Resolutions ?

Time to check in with the Resolutions made 31 days ago.

First the good news, I have worn my hand knit socks every day. On the day I needed to 'dress up' it was rainy so I wore my 'dress' boots and my casual sock secret was safely hidden.

As to the exercise before knitting. Well . . . those exercise resolutions are always a challenge. I have tried to walk more, but have to admit that on the rainy days I didn't get out. (Wait, does walking in Costco count?)

So resolutions for February? I think they should be about love - since this is St. Valentine's month. Try to love walking? That's easy to fudge. Try finishing the afghan? That's do-able.
And yes, keep knitting and wearing socks. Sweet!

Sometimes you feel like a nut . . .

Those of you of a certain age may remember the advertising jiggle for Almond Joy - Mounds, sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.

When I was knitting my first lace project I realized how nice it was to have a stockinette project. I called it my no-brainer knit. Now with lots going on at our home, I am so pleased to have a stockinette project. But now I have given it a name with a bit more respect. It's my soothing knit. Something to keep my fingers busy, but allowing me time to listen and reflect without having to count stitches or rows with YO's.

All praise to the soothing knit, you have been my mind's salvation this day.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled . . .

Yes, last blog, I was puzzling what pattern to knit for my lace. I finished sock 1 of the Monkey pair. This is a fun pattern to knit.

Enter darling-first-born-son who would like a pr of socks. Yippee! (I didn't even have to twist his arm too much.) He chose from the stash and even helped wind the ball. My attempt at sts/in and circumference yielded a sock that looked too big. Zip into car on dark and stormy night to drive to his house so he can try it on. Yep, too large. So, thinks I, a couple of decreases and we'll take it down. I knit through Masterpiece Theater and then a Sherlock Holmes with Rupert Jones. Look at the sock - terrible. See those bulges on the side under the ribbing? UGLY. ok, into the frog pond. Time to start again.

Then oppsey, phone call this morning from our adorable-second-born-son living in FL. They are moving to CA and could they stay with us until they find a new place. Gasp. The 'guest' room is filled with junk. So my knitting and blogging may be interrupted for a while. But rest assured, I will be thinking of both as often as I can. That's the thing about life - sometimes its orderly and sometimes it feels like yarn in a frog pond.

Poking here and there

This winter we have a new visitor at the feeder. A Nuttall's woodpecker pokes into the top fence brace where I've sprinkled seed. Her head pecks repeatedly to find a treasure.

That's how I feel as I try to decide on my next lace project.

The lovely blue Anne fingering wool needs just the right pattern so I repeatedly poke into one pattern after another in Ravelry. There are so many wonderful patterns, now I don't know which one to choose. Such a delightful dilemma.

Meanwhile I am enjoying the Monkey pattern for my next pair of socks.

Monkey - not on my back

Look, my baby steps are leading me to a new and enjoyable knitting experience. I'm knitting Cookie A's lace sock pattern, Monkey. How could I have been so worried about trying this. Aren't I proud to have taken another baby step up in my knitting experience. Woo hoo. I'm doin' a happy dance.

Baby Steps

Baby Steps - the profound advice in What about BoB?

Each knitting project builds confidence. Yet I am surprised that looking at a pattern I assume it will be too hard. If I can make the leap of faith to just cast on, and take one line of instructions at a time a big surprise delights me. Hey, sez she. I think I can do this!! woo hoo.

So I'm glad to report that I have decided to knit Monkey. Yes, I'm probably the only person knitting socks on Ravelry who has yet to knit this pattern. But more importantly, I found the courage to try.

Feels like a BIG STEP.

Where ya headed cowboy?

Blazing Saddles is one of my favorite silly movies. At the end, before they ride off into the sunset, Gene Wilder asks Cleavon Little, "Where ya headed cowboy?" "No where special", replies Cleavon. "I always wanted to go there." is Gene's reply. Well, that's my reply too.

Where ya goin' with that knittin, girl? No where special. You see when I ordered this brown color of Dream in Color, I thought it would be a much softer rosy color. I was dissappointed when I received my skein and the color was more brown. But I really like Dream in Color's Smooshy and my friend recommended it as the next sock yarn.

After a bit of procrastination yesterday, I decided tonight to just sit and start something and see where it headed. Working this yarn is a joy. The color changes are subtle and I'm warming to the shade. I cast on for a sock pattern and decided it was not enough stitches. But the little bit knit looked so nice I decided to keep going and knit it into a pair of pulse warmers. I love these little circles of yarn. When I use my sock yarn leftovers to knit a set, I am bringing some of the sock color up into my line of vision.

Digression on pulsewarmers: I fell in love with knit designs at the Oleana shops in Norway. While purchasing a shawl, I noticed a small basket of loops behind the counter. The shop girl searched for the English words to explain that they insulate the wrist where the blood comes to the surface. She said that wearing them is both a fashion statement and keeps the body warmer. The ones in the shop were merino patterned to match the other clothing available in the shop. And warmer? - its true.

So back to the theme of the night, I knit goin' nowhere special and came up with these! And now I'm ready to cast on my 6th pr o socks feeling much better about the yarn color.

In between. . .

I hate being in between projects. Oh sure, I've got a couple of things that are waiting for me, but for one reason or another I'm not ready to tackle them.

Today, pattern after pattern has been discarded for a next project sock or lace. Time to search out some chocolate, maybe a nice cup of mint tea and curl up with a book.

I'm awash in a tidal wave of ennui. Let's hope once the weather outside settles, I'll be happily attached to another knitting project.

Did you see what she found?

Ok, one of my favorite LYS's had a sale. I've been saving for some lace yarn and woo hoo did I score or what!

I hope this merino knits like Koigu. Nice soft summer colors for some socks.

This is my first Anne from Schaefer.

Although it could and has been used as a sock yarn, I'm thinking a lace project. It is fine and soft and mostly one color. I love it.

Now check out this lace yarn - silk. Oh, what pattern to use????

I wanted something neutral to wear in Hawaii. I can hardly wait to see how this knits.

Trip to Monterey

We spent the day in Monterey so just a little sock knitting. Lots of great views!

The vote is in

Next sock:


Dream in Color Smooshy: Chinatown Apple
Mistake Rib pattern
The yarn is wound and ready. Now all we need is to free up the #1's so I can begin.
Tomorrow we drive to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium - expect some knitting to happen along the way.

What ever made you want to knit socks?

Frankly, I have no idea when I decided to knit socks. I got a pair of silly striped SmartWool socks and delighted in the fun of them. (Previous sock wear was plain, thin sock liners.) So it might have been discovering all the wonderful colors of yarn available for socks.

Wool socks are warm and soft and I like the sproingy feel of them in my shoes. One day, I decided I was going to knit my own socks. BIG decision as my knitting had been flat, boring things like scarves and a couple of hats. Since I had already knit a wardrobe of hat/scarf combos it was time to knit something new. So I methodically decided to baby step into the world of knitting socks.

Knit blogs were a source in inspiration. Knitty had great forums on needles. KnittingHelp had wonderful tutorials on some the skills needed.

I decided to knit on 24" circulars and placed an order for Addi Lace needles in US 1, 2, 3. Yep, a pair of each. Now turns out I've only used the #1's for socks, but just in case, I have the larger sizes.

I started with a couple of good books on socks. Sensational Knitted Socks has been my favorite since Charlene Schurch gives instructions for double pointed and circulars. (Many of the patterns are for dpn's. I used dpn's once for a hat and vowed to avoid the porcupine needles.) As a beginner I needed her detailed instructions for how many stitches on each circular. Maybe when I grow up to knit lacey sock patterns I'll be able to translate the design from dpn's to circulars but for now I rely on Sensational Knitted Socks to lead me by the hand.

I decided to knit a pair of Fetching to learn how to knit something circular. I really like these fingerless mits. Great for reading in bed on cold nights.

Although I was anxious to start right in with a real sock, enough had been written about the advantage of knitting a practice sock with larger gauge yarn and needles that I reluctantly knit the sock lesson. Boy am I glad I did. I even knit 2 when my little grandson put on the lone sock and asked where the other one was???

At last I was ready to knit a real sock. I had purchased Mountain Color's Bearfoot yarn to match my scarf and hat combos. Silly I know, but there you are. To get free shipping I just had to bulk up my order to the minimum and so I was able to get a variety of sock yarns. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, each knits up differently. Plus I was experimenting along the way to get the best fit. I'm still working on that, but once I settle on a couple of brands of yarn, I'll have the details and modifications for my socks.

So many sock patterns, but I just like to see the yarn's beauty. The multicolor yarns don't look as good to me in more complex patterns. So at this early sock stage, I'm happy with my plain socks.

Now, for the first time, I'm not sure which yarn to knit next. Should it be this: or this?

Not socks!?

Ok, surprise, I picked up a wip (work in progress) - my EZ Rib Warmer. It has been neglected because I have been unsure when to start the short rows on the front. But, then I decided not to be put off by my concern/fear and just get going on it. (or am I avoiding starting sock #2 in a yarn I'm not thrilled with? hum, this will take some more thought.)

Although the photos don't do justice to the deep Cabernet color, this will have to do until its done.

I love the yarn: Dream in Color's Classy In Veno Veritas. It is so soothing to knit I'm really glad I pulled it out of the bag and started in again.

Sock it to me

Ok, just a quick post to show the latest sock.

One thing about doing sock after sock - you can remember how to work the heel and toe details.

I like Ann Budd's description of Kitchener and have it open to jog my memory as I bind off.

Heel is Eye of Partridge - my favorite to knit, and to wear.

Opinions

The Socks: Patterns about the same, but each yarn is very different to work. I'll blog more later this evening, but wanted to have these here just in case my cousin stopped by. From left to right: Mountain Colors' Bearfoot, Colinette's Jitterbug, Lorna's Laces Shepherd, Dream in Color Smooshy, and Sleeping Dragon Handpainted Merino.

I have knit multiple things from Mountain Colors' yarns and it seemed a natural to buy Bearfoot to match my scarves/hats. Ha, when I saw the Gold Rush color I couldn't resist starting with that. I didn't add any vinegar to the first rinse and these continue to run a bit in the sink as I hand wash.

But they are getting the most wear and with the mohair in them they are warm and fuzzy nice.

My next favorite yarn (before socks) was Colinette's yarns. When I found I could get the 'Jay' color to match my scarf - it was a must to have. I really like the sproinginess of this yarn.

Lorna's Laces was mentioned in so many blogs and on Ravelry that I had to give it a try. The yarn is the softest of these 3 and finer. I love the color - Tahoe - and it has not run in the wash at all.

Smooshy is just that. Soft with a sproing. and the colors. Yummy. This color is to match my Rib Warmer if I ever get back to knitting that. This may be my current favorite yarn. Not as fine as the others but still soft. I've only worn them once - yep hot off the needles and they have yet to be baptised. (note to self - go wash out your socks!)

The Sleeping Dragon is lovely colorwise, but seems even finer than the Lorna's Laces and for some reason that I can't quite put my finger on, is my least favorite. I'll add on to this once it gets worn.

Now as with any opinion, I reserve the right to change my mind at any time in the future.

The Long and Winding Yarn

I promised one of my Ravelry friends I'd try to capture pictures of the way I wind my yarn. Alas that didn't work out. But hopefully I can give a word picture. This method was demonstrated to me in the early 60's at either Polsky's or O'Neills department store in Akron, OH. I start by making a figure eight between pointer and pinky. After about 12 wraps, the yarn gets wadded into a ball shape and then I start wrapping the yarn around the little wad turning it around the pivot point of my thumb. Sort of like holding a bowling ball, but lighter and softer.

The very end gets wrapped around the equator and then after extracting my thumb, I go spelunking to find the starting end that is hiding in the center. This gives me a nice center pull and even as the ball gets used up, I've not yet had a tangled mess. Call me Lucky? Maybe I should knock on wood.

Yarn: Sleeping Dragon Handpainted Mossy Frog

Sock: standard on US #1

You win some, you loose some

Notice anything different about these two socks?

Ok, last night we were invited to celebrate my belated birthday dinner with our #1 son and dil. Luckily 2 1/2 yr old Josh was having fun playing by himself, so I settled in to knit my sock. Just turned the heel and finished the gusset and was ready to blaze away on to the toe. We chatted, I knit. Well this morning I realized that I forgot I had done this sock with a pattern and there I was in stockinette mode. Another moral dilemma? No. I had been wondering if there would be much difference in fit and feel between a sock with pattern and without pattern. Really. I don't plan to wear these socks with any cute shoes, just sturdy running type shoes. Once the shoes are tied, you can't really tell one is different. Ok, so that wasn't a bad 'loose one'.

The 'win one' is knitting with circulars. No ladders. See.

Ladders are a pet peeve of mine and I love using the flexibility of the circular needle to keep my stitches between needles snug. Addi Lace US 1 for these socks.

If you've been reading since January 1st, you may recall that I wanted to only wear my hand knit socks. This is going well except that we have turned off the heat and my socks take a lot longer to dry in the cool house. Ok, on to the next pair of socks.

Just like the alligators under my bed

When I was a child I pretended there were alligators under my bed just waiting to get me if I got out of bed in the dark. (no I didn't sleep in a swamp, this was the first photo I found.)

Sometimes I feel the 'wicked knitting goddess of the west' is like that. Lurking just below your rational mind waiting to snap.

Case in point. Back in the olden days I could knit and not watch what I was doing. Yeah it was a sweater with long rows for the sweetie who became my dh. (Thank goodness the myth about jinxing a relationship with a knit gift to the boyfriend didn't exist back in the olden days.)

Ok, jump to modern times: I'm fascinated by the radar feature on Ravelry. And, thinks I. . . I want to knit and monitor these comments as they zoom by. Well, you probably already guessed what was about to happen. Smart you. Dumb me. 'wicked knitting goddess of the west' snuck up and zap. Only thing is . . . I didn't realize she'd struck until about 3 inches later. Which is a goodly portion of a sock length.

Moral Dilemma: to frog or not to frog. So, I put the sock down and decided to think about it. Then I went up to bed for the night (yes, careful to check for imaginary alligators :) just kidding!). This morning I thought, no, I can't live with the mistake. But then, I tried on the sock (is that what its called when you haven't finished?) Ok, I tried on the sock-to-be and the mistake isn't even noticable. woo-hoo I can start the heel flap.

Lesson learned: I'm too old to knit and read radar even if some folks on Ravelry boast that they can. (Hey wait, they didn't claim they had no mistakes. But naive person that I am, I will continue to believe that somewhere someone is knitting perfectly and watching radar at the same time.)

Ok, yeah and the other take away lesson for me. Its not enough to leave a bit of cast on yarn at the start to know when I've completed a round. Now I use a marker closer to the rows being knit.

No, no photos. You think I'm going to show the world my mistake. I can live with it, but I don't need all of you out there saying. 'Oh man, I'd have frogged that!'.

Happy knitting to you and watch out for imaginary alligators and the 'wicked knitting goddess of the west'. Should I have abbreviated her title: wkgotw? Knitting blogs are filled with abbrev's. so why not.

It's a good read

One of my favorite knitting books is Clara Parkes'

Great information to help match the appropriate yarn to a project and great patterns.

Her recent blog http://www.knittersreview.com/ has a fun quiz to see what yarn you are.

Of course they make each of them sound just right. So yes, even though I don't like knitting with it. . . .that's me.

Snowy

Olga asked about my dog. Yes, that's the now famous blogger Olga from http://uberstrickenfrau.blogspot.com/ (A great blog if you haven't already found it!) I'm honored she took a peek at my beginner's blog site.


My avatar friend is Snowy, the fictional sidekick of Tintin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tintin Darling No #1 son and I fell in love with this series of Herge's cartoon books when we saw our first copy at a favorite toy store in Berkeley, CA. Darling son #2 preferred Asterix The Adventures of Asterix a series of French comic books by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo (illustrations).


Anyway, back to Snowy: While visiting Stockholm this summer we happened upon a Tintin store in Gamla Stan. http://www.tintinbutiken.se/ and I picked up this Snowy key chain to be my sidekick. Seems like it wasn't too far from our favorite restaurant Fem Små Hus. M.m.m.m good memories. My first cloudberries. sorry I digress. Again.


Ah yes, we were at the Tintin shop in Sweden. They had so many things I wanted, but with the currency exchange and wanting to travel light on SAS I just opted for the Snowy keychain and this adorable book as keepsakes. Oh, yes, and most of the items were in Swedish of course.



Spielberg has the rights to the characters so a movie may be in the works. I'm not holding my breath.

Ok, back to knitting so I can cast on a swatch of Baby Fern pattern to see if I like it with the next sock yarn.

Cold and stormy

Yes, that could refer to the weather, but also my nose: I tink I'm combing down wid a code in my nose.

Since today was a Nana and Tutu day i.e. we had our adorable grandson, there hasn't been any knitting yet. So I'll post a picture of something finished in November.

Pattern: Branching Out by Susan Lawrence.

Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in Blue Lagoon

Needles: Addi Lace US #3

A really nice lace pattern. (And Free)

Lace Learning tip # 1. Count the number of stitches you have after every row. You wouldn't believe how easy it is to err with all those YO's.

Here is a copy of a Ravelry message I sent to a new knitting friend in Texas on this project. It is offered for your day's humor:

Ah yes, blocking. I envy you the blocking wires. I've only blocked my Branching out. Primative is all I can say. I pulled out a folded cardboard with grid lines (something I used in the 80's to lay sewing patterns on, found some straight pins, filled up the misting pump thing-y we use for hot weather (REI? WalMart?) and got to work. I sort of pulled it to a width and length that brought the pattern out and got started pinning. First I pinned the left edge then worked my way to the other end. Turns out I had to use every single pin in the house as it needed to be pinned about every 1/2 inch to look straight and not wavy. By the time I finished I had dents in my finger and vowed to invest in some of those cute pins with a flange to hold onto. Then, I turned on the mist thing-y and wet it down. Ok, you've probably already figured out that the cardboard was gonna get wet and smelly and yes it did. And as you know and I was reminded by my stupidity (well haste) wet cardboard takes a long long time to dry. So several days later the Branching out was dry enough to hold it's shape so I released it from the pins. I am pleased with it and DH actually complimented me on it. Which is a rare, rare event. smile.
So, having a good, waterproof surface and good pins are on my list before I try blocking again.

Since I ended this project before it got to be shawl/wrap length, it became the water feature under our Bronze sculpture.

Even Snowy likes it, I think, maybe not since he is lifting his paw up in a tip toe out of here sort of way.

Ok, I'll try to go work on that 2nd sock.

One down, one to go

Tah Dah - one down and one to go. Smooshy is really nice. This sock has almost knit itself.

Ok, yes, knitting a sock with a pattern instead of stockinette keeps the interest. Maybe I'm just picking up more confidence with each sock, but this was a quick knit. Maybe 6 sts/inch vs 7 sts /inch makes that much difference. I love this pair, well 1/2 pair. . .

But call me fickle. I'm already planning what yarn to use next.

Sleeping Dragon Yarns from Simply Socks.com
Handpainted 100% superwash merino
Color is Mossy Frog and much greener than this shot indicates.

Progress update 1-6

Easy pattern. Just hard enough to be an interesting step.

I turned the heel and now it is on to the toe. I must say I enjoyed the mental game of keeping track of the pattern at the same time as decreasing for the gusset. Since I've just learned long tail cast on in October 2007, I feel proud of my slow but steady progress toward more complicated designs.

Ok, time for a close up of that heel. Eye of Partridge doesn't look very exciting, but I like how it fits and feels. In fact it may be the best fitting sock yet.