my latest orphan

i have been knitting, and crocheting a bit. instead of casting on a new project for the month of september, i instead signed up to do a test knit for a sock. the challenge of knitting a test, is actually following the directions. sounds simple enough, right? hahahahhaha! the pattern is called "leaf on the wind", and has not yet been released, but i do have my project page set up over on ravelry. the joy of knitting a test is ... you only have to knit 1 sock ! but, i am going to be "good" and knit the second sock. i have already cast on the mate. besides, it would be a total shame to not use up that lovely STR !

i really am going to do it this time!

a sweater! yes, a SWEATER !!!

when i first saw this pattern, i immediately recognized how simple and wearable this cardigan was. and, affordable.

i found both the booklet and yarn locally. yay! i really prefer to buy locally if i can, when it comes to yarn. but, sometimes, i cannot find the stuff i want locally.

this time, i did.


the pattern is called miro. the yarn is weekend.

i had/am having ... a fabulous weekend! i traveled about 1.5 hours west yesterday morning, danced my __ off, and came back this afternoon.

i had a blast with my friends (old & new). i also visited a little (new to me) yarn shop.

i didn't buy any yarn (as, i'd just gotten this weekend yarn less than a week previous). but, i did get some needle tips! they had the nickel tips from knitpicks available.

i came home, unpacked, and cast on this sweater.

i'm knitting the size small (finished 36") with size 6 & 8 needles. knitpicks needles.

and just when i thought ....

... i was burned out on socks, here i am with a new cast on.

that's what happens when you swear off socks! something beautiful and amazing comes along, something you just cannot resist.

this sock is a test knit for purrlescent on ravelry.


i'm not typically a fan of toe up socks. i haven't done a test knit in some time. but, this pattern was too pretty to pass up!

i'm using some older stash (which, isn't really THAT old, but i'm ashamed it's been in stash since 2006).


the colorway i'm using is in the top left, and is called "cobalt bloom". the yarn in the center was used awhile back for a pair of hedera, and the jade ... crap! hasn't been knitted yet =(

note to self: knit the jade NEXT!

stash bags ! in crochet =)

dare i say i'm a wee bit burned out on socks with my mission for august?

to entertain myself with some mindless & fun stuff, i turned to my hook.

i was ever so inspired by crochetbug13's stash bag collection, that i decided, "hey! i need some of those !"

for my first one, i splurged (meaning, i didn't use stash, but bought 2 skeins of yarn!) ... kinda defeats the purpose, i know ... but, what can i say?


the pattern is here, by the purl bee (purl soho). i crocheted mine with a J hook, using my favorite acrylic by Red Heart.

i'd "found" a skein of their fleck yarn in the clearance bin at the local craft store, and got a skein of solid that would coordinate.


see the flecks ?!

so, i wanted to make a second bag. when i went home for labor day weekend, mom & i made a late night dash for the local walmart. and before you dis' walmart, sometimes it's the ONLY place in town that has yarn (within a 30+ mile radius).

we went there on purpose. because, we know, they do have Red Heart acrylic yarn! and, there's nothing i love more than Red Heart acrylic! seriously. it's the stuff i grew up with. and the things i've made with it will outlive me.

i got a single skein of their ombre/variegated mix yarn. it is a 'super saver' yarn, but the yardage is only 244 yards (ps. smaller put up).

i put that together with some of my solids from stash. and i came up with this ....


i crocheted the base in all one color, then changed to the variegated yarn on the first round of double crochets. i changed to a solid when i had to do "Round 3: * Chain 5, skip 5 stitches, 1 sc into next stitch..." ... and crocheted the 2nd round in the same color as well .... (for the sake of the pattern, rounds 3 & 4 can be crocheted in a contrast color, like mine).

anyhoo, it came out really pretty!

so, this whole time, i had sent mom the link for the online pattern. i asked her to try it out, make one, etc ....

she kept her project secret, as she always does.

let me just say, if you need a poker partner, she's your gal.

so, in secret, she made one for me too .....


and, true to the name, her bag was crocheted totally in stash! she wins!!!

mission accomplished!

10 pairs of socks completed in august! ... i think i want to knit a sweater now ;)

did i mention?

... oh yeah, i finished another pair!


aren't these pretty?! i have now knitted this pattern 3 times. it's called papaver sok, by anne hanson of knitspot.

i got the yarn this past may at our local fiberfest. it's called tinsel toes, and it's by the unique sheep. the colorway is called 'prince of the wood elves', and was dyed especially for a sock club. perhaps this hank was unclaimed, or just extra.

i grabbed it because i love the sheen of a wool/tencel blend, and i loved its subtle coloring ... this wonderful silvery gray with blips and stains of greens and browns.

anne designed the pattern with a shortrow heel. i prefer the fit of a heelflap, so that's what i did ... though you cannot see it in my picture. i also knitted the 70 stitch size on 2.25mm dpns.

so, so far in this august challenge of finishing PAIRS of socks, i have now finished 8 pairs. if you're a long time reader, i'm sure you're impressed. heck, i'm impressed!

i still plan on finishing 2 more pairs ... and more if i have the time, or don't get distracted.

2 more pairs in the bunch!

i am thrilled to report that the finished sock pile is growing! i finished two other pairs this week ... actually, i just finished this pair today.


these are my skew socks which i had cast on in april for ska's "unusual construction technique".

this pattern is free on knitty.

these socks are knitted on the diagonal, from the toe up. the construction is "unique" to say the least, so you just have to trust the pattern. and i can attest, the pattern is correct. so, just trust it and knit.

i used lion brand's sock-ease yarn. i really like that yarn. i like it even more when i can buy it with a 50% off coupon! i just wish they would expand the color line. i've never seen their solids in any of my craft stores, and the multi colorways are the same as when they first rolled it out. i like ALL the colors, but i do expect a company such as lion brand to change things up a bit (more).

the other pair i finished is the honeycomb socks by mona schmidt.


these socks are knitted with the reynold's soft sea wool. it's a heavy fingering, thus the sock has fewer stitches than most of the socks i knit, and i knitted them on 2.75mm dpns.

this pattern is from reynolds steppin' out.

let's just say the pattern & book have lots of mistakes. the pattern is very pretty, but if you knit the pattern as written, it won't look exactly like the socks on the book's cover. that said, i left some notes on my ravelry project page.

i now have 7 pairs completed for this august challenge. i intend to complete at least 10 pairs. more, if i have the time. i think i will at this rate!

i am finishing my pairs!

as i posted in my prior post, i'm trying to finish as many sock pairs this month as possible. i did a lot of "homework" in july to get ready for this knitting frenzy in august. and, it has paid off.

i have completed 5 pairs thus far!


this first pair was started back in the summer of 2007. i really do love this design. it's by mona schmidt, and is called "lace and diamond socks". the yarn is reynold's soft sea wool. the yarn is inexpensive, a bit of a heavier fingering wt, and must be hand washed. i don't know how it will wear, as until this month, i'd never completed a project with this yarn.


jaywalkers is one of my alltime favorite sock patterns. i swear it can make any sock yarn look good! the yarn is by opal, and is called 'krokodil'. these are actually pretty "fresh". the yarn was in stash for many years, but i cast these on in june.


this pair has been my biggest challenge thus far. i had started the 2nd sock some time ago, and put it down, and didn't leave myself any notes as to which chart i was knitting from, or if this was considered sock #1 or #2 (different instructions for each, as they mirror each other).

it probably took about 2 evenings to get on track. the pattern is 'cadance socks' by verybusymonkey on ravelry. at the time, i had decided to knit 2 pairs, but had only finished 1 of each colorway i was knitting. now, if i really want to be a rock star, i will have to cast on the 2nd yellow sock.


this one was super duper easy. there's nothing like mindless knitting in stockinette with a self striping yarn. i bought the yarn about 4 years ago, and cast on immediately, and then ravelry came along, and i dropped my needles for another project. the yarn is by opal, and is called 'lollipop'.


and lastly, a fabulous pair designed by nancy bush, "birch leaf socks". it's from the book _a gathering of lace_. the yarn is st. ives by wendy, and ... i like it, but it kinda has a hairy look to it that compromises the stitch definition. i think it's a good yarn, but probably a poor choice for this pattern. i started this pair back in 2009.

my goal is to finish 10 pairs. it's just that the other 5 pairs may take me more time to finish .....