Sock Mojo

I recently knit a sock using a new book that I have wanted for a while and received for Christmas.  I was knitting a toe up sock using the Riverbed architecture from Cat Bordhi's book New Pathways for Sock Knitters.  After I finished this sock I tried it on. It was longer than I wanted.  It was wider than I wanted.   It just didn't fit.  This sock was a lot of work.  A lot of math and charts and flipping around in this book.  There was no way I was going to knit another sock using this method.  This got me thinking about the socks I've been knitting lately and how I've become rather disenchanted with knitting socks.  One thing that dawned on me is the amount of toe up and "new construction" I've been doing.  None of the toe up socks seemed to fit as well as my others.  Why was I messing with something that was already working for me? Top down and magic loop socks I can do with my eyes closed and they always work.  So I ripped out the sock and proceeded to do what I've done before.  As you can see I'm moving along nicely.  The sock thus far, fits like a dream.  I'm starting to feel my "sock mojo" coming back to me. What a relief!  My sock yarn stash is good to go!

Pattern:  Olympian Socks
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Super Sock Select colorway African Grey
Needles: Hiya Hiya US size 1.5 (2.5mm)

Funny

I can't stop thinking about a comment Barbara Walker said in an interview with the Knitmore Girl's.  When asked what she is knitting now, she said "I don't knit"....

I find that extremely funny.

Knitting Catch Up

I thought I would show a few of the objects I've completed since my last knitting post in October.  Since that time I've completed a few items for me and a lot of items that were sent out to be sold.  I was knitting so much at one point that my hands actually ached and I had to stop for a week.  I only have pictures of some of the items that were sold.  Most were just knit and shipped out.  My knitting most recently has been on finer gauge yarn and the to be sold items were bulky weight.  A nice change of pace.  Pictures below are of my personal knitting.  You can see some of the other items here at my Ravelry project page.

First off I finished Multnomah.  This was sent to my grandmother for Christmas.



Next was the TTL Mystery Socks.



Then I made the Grace Lace Beret using Mirasol Yarn Qina.  This turned out beautifully.  It was a gift for my daughter's piano teacher.





Then I made Owl Baby Vest with the intention of sending it to my cousin for his new baby Henry.  However my gauge was off and it's too small for him already.  It's being put in the gift box for the next baby boy to come around.  It was knit with Cascade Yarn Cherub Collection DK.  This yarn is sooooo quishy.  It's hard to believe that it's washable.



I also completed 2 hats for hubby.  Both are Turn a Square by Jerrod Flood.  He liked the first hat so much he asked for a second.





The last item I just completed was so nice to knit.  It is Alana Dakos' Cedar Leaf Shawlette.  I knit it in Handmaiden's Lady Godiva yarn and I'm now spoiled.  What a lovely yarn.  Definitely worth the price.  This scarf/shawlette is going to get a lot of wear. 

So to sum up my knitting last year, I knit 12767 yards. That equates to 7.25 miles.  Not bad.  Between knitting and destashing I think that my yarn stash did decrease but I haven't gone so far as to calculate that.  I can tell you that there is more room in my closet.

Lessons Learned

This year I decided not to make resolutions.  I don't need the pressure. At the same time I did think back over the year and tried to recall what I have learned.  Below are some of the things I could remember.


Just because you write it doesn't mean it will be read (ie. sticky notes, facebook, twitter, email...)

Severe acid reflux can feel like a heart attack (Prilosec is now my friend)

If you think someone is crazy...they probably are (nuff said)

I do need vacations (scheduling a mini one as we speak)

I can knit so much that my hands actually hurt (in the end I earned a huge gift card to Webs....worth the pain)

I still hate seaming sweaters ( ie. Nantucket sweater...still in pieces)

Once a yarn snob...always a yarn snob (buying yarn from a box store is no longer fun)

Once one thing breaks in the house, the rest will follow (furnace, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer)

Teenagers will make you crazy (and she only just turned 13!)

A hot bath and a glass of wine can cure many things (amen)


There has been knitting as well.  There always is.  But I'll save that for the next post.  Happy New Year everyone!

WIP's

I've got a little bit of this and a little bit of that on the needles right now.  First off and the one I'm knitting on the most right now is Multnomah.  I'm just now done with the garter and getting ready for the lace.  The yarn is yummy...Stricken Smitten's Sinful Sock (merino/nylon/cashmere).

Next is a vest from Fitted Knits.  It's the Back To School U Neck Vest and I'm knitting in Cascade 220.  I'm feeling the need to add a vest or two to my wardrobe and this one spoke to me.  It's great knitting for Knit Night.

I have another shawl in the works that is going to be over-dyed as soon as I'm done with it.  I'm only a chart or two from being done.  It's the Milkweed Shawl and I'm making it in BMFA Socks that Rock lightweight.  The colorway has not worked for anything I've tried to knit so I'm going to attempt to over-dye it to a caramel brown.  I haven't worked with acid dyeing beforem so I'll let you know how that goes.

Lastly I'm participating in Kristen Kapur's Mystery Sock '09 and loving the design so far.  I'm using my favorite sock yarn, Dream In Color Smooshy in the colorway Cinnamon Girl.  These socks will match my
Liesl perfectly.

Beautiful Colors

Just spent 3 days in Myrtle Beach and I'm in love with that place.   I never spent so much time out on the balcony just relaxing and listening to the waves.  I brought a ton of knitting and only knit in the car and just after waking in the morning.  It was 86 degrees both days and the waves were huge.  My tan has returned.  :)

We even woke up to watch the sun come up one morning... 

 

 

On the knitting front...this came in the mail last week.

A friend of mine spun and dyed all this.  Isn't it beautiful?  I'm almost done knitting it all up into items for her to sell at shows. It has been so much fun.  You can find her at handsandnotions.  Her dye work is stunning.  Please go check her out.  And for you spinners out there she does beautiful roving as well.