Another Drive-By Post

Just another drive-by post with a couple more completed pairs.


Yarn - bellamoden sport in Black Beauty (purchased from The Loopy Ewe)
Pattern - Top-down, 2x2 rib


Yarn - Socks that Rock lightweight in Tide Pooling (this is a 2008 club colorway)
Pattern - Niagara Socks from 'The Ecelctic Sole'

Blogging to Resume Soon

I haven't been very good about blogging in the past few months. I'll be back with more frequent posts after the first of the year.

In the meantime, here are some socks I've finished recently that I haven't shared yet.

Eyelet & Flame Socks


Yarn - Socks that Rock lightweight in Gypsum
Pattern - Eyelet & Flame Chevron Socks (This is a toe-up pattern. I knit my socks from the top down and just followed the chart as written.)

Pretty in Pink 2.0 Socks


Yarn - Storm Moon Knits Twilight Sock Yarn in Pretty in Pink
Pattern - Top-down, stockinette

Crow's Feet Socks


Yarn - Socks that Rock lightweight in Oma Desala
Pattern - Crow's Feet (Rav link) by Linda Welch

Kid Socks

I've taken a short break from making socks for me, to make socks for my youngest 2 kids. They chose the yarns from my stash. Here are the finished products!


Socks for Sam
Yarn - Scout's Swag merino fingering in Stocker Pond (a club colorway)


Socks for Devin
Yarn - Yarn Nerd 900mHz in Love and Peace or Else (purchased from The Loopy Ewe)

Pirate Socks

It's not a secret. I'm a big Socks that Rock fan. Just look at some of my most recent posts and you'll see that. But, here lately I've been smitten with Yarn Pirate. My most recent socks and some recent yarn acquisition proves it.

Here are the socks!

Pattern: Coins by Monica Jines
Yarn: Yarn Pirate Superwash Merino in Pretty Pirate

This is my second time using one of Monica's patterns and they are a joy to knit.

And here is the yarn! All of it is Superwash Merino.
From the Yarn Pirate Esty shop


Monster Mash and Gotham


Kona and Baladi

From The Loopy Ewe

Concord and Sweet Jules

From destashers on Ravelry

Hard Cider (the September Booty Club colorway)


Orange Crush

The Socks that Ate My Needles

Pattern: Zig Zag Socks form Vogue Knitting The Ultimate Sock Book
Yarn: Socks that Rock mediumweight in Mesa

Yes, it's true. These socks ate my needles. The sock pattern lists gauge at 7 stitches to the inch. I know that I get that gauge with Socks That Rock medium weight and size 2 (2.75 mm) needles. However, the cast on for these socks is 64 stitches. Normally, I would cast on 64 stitches for a yarn where I was getting 8 stitches to the inch. So, I started the socks using a size 1 1/2 (2.5 mm), but after a few rows, I knew the sock would be too big. I went down to size 1 (2.25 mm) and was happier with the result, but not for long.

I used my Knit Picks Harmony needles for these socks. If you have these needles, you know that DPNs come 6 to a set. Unfortunately, I broke one of them not long after I got them (I sat on it while it was on the couch). About half way down the first leg of these socks, I broke a needle while doing a K2TOG. Since I'd previously broken a needle, I didnt have any extras. (I prefer to do my socks using 5 DPNs.) So, the socks were put on hold, while I waited for another set to arrive from Knit Picks. (Yes, I could have used another size 1. I have other brands (Clover, Crystal Palace, etc.) but I was concerned that there might be some sizing differences that would affect the fabric.)

After the new set from Knit Picks arrived, I was able to continue on. I finished the first sock without incident. The second sock was going smoothly until I was about 6 or 7 rows from the end of the gusset decreases. And then guess what happened! Yep, I broke another needle. And of course, I was at Knit Night when it happened and didn't have any spare needles with me, but at least that was only a temporary set back.

What did I learn from this experience? No more using size 1 needles with medium weight yarn. I knew going in, it was going to be difficult to use such tiny needles with yarn that thick, but I had my heart set on using this pattern with this colorway. Next time, I'll either use a different yarn or use a different pattern.

Chickabiddy Socks

Another pair completed.


Pattern: Carolina, the Last Queen of Naples (Ravelry link) by Gigi Silva
Yarn: Socks that Rock mediumweight in Chickabiddy

I did modify the pattern slightly. The pattern repeat calls for one of the rows to be purled. I wanted a smoother fabric, so I knit the purl row. I'm very happy with the results.

Little Flowers Socks

I finished another pair of socks yesterday.


Yarn: Socks that Rock lightweight in Waterlilies
Pattern: Little Flowers from the Sockamania KAL

Lucky?

I had a stroke of luck this past Tuesday evening. I don't usually get on the computer after I sit down to watch TV for the night. But Tuesday, after I was done with TV (a little after 10 p.m.), I decided to get on the computer. Since I knew it was Wollmeise sneak-up week at The Loopy Ewe, I had the page already up in my browser. Imagine my surprise when I refreshed and saw that there were actual items in there. I quickly added yarns to my cart. Two colors that I had been coveting forever and one additional color. I made it all the way through checkout without any problems. Today, my yarns arrived!!


Poison No. 5, Zenzi, and Miss May

Aunt Petunia

I finished these one day last week. (I know, bad blogger for taking so long to post about them.)


Pattern:Petunia Dursley's Double Eyelet Socks
Yarn: Socks that Rock lightweight in goody goody (This was the July sock club colorway.)

These were another fun and easy knit. It was a great take-along project. I worked on these at a local craft/art show and in the car on our way to Hershey Park.

Pretty in Pink Socks

Thanks to Monica and Jill for their comments on my handspun.

I completed my Pretty in Pink socks. These were a fun knit.


Pattern: Pretty in Pink by Monica Jines
Yarn: Socks that Rock lightweight in Mist

Handspun Happiness

I have lots of handspun yarns to share. So, let's dive in!


Roving: Hello Yarn, Merino
Colorway: Mixed Berry
Yardage & weight: 222 yds, DK weight


Roving: Freckle Face Fibers, Bluefaced Leicester
Colorway: Sorbet
Yardage & weight: 154 yds, DK weight


Roving: Funky Carolina, Superwash Merino
Colorway: Melancholy (this was the April 2008 fiber club colorway)
Yardage & weight: 158 yds, Worsted weight


Roving: Squoosh, Merino
Colorway: Pond
Yardage & weight: 204 yds, DK weight

Being a creature of habit, all of my yarns are 2-ply.

Socks - On and Off the Needles

These were finished over a week ago and clearly I forgot to blog about them. The pattern is Spring Forward and the yarn is Socks That Rock lightweight in the colorway Blarney Stone. The color is a little busy for the pattern, but I like them anyway!


One down, one to go. These are also being knit in Socks that Rock lightweight. The pattern is Pretty in Pink (Rav link) by Monica J. The colorway is Mist. I'm loving this pattern.


Just getting started. The pattern: Petunia Dursley's Double Eyelet Socks. The yarn is Socks that Rock lightweight (yes, I'm on an STR kick right now). This is the July sock club colorway, goody goody.

Charlotte's Web Shawl

She's done...almost! It seems like it took forever and especially those last few rows. It still needs to be blocked, but I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to do that. I was originally planning to do that this coming weekend on the bed, but my husband is working night shift, so the bed will be occupied during the day.

Yarn is Socks That Rock mediumweight. Colors from top to bottom are Saratoga, Henpecked, Rooster Rock, Kaw Kaw, and Eggplanted. Because it turned out so large, I decided on just a simple single crochet border in the final color.

I did make a few modifications. The original pattern calls for 2 pattern repeats in color 1, then 2 repeats blending colors 1 and 2, then 2 repeats of color 2, etc. I did 4 repeats of colors 1, 2 and 3; 3 repeats of colors 4 and 5; and 2 repeats for the blending sections. And my border is much more simple than the original pattern (oh, and no fringe).

Now that this project is done, I can go back to focusing on my small projects (Hurray for socks!!).

Manitoba Morning Socks

I completed a pair of socks this week.



Pattern: Manitoba Morning from Northern Sunshine Designs
Yarn: Socks That Rock lightweight in Moss Agate

What's on my needles? Part 3 of 3

Finally....Part 3

Charlotte's Web. My first shawl. Since I generally consider myself a sock knitter, this is a huge project for me. It's been relatively easy (well, after I figured out the lace pattern) and I'm enjoying it. But, I don't expect I'll be knitting anything quite this big for a while after it's finished.


Yarn is Socks That Rock mediumweight. Colors in this image are Saratoga, Henpecked, Rooster Rock, and the beginnings of Kaw Kaw. The fifth and final color will be Eggplanted.

What's on my needles? Part 2 of 3

Socks. I've got 2 pair in the works right now. I usually like to only have 1 pair going at a time (it makes me feel like they get done faster). But I couldn't resist casting on a new pair to participate in the Spring Forward KAL in the Socks That Rawk group on Ravelry. But first, I give you Manitoba Morning.


I'm working on the second sock now. The pattern is from Northern Sunshine Designs. The yarn is Socks That Rock lightweight in Moss Agate. When I first wound the yarn, I was less than impressed with how the colors were playing together, but I'm loving how it's turning out.


Just getting started on these. Spring Forward from the Summer 2008 Knitty. Yarn is more Socks That Rock lightweight in Blarney Stone.

Stay tuned for Part 3 ~~ Charlotte's Web

What's on my needles? Part 1 of 3

NOTE: This originally started out as 1 post, but it started getting too long, so I broke it up into 3 posts.

I feel like I haven't been knitting much lately. We had a couple of weekend day trips last month, as well as our vacation. But, I must be knitting sometime, because projects keep showing up on my needles.

Dishcloths. I'll admit it. I'm a Ballband junky. I've knit so many of these now, that I have the pattern memorized. I love having at least one of these on the needles at all times. It's the perfect project to pick up when I've got just a minute or two to knit (i.e., waiting for something or someone). It's also great when I feel like knitting but don't feel like thinking too much. The pic below shows 2 that are in progress. The yellow one was in progress before I left for vacation, but it didn't get to come along with us and the pink one was started while on vacation.



Stay tuned for Part 2 of What's on my needles? ~~ Socks

Leftover Socks

These socks were knit using the 'leftovers' of the first two colors in my Charlotte's Web Shawl (Details on this will be coming in a future post). The yarn is Socks That Rock mediumweight. Colors are: Henpecked (cuffs, heels, toes) and Saratoga (legs, feet). I started these in early June because I knew I had a couple of long car rides coming up. Stockinette in the round is perfect for car knitting.

Vacation Time

A super, short post today. We are off tomorrow for vacation.

Destination - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Mystic Sea Socks

These socks seemed to knit up really fast for me. I love how the yarn swirled and pooled on the leg.



Pattern: Mystic Sea
Yarn: Socks That Rock lightweight in The Incredible Shrinking Violet

Celebrations Socks

Another pair of socks off the needles!



Pattern: Celebrations Socks from Sockamania
Yarn: Socks That Rock lightweight in Lenore

I felt like these socks went on and on forever. I think it's probably because of the cables (I'm not a big fan, I guess). They turned out great and I'm very happy with the end result.

Handspinning!!

As promised, my fiber haul from MD Sheep & Wool.



There's lots of goodies in there (there are notes on the pic, so click the pic to see them at Flickr). Mostly I bought merino (some superwash, some not), but there's at least one blend in there.

I've been spinning quite a bit lately and because of that I have 3 new handspun yarns to share.


A 2-ply DK weight spun from Funky Carolina, Corriedale. This fiber is from the fiber club and is called Fallen.


Another 2-ply worsted weight spun from The Drafting Zone, Merino. This was a 2007 MD Sheep & Wool purchase. Colorway is Daffodil.


Yet another 2-ply (what can I say, I love the 2-ply) DK weight from Cloverleaf Farms, Merino/Silk blend. This was another 2007 MD Sheep & Wool purchase. Colorway is Spring.

Swirly O Socks

I know, I promised fiber and handspun, but one skein of handspun is still drying. So, I give you my Swirly O socks, finished last night while watching Survivor.


Yarn - Socks That Rock mediumweight in Calico
Pattern - Swirly O Socks from The Knitter's Book of Yarn
Gauge - 7 stitches per inch

Socks!!

I have been negligent in blogging these past few months. There have been a few posts here and there but nothing regular (not that I was a 'regular' blogger to begin with). I'm going to try to post at least once a week. But, I digress.

This post is about Socks!

Last Saturday, I attended the MD Sheep & Wool Festival. This year, I attended with my friend Connie (Ravelry link). Our first stop of the day was at The Fold's booth for some Socks That Rock. I picked up 5 skeins!!


From left to right: Dutch Canyon (mediumweight), Kaw Kaw (mediumweight), Eggplanted (mediumweight), Knitters Without Borders (lightweight), and Jewel of the Nile (mediumweight)

And as if that wasn't enough, I placed an order with Blue Moon for more Socks That Rock this week. Yay! for stash enhancement!

I currently have two pair of socks on the needles. For several months I was very good and only had 1 pair of socks on the needles at a time, not any more.

Here are some WIP shots.


Yarn - Socks That Rock mediumweight in Calico
Pattern - Swirly O Socks from The Knitter's Book of Yarn
Notes - This has been an easy (and quick) pattern. I love how the yarn is playing with the pattern. I usually tend to knit with more colorful yarns than this one, so it's been a nice change to work with something a little less bold.


Yarn - Socks That Rock (again) lightweight in Lenore (one of the 2007 Rockin' Sock Club colorways)
Pattern - Celebrations Socks from the Sockamania KAL
Notes - I picked Lenore because it was the exact color opposite of Calico. I don't have much done yet, but I'm hoping for an elegant looking sock. I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of the Ravens series. I like to work with color and the thought of working with all that black all the time just seemed kind of depressing to me. But after working with this colorway for a little bit, I can certainly see the appeal.

Up next - spinning fiber bought at MD Sheep & Wool and handspun yarns

Almost Forgot

I finished these this past weekend and haven't blogged about them yet. These are my 50^th pair of adult sized socks.^*


Pattern - Big Bamboo from Vogue, The Ultimate Sock Book
Yarn - Socks That Rock mediumweight, Lucky (from the March 2008 Rockin' Sock Club)

^*This number does not include the few pair of kid/baby sized socks I've knit. Oh, and all 50 of those pairs are for me. Yes, I'm a selfish knitter.

Latest Doilies

Doily making continues...


Scallopped Pineapple Doily - This one was resurrected.


Antlia Doily - A crochet along choice from the Doilie Heads group on Ravelry. Pattern here


Four-Square Pineapple - Pattern from Leisure Arts #75013, Pineapple Doilies.

All were done in size 10 thread from various manufacturers (i.e., South Maid, Aunt Lydia's).

I have 2 more doilies that need to be blocked and another in the works, so more doilies to come soon.

Summerfield Socks

I finished these last week, finally. For some reason they seemed like they took forever.


Yarn - All Things Heather in Festival
Pattern - Summerfield Socks by Lisa Parker (This was a Loopy Ewe sock club exclusive pattern.)

Resurrecting a Project

A few years back (before I became obsessed with socks), I used to crochet a lot of doilies (check out my Doily Set on Flickr). Some I gave away or swapped, some are used around my house, and some are stacked up waiting for their turn to be displayed. I still have a few that I finished but they still need their ends tucked in and blocked.

Lately, I've had the urge to crochet doilies. I don't really need more projects to work on, but I'm in denial about that, so I'm not even going to think about it. When I switched from avid doily crocheter to obsessed sock knitter, I left a doily unfinished. What's kind of sad about this, is the doily is only 4 or 5 rounds from completion. So, I figured this is a great way to satisfy my doily-making urge.


A pic of the in-progress doily in its unfinished (and waiting for me to get back to it) state.

The white and blue thread, as well as, the pattern and hook I used were all stored together. The pink thread was a little harder to put my hands on, but I did eventually find it. I'm hoping to finish the crocheting this weekend. And with any luck, blocking will occur soon after that.

Jailhouse Rock Socks

Pattern - Stansfield 14 from More Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn - Socks That Rock mediumweight in Jailhouse Rock
Needles & Gauge - Size 2 DPNs, 7 st/in

And since I always need to have a pair of socks on the needles, here is my newest.


Yarn - All Things Heather in Festival
Pattern - Summerfield Socks by Lisa Parker (This was a Loopy Ewe sock club exclusive pattern.)