just under the wire ....

... my last sock of socktoberfest. so, i now have three single socks that need mates. i just need to knit them before i forget what needles i used ....

soctoberfest is coming to an end, but my sock knitting will continue ... especially since i have a bunch of singles waiting for mates! this is my latest single sock ... the embossed leaves socks from winter 2005 of interweave knits. mine is knitted with koigu and size 2 dpns. i think i could had knitted it more successfully on size 1 1/2's or taken out some of the purl stitches between the leaf motifs. will i rip and reknit? nah ... i'll even make the mate just as loosey-goosey!


and i couldn't resist another tree shot ... as pretty soon there won't be any of the colorful foliage around for another year!


i finished my central park hoodie intime to wear to new york for sheep & wool. i sewed on the button and knitted the i-cord loop on the train on the way up there. i thought i didn't want buttons and buttonholes. but, now i do. so, as soon as i find some good buttons, i'm going to rip out my ribbing about 1/2 way to reknit with the buttonholes. i should had known this was coming, because i didn't feel commited enough to the button & loop to weave in the ends there.


... and another sock in progress ...



HAPPY HALLOWEEN

almost halloween, and i'm home visiting with mom. i showed her the super duper hank of wool that i got at rhinebeck and she has claimed it as hers. i also showed her my toxic yellow sock and she said, "gag!". .... gotta love mom !

it took awhile to load the picture, because it had trouble squeezing through the tubes on the internets. god bless america!

socks from the vault

i have been knitting socks for close to 11 years, maybe longer. i don't really remember ... i don't remember what pattern i used, but i suspect it was from nancy bush's _folk socks_. my book is so old that the cover price was $14.95, and i think it now retails for $21.95.

the socks above? i had completely forgotten about those, until corbett said i had knitted him some socks years ago on our 11,000 mile roadtrip one summer. i really lucked out on that roadtrip, because i rode shotgun and knitted all over the country.

i highly recommend _folk socks_ to anyone who even thinks they might want to knit socks. this book can free you from relying on someone else's pattern. you learn about measuring and proportion.

when i look at the sock above, i think, yep ... i sure didn't like to knit ribbing ! i have a lot of old socks with the j.crew rolled top. i can also guess that sock has 56 sts. and i used size 2 clover dpns. all of my socks back then were knitted that way. and the yarn ... i'm willing to bet it's socka.

and now? now i knit all kinds of socks! i have a needle case just for sock needles, and a binder filled with sock patterns, not to mention the two 32qt plastic tubs of sock yarn ....


but, if you really want to see some amazing socks, go and check out the socks here!

this picture pretty much sums up a good day of touching fiber, all under the umbrella of perfect weather ... the epitome of fall with leaves at their peak and cool dry air, without a cloud in the sky.

this is also a picture of a happy knitter-boy (corbett) high on green peace fleece for his next sweater and beer in his belly.



this is a picture of his partner, jim, giving a flying lesson to george. jim didn't come out with us the first day, but did on the second, and found some wonderful tiny wools for embroidering.



and of course, there was the blogger meet-up. i was on the lookout for a few faces ... two i've seen before, that i met at maryland in the spring, amanda cathleen & her mom. and a fresh face, anne. it was great to see them all, and i wish that the blogger meet-up wasn't so, so, ... overwhelming, as i forgot to take pictures for the most part.

by the way, that's corbett sporting anne's moth lace shawl.



and of course ... there was yarn. i bought some. though the socks that rock will continue to elude me, i found some other wonderful fibery goodness, without the frenzy.

i have many more photos to post ... but will likely post them on my other blog when time allows, as it was not a total fiber weekend, and it was longer than a weekend, and it included hanging out in hudson, ny, eating and drinking, and just enjoying life.

brief and yellow

there was some pretty spectacular fall foliage up in new york.





and some pretty spectacular freakish yellow sock yarn from spirit trail fiberworks.





i mean, how does one resist such color with this natural influence all around?






that, mixed in with a bag full of sock needles, and stitch pattern books at my disposal, i had to cast on ... with this zig zag eyelet stitch.







and so, i knitted on amtrak. the staff was calling me fast hands.









.... and i finished the sock somewhere in virginia ... so, i think this must be my first socktober sock. i think i'm a little late to the party.



more entries and photos to follow. i just wanted to post something tonight.

Multimedia message

I'm (finally) knitting a sock!

mostly finished central park hoodie

finished ... mostly (still lacking the loop & button). and, it's late. my alarm is set for less than 5 hrs. from now. but, i don't care (now). i'm going to yarnlandia !

the sleeves were finished this morning, and the hoodie was mostly finished tonight ... it needs some "touch up" with the steam iron, ends woven in, and a button & loop. otherwise, it's done! i'll try to get a proper modeled picture tomorrow.

and, at the request of stitchy mcyarnpants, here's my hints ...




... this is what i look like! it's hard to not do one of those bathroom shots w/o laughing at yourself. also, it did not occur to me to pull the shower curtain closed until after the fact. oops.



and yep, that's a head full of gray la gran hair! the odd part, is that it's only that way in the front. the back of my head is just as brown as my t-shirt in the other photo. when i wear a hat, i often get carded, though i've been legal for 15 years. yes, do the math. ouch!

so, if you're looking for me at rhinebeck, you might be on the lookout for a short-haired salt&pepper chick sporting a donegal tweed central park hoodie. i will be wearing a i'm a square button, but not until i pick it up in stitchy's booth. i also plan on going to the meet up, saturday at 1pm.

okay, it's way past my bedtime ....

... where am i ? oh, yes! i'm on the ribbing around the front edges. yesterday, in the midst of another sunday knitting marathon, i managed to block my fronts & back, join the shoulder seams, and knit the entire hood. i chose to fold the stitches in half and finish with a three needle bind off. i was too tired to start the ribbing ... all 306 stitches of 2x2 rib ... much less wrap my mind around picking up all those stitches.

but, the voice of reason, disguised as schmutzie, said "why don't you just pick up three and skip one?" "huh?" ... yes, it's that simple. and so i did. and i'm about an inch into my ribbing ....

and, let me just say, thank goodness for my set of denise needles. i'm using the 52" cord to accomodate all my stitches right now.

these are not denise needles, but some of my other favorite plastic needles ... crystal palace daisy needles!



i am not a needle snob. i knit with boye, susan bates, clover, lantern moon, pony, swallow, addis, denise, inox, crystal palace, brittany, etc ... i knit with whichever needles i have, but may switch out if it's not a good match with the yarn. and these needles, the pretty daisy needles ... well, i have them first, because they are pretty, and second, because i really do like how smooth they are, with a good taper.

but, back to the hoodie ... tomorrow: finish ribbing, pin in finished sleeve to determine if it needs to be shortened, knit cap of second sleeve, block sleeves, and sew in. man, i could finish this sweater tomorrow.

nevermind that i have a sink full of dishes, or dirty laundry piled all around, a funky aroma in the fridge, and 1/2 a bed full of books ....

a couple of knitterly announcements ....

i've perhaps jinxed myself, but, i am going to play the game ! it will be a great way to meet some knitters, and i might even win a prize ... so, that sounds like a win-win situation to me.

oh, the jinx part ... i am determined to finish my central park hoodie by next week. the back and fronts are finished, as is a good chunk of one sleeve, and the ribbing of the second sleeve.

due to this distraction, i have been a lousy participant of this kal ...



but, as soon as i finish the hoodie, i will cast on for socks! promise!

still trucking along ....

.... and still loving tweed ! and flickr toys !






i am almost to my shoulder shaping. i will have to take a break before then to do some reading on how others have finished the shoulders. i have the option of shortrow shaping, or binding off, or three needle bindoff, or ....

after i get the back finished, i will go ahead and finish the fronts. both fronts are in the vicinity of armhole shaping.

dare i be so bold and declare this my rhinebeck sweater? do i need to play blogger bingo? should i go ahead and order my button? and how about a new bumper sticker for the truck?

a knitting marathon ....

i was lured yesterday by the hospitality of some southern fried goodness, hosted by a most gracious knitter and kitchen extraordinaire, ms. jackie, and her rabbit-knitting hippie.










what's not to love when your sunday beverage color coordinates with your yarn?!



that's how much knitting i've completed as of late last night. in the harsh light of morning, pinning out my back section, i found that my ribbing is about an inch too deep. too bad. i'm NOT changing it.

i had made some progress on the two fronts, but had to stop working on those because i was confused whether the schematic included the ribbed borders or not. so, i figured i would just do the back and then knit the fronts to match ... which is how the pattern is written. sometimes i like to change things just to make life more difficult interesting.

how long did i knit yesterday? ... 12 shameless hours .... thanks jackie & hippie!

ps. the yarn is tahki's donegal tweed in colorway 880

the best laid plans ...

... are not made while drinking martini's and knitting. so, last night's plan to alter the central park hoodie seemed brilliant at the time, but today proved to be so wrong ! so, after knitting 4" of ribbing for the back piece, in the wrong size, i cast on again tonight and knitted the 4" of ribbing and some of the chart repeats of the left front (i just couldn't face the back piece again). i will be posting progress pictures, if i don't have to rip out again.

and my socks? i am the worst WORST kal'er. i think i need a simple sock right now ... something i don't have to think about, swatch, or nothing. yes, i need the self-knitting sock yarn. where are my knitting fairies?!

now i have to make the decision i've been avoiding ... because i've finished these!



... funny how procrastination behavior can manifest itself as a finished pair of socks !

and, i'm leaning heavily towards anna.