a pair!

i have made a few pairs of toe up socks, though it's not my preferred method. BUT, i really like this spice man pattern by yarnissima. the fit is very good, and i was able to use up every bit of yarn to make a pair of knee-hi socks (the leg is all 1x1 twisted rib).


something else very exciting about these socks is it's the first time i've used jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off, as published in knitty. it makes a tidy and stretchy bind off, without the flair of a loose bind off. it does eat a lot of yarn, so leave a longer length of yarn than usual so you don't run out before finishing.

i'm very pleased with these socks, and plan on mailing them out this weekend.

that said, i need a pair for myself. though, i won't be doing the knee-hi version. i got two balls of sock-ease in complimentary colors last weekend.


so i started a pair with contrast heels/toes/cuff. i've actually now finished the first sock, and started the mate. i'm reversing the colors on the mate too. what the heck.


i see this pattern as being a good basic to possibly play with, changing colors, stitch patterns, and sizes.

i'm lousy at keeping secrets

i'm knitting a pair of socks for a friend. i guess after being friends for 15 years, it's about time!


please forgive the flash photo, i had a long day today, and did not get home 'til after the sun was down. the sky still had a bit of light, but all those photos w/o flash were blurry.

i don't typically knit toe up. but i wanted to for these socks, because i know my friend likes long stockings, and i wanted to use up every bit of yarn to get as long of a sock as possible.

and i was amazed that i could actually knit it all the way to the knee! the pattern is "spice man" by yarnissima. i knit the smallest size, which is 60 stitches around. when i got to the leg, i continued all in the 1x1 twisted rib. no shaping. the ribbing is nice and huggy, and i'm confident the socks will stay up.

i was going to try to keep this project a secret, but i get excited about gifts & things, and just have to blurt it out.

oh, and this sock won't be an orphan for long, as i'm already on the leg of the second sock, and i'm being monogamous.

knitting, crochet, cross-stitch

have i covered all my bases? perhaps my next post will also include sewing ....

first of all, i finished my socks.


i like them! they have me thinking about perhaps knitting another pair of black socks, and probably in lace too (at least with lace, you can see that there IS a design). i have two more pair's worth of sock yarn in black. i'm just not so sure about starting right now, as there's so many other projects i want to work on.

for example, trying out new techniques.


entire books dedicated to just one technique! both books have projects, and the projects are interesting enough, but i bought each because these are things i'd like to try doing, and books like these go out of print when one finally makes the time to try it. i did find an afghan hook in my needle jar today (it was so dusty!), so that's a start.

and then there's the stitching ...


mr. snowman has become functional vs. decorative. last weekend, i bought an acrylic coaster for mr. snowman. i did not doing anything fancy (heck, i didn't even wash my finished cross-stitch, and my steam press did not completely remove the fold lines).

i essentially wrapped the piece around the cardboard circular insert, and crammed it into the back of the coaster, then stuck the adhesive cork cover on the backside.

and then, i bought another $1 kit to stitch up another holiday design. it's amazing how $1's worth of goods can keep one busy for MANY hours.

whoops!

how many times have i used WHOOPS as a title post? ... i'm sure many times. there are many WHOOPS in my crafty life.

such as, i just posted about my snowman, saying i hadn't finished my black socks yet, and then look at my blog and say, "hey, where ARE my black socks ?!"

so, here's one. the mate is on the needles, and is actually on the foot section too (top down).


this sock (pair) is for the september challenge of SKA on ravelry. one of the month's challenge is to knit with the color black. i haven't knitted black socks in about 15 or more years, though i have enough black sock yarn for about 3 pairs of socks.


can you see the butterflies in the lace?

i think i should had knitted these on a larger needle. i'm on a 2.5mm, and probably should had gone up to a 2.75mm, and slightly thicker yarn too (ie: patons kroy sock).

but, i'm too far along to change that now. it's just a little "note to self". the reason being is that this ends up being a 54 st. sock, and though the pattern is rib and lace based, it stretches out to the point of distorting the butterflies, and i don't like that. lesson learned.

cross-stitch?

yes, i'm surprised too. but i did finish a little $2 kit, and now i have to finish/finish it ... as you can see it still has the creases from the fabric being folded in the packaging.




as you can see, he's a bit "goofed up", but that's what happens when you try to cross-stitch and watch movies at the same time. it doesn't mix well with movie watching, not like knitting does.

but still, he's cute, and i think i want to get another $2 kit.

that said, i haven't finished ANY knitting. my black socks are almost finished. and they would be finished if it was not for the snowman.