clay socks

of course, i started another pair of socks. i've even finished the first one. and this design too ranks as "mindless knitting". the pattern is quick to memorize, and it's oh so pretty!


this is papaver sok by anne hanson of knitspot. i'm knitting the medium on size 2mm needles. the ribbed base gives it a lot of stretch. the pattern calls for a shortrow heel, but i much prefer a heelflap.


if you're wondering why the toe isn't finished, it's because i took my knitting to work and forgot my little kit with my yarn needle.

the yarn is cascade heritage. it's pretty thin, like lorna's laces. it's so smoothe it almost feels like cotton. and, it has crisp stitch definition. i really like this yarn, and the price is right too.

... and the RAINBOW socks

today, i was knitting on these outside of a panera bread store, waiting to meet up with a friend. never before has my knitting attracted so much attention. it's the COLORS. this yarn is knitpick's felici, in the rainbow colorway. this colorway is not available anymore, which is a shame. knitpicks got all "clever" and made these new colorways "limited edition".

i have made jaywalkers many many times now. it's a "go to" pattern for self striping yarns. i think it's one of those patterns that can make any non-solid yarn look good. and, for me, it's mindless knitting. i've knitted enough to know that all i need for success is:

1) cast on for the 76 st. size, but CAST ON 60 sts, work my 2x2 ribbing, and then increase 16 sts. on my last round to get the 76 sts.

2) knit on size 2.5mm needles

3) after i finish my gusset decreases, then knit another set of the double decreases in pattern on the plain round of the pattern (to make the foot a bit more narrow).

instant success and gratification.

fishes!!!

hey, i've finished one sock! i haven't started the mate yet, though i know i should. i feel a cast-on frenzy coming on, as i want to knit another 2 pairs of fairisle socks, plus a pattern by anne hanson, and a pair for a friend, and another pair for someone else ....

not to mention i still have a couple of unfinished pairs.

but, for the newest finished sock, here's my first sock of fishes!


i think i could had knitted the toe a wee bit longer before the toe shaping, but maybe the blocking will take care of that. the last pair of fairisle socks i knitted seemed a bit on the small side 'til i blocked them.

yarnwise, the first sock didn't even use up 1/2 a ball of yarn (and i'm talking about a 50 gram ball). so, i'll likely have a second ball of the 'marine life' felici yarn for a future project.

amazing! it's thundering, and i think i hear rain. it's been a long time since it's rained here.

oh, and i'm on the foot of my second rainbow sock. i'll finish the pair this weekend and post.

swim fishes swim !!!

i LOVE this sock! this is "swedish fish socks" by 'spillyjane' on ravelry. it's a paid pdf file pattern, and worth it =)

though, i've made my mistakes, i still think mine looks rather like the picture in the pattern (meaning, i am knitting fairisle socks). my colors are unlike hers, but i'm trying very hard to follow the instructions, as that's what i do when i'm in uncharted territory. (there are charts!) ... but sometimes i don't follow instructions all that well .....

this projects is totally knitpicks ! ... needles and yarns. the natural yarn is their undyed superwash sock yarn (merino/nylon) and the colored yarn is their 'felici' ... self striping socken yarn.

needles are their wooden 'harmony' needles. i knit the cuff on their 2.25 mm options needles, but the fair isle is knit with the larger harmony needles. from my limited experience, and lots of reading, i should knit the fairisle on a larger needle. it's working out just fine.

now, my floats ... i am knitting this sock inside out. that helps me control the length of my floats, especially when changing from one needle to the other.

this picture was taken with a flash, and it does not show off the subtle changes between the different shades of blue. this looks like a 3 color sock, but it's actually a bit more colored & complex than this.

the happiest sock ever!

i have finished my first sock with this felici yarn from knitpicks. i am going to finish this pair soon, i hope. of course, i could cast on for another pair ... because ... that's how i roll .....

jaywalkers are always a good choice

i seem to be on a roll. but, the only reason why i can finish a pair so fast this time is because i only had to knit one sock. i started this pair on july 4th, 2008.


i still love jaywalkers. to me, this pattern is about as mindless as a stockinette sock, and the perfect solution to a self-striping yarn.

this yarn comes/came in 50 gram balls, and though they were the same dyelot, it is very clear that one is a bit more washed out than the other. sigh.

the yarn is Marks & Kattens Clown, and the pattern is "jaywalker". i knitted on size 2.5mm dpns.

i kinda needed something else to knit on (and i've still not ordered that 1 extra ball of yarn for my unfinished shawl!), so instead of rescuing another orphan, i decided to cast on another pair of jaywalkers with my felici yarn from knitpicks.


this is my first time knitting with felici, and i am loving it so far.

blue socks with holes

my picture is kinda "lacking", but i was in a hurry to be able to share that i did finish the pretty blue socks.


i have apparently knitted another pattern quite similar before, that would be my snow petal socks. of course, i did not realize this until on the foot of the first sock.

this lace pattern seriously lacks stretch. usually, lace is quite stretchy, but not when there are multiple rounds with stitches that bias. they fit fine, and it's not a struggle to get on, but i do notice they stretch like fairisle (minimal).

the pretty blue yarn is jitterbug in colorway "velvet damson", and the pattern is Susanna. you can see my ravelry project page here with more notes and details.

in the meantime, just for today, i have resisted casting on something new as i'm "holding out" for my july 1st cast on for next month's challenge with SKA.

i'm doing a bit of orphan rescue, and dragged out a sock from 2 years ago ... a summer blended yarn for some jaywalkers. this is the mate! it's about as mindless as stockinette.


i have yet to order more yarn for my shawl. i ran out. oops. of course, i could just order the 1 ball of yarn, but i refuse to pay more for the shipping than the item. so, of course, i have to figure out what else i "want".

hey! a mid-week post, imagine that !!!

i was knitting as fast as i could. that's what you do when you think you may not have enough yarn. it's all about "knitting theory". (which, i do practice)

anyhoo ... here's the current socks on needles (or, perhaps, first sock OFF the needles).




this pattern is called "susanna socks" by Stephanie van der Linden. you can find her over on ravelry. the yarn is jitterbug. the fear was, my skein is from stash, and over 3 years old. the label said i wouldn't have enough, my scale said i would. i'm going with the scale.

i finished the first sock today, and put it aside as i wasn't ready to cast on the mate quite yet. perhaps i'll do that in the morning. in the meantime, i'm still knitting like a bandit on my shawl. i thought i was near finishing, but maybe not. i think it's going to be "big". i haven't broken into my last ball of yarn yet, but i will have to. the issue is, how far will i get with it ?!