some Jaywalkers.



The Wee Tiny Sock Swap was last weekend. I finished my sock and mailed it out to Tawana. I was curious to see how self striping yarn would turn out in such a tiny sock!



This is the sock I received in the mail from Laura. She made this sock out of a lovely merino/silk blend that she hand dyed herself and sent a mini skein as well. This yarn is super soft and the color is just lovely. Check out the link above for her Etsy shop!


I updated my sock yarn stash in Ravelry yesterday, whew, but it'll be nice to be able to see it while I am looking at patterns. I often forget what I have in my stash and miss matching yarns up with patterns because of that.

Another Day Gone By ...

I finished the sock for the Wee Tiny Sock Swap while I was at work last night. Sometimes knitting in the middle of the night doesn't work so well. I started the sock Friday night and couldn't figure out why the heel instructions were weird and there wasn't a heel flap, but appeared to be one in the photo on the pattern.

So I did only the turning instructions thinking maybe it was because the sock was so small the heel flap was skipped ... this didn't look right, so I ripped it out and tried again ... still didn't look right. So I left it alone for the day and went back to it last night at work. Well looking closer at the instructions, there was a heel flap, I just didn't see the instructions there ... duh!! So I ripped back again and did the heel flap and viola ... it looks like a normal sock now. I will post a photo of it once its received for the swap.

Since I finished the Magic Lace Rib Socks, I started working on the Seduction Socks by Ann Budd again. I hope to finish this pair by the end of April to be eligible for the Sock Knitters Anonymous drawing.

I really like this pattern and how it is working with this yarn.




I scored tickets to Iron Maiden on Friday. I think they will be sold out if they are not already. I could only get general admisison lawn seats, so let's hope it is not raining that day. The concert is in June, so the weather will be warmer anyway.

Knitting Away

I am so loving that I can get knitting done at my part-time weekend job! I feel like I am not losing any "me time" while I am there, LOL!

I recently ordered some yarn from Amanda - NH Knitting Mama. The colorway is so cool, this photo really doesn't show it off, its called Wizard School and I can see why!



I finished socks for this month with only two days to spare! I like the lace pattern and love the yarn I chose, but I really don't like this toe, it comes out very pointy and I have long, thin feet, so this type of toe exaggerates that.

I am reading The Chronicles of Narnia right now in preparation for the next movie coming out. I have a "thing" where I have to read the book first, however, I have already read these stories many years ago. Its amazing how much imagination children have, I remember some things vividlty, but there's really not much of a description in the book ... so that was all me, LOL!!

I am UN-patiently waiting for the last season of Battlestar Gallactica to start next Friday! I can't fracking wait, LOL!!

FO: Magic Lace Rib Socks

Pattern: Magic Lace Rib Socks by Natalie Wilson

Yarn: Wildfoote by Brown Sheep Company, Color: Sonatina

Needles: Addi Turbo Size 2

Cast On: 2/3/08
Cast Off: 3/29/08