Knitting socks in the teeth of boredom

Thank heaven for knitting during phone calls. I’ve had a few awkward phone calls that I had to sit through recently. Knitting on my socks is going well… and I managed to bite my tongue many times. For those of you without Ravelry access: they’re the Lichen ribbed socks from Knitting Vintage Socks. I started them in July of last year, and they’re my go to “knitting when distracted” project. The pottery projects have taken the upper hand in my project queue, but I’m still knitting. Pictures when there’s more of the second sock beyond half a leg.

 

In which gauge kicks me in the shins

I’ve been knitting then tinking, then knitting then tinking… all on the same sock: Lichen Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks, by Nancy Bush. The yarn is lovely (Mountain Color Bearfoot); the resulting sock looks lovely, although I’m quite tired of 3 inches of sock that has been done and then undone. Whether or not the sock will fit the recipient is up to the fickleness of Gauge.

So far: one favorite set of wooden needles shattered. I substituted size 1 metal needles, and apparently my gauge gets much tighter when using aluminum needles instead of wood. I now have some red stained wood needles and have sized up to US size 2 (2.75 mm).

The result feels looser on my foot than the version of the sock before it was tinked, so I’m hopeful. However, the Gardener has sturdier, longer feet, so we’ll see how this goes. And Gauge is quite fickle.

A few short words for spare, stylish prose

Henning Mankell’s The Pyramid offers mysteries without overly describing the sensational aspects of the crime scene. They’re a wonderful sharp sorbet, cleansing the brain after reading too much fluff.

There is a series that PBS was showing that is exquisitely acted, but too emotional when compared to the matter of fact tones of the books. I think I’d prefer to read the books first, and then see if I can catch up and see the series later, so that I can enjoy the stories and put the emotional tones in myself.

Unfortunately, I have received a notice that it is due at the library, so I have to finish the last short story. [Shh -- don't tell me how it ends!]

I think I’ll read something else that is different, next. Maybe a Jane Austen or Dickens that I have in the house already. In depressing news — the second sock that I was working on is a different gauge than the first one.  They’re supposed to be mismatched mates, but I can’t hope that the recipient has two different sized calves, now, can I? Gearing up for a frog festival and search for a set of needles one size larger.

Second sock syndrome

Forget second sock syndrome — first sock syndrome has had me in its grip. I’ve got one Hiiumaa mates sock done (except finishing the toe). I’ve been working on this sock off and on since October of 2008. I’ve started the next one, and hope that there are fewer momentous emotional icebergs in the water ahead. This last pair has .not.been.fast.at.all. The socks are well traveled — they’ve been to Europe, New York City, Dallas (and heavens knows where else when they’ve been in the belly of a plane), and I’ve used this particular yarn to death. It’s the third project using these 2 sock yarns, and I’m yawning when I look at it. In fact, I’m wearing a pair of short anklets I knit with it right now.

So, does anyone else have any dirt simple projects that just aren’t flying along naturally? I’ve felt stalled for a good long time, partly by lack of time, and many of my projects are languishing because I’m just too tired from commuting to think of anything other than watching t.v. or reading a novel.

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!