Still Knitting On

The dream swatch continues to grow, as does the beautiful rose-colored silk thing. The swatch is at 5-1/2″ and needs to be 48″. The other one has reached 12″. BBC7 needs to pick up the slack and provide more mysteries for me to listen to. It’s their fault and not mine.

This weekend I also worked on some socks while watching House. (The socks are a fairly ill-kept secret project, sitting out on the coffee table all the time, right under the nose of the recipient). I think the surprise will be if I manage to actually finish them before the end of the year.

On my list are some other little crafty projects that may or may not get punted in the interests of sanity. And, of course, I’m hoping to get over my cold so the holiday baking can commence. I’ll be talking about cookies on Tuesday, I think. If anyone knows a really good chocolate fudge cake recipe, do tell. I have to make one for a potluck.

Heels and Toes

The Amazonian socks are finished. Heels and toes are done, as well as the weaving in of ends, mentioned earlier. Shh: they’re now bathing in their wool wash, although rumor has it that while I was away, the Gardener wore them pre-washing without dying toes.

I’m impressed with the color-fastness of the yarn, from Araucania. I’ve looked at their website, and I don’t see the Ranco Multi that I used. It’s probably still out there, just check the shelves at your local LYS.

Even though it isn’t as thrilling as knitting lace or cabled socks, I think the Yarrow Ribbed Sock pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks has the potential to be a default pattern, depending on how the heels hold up. The heel pick up is definitely elegant, and I’m trying to figure out if I could incorporate a different heel flap into it. If you want to see socks that were knit better and have better photographs, go to irisines stricksalon. If you want to see them knit in pink screaming yarn, check out Fuzzy Noodle Knits (she used Flat Feet Sock yarn, where you get a flat pack of yarn machine knit and dyed, your unravel it, and knit it up again). [To non-knitters: yes it sounds like a cult of wacky. No, it isn't.]

In non-knitting news, yes, there was fine china for our dinner, good wine to drink, and classical music on the radio yesterday. It was a good day to pause and be grateful. Now, I’m back to work.

Gone Loopy

Well, feh. The Amazonian sock-in-progress did not like all the air travel back and forth to Kentucky. Loops have fallen off the needle(s!) like leaves from an autumn tree. Lets look at this a little closer.*

Look to the right. See those loopy things that look like part of a noose? (Hey, it was just Halloween… I’m still on ghoulish overload.) Each of those little loops were supposed to be traveling along, happily, on the needle while in transit in my little knitting sack within my backpack. (No knitting happened on either part of the airplane ride, because I was sandwiched like a sardine in the middle seat, and didn’t want to run the risk of poking anyone with an elbow.)

This was the dispiriting sight I saw in the early hours of Wednesday morning (I was hoping to work on the sock at lunchtime). That said, the cold weather is really motivating me to finish this sock. I did get the little loops back on the needles, and I only had a few moments of stress when I had to take two of the loops back off the needles and switch them (they’d gotten twisted out of order).

So, if anyone out there has any hobbies they’d like to share… what are the setbacks you’ve met while “enjoying” your hobby? I’ve done evil things with decopage (one headless cupid applied to a box), ripped an edge on a stencil when I was halfway through with stenciling a repeat around the top of a room, sewn my finger with a sewing machine in Home-ec (still have the gingham apron they made me make), and split a  woodblock in printing class. How about you?

*I figure there has to be something that isn’t focused on the USA election out on the Web (besides all the wonderful ex-US blogs that talk about everyday life and their regional politics). In the case of this blog, it’s dropped stitches.

The Sock Market

…. brought to you by recent events.

Sock accrues interest

Like everyone else, I’m watching the news media closely. Every time I hear the term “Stock Market” I think “Sock Market” since it’s Socktoberfest. I’m working onsite for a client who requires that I take an hour lunch every day (bringing along work for my other clients is obviously a no-no, so I’ve brought my knitting). I ripped back the first Amazonian sock and added length on the foot and finished the toe, then started the second sock immediately. This has been very restful for my eyes, and also kind of restful in a work environment where everyone else is talking about their stocks. Spending a good bit of time wondering if the color is more like a copper-bronze color than forests and water keeps me going through that sort of discussion.

I realize I’m doing my best to avoid a Bare Market, where there aren’t any socks. (Note the bare toe — the second sock is past the cuff already. These socks are definitely engaging my interest more as I work with them.) Sock market and stock market aren’t that distant — As a knitter, I acquire yarn, and then I let it age for a while, waiting until a project comes up. I have a stash of yarn that may grow up to be something else. However, I don’t need to take out loans to acquire this capital, so that’s where the analogy fails. Well, that and the frivolity of the analogy.

So, hopefully more of my yarn will migrate into FOs in time for me to reinvest in my sock yarn (replenishing my stocks, as it were). Next project is a secret one, so I won’t be posting photos of that till it’s safely in the hands of the recipient. But after that, it’s on to birthday sock yarn from last year and choosing a pattern from the Cat Bordhi book.

Yeah, I’m in a punny mood. So, any mishearings of the media amusing you lately?

Tidal Socks Ebb and Flow

Ebb and flow. First sock is on right.

Inside out views of the socks.

I’ve cast off the first tidal sock, and moved on to the second. This time, in a reverse of the color pattern found in the first. See: ebb and flow. OK, being a little bit of a geek about these, but I’m really pleased with the concept. Let’s just call it a one-off art installation for my feet that will be mostly covered up by shoes, unless I wear clogs.

I’m actually tempted to stick suede on the bottom of these socks and transform them into

slippers (although then I’ll lose the fun of the sole patterning). However, they aren’t my dream slipper project, which is this one: prairie boots. So, thoughts? Anyone ever transform socks into slippers?

Goodbye to The Water Element and PS3

Lake at a National Park

October is the end of Project Spectrum for the year. Yes, I still have projects on the needles (for instance, a certain green pair of socks which is next in the second-sock completion queue). But I’m still very pleased with the results. I’ve used the whole project — from fire and earth to air and water — to motivate me to try different things and to use different media, as well as to jumpstart an ongoing mythology project. Yes, I’ll continue on reading even as PS3 ends.

I made socks (3 pairs and one half a pair), attempted to cast on rusted root for the water element (it’s on hold now), knit with thread, drew the stones of a church, learned to photograph water, made earrings (with pink and orange crystals for the fire element), tried out Cat Bhordhi’s sock book, and finished lots of projects.

The light and shadows are beautiful this time of year

If Lolly holds Project Spectrum next year, I’m hoping my contribution will be less about texture and one skein of yarn (admittedly multi-dyed, but the yarn did most of the work) and more about purpose-driven color play. Maybe a lovely Fair Isle sweater with multiple colors of the rainbow. Or some project that captures the mood of the shadows in a doorway on an Autumn day.

In the meantime, I’ve joined Socktoberfest because I’m enjoying the extra boost to my creativity that PS3 gave to me. Maybe I’ll finish up some of those sock projects. I’m also thinking about casting on for Rusted Root soon. Just because I didn’t get to it during the timeline for PS3 doesn’t mean I don’t want to knit it.

My brain keeps singing the song “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” more from the depressing weekend weather we’ve had than any other reason. In future posts, I may revisit some of the projects I worked on for PS3, showing the items that were made long before WordTapestry was born. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a good day for photography — the tidal socks should be ready for a final close-up then.

Thanks, Lolly, for all the fun and challenge!

Dabbling in Fair Isle

Tidal sock, showing off on a beach towel

The Tidal Socks continue, and I’m getting close to the first sock’s finish. This is a pretty satisfying water sock for Project Spectrum. Next to do: the second sock.

I may need to continue on the Amazonian socks I started a while ago instead. The Tidal Socks are sort of an experiment project, but the Amazonian socks actually may be needed pretty soon. There’s been a chill in the air for the past few nights, and the Gardener wishes to have a new, warm pair of socks for Autumn.

Amazonian Sock Draped on a Radiator

Amazonian Sock stats:

• Auracania Ranco Multi, bought at Vulcan’s Rest in Chesapeake City, MD
• Pattern: Yarrow Ribbed Sock from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks
• Started: April 4, 2008
• Ripped back near the start of summer, and just lost interest in re-knitting in the heat

Sorry for the kind of poor photos of both socks. The Fair Isle ones blurred out when I didn’t use flash, so I selected the more washed out version.

So, what’s on your to do list for the fall? I find this season to be just filled with hopefulness, mystery, and new energy. Maybe I’ll have another attack of finishitis and haul out a whole lot of languishing projects and either finish or frog them.

Tidal Socks

Tidal sock with seashells

For good, or ill, the tidal socks (Project Spectrum — water element) have been cast on. I may end up with socks to give to the bazaar this November. Or I may luck out with the gauge. One never knows with color work.

Stats on the yarn are here: http://wordtapestry.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/eine-kleine-destash-project/

The pattern is loosely based on Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s recipe sock, with lots of yarn stranding thrown in with two variegated balls of yarn. Beg pardon if my swearing over tangles burns your ears.

And, here’s hoping all your projects for September are filled with optimism (even if the projects are for work).

A Tale of Two Tootsies, Fin

The long knitting project I nicknamed the “sampler sock” project (Nancy Bush’s Little Child Sock) is finally finished. I love how they fit. I love how they feel. I’m not sure I love the “flashing” of up near the cuff, but that will get covered by jeans. I can finally dunk these in the wool wash and get them ready for when Autumn’s brisk breezes blow.

If my version doesn’t “wow” you, then check out the following blogger’s socks:

• Over at Exercise Before Knitting, Elinor’s socks are plain aqua (she used Lorna’s Laces yarn too)
• Lu Lubeans used Lion Brand sock yarn, for a stripy pair
• Mustaa villaa managed to create the Little Child’s sock for a larger foot
• And red shows off the pattern in Jessimuhka Knits‘ pair

I may want to backwards engineer anklet socks from this pattern. A pair would make a sweet gift for a family member with similar size feet. I would definitely want to use plain sock yarn (which I would need to acquire) to show off the stitch pattern.

Specs:

• Lorna’s Laces sock yarn, in the Tuscany colorway
• Time I dawdled on these: 10 months (I know, what was I waiting for?)
• Pattern found in Knitting Vintage Socks, by Nancy Bush
• Assistance provided by Malkin the Wunderkat, who wants to steal my size 1 double points

Put these in the can, folks. That’s a wrap.

Fin.

A Tale of Two Tootsies

Here is a progress shot of the pair of Sampler Socks (Nancy Bush’s Little Child Socks). If you use the tag search, you’ll see a glam photo of the first sock in progress. I have second sock syndrome, possibly spurred on by promptly falling down a Ravelry rabbit hole — queuing projects. The stats say I began this pair in December of last year. How embarrassing.

However, this second sock has been a very bad one. At one stage, when knitting without glasses, I managed to remove one of the knitting needles holding live stitches instead of picking out the actual new needle. Knitters will understand that moment of “doh”.

For non-knitters, what this looks like are a lot of little tiny loops that are trying to descend back into the knitting and cause runners. Go cut up an old sock and look at how it has loops holding everything together. Then try to figure out how to capture the loops without an extra set of hands. We’ll wait.

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Waiting…..

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Not pretty, eh?

Finally I’m nearing the point on the second sock where the toe decreases start. It’s a sweet little project, with cute patterning, a nice mix of stockinette with other stitches, and a really lovely choice of yarn (Lorna’s Laces). It’s my first sock project with a “seam” stitch in the back, and decreases at the leg around this purl stitch. (And it’s also my project for the “Fire” element for Project Spectrum… oh, a late one this is!)