April 28, 2008
Primavera Socks
Thanks for all your well wishes for a great weekend for our living history. We had blue skies and lots of fun. I'll have pictures and details tomorrow but today I have socks.
These are the finished Primavera Socks. They are for my May Day Sock Swap pal. The yarn is Trekking color 145. It's very bright orange but my sock pal indicated orange as one of her favorite colors so I think I chose well.
Teyani brought this pattern - a free Ravelry download - to my attention and I'm so glad she did! It's simple but entertaining and I found that it knit up very fast. I did substitute my usual heel and toe treatments rather than use the ones as written in the pattern.
On Thursday these socks will be winging their way to my sock swap partner. And I will be winging my way to Maryland Sheep & Wool. That's right. I'm going to stay with Hillary. We'll be touring DC on Friday and hitting the festival on Saturday. I'll be back home on Sunday night - a whirlwind trip, for sure! But you know it won't be so fast that I won't remember to capture every little detail for you guys. It's a tough job but someone's got to do it.
Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (41)
April 17, 2008
Avocado Socks
I found something rather unusual in the garden the other day. Wanna see?
Can you tell yet what I found? Let me see if I can coax them out.
Is that better? Can you see them now?
Ahhhhh. There they are in their full glory. A pair of socks. Whaddya know.
Truth be told, I hauled ass to finish these this week so that I'd have something to post about today. It was totally worth it, though, because I love these new socks. The yarn is Cider Moon Icicle (tragically no longer available) and the pattern is my basic 64 stitch sock recipe.
They are perfect for Project Spectrum's Earth component, too. I love the browns and greens together.
And they look great with blue jeans. Or daffodils. Take your pick.
Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (46)
March 20, 2008
Build Me Up Buttercup Socks
What's a .knitter to do when the sleeves of her husband's sweater are making her cry she's so bored? Finish a pair of socks, of course!
These are for Hannah. I had hoped to finish them for last weekend as I wanted to give them to her as a gift for her stellar performance in "Grease" at school. That was not to be and instead I gave them to her quite unceremoniously yesterday afternoon.
She loves the yarn so much that she's okay with the lack of sock sleeve and special presentation. The yarn is, of course, Vesper sock yarn, brilliantly dyed by my dear friend Julia of Knitterly Things.
See those perfectly matched stripes? I really can't take much credit for that. All I did was make sure I started in the same place for each sock. Julia's dyeing technique is what makes those perfect stripes.
And Hannah's just a wee bit anal about the matching socks thing so she adores these. She was singing, off key mind you, the whole time I was snapping these pictures.
Why do you build me up Buttercup, baby
Just to let me down and mess me around
And then worst of all you never call, baby
When you say you will but I love you still
I need you more than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up Buttercup, don't break my heart
The nice thing about a pair of socks is the only way they'll break your heart is if they wear out.
Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (49)
March 18, 2008
Zombie Socks
The first pattern for Sock Madness 2 has been released so I can now show you . . . Zombie Socks!
They were designed by Sheryl Ball and she says that the drop stitch pattern reminds her of a dark and misty night where there just might be zombies lurking about. She also suggests listening to "Thriller" or watching a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" marathon while knitting them.
Aren't they awesome? The pattern was very well written and lots of fun to knit. Entertaining as hell, too. I'll let you know if Sheryl makes it available when Sock Madness is done.
The yarn is Opal Hand Painted Color #18 that I've had in my stash for ages. I think it's perfect for Zombies.
Don't look now but I think I see one coming! mwahahahahaha
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (34)
March 5, 2008
Random Sock Stuff
I have some Random Sock Stuff to talk about and Norma says that the 365 bloggers are being encouraged to create lists this month. I may not be blogging 365 (I like my weekends off!) but I am all for lists so here you go.
1. Sock Madness is about ready to commence. The divisions are posted and we used the last four winners of the Women's NCAA Division 1 contests as inspiration for the names. There's even sock yarn dyed especially for the 4 divisions.
2. Yesterday I finally finished test knitting for Sock Madness. I was forced to learn some new techniques in the test knitting process and I'm actually pretty happy about one of them. I can't tell you yet what this technique is but I definitely will be exploring it further.
a sneak peek of the latest test knitting
3. If you aren't completely sick of the whole Sock Madness thing you can read more about it over at WhoKnits.com. The direct link to the article about Hillary and I is here.
4. Finally, Scout asked me to do a PSA and tell you all that sign ups for the next round of her sock club start on March 10th. You can read the details here.
5. That's all the sock news that's fit to print. G'day.
Posted by Carole at 6:45 AM | Comments (18)
February 21, 2008
Dale's Dreamy Socks
I finished a pair of "man socks" last week and you all know what an accomplishment that is. They were worth it, though, because Dale is absolutely in love with these socks.
He says they fit better than any socks I've knit for him before. I attribute it to two things: 1) my knitting skillz and 2) the yarn.
Dream in Color Smooshy Sock. This is good stuff, people. Really good stuff.
I was worried that I wouldn't get both socks out of a full skein so I did a contrasting toe with some Louet Gems I had lying around. But honestly, I didn't need to do that. Got that? You can get a pair of man socks out of one skein of this yarn.
I call them Dale's Dreamy Socks. A play on the yarn name and a tribute to how Dale looks at me whenever I knit something for him.
Man Socks. They might just enhance your relationship.
Posted by Carole at 6:20 AM | Comments (54)
January 30, 2008
Sock Madness Stealth
Thank you all so very much for your kind comments on my blogiversary yesterday. I loved reading them and I'm glad that you all like the new look for the blog, too. Or maybe you just all want chocolate. Either way, I'm a happy blogger.
I wish I could show you the knitting I've been doing but I can't. You see, I have to be all stealth about it because I'm test knitting some patterns for Sock Madness 2. You remember Sock Madness, right? Well this year I'm hosting with Hillary (sounds like a show on the Food Network, doesn't it?) instead of participating and right now we are deep in the throes of planning for this year's competition. We had a great phone conversation last night and talked about everything from work, family and blogging to knitting, spinning and how we're both not phone people. Believe it or not, we even managed to sort out some details about Sock Madness. Sign ups are right around the corner so keep your eye on the Sock Madness blog for details!
In the meantime I've been test knitting sock patterns. So far I've had one unsuccessful pattern but two successful ones. I just can't show them to you because Sock Madness patterns are a big secret. Well, maybe I can give you a teeny tiny peek.
How's that?
Posted by Carole at 7:05 AM | Comments (43)
January 28, 2008
Preppy Socks
Remember the yarn I won in Scout's preppy contest? I turned it into some socks. They are very pretty and of course, very preppy, too.
I finished sock two on the plane last weekend. I though it would be fun to do a photo shoot in Florida but it was too damn hot to put them on. I did manage to photograph them last Sunday while we were there. They were languishing on a cactus in Brant and Heather's back yard.
Warm and scenic. Sigh.
Fast forward to this Sunday. I photographed them in my backyard.
Cold and snowy. Ugh.
Oh well. If I lived in the land of the cactus I'd have no need for beautiful socks like these. On a day like today, though, that's small consolation.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (40)
December 19, 2007
Socks for Lucy
Lucy is the daughter of my friend and colleague Amy. I have known Lucy since she was 10 years old and I've always had a special place in my heart for her. You see, Lucy is the one who connected us with our first Civil War reenacting group. It's a long story but the quick version is that Lucy's 8th grade history teacher was a reenactor and she knew that we had a burning passion for the Civil War and she got us together. We've taken Lucy with us to a few living histories over the years and she's really a great young woman.
Lucy started college this fall in upstate New York and when she did I started sending her emails. You know, just checking in, seeing how she was adjusting, offering a friendly voice in case she was lonely or just needed a friend. Turns out, what she needed was socks. It's cold in upstate New York!
The yarn is Claudia's Handpaint from the Loopy Ewe. The pattern is just a 60 stitch picot edge sock.
Lucy told me that her favorite color is pink but that she likes lots of other colors, too. I think these fit the bill.
I wouldn't knit socks for just any college freshman. Lucy is special and I'm so glad I could offer her a little bit of love in the form of a pair of socks.
Posted by Carole at 6:55 AM | Comments (37)
November 19, 2007
Red Scarf Project Socks
Interesting title for the post today, yes? See, I never mentioned it here but I offered to knit a pair of socks as a prize offering for Norma's Red Scarf Project '08. I had opted to donate money this year rather than overwhelm the Red Scarf people with scarves again. And then, early one morning, I had a flash of insanity brilliance and thought that perhaps the idea of winning a pair of handknit socks would inspire someone to donate more money to the cause. So I emailed Norma and told her my idea and she eagerly accepted and publicized the prize and hoped for more donations. The winner was blog-free Betty Jean and, according to Norma, she really really wanted to win the socks.
She chose the Dublin Bay pattern and Toasty Toes sock yarn.
They pooled and flashed horribly.
But, for better or worse, they have been sent.
I just hope she's a fan of pooling and flashing. And I really hope they fit.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (36)
October 31, 2007
Socktoberfest Socks
Trick or Treat
Smell my feet
Give me something good to eat
Yarn: My beloved Vesper Sock Yarn
Colorway: Trick or Treat
Pattern: Just yer basic 64 stitch picot edge sock
They are perfect for Halloween and perfect for Socktoberfest.
Happy Halloween!
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (57)
October 11, 2007
Peppermint Mocha Socks
There's one less WIP on the needles because I finished the Peppermint Mocha socks on Tuesday. They are for me (I'm such a selfish knitter) and I love 'em.
All those patterned socks are great and lots of fun to knit but there's something truly wonderful about a plain ole pair of stockinette socks.
The yarn is Claudia's Handpaint in the colorway Peppermint Mocha and I bought it from The Loopy Ewe. The pattern is your basic 64 stitch, picot edge sock.
They make me want to drink hot chocolate, eat peppermint candy . . .
And wear my new clogs.
Posted by Carole at 6:26 AM | Comments (53)
October 2, 2007
Monkey See, Monkey Two
I made another pair of Monkey Socks. I chose the pattern because it's entertaining and easily memorized. And I chose the yarn (Woolen Rabbit Rosemary & Thyme Superwash) because I knew I'd be spending time with Kim and I thought she'd enjoy seeing me knit with her yarn while we were together.
I started them at the airport in Providence and by the time I got to Phoenix (name that tune!) I had finished the leg and heel flap.
When my plane landed in Salt Lake City I had finished the gusset decreases and was halfway down the foot of sock one.
And by the time I was on my way home, I had finished sock two. In fact, I kitchenered the toe while waiting to board the plane that would take me from Baltimore to Providence and ultimately home.
5 days for a pair of socks. A record for me. And my twentieth pair in 2007.
Posted by Carole at 6:30 AM | Comments (48)
September 13, 2007
Loksins!
I finished my Locksins! just in time for my trip west.
Aren't they purty?
The pattern, of course, is Cassie's and the yarn is Judy's Ball and Skein.
I can't even tell you how tickled I am to have socks made with one friend's pattern and another friend's yarn. Particularly when the pattern and yarn are such a great match.
They are absolute perfect and I love 'em!
Posted by Carole at 6:00 AM | Comments (47)
August 28, 2007
Back to School Prep? Check!
Back to school preparations continued on Saturday with the dreaded back-to-school clothes shopping trip. However, thanks to Dave, it wasn't as bad this year. You see, Dave emailed me Saturday morning to ask what I was up to for the day. I told him I had to take Hannah shopping for school clothes and he said, "Can't you just give her $50 and drop her off at the mall?"
The $50 is a pipe dream and dropping her off at the mall isn't very practical since it takes 30 minutes to get to the mall from my house but I was inspired to try something new based on Dave's suggestion. I gave Hannah $100 and told her I was going to sit and knit on one of the couches in the center of the mall while she did her shopping. I gave her some basic guidelines and said if she bought anything inappropriate then it would be returned and she wouldn't be allowed to choose a replacement but that if she chose wisely and bought good things then I would reward her.
So I sat outside Charlotte Russe and American Eagle and worked on my Monkeys. Hannah shopped long enough for me to get to the toe decreases and when she came back she had bought a pair of jeans, 3 shirts, and a bracelet. Everything was appropriate and I rewarded her by taking her back into one of the stores and buying her two more pairs of jeans.
So, where does that leave us?
Haircut? Check!
Shoes? Check!
Clothes? Check!
Monkey socks? Check!
I'd knit these again in a heart beat and now I understand the love of this pattern.
For those wondering, the yarn is Yarn Love Juliet in the colorway Belle from where else but The Loopy Ewe. It's a great match for the pattern and I'm very pleased with these socks. They are for me, of course.
After all that back to school prep, I think I deserve a reward.
Posted by Carole at 6:00 AM | Comments (52)
August 21, 2007
Vacation Sock Knitting
In my world, vacation knitting is all about the socks.
So, even though I cast on for a Baby Surprise Jacket at the beginning of the week I quickly abandoned that project for socks.
I got my groove on with plain stockinette in Claudia's Handpaint. These were great for martini drinking, chatting, and knitting.
And I monkeyed around a bit, too. These saw the most attention in the morning while everyone else was sleeping.
But, that's not all. I finished two! yes, two! pairs of socks.
My old standby, feather and fan. The yarn is Cider Moon "Icicle" in the color Sweet Potato Pie. I love this yarn so much. It's squishy and soft and the colors are fabulous.
And a pair of Charade socks, too. The yarn for these was a gift from Hillary and it, too, is wonderful but I don't think it's available online.
I still love summer the best and I don't want to see it end, but at least when the fall arrives I'll have some new socks to wear.
Posted by Carole at 6:10 AM | Comments (45)
July 26, 2007
Cool? Or Not Cool?
Hannah failed her school eye exam this past spring so yesterday I took her to the eye doctor for her first check up. After filling out the typical first visit paperwork we sat down to wait for her name to be called. Naturally, I pulled out my sock and commenced knitting.
It wasn't more than a few moments before one of the technicians came over and said, "Hey, I like that sock you're knitting!" I was shocked because no one ever recognizes that I'm knitting socks - most people see something small-ish and assume it's a baby sweater. So I thanked her for the compliment and she said she was a knitter and she asked about the yarn and the magic loop method and it was cool.
Then the woman selling eye glass frames came over and asked to see the sock. And she asked about the yarn and the magic loop method and the pattern I was using and then she showed me her current sock in progress. I told her how to find the Charade pattern online and she told me how everyone in the doctor's office knits together during lunch and, again, it was cool.
I have to admit, I was feeling a little smug at this point. Clearly I was surrounded by knitters and they were appreciating my sock. So I turned to Hannah and said, "See, knitting can be cool."
And then her name was called and she got up and I got up to follow her into the exam room. And I was feeling very cool. Until I got to the exam room and I realized that I had dropped my sock in progress back in the waiting room. The ball of yarn, of course, was still in my purse, leaving a very long trail back down the hallway, past the reception desk, to the waiting room. Sigh. So much for being cool.
Speaking of cool - check out Hannah in her new glasses.
She's almost as cool as her mom, eh?
Posted by Carole at 7:18 AM | Comments (66)
July 18, 2007
Two Socks!
Anyone else remember the old Certs ad? The one where one person claimed, "it's a breath mint" and the other person claimed, "it's a candy mint?" And then they smiled happily and said, "It's two, two, two mints in one!" Of course you remember. And you probably remember the way they satirized this commercial on Saturday Night Live even more. Well, that ad is all I can think of because I'm presenting two, two, two pairs of socks.
These are my Whisper Lace[that's a pdf link] socks. The yarn is J. Knits Superwash Me that I got from the Loopy Ewe and the pattern is from the fabulous and talented Rachel of Have You Any Wool. And it's free. I love me a good free sock pattern. I'm quite pleased with the pairing of this yarn and this pattern and I declare these a success.
And these. These are my I Feel Good Socks. The yarn is Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop Yarn and the pattern is just a basic 56 stitch sock with a picot edge on size 2 needles. This handspun yarn is wonderful and fun to knit. I know I won it but I honestly can't remember the circumstances. I love me a good free sock yarn even more than a good free sock pattern! I declare these a success, as well.
After finishing these two pairs of socks I headed over to Ravelry to look for a new sock pattern to knit. I immediately settled on Charade[that's a pdf link], another free pattern, this one designed by Sandra of I May Be Knitting a Ranch House. The yarn is Restless Handspun Jump Sheep, a bribe gift sent by Hillary when she asked me to co-host Sock Madness 2008 with her.
Between the free patterns and the gift yarns, I'd say my Summer of Socks is going along wonderfully.
Posted by Carole at 7:05 AM | Comments (48)
July 5, 2007
Pass the Prune Juice
I don't know how I did it but last weekend I hurt my back. I was drying myself off after my shower Saturday morning and I turned to the left and felt a twinge. I didn't think much about it and went about my day, including going to Edward's party. I took a couple of Tylenol Saturday night when I went to bed and that was that.
Sunday morning it was achy but not terribly painful. I took a couple more Tylenol and again went about my day, including Ambrynn's birthday party (watch for that post next week) and dinner with friends. I was a bit uncomfortable but it was sort of like an earache - don't think about it and it won't hurt.
Until I went to bed. Then the pain was awful. I couldn't get comfortable and I couldn't get to sleep. It hurt to move my legs but it hurt not to move, too. Monday morning was awful and I called in sick to work. Every step I took was agony and there wasn't a position I could find that didn't hurt in one way or another. I finally broke down and called the doctor and got some drugs. Nothing fancy, just some muscle relaxants. And they helped a bit. I got a full night's sleep on Monday and figured I'd be better on Tuesday.
Wrong. I got up Tuesday morning and it was Monday all over again. I took my drugs (and some more Tylenol) and called in sick to work again. That's two sick days before a mid-week holiday. Oy.
The good news is that by Tuesday around 4:00 my back was mostly feeling better. I suddenly realized I was leaning over to put something away and it didn't hurt. Isn't it funny how pain is all you can think about when you have it but when it goes away you barely even notice?
It's gotten better each day although the mornings are still rough. I just wish I knew what I did to make this happen so I wouldn't do it again. And don't you dare tell me it's old age.
The rest of the good news is that this didn't affect my knitting too much. Lace and muscle relaxants are not a great idea but simple sock knitting was just fine. Behold:
A finished Whisper Lace Sock
Posted by Carole at 8:09 AM | Comments (57)
June 28, 2007
Maple Tree Socks
This photo:
Inspired this dye job:
Which lead to these socks:
The scarf from yesterday may have been a bust but nothing soothes a defeated knitter like a simple pair of socks. And while they are a bit more blue than I intended, I declare these a success! Why?
There is no pooling whatsoever.
The yarn is squooshy.
And they will always remind me of my maple trees in the early spring.
Now that these are done, bring on the Summer of Socks!
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (55)
June 12, 2007
Man Socks
I think you might already know this but I learned to knit socks so that I would have something to do at our Civil War reenactments. This was back in 2001 and the sock pattern I was using was from the Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society. Back then, they recommended using worsted weight yarn and size 5 needles and truthfully, that was a wonderful way to learn to knit socks. Everything was big enough that I could actually see what I was doing and the learning curve was swift. Unfortunately, I knit that first pair from Lopi and Dale wouldn't wear 'em because they were too scratchy.
I've knit loads of socks since then, including several pair for Dale following that worsted weight pattern, but the one thing I've never knit for him is a pair of socks with sock weight yarn.
Until now, that is.
The pattern is Garter Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks. 72 stitches with a 7 inch leg and a 10.5 inch long foot. They took nearly 3 weeks and my usual time for a pair of socks is 2 weeks. You wouldn't think those few extra stitches and inches would make that much of a difference but "man socks" really do take longer.
The yarn is Claudia's Handpaint in the colorway "Boot Camp" and I purchased it from Sheri at the Loopy Ewe. I used 2 skeins of the Claudia's plus part of a skein of Lorna's Laces in Chocolate. I really like the way those contrasting heels and toes look, even if it did mean having a few extra ends to weave in.
I had a 3rd skein of the Boot Camp yarn for justincase but I didn't need it. I came pretty close, though.
I was originally going to keep these a secret from Dale but that's kind of hard to do when you're sitting next to each other on the couch. And he takes a pretty active interest in my knitting so of course he asked who they were for and I couldn't lie to him. He'll have to wait until his birthday at the end of the month to get them, though.
You know, he's getting pretty old. Maybe he'll have forgotten about them by then.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (52)
May 17, 2007
Spring Fling Socks
Don't you worry about the sock yarn stash. I'm doing my best to knit it down. I've even got proof in the form of a newly finished pair of socks - the tenth pair of 2007, in fact.
I've been calling these Spring Fling Socks and they are a gift but I can't tell you who they are for because the recipient occasionally reads this here blog. I can tell you lots of other things though.
Like how much I love the yarn. It's Sunshine Yarns in the color "Spring" and it was a gift from Kathy. It's soft and squooshy and the colors are fabulous.
And I can tell you how I love the 2 X 2 ribbing on the legs. I thought I would get bored with the never-ending knit 2, purl 2, but I actually enjoyed it very much.
And I can also tell you how much I love a traditional heel flap and gusset. Honestly, I never get tired of knitting a heel flap, turning a heel, and picking up stitches. It's magic, I tell you.
Or how much I love a regular old toe. Doesn't the sock look like it's smiling? I'm smiling, too. These took exactly two weeks to finish.
I guess I really love these socks! I don't love dandelions but I couldn't help but notice how well the colors of the dandelions match the colors of the socks. And I know someone who does love dandelions. Wanna come over for omelets, Norma?
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (69)
May 3, 2007
Mad Weave Socks
I finished the Mad Weave Socks from Sock Madness Round Four. I may be out of the competition but I'm still taking advantage of the wonderful patterns for each round. And speaking of these wonderful patterns, several of you have asked about obtaining them for your own selves. You can get pattern one here, pattern two here and pattern three here. I will keep you informed as other patterns become available, I promise.
Without further ado, here are my finished Mad Weave Socks. I love them! I modified the pattern slightly - I can do that now that I'm not an official competitor - and just did ribbing on the sides of the leg and foot rather than a long line of cabley type twists. I really thought that took away from the woven stitch detail, plus it was a PITA. I also did my standard heel flap rather than the eye of partridge heel the pattern suggests.
The yarn is Piece of Vermont knit on size 1 Addi Turbos. Jessie's colors are wonderful. They are subtle and varied and they blend together beautifully. Sometimes these look gray and sometimes blue and mostly lavendar but always yummy.
I'm skipping the Round 5 pattern as I'm not that crazy about it but Round 6 will be released on Friday and I'm hoping it will be something fun.
What am I saying? It's sock knitting. Of course it will be fun.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (53)
April 24, 2007
Bloomin' Feet Socks Finis
I finished the socks for the Bloomin' Feet Sock Swap at the end of last week and blocked them over the weekend. The pattern is the Merino Lace Socks from the Interweave Knits Favorite Socks book.
Aren't they pretty? The yarn is Schaefer Anne, which I've knit with before for my Swallowtail Shawl, but this is the first time I've actually used it for socks. It's very soft and very fine and has a nice halo from the mohair content. It sort of stripes but not really and the colors blend together in a lovely fashion.
I chose this particular pattern because of something very specific my sock pal said. I'm not going to give it away but, if the recipient is reading this post and remembers what she wrote in her questionnaire, well, this picture is a pretty big hint. As for the pattern, there were some details that were kind of wacky. Beth wrote about the heel issue and Anne clued me in that there was an error in the charts for the foot. But even more than that, I felt the directions were lacking a bit. I've knit plenty of socks on circular needles before and that's a good thing because the pattern didn't really provide great instructions on that technique, even though it was written for that method. I took good notes and moved forward because I liked the design so much but be warned, there are some glitches.
I made one of my standard sock labels - the name is blacked out so no hints there - and will be shipping them off with some other goodies today.
Hope you like them, sock pal!
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (50)
April 9, 2007
Sock Madness: I'm Done and Out
I may have been beaten by my opponent but I did not abandon my Sock Madness Round Three socks. I finished the Painted Madness Socks on Saturday afternoon and I gifted them to Hannah.
Purty, yes?
The pointed edges on the cuff are knit in a long strip. You then turn the strip and pick up the edge stitches along the length. Join that into a round and wah-la, you have the start of your cuff.
Once that's done the rest is just knit, knit, knit with a bit of ribbing thrown in for good measure. The yarn is from Laura in the colorway "October" and it's soft and lovely and Hannah is quite thrilled to have new socks!
And I knit my first star toe. I like this toe quite a bit. It seemed faster to me and, while I have no problem kitchenering, I didn't mind skipping it either.
I thank you for all the good cheer you sent my way during the Sock Madness competition. I was challenged to learn new techniques like short row heels and star toes and oblique spirals and it was good to work outside my comfort zone. I may be out of the competition now but I'll still get the patterns for the rest of the rounds and I intend to knit them all as they arrive.
After all, I am a sock knitting addict.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (47)
April 5, 2007
Can't Blog, Must Knit
Remember that Schaefer Anne from Tuesday's post? I'm turning it into Merino Lace Socks from the Interweave Knits Favorite Socks book. These are for my Bloomin' Feet pal who says she likes blue, green and purple. I hope she likes lace, too.
However, Sock Madness Round 3 started yesterday morning and the Bloomin' Feet socks have been cast aside for Painted Madness socks. I love this pattern even more than the previous two Sock Madness patterns!
That's my progress as of this morning. Can't blog. Must knit.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (50)
April 3, 2007
Sock Addicts Unite
Hi. My name is Carole and I'm a sock knitting addict. All you other sock knitting addicts out there - and you know who you are - should be raising your hand right now and saying, "Hi, Carole." This is the part of SKA where I tell you my story so just sit back and relax.
On Saturday I finished my Trekking Ice Cream Socks.
Aren't they pretty? Ooooh, the colors. Too bad this color combo (#126) has been discontinued. I found it on ebay, though, and you probably could, too.
These are my standard 72 stitch picot edge stockinette socks knit on size 0s. They fit me perfectly every time, even if they do take forever and a day.
Anyway, I finished these on Saturday and decided to give the sock knitting a rest. After all, I've finished two rounds of sock madness in the last few weeks and the sock knitting has been a bit intense around here as a result. Round Three starts tomorrow and I thought a few days rest from socks would be a good plan. Smart, right?
Ahem. I lasted until Monday afternoon and then I caved and wound up this Schaefer Anne and started the socks for my Bloomin' Feet pal. I simply cannot be without socks on the needles.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (65)
March 26, 2007
Sock Madness, Round Two
Sock Madness Round Two began on Thursday afternoon at 5 pm. I had my yarn all ready and I cast on before Dale got home from work. We went out to supper that night and I brought the sock-in-progress with me and worked on it between bites. By the time I went to bed Thursday night I had completed the cuff and leg.
Friday morning I got up early and knit the heel flap and gusset before work. I did the gusset decreases and much of the foot during lunch and sock one was finished shortly after I got home from work Friday afternoon. I immediately cast on sock two and worked on it throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening. I really thought I could finish it that night but by 11:30 pm I couldn't keep my eyes open and my hands and wrists were screaming for relief so I called it quits.
Saturday morning I was up at 5 am and sock two was finished a little after 6 am. I beat my opponent and I have now advanced to Round Three.
The pattern is called Madtini and it was designed by Karin Bole. I really love the cuff and the leg is a series of oblique spirals which work really well with handpainted yarn. The foot is all stockinette and it was nice to see how the yarn worked up in that as well.
The yarn I used is from Scout's Swag in the colorway "Snow Bunny" and it went so fast because it's sport weight. It's an excellent color combination and I found it quite entertaining to watch the blue, brown and white alternate. There was no pooling or flashing and, even though I have made my peace with pooling, I do prefer that it doesn't happen at all.
I've been rather surprised at how seriously I've taken this competition. Going into this I just thought I wanted to get past Round One and I thought I'd be satisfied with that. But once I did that I realized that I really wanted to advance another round and pushed myself way beyond my normal knitting boundaries, taking Tylenol for the hand discomfort and staying up late and getting up early just to stay ahead of my opponent. I'm telling myself that I won't do this when Round Three rolls along but, being the overachiever that I am, who do I think I'm kidding?
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (52)
March 13, 2007
I Made It!
Thank you all so much for the comments to our kids moving to Florida. Some of the made me cry and some of them made me laugh but all of them ultimately made me feel better. Truly, hearing from people who have been on both sides of this situation really really helped. I'm still sad but I'm realizing that lots of people deal with this every single day. And I'm thinking web cams for everyone!
Now are you ready for some good news?
I finished my socks for Sock Madness Round 1 yesterday afternoon!
Here's how it happened:
We realized late last week that the radiator in the dining room was leaking so we called the heater guy to set up an appointment. That appointment was for yesterday morning and I figured he'd be here for an hour or so and then I'd go to work. I was excited to have that little extra knitting time and planned to make the most of it. Well, while the radiator problem was an easy fix, it involved a couple of trips to the store to get parts and heater guy wound up not being finished with the repair until almost 1 pm. Since I finish work at 4 pm it didn't make much sense to go in so late in the day. And that's how I wound up with finished socks and made it past Round One. Woot!
The pattern was very simple and straightforward even if it did involve two different yarns. I knit my first-ever short row heels, too. The first one (on the left) is pretty crappy but the second one turned out better. I modeled them for the photo but they are tight on my size 9.5 feet so these will be gifted to Jessica of the size 7 feet. I must admit that it's kind of cool to think that I can knit a pair of socks in a 3 day weekend.
Now I'm just hoping that there's a nice break before the start of round 2. I am ready to finish Seraphim!
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (39)
February 14, 2007
Valentine Socks
I don't knit for Christmas but this year I did knit for Valentine's Day. First, there were the Jaywalkers for Jessica. And second, there are these for Hannah.
I call them Conversation Heart Socks because the colors remind me of conversation heart candies, which makes them a perfect present for this holiday.
The yarn is Online Supersocke 100 in the colorway Summer. And I sure could use a little Summer today. However, since that doesn't appear likely, I'll settle for candy.
These will be gifted at dinner tonight, along with a box of candy for each of the girls.
Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (67)
January 31, 2007
Under The Wire
I can sneak this in just before the contest deadline, Lucia.
Me. Knitting in Public. Lunch Today. Padanaram Village Cafe. Dartmouth, MA
Posted by Carole at 3:26 PM
January 30, 2007
Jaywalkers for Jessica
Christine isn't the only one knitting Jaywalkers these days. I have been, too. And mine are finished, too.
These aren't actually mine, though, they are for my stepdaughter Jessica. And Jessica has teeny feet. In fact, they are a whole inch and one half shorter than mine and that makes for a fast knit. And Jaywalkers fit her feet perfectly.
Aren't they lovely? The yarn is Socks That Rock, of course. And I've finally made peace with the pooling. To the point that I actually look forward to seeing what it will do.
I just think it's wicked cool to watch the yarn colors line up and break up and change. I'm not sure what it says about me that I'm entertained by this simple thing. But I do know I'm in excellent company.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (46)
January 17, 2007
Orange You Glad
Three day weekends aren't the only perk for this public servant. I also have my very own, very nice, very private office. And that means I can take photos like this:
And this:
I can even take a photo showing you the oh-so-pretty picot edge.
Yes, gentle reader, the orange Opal socks were finally completed last weekend. They fit perfectly and I love them. Of course, I always love Opal socks - it's the knitting of them that doesn't always thrill me. You see, to get Opal socks to fit me correctly I need to knit 72 stitches on size 0s and this makes for socks that take a looooong time to finish - almost a whole month for these. I'm going to have to knit for someone with smaller feet if I'm going to make my goal of 20 pairs of socks this year.
Nevertheless, they were worth it and my feet are toasty. Given that the predicted high today is only 23° (thanks, Dave), that's a very good thing.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (50)
December 20, 2006
Christmas Knitting
If you've been around this blog for a while you'll know that I don't knit for Christmas. I used to, but then I smartened up. I gifted too many things that went unappreciated and my knitting time is way too precious to knit for people who don't "get" what it means to receive something hand knit. So, I save my hand knits for birthdays. And only for the birthdays of those who get it.
The nice thing about this is that when Christmas rolls around, I'm the one who winds up with new socks.
Vesper Sock Yarn. Peaks 'n Valleys pattern from Knit Socks. This makes my 18th pair of completed socks in 2006.
Happy Christmas to me, me, me.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (51)
October 30, 2006
Socktoberfest Socks
I'm a constant sock knitter, as you all know. And yet, I only managed to finish one pair of socks for Socktoberfest.
Pattern: Feather and Fan from Socks Socks Socks
Yarn: A Piece of Vermont Sock Yarn
Dates: 9/21/2006 - 10/26/2006
This is the 4th time I have knit this particular sock pattern and I never get tired of it. I use Magic Loop with Size 1 Addis and only modify the pattern slightly - I don't do that garter ridge when I transition from the leg to the ankle. Oh, and I make the leg a bit longer than the pattern indicates.
I wore these yesterday and they are wonderful. The blues in the yarn go perfectly with jeans, which is exactly what I wanted. I do feel a bit like a slacker for returning to the same pattern so frequently, but honestly, I love it so much that I can't help myself. And I have enough rules in my life, I'm certainly not going to impose one on myself about what sock patterns I can and cannot knit!
That said, my current socks are not Feather and Fan. Just saying.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (52)
October 10, 2006
Sockstory
I think I'm a little late to the party answering Lolly's Sock History questions for Socktoberfest. But better late than never, you know.
When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
I started making socks in April, 2002. As a Civil War reenactor I knew that knitting socks would be very historically accurate so I taught myself from the Atlantic Guard Soldier's Sock Pattern.
What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
My first pair was for Dale to wear reenacting and I knit them out of Lopi Lite in off-white with navy blue heels and toes. They've held up wonderfully because the yarn is too scratchy and Dale won't wear them. He does use them for "show and tell" during school and living history demonstrations, though, so they weren't a total waste.
What would you have done differently?
I would have used softer yarn! After I got better at sock knitting I switched to finer sock yarn and smaller needles. Now I knit my socks on size 1 Addi Turbos.
What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
I've tried lots of sock yarns. In fact, Kathy calls my sock yarn stash the "Museum of Sock Yarns" because I have so many different types. I've enjoyed working with Opal and Fleece Artist and Socks that Rock. But my all time favorite sock yarn is Vesper Self-Striping. I can't get enough of it!
Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
Magic Loop all the way unless I'm at a Civil War reenactment and then I use double points in the interest of being period correct.
Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
I'm a flapper and have no desire to try another type of heel.
How many pairs have you made?
I have finished 35 pairs of socks. I have no socks without mates as I don't allow myself to succumb to second sock syndrome.
So that's my sockstory. And I'm sticking to it.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (20)
October 3, 2006
Toasted
Well toast my toes, what have we here?
Finished Toasty Toes Socks, just in time for ">Socktoberfest. And they're ready almost a whole month early, too. Because you know how I hate the deadline knitting.
Now I know you all won't go back and check the details that I've already posted as I knit these, so I'll tell you again.
The pattern is called "Best Foot Forward" and it's from the book Knit Socks! by Betsy Lee McCarthy. This is the 4th time I've knit this particular pattern and it's wonderful. It makes for a great gift sock because it's stretchy so if you're size is off by a bit it should still fit the recipient. In this case my sock pal's measurements and my own measurements are the same so I'm pretty confident these will fit her. And this book itself is great. It not only has basic sock knitting information for the beginning sock knitter but it's also got more advanced patterns for the experienced sock knitter. Go look. NOW.
The yarn is Sophie's Toes Yarn, custom dyed for my sock pal by Emily. I can't tell you enough how wonderful this yarn is. The colors are fabulous and Emily captured exactly what I was looking for - autumn leaves and sky and flowers. And soft! Oh my goodness, this yarn is a treat for the feet. She's got some gorgeous new colors in her Etsy Shop and she's offering free shipping on 2 skeins or more in honor of Socktoberfest. Go look. NOW.
And the sock blockers I haven't showed you yet so pay attention, this is new information. These were custom made for me by Becky in a library motif. I absolutely love them and they make blocking socks a lot of fun. Becky will make you custom sock blockers, too, but the ones in her shop, Leggy Creations, are pretty terrific. And so are the sheep. Go look. NOW.
Now I just need to find autumn goodies to put in my pal's package along with the socks. I've already got a skein of sock yarn to include for her, custom dyed for me by Scout. I'd show you but it would give away the identity of my sock pal too easily so you'll have to wait. I can tell you, though, that Scout did exactly what I asked and this gift yarn is perfect for my pal. If you haven't tried Scout's yarn yet, it's great. She has a shop, you know. Go look. NOW.
Have fun shopping, y'all.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (49)
September 12, 2006
Sock Talk
There is someone out there claiming to have the fastest pair of socks in the East. But she's wrong because these are the fastest socks in the East:
I finished Heather's birthday socks in time. And this is most definitely the fastest I have ever knit a pair of socks. I started last Tuesday morning and finished late Sunday night. That's only 6 days, my friends, and I worked at the library on 4 of those days and attended a spin in on the 5th day and on the 6th day I wasted a lot of time with the Sims. Ahem.
Look at that stripey goodness. Don't they line up perfectly? The yarn, for those that want to know, is Vesper Sock Yarn in the Strange Little Mama colorway. It was a gift from my grrls Jessica and Missa over at kpixie. Just because they love me so much. And the pattern is called "Peaks 'n Valleys" and it's from the book Knit Socks! by Betsy Lee McCarthy. It's a board book shaped like a sock and it's not only perfect for a beginning sock knitter, which I was when I bought it 4 years ago, but it's also excellent for an experienced sock knitter, too.
I'm so glad these socks are done. Of course, I didn't even see the birthday girl on her birthday so it didn't really matter, it was more of a self-imposed deadline. But still. Now I can go back to knitting my Toasty Toes socks. Which are turning out to be the slowest socks in the East.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (50)
August 23, 2006
Sock It To Me
Thanks to everyone who has entered the Adamas Finishing contest! I love hearing from all of you, both faithful commenters and delurkers alike. I think you've broken my current comment record with this post. I've always known the best way to get people to speak up is to offer them free yarn!
Speaking of free yarn, Cheryl has started a contest of her own to go with the Wing of the Moth race. You should head on over to her blog and place your bet on who will finish first. A word of advice, though. Don't bet on me. I haven't even started yet and these other knitters are way out in front!
Prior to this mad dash to finish Adamas I was knitting socks. I finished Hannah's birthday socks in record time - just one week from start to finish.
This is me, modeling Hannah's socks - yes, we wear the same sock size. I love them! The colors remind me of birthday cake and the stripes match perfectly. Perfectly. The yarn is Meilenweit Magico and was purchased on my trip to Utah to visit Margene. They are a gift for Hannah's 14th birthday which is only 2 weeks away.
In a moment of nostalgia I put my foot up on the windowsill in my office next to one of my favorite pictures of Hannah. It's from a long ago camping trip and she's only 6 in this photo. It was the summer after she had finished 1st grade. Now she's going to high school. Man alive, that was quick!
Once I finished the birthday socks (my 14th pair of finished socks in '06 if anyone is keeping track) my needles were free to start the socks for the Toasty Toes swap.
I had this yarn custom dyed by Emily and it's fabulous. It's all the colors of Autumn - the leaves, the mums, the sky - and I hope my pal will love the colors as much as I do. The pattern is Best Foot Forward from Knit Socks and they're moving along nicely.
Well, they were moving along nicely, until this week. Right now it's all about Adamas, damn it.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (34)
August 15, 2006
Vacation Knitting
I overpacked for this vacation at the beach. I didn't overpack clothes. I overpacked yarn. Do you do this? What is it about knitters and the time/space continuum? I always think I can knit way more than I actually can so I overpack the knitting. Because a panic would occur were I to run out of knitting.
So I brought along the Mountain Dew Trekking socks in progress, yarn for my Toasty Toes socks, Hannah's birthday socks, plus two extra skeins of sock yarn for Justin Case. You all know him, right? I also brought the Adamas Shawl and some cotton for dish clothes.
The reality? I finished the Mountain Dew socks and got about 2/3 of the way through the first of Hannah's birthday socks. That's it. But I had a lot of fun and the socks went a lot of places!
The beach. Do you know what you wind up with when you sit on the beach and knit for a portion of every day?
Knitter's Tan. Your arm gets all tanned up, except for where you keep it bent to hold the knitting. Sort of like Truck Driver's Tan without the diesel fumes.
The socks went to dinner at The British Beer Company.
And they begged to pose with Dale and Hannah while at the BBC.
They were finished and worn by Hannah by the end of the week. Yippee!
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (52)
July 5, 2006
Trek, Trek, Baby
I haven't said anything about it but I have done some Trekking for the Trek Along With Me.
I started the socks while on the plane, trekking to see Margene. And, yes, I used the yarn you all voted for. Although, at least according to Margene, some of you voted for this not because it was your favorite of the Trekking yarn I have but because you want to see just how ugly these socks will be. You know who you are.
On the trip home from Colorado, while driving through Wyoming, we crossed the Continental Divide. Did you know that you actually cross this twice while driving through Wyoming? This intrigued me and, like a good librarian, I did some research. For the uninformed curious, the Continental Divide is actually a ridge of high ground running North and South through the Rocky Mountains. Therefore, you cross it twice. You can read more about it here. Please note: Wyoming = brown and windy.
Back in Utah, where it's more green and blue and not so brown, the sock trekked to Silver Fork Lodge for breakfast.
And then to Silver Lake where it posed next to some wild strawberry plants. It's not as ugly as you all thought it would be, is it?
Further trekking adventures to come. This time, though, they will be a bit closer to home.
Posted by Carole at 8:45 AM | Comments (16)
May 25, 2006
Decisions, Decisions
Remember these?
The long-suffering, never-ending, knit on size 0, Final Four socks? I started these on April 2nd. Pathetic, I tell ya. Of course, I've finished two other pairs of socks since starting these, but still, I'm sick of them and determined to finish.
Here's my motivation for finishing.
Mmmm. Trekking XXL. For the Trek Along With Me knit along, of course. I already had all four of these skanks in the stash, just so you know. You thought I just collected Vesper? Nope. Trekking, too. And maybe some Opal. Oh, and let's not forget the Socks That Rock. But I digress. I must decide which skank of Trekking to knit first. Any favorites? I'm looking for guidance, dear reader.
Oh, one last thing... My Iris are in bloom.
Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (53)
May 3, 2006
Ride the Wave
You've all seen this by now, right?
It's the brainchild of Ms. Obsession du Jour with a button by my buddy Maryse. Don't you think it's a fantastic idea? We've seen time and time again what we can do when we work together. I'm sure if we all concentrate our knitting mojo on Mr. Etherknitter's leg we'll make a difference for him, too. Plus, I have it on good authority that he smiles and nods every time he reads that another knitter is dedicating their knitting to the healing of his leg bone. Smiling = happiness. And happiness is supposed to promote healing, right?
So, I hereby dedicate my current pair of socks to Mr. Etherknitter.
The pattern, big surprise, is Feather and Fan. The yarn is Hawaii Joy from Marie at Brooklyn Handspun. I'm calling them my Ocean Wave socks.
So, Mr. Etherknitter, if you're reading, I promise to think of you with every stitch and hope that it somehow helps your leg to heal. In the meantime, maybe you should take up knitting. I think it's less hazardous than skiing. And I'm sure there are loads of bloggers willing to teach you!
Posted by Carole at 6:40 AM | Comments (20)
April 10, 2006
Rain, Rain, Rain
You know that expression about the best laid plans? Yeah. That was pretty much the case for me and Tallulah on Saturday. Oh, I brought her out to the tent, but it was cold. And rainy. And cold. And did I mention that it rained? So, there was no spinning. There was a bit of knitting (a dishcloth) and quite a bit of talking and eating and drinking, but no spinning. And I took no pictures. Sorry about that.
Edited to add: There are pictures here, courtesy of Martha.
I had a wonderful surprise, though. Maryse and Martha came to visit! It was fabulous of them to make the drive and I don't want to get all sentimental or anything, but it really, really meant so much to me that they came out. In the rain, no less. They got to see what I do on these crazy weekends and two of my worlds collided and the universe didn't explode or anything. Very, very, cool.
Of course, today, the sun is shining. So, allow me to entertain you with a finished pair of socks. These are for Jessica.
Pattern: Feather & Fan
Yarn: Knit Picks Sock Garden 100% Merino wool
Color: Zinnia
I love this yarn! You need two skeins to knit a pair of socks but it's cheap and soft and knits up beautifully. And this color combination was perfect for the transition from March's red to April's orange and yellow.
And speaking of yellow, here's what's up next for socks. This is from A Piece of Vermont and, while I can't remember what Jessie called this color, I'm calling it Cheez Whiz.
Okay, I'm off to make some nachos cast on.
Posted by Carole at 7:12 AM | Comments (31)
April 4, 2006
Sock Sleeve Tutorial
A while back, I started creating custom sock sleeves for the handknit socks I make for others. (Why would I bother to put a sleeve on a pair I make for myself?!?) You may remember that I showed a photo of one here, on the pair I knit for Cecily. At that time I received a few inquiries on how I did this. It's really quite simple and I want to tell you that I didn't think this up on my own. The idea originally came from Carolyn and Grumperina, and I got permission from them to tell you how I did it.
Anyway. Here's a picture of Emily's Bloomin' Feet socks all wrapped up in their nifty sock sleeve.
I used Microsoft Publisher but you could use other software as well. I know Grumperina used Photoshop but Publisher seemed easier to me. I copied and pasted my blog logo but you could use whatever you want for a graphic - a sheep, a ball of yarn, it's your design, you decide. Then add text - saying who they are for, what the yarn is, the pattern, washing instructions - really whatever you want the recipient to know about the socks, because, again, it's your design. Then put a box around the whole thing. Or not. It's your design.
The key, I think, is using the right paper. Matte photo paper is perfect for a sock sleeve. It's strong enough to go around the sock and not be all flimsy, but it's thin enough to go through an inkjet printer without jamming. If you orient the paper horizontally then you can actually fit two on a page.
See?
And a close up:
I included the ruler so you can get an idea of the dimensions. Each label is about 1/3 of the sheet of paper. The box itself is about 3in. x 2.5in. All that's left is to cut - I use a paper cutter for nice straight edges - and put it around the socks.
To recap:
1. Design.
2. Print.
3. Cut in two.
4. Wrap around sock and secure with tape.
5. Gift.
Simple. Really simple. But, oh so nice.
Any questions?
Posted by Carole at 7:39 AM | Comments (34)
April 3, 2006
Bloomin' Feet
My Bloomin' Feet socks arrived on Saturday and they were knit by none other than Amanda, who actually organized this swap along with Becky. And, boy did she do a fantastic job! Not only do my socks fit PERfectly but she also sent along some terrific goodies representative of her area.
There were beads from Mardi Gras - which thrills me to no end. I actually had goose bumps holding the beads and thinking, WOW, these are authentic Mardi Gras beads. They are much bigger and heavier and longer than the beads we see around here. And there were pralines. Emphasis on were, since they are gone, gone, gone. And tulip notecards and assorted tulip goodies. And recipe cards and a very sweet note, too.
Enough talk, you want pictures. Here you go!
The package.
The socks celebrating Mardi Gras.
Truly, Bloomin' Feet.
Can I just say? I knew these socks were mine when she blogged about them the other day. She specifically stated how the ridges reminded her of tulip petals and I had said in my sock questionnaire that tulips are my favorite flower. So, I knew hoped. Thanks, Amanda, you are terrific!
Posted by Carole at 7:41 AM | Comments (28)
March 22, 2006
Uh Oh
40
41
42
43
Need I say more?
Posted by Carole at 6:55 AM | Comments (40)
March 21, 2006
Project Spectrum Update
I finished my red cable socks! The yarn is Fleece Artist Merino from Red Bird Knits. The pattern is from the book Knit Socks. It's one of those board books and it's shaped like a sock. I had knit this pattern for Dale a while back with some worsted weight yarn and was pleased to see a pattern variation for sock yarn as well. It's so much fun to knit, moves along pretty quickly, and they fit great! Plus, they are red. And red is my favorite color. And also the Project Spectrum requirement for the month of March.
Hannah's socks, which are pink and therefore also fulfill the Project Spectrum requirement, are coming along nicely. Sock One is done and Sock Two is started. I don't anticipate a problem finishing these by the end of the month.
Pink is not just for socks but also for girls and our granddaughter Ambrynn came for a visit on Sunday. She was, appropriately enough, wearing an outfit with a pink heart on the front and pink socks. Look at that grin! And those big blue eyes! Isn't she adorable?
We sure think so!
ETA: Okay, for all of you who have now forgotten that I am only 40, Ambrynn is my stepson's daughter, making her my stepgranddaughter - which just sounds too weird to me so I just call her my granddaughter. You all know that Dale is 14 years older than I am, right? So I have grown stepchildren and therefore, two stepgrandchildren. It's all very neat, actually.
Posted by Carole at 6:15 AM | Comments (40)
March 15, 2006
Sock Stash
Hi. My name is Carole and I have a sock yarn problem.
It's a little scary that it took 4 pictures to capture all of my sock yarn on film. There's enough yarn there for 39 pairs of socks. Whoa.
Now granted, some of it, like the Cherry Tree Hill, could be used for shawls and scarves. And some of it is crap yarn that I bought back when I didn't know what to buy. But still. There's some great stuff there. Like Vesper and Socks that Rock and Opal. Honestly, most all of it is gorgeous yarn that needs to be knit up into gorgeous socks.
I love sock yarn. I love buying sock yarn. And I have no intention of stopping.
My name is Carole and I don't have a sock yarn problem at all.
Posted by Carole at 1:40 PM | Comments (57)
February 6, 2006
Superbowl Sock Knitting
Did you all see the Super Bowl Sunday Challenge over at Scout's place yesterday? The idea was to take a picture of your knitting at the beginning of the day and then again before going to bed. You know I can't resist a challenge, right?
Here's my Bloomin' Feet Jaywalker Sock yesterday morning.
Here's my Bloomin' Feet Jaywalker Sock last night. (Why is it yesterday morning and last night? Why do we not say yesterday morning and yesterday night? Or last morning and last night? I want symmetry in my writing and this isn't working.)
I realize the photo quality is crap. Sorry about that. I attempted to use the Log Cabin quilt as a grid, hoping that the strips on the quilt would serve to show how much progress I made. Sadly, I'm not sure that comes across. Let me just say, I had about 4 inches of the leg done at the start and by bedtime last night I had finished the leg, completed the heel flap, turned the heel, completed the gusset and started the regular foot part. Whew! No wonder my hands are sore today.
I'm quite sure that other people made more significant progress than I, as I'm not the world's fastest knitter, so I don't have much hope of winning Scout's contest. Nevertheless, I am pleased with yesterday's progress and I'm pretty confident I'll finish that sock today.
And you know what that means! I get to start a pair of socks for me!
Posted by Carole at 8:04 AM | Comments (22)
January 4, 2006
Jaywalkers the Second
Last Friday, Dale, Hannah, and I went into Boston for the day. We were hoping to see some preliminary First Night ice sculptures, but they weren't ready yet. We did, however, visit the Frog Pond and watch the ice skaters. The Jaywalker socks enjoyed the scenery and hardly laughed at all when people fell on the ice.
We hiked over to Downtown Crossing, with a brief stop at Windsor Button, of course. Did some shopping at Barnes and Nobles and DSW and then jaywalked over to Fanueil Hall for a late lunch/early dinner at Cheers. How cool is it that I actually jaywalked, in Boston, with these socks in my bag? It really got me into the spirit of the pattern, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, I finished this pair of Jaywalkers last night. These are for me and I love them.
Anyone notice anything unusual about these photos?
Posted by Carole at 10:15 AM | Comments (38)
December 15, 2005
Walk This Way
Allow me to present, for Cara, finished Jaywalker socks. The yarn is Trekking XXL and they are being modeled by the recipient, my stepdaughter, Jessica.
[You'll notice the cell phone in the photo. Jessica is never far from the phone. I think she's had a phone in her hand since she was 2.]
I love knitting socks for Jess. She wears a size 6. Really. Her foot is a whole 1 3/4 inches shorter than Hannah's and 2 inches shorter than mine. And, Jess paid me the ultimate compliment. She said, about twenty times, how perfectly these socks fit her. Words like that warm this sock knitter's heart. What she actually said was, "wow, it's like they were made just for me." Ummm. Yeah, that was the point, Jess. What can I say? She is a blonde, after all.
In any case, let me be the next to say it: I'm a Jaywalker convert. I love this pattern! It's easy but looks complicated. It makes self-striping yarn look funky. And, while it doesn't show up as well with this particular Trekking, look how great it looks done up in Vesper.
Yup, my second pair of Jaywalkers. Cast on about immediately after I finished the first pair. And this pair? They're for me.
Posted by Carole at 4:05 AM | Comments (22)
November 8, 2005
Cable Twist Socks - Finis!
Lookee here!
I finished Dale's Cable Twist Rib socks. I only started these last July, that's not too bad, right? The first sock was almost completed but it's been languishing in the knitting basket since August when I had cast on the watermelon-striped Vesper sock yarn for Hannah. Then I had some Trekking I wanted to try and . . . well, you get the idea. Plus, I was getting wicked ladders on these socks. But Magic Loop (thanks again, Julia and Cate) solved all that and I picked up sock one last Sunday. Finished it on Tuesday and started sock two right away. Finished sock two on Saturday. I love worsted weight socks! Boy do they go fast. When you actually work on them. Ahem.
Here's a close up of the pattern. Very simple and no cable needle required.
And now Dale is whining that he wants a sweater to match. Yeah, sure. Not a problem.
In the meantime, I think I will join Mason for a martini. Is there AA for Siamese cats?
Posted by Carole at 2:59 PM | Comments (21)
October 7, 2005
Sock It To Me
For Jane:
These are my socks. Not all of the socks I have knit because lots of socks get given away but these are the ones I have kept for myself. So far.
Can I just tell you that I love knitting socks? They are pretty much mindless and just when you get sick of a certain part, like the cuff or the leg or the heel, BAM! you're done and you get to knit a different part. They make the perfect traveling companion because they're so portable. And, talk about the process! There's nothing that's quite about the process as much as sock knitting. Right, Margene?
I know some people don't enjoy knitting socks and others are obsessed. Can we talk about this? If you don't knit socks, make me understand why. And if you're a kindred spirit, tell me what it is you love about sock knitting.
Posted by Carole at 8:54 AM | Comments (20)
September 30, 2005
Yay Sox! Yay Knitting!
The following is the text of an actual conversation between Dale and I last night when he called me from his band job, a fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina victims:
Dale: work blah de blah de blah blah blah music blah blah blah cold blah blah blah tent blah blah lots of tickets sold doo doo doo good food dum dee dumm dumm
Carole: that's great, honey
Dale: blah blah blah what are you doing?
Carole: knitting and watching the Red Sox
Dale: Gee, no kidding. (heavy with sarcasm)
And I wonder, why did he ask? Because what else would I have been doing other than watching Big Papi save the day?
Can you say MVP? Sure you can.
The upcoming weekend includes 3 games with the dreaded Yankees so there will be plenty of knitting time! And it's good to knit while watching the Red Sox. It's the only thing that reduces the stress!
On Sunday I'm heading into Boston with my friend Sharon for the Knit Out. I'm planning on hooking up with Kathy the Knitigator. And perhaps Julia of Moth Heaven. Anyone else going? Leave me a comment and let me know so I can be on the look out!
Have a great weekend. Go Sox!
Posted by Carole at 8:00 AM | Comments (7)
September 29, 2005
The Magic of the Loop
Yesterday I finished the "watermelon" striped socks.
Aren't they pretty? Isn't it nice that I have zinnias to match the socks? Can I just tell you that Vesper sock yarn is addicting? You think Kidsilk Haze is crack? Wait until you try this stuff! If you can ever get it because it sells out incredibly fast.
I set a new land/speed record on sock 2 since I had only cast the thing on last Thursday. How did I accomplish this freakishly fast knitting of sock 2? (Well, freakishly fast for me, anyway.) I owe it all to Julia. And Magic Loop. If you haven't tried it, you need to give it a go. Find yourself a knitter who uses the technique and is willing to show you or buy yourself the booklet. Knitting with the Magic Loop, it's a good thing.
I also want to show you the bee-ay-u-tiful bracelet that Heather made for me.
Isn't it wicked cool?
She also sent me stitch markers.
Very chi-chi, no? Mine were presents (just because she likes me so much) but you can buy your own from her if you go look here.
The Eyelet Cardi is done but the neck is wonky in the back so I'm not showing it to you yet. I may be ripping a bit and re-doing the neck if I can figure out how to fix it. Kiri still mostly looks like a lunch lady hairnet and there are new Trekking socks on the needles. Magic Loop, of course.
Finally, a big shout out to my friend Betty who has started her own blog. Betty lives (and yarn shops) in NYC and is a fellow reenactor. She's also a Jimmy Buffett freak and a great knitter. Go say hello, will ya?
Posted by Carole at 7:41 AM | Comments (15)
July 20, 2005
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
The leg of the second Feather & Fan sock is about done. I'm going on record now and saying that the stripes don't match and it's not my fault. Really. This yarn creates stripes in a random - but not random - way.
See what I mean? Sometimes I get two stripes of a color interspersed with the blue, sometimes I get three. And the order of the colors seems to be random as well. Green, yellow, red, yellow, red, green, yellow, green . . . green, yellow, green, red . . . makes no sense to me.
But there are other things in the world that make no sense and they're more important than stripes on a sock. Like terrorism. Have you guys seen this? Go ahead and take a look, I'll wait.
Is that cool or what? Here's what they say about their website:
We are not afraid to ride public transportation.We are not afraid to walk down a crowded street.
We are not afraid of each other.
We are not afraid to say that terrorism in any form is never the answer.
We’re not afraid is an outlet for the global community to speak out against the acts of terror that have struck London, Madrid, New York, Baghdad, Bazra, Tikkut, Gaza, Tel-Aviv, Afghanistan, Bali, and against the atrocities occurring in cities around the world each and every day. It is a worldwide action for people not willing to be cowed by terrorism and fear mongering.
The historical response to these types of attacks has been a show of deadly force; we believe that there is a better way. We refuse to respond to aggression and hatred in kind. Instead, we who are not afraid will continue to live our lives the best way we know how. We will work, we will play, we will laugh, we will live. We will not waste one moment, nor sacrifice one bit of our freedom, because of fear.
We are not afraid.
You all know that I haven't used this blog to say much politically, but this seems like something the knitbloggers could get behind. Let me know if you post something there, okay?
And, for those of you asking, here's the latest and greatest from Ambrynn. Her future is bright and we owe it to her and all the other babies in the world to protect that future. We're not afraid.
Posted by Carole at 8:05 AM | Comments (8)
June 15, 2005
Town Meetings are for Knitting
In my list of "100 things about me" I say that I find Town Meeting to be fascinating. And I really do. I love to listen to what the idiots people have to say. Then I sit and wait for the arguing. Because there is always arguing at Town Meeting. And this is where the fascination comes in - you never know what the arguing will be about. I have watched the Town Meeting body pass a budget of millions of dollars with nary a comment and then argue over spending $50 to buy a department a new filing cabinet.
Monday night was Town Meeting in the town where I work. It was also Town Meeting in the town where I live but I had to attend for work so my home townies were on their own. Everything went pretty much as predicted, with the usual doom and gloom from the Finance Committee while the Selectmen's recommendations were the ones that passed.
Since I was only there to answer questions regarding the library budget, and since there weren't any questions regarding the library budget, I mostly just sat and knitted. Not a bad way to spend the evening. After all, I was actually knitting and getting paid. Pretty slick, doncha think?
Here's the sock watching the proceedings, pleased that the library budget has been passed and I have a job for another year.
Posted by Carole at 11:12 PM | Comments (3)
May 25, 2005
We're Not in Kansas Anymore
This past weekend my family and I experienced what's called a "Time Line" event at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, NH. We were there as part of the New England Brigade staff and represented the American Civil War time period. There were also reenactors offering other impressions.
Definitely not Civil War, ay?
The sock had a great time checking out the various time periods represented throughout the camp. This WW II tank rolled through camp late Friday night and it was really cool to see. The sock was impressed. Here it is, admiring the tank.
And again, this time admiring the 1940s VW. The guys with this car were all set for a little road trip - until they remembered they hadn't put the plates on the vehicle. They rushed back to camp pretty quick when they saw a police officer looking at them quizzically!
Of course there was much knitting throughout the weekend. The sock leg is finished, and I'm working on the gussets now. The Lorna's Laces is very soft and the leg pattern was pretty easy once I got my mind wrapped 'round it.
I leave you with this picture of moi, taken by Betty, who had just returned from Disney World. My knitting was in my lap and I hadn't been drinking. Honest.
Posted by Carole at 7:16 AM | Comments (3)
May 14, 2005
School Concerts - A Knitter's Dream!
Two and one half hours. That's one hundred and fifty minutes and it's the average length of time of a Spring Concert at my daughter's school. During these two and one half hours Hannah appeared for approximately seven minutes to sing with the 7th and 8th grade chorus. She was very good but that still left one hundred and forty-three minutes when my kid was not performing. Hunh. Don't get me wrong, the other children and young adults are very good. Some of them are even amazingly talented, like Jason, my friend Debbie's son. (Hi Deb!) But still - this makes for a long evening and that's how Dale and I spent Friday night.
The upside of the whole thing - and you knew this was coming because I am, of course an optimist - is that two and one half hours at a school concert makes for a lot of uninterrupted knitting time. Of course, I had the wildfoote socks with me. As we were leaving the house and Hannah saw the knitting bag and started this conversation:
Hannah: Mom, you're bringing your knitting? (tone of disbelief and possibly disgust)
Mom: Of course I'm bringing my knitting. You don't expect me to sit there and not knit, do you?
Hannah: It's a concert. You're supposed to be listening!
Mom: I listen with my ears, not my hands, sweetie pie.
Hannah: I think I liked you better before the whole KIP thing.
Of course, she was singing a different tune when I tossed her a finished sock during the first intermission. She immediately tried it on and we snapped this picture.
I had about 24 inches of yarn left over - it was another close one but there was absolutely no freakin' way I was frogging this thing again. Thank goodness it fit.
So, naturally, I started the second sock and took this picture of Hannah. (I've found that bribing Hannah with the promise of a picture on the blog is actually a good motivational tool.)
So, today. Today is the day. I hesitate to even say it for fear of jinxing myself. Today is the day I'm going to meet Yarn Harlot. I'm so excited I can barely contain myself. What should I wear? What will I say? What if she doesn't show up and my dreams are shattered? Gosh, that's a lot of what ifs. We will head for the NH Sheep and Wool Festival shortly and hopefully come home with yarn and 2 signed copies of At Knit's End. Keep