crap!

... so, this is what my camera looks like. this is what my camera looks like 3 hours away. this is my camera at my parent's house, and the photo credit is my father, via his cell phone.

so, until mr. postman brings me my camera, i may be w/o pictures 'til the new year. CRAP!

ho! ho! ho!

who? me ?!


everyone i know also knows i have tons of yarn, gallons of sock yarn. but, they don't judge me, instead, they enable me! YAY!

all yarns pictured here will likely be socks some day, with the exception of the bag of yarn on the left (sweater!).

the bottle of vino will not see tomorrow.

please click on the photo to go to my flickr and read all the notes on the yarns ....

ginger

this new sock creature came to live with me just before christmas. mom couldn't wait for met to see her, as she's the latest in a series of socken creatures made from just one sock. that's mom's personal challenge. i think it's hysterical!


she fits right in with the other holiday creatures, stuart & mabel.

again ....

though, there should be more candles on this cake!

crochet content

specs:

red heart yarn
G hook
single crochets
crafty pom-pom
silly sock creature (stuart)

knitting content

i (re)started another sock. i can't even remember when i first pulled out this yarn. i do remember knitting very quickly, and getting past the heel. the short row heel. the short row heel that made the instep too tight and got ripped short row heel.

i ripped that section last night, in search of a mindless socken project and proceeded with a good old heelflappen.

there's nothing like a good basic sock!

specs:
opal lollipop yarn
colorway 1013
susan bates US1 dpns
64 sts

christmas sockens!

i'm either getting mighty cavalier, or lazy, to not hide this photo in a virtual box.


... i think it's the latter.

to make a pair, i knitted the mate in 2 days. i think it was easy to stay on task because the cheerful colors. i wish they were for me ... but, i have some more yarn in a different colorway for my socks.

specs: regia crazy color 5439
64 sts, 2.25mm dpns

more pandas! oh my!

inspite of the things i should be doing, i could not help casting on for something (possibly) for me.

more panda wool sockens. yep. i just love the look of of the solids in this yarn, and i love the fabric!


it really shows of the texture of roza's socks, again. i would love a sweater in this yarn ... but i think the world knows i would end up with orphan sleeves .....

specs: panda wool in colorway jet (black & blue).
susan bates 2.25mm dpns
roza's socks from IK spring '07.

single socken

one thing i really love about the hedgerow sock pattern is the fabulous texture! one thing i don't love about it is it's kinda monotonous to knit. it's easy to memorize, but it's not mindless.


on my trip, i managed to finish one of the socks. i even started the mate ! (gasp !)


... but, i knitted the foot too short ... so, after i finish the mate i'm going to rip out the toe of this sock and knit the foot longer.

it's very pretty, and fits great (minus the short foot), and i love the semi-solidness of the the yarn ((araucania ranco, (semi-) solid)).

well, christmas is in 10 days. perhaps i should do something about that (i haven't made nor purchased anything for anyone ... yet). hmmm .....

'tis gettin' to be the season ....

MOM ! DON'T LOOK !


be sure to move mouse over photo

yes, i have been knitting ... this surprise is for mom, so all the details can be found over here.

socks from the vault

i did get a fair amount of sock knitting done on my trip, as there was lots of waiting or travel time, but of course i didn't think to take any pictures until the light of day was fading today.


have you ever tried to take a picture of black socks after the sun has already dipped behind the hills?

these are not freshly knitted, but they are recently repaired.

handknit socks are worth repairing. the first time, years ago, one had a hole on the bottom of the foot ... from a snag on a nail in the wood floor. this time, the socks had been in bad storage, and had some thin spots here and there from yarn-eating-bichos.

i took them with me on my trip to repair, just incase it was cold here upon my return. HA! i left the caribbean and returned to the balmy south. 80* in december kinda sucks.

aside from that, i think this is the first pair of socks i ever knitted, following the instructions for the basic sock in nancy bush's _folk socks_ ... meaning, these socks are from '94.

back in the day, i knitted 56 st. socks. now, with the same wt. yarn, i usually knit 64 or 72 st. socks.

back in the day, it use to take me 12 hrs. to knit a pair. i dare not time myself now. i'm just not interested in knowing those things anymore.

specs:
and i'm guessing here ...
yarn by socka in black tweed with colored flecks
probably size 2 dpns.
56 sts.
basic basic basic.

it's beginning ...

the freak out, that is ....

so, i'm going on a trip. i don't know how much time i will have to knit. but, i live in mortal fear of not having choices or just the right project, or, being without my resources.

so, the freak out is beginning. what yarn(s)?! which needles?! which pattern(s)?!

do i play it safe and only take bamboo dpns? the TSA says knitting needles are "okay", but they haven't seen my needles! ... and then there's the magic-loopin' size zero's on a 32" cord! (strangling and stabbing needles !)

last socks of november ....

it's not that i'm being especially prolific, it's just that i'm getting ready to go offline for a spell (a 10 day trip, 3rd world travel, no internet, lots of bichos).

these socks have lingered for what feels like forever, but it's really only been about a month and a half.

the yarn is maizy by crystal palace. i bought it because of its interesting fiber content, cornfiber and elastic nylon. it makes a very nice fabric, and (so far) feels like a good substitute for folks that avoid wool or wool blends, and it has more memory than cotton or cotton blended yarns. and, it's machine washable.

so, that's the good.

the bad: splitty as f*cking hell! seriously.

redemption: nice fabric if you manage to knit all its plys, and i saw it somewhere in a lovely shade of bittersweet ... i was almost tempted.

the pattern is spey valley from nancy bush's _knitting on the road_. in true nancy bush form, it has a wonderful little *extra* ... horizontal knitted bands that amazingly maintain the stretch of the ribbed pattern. i love the little details.

notes to self: susan bates 2.25 mm dpns, and if find that *bittersweet* again, snatch it up !

a wee bit of knitting ....

... i have been wearing (all) my socks with the cooler weather, and the laundry pile is sky high. today is yet another dreary day, but still bright enough to catch a glimpse of the latest finished pair.


of course, i will not be out walking around today with my pants rolled up!


after finishing swallowtail, i am eager to cast on for another shawl. i thought i had found the perfect combo of yarn and pattern ... but now i'm not so sure. stay tuned ....

whoops! almost forgot ... lorna's laces in tuscany colorway on size 0 addi turbos, magic loop, toe up, falling leaves & diamante ... both from knitty.

blue period ....

well ... when one is without the net, a lot of knitting can be accomplished. i found myself knitting on swallowtail almost exclusively. it was a fun knit. right when a certain chart was about to become boring, i got to move onto another chart.

i was a wee bit concerned that i would not have enough yarn ... perhaps that was the impetus to knit faster. but i did have plenty, ... with about a fist's size worth leftover.


i opted to skip the nupps. because the yarn (brooks farm duet) was rather fuzzy (hello! wool & mohair!)(duh!) i really wanted to throw in another texture ... smooth and shiny ... beads !


though adding beads is slooooooowwwwww, i like seeing that sparkle in the sea of fuzz.


beads were also added to a couple other elements of the design, including the points.
one of my favorite parts of the process was the binding off. it wasn't so much the part about being (mostly) finished, but the bind off was unique and made a pretty chained edge.


this was a fast knit, very enjoyable, and i think there may be another one in my near future ....

specs:
brooks farm duet (1 hank, and not all of it!)
size 6 denise needles
size 8/0 beads
approx 54" x 25"

Why is it that i'll shell out X dollars for yarn but not 3 dollars for a kitchen brush to clean my mushrooms ?!

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"ms. Truvy, i promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair !" annelle from 'st

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Finished swallowtail !

My computer died . Again .

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i got a whole lotta nuttin'

maybe the making of mates has got me jonesing for something else to knit ... i chose to go ahead and cast on for the mate of this sock, for fear i'd forget any little details i'd failed to document. well, i must have failed somewhere because i did not begin the leg pattern at the same point in the chart as the first sock. oops. no matter ... it fits!


this mate is a glove! the cooler weather finally hit, and i realized i could be wearing some swanky green gloves if i'd just get on with the mate !

i like knitting gloves ... though they are fiddly. but, when i peruse the web, i find lots of inspiring samples, and i start dreaming of my next pair.


i also have a bit of the shawl bug. this is brook's farm duet, a dk mohair and wool, with tons of yardage. hopefully, it's enough yardage to complete a swallowtail shawl. this colorway is absolutely amazing! and i can't tell you the colorway because i promptly lost the label while winding the yarn into a ball on my way home from SAFF. but, it's black & blue, and blue & black, and it's really really pretty!

it's also pictured below at stuart's feet. that's some of the haul from SAFF. click on the picture to go to my flickr and see what everything actually is.

socken update

i finished these socks just the other day. they still need to be washed though, as silk garden (lite) doesn't feel that great until after a healthy dunk in the wool wash.

i chose to knit these toe up, as i wasn't sure how far a skein of this stuff (125m) would get me if i started with the cuff. once it was clear that a skein was plenty for a respectable socken, i decided to just knit until i ran out of yarn ....

specs: silk garden lite, col. 2011 lot A, size 3.25 mm dpns, 48 sts, short row heel, blah, blah, blah.


this too has been finished for a few days, and would had been finished last week if i hadn't stalled on the bind off.

this sock is a combo of knitty's falling leaves and diamante socks. i should go ahead and cast on for the mate, while things are still fresh in my mind.

specs: lorna's laces shepherd sock in tuscany, size 0 turbos.

oh, and i did cast on for something new (sock!)(duh!) yesterday ... but i can't show it here 'cause it's a christmas present for mom. but, if you're on ravelry you can go see it in my notebook ... under the name graylagran. it's brownish smooshy!

thank you ....

lolly ! thanks to you, i could not resist getting my hands on some silk garden lite, and knitting up a a pair of socks reminiscent of yours.


'tis the last day of socktoberfest. but, i think we all know i won't (ever) stop knitting socks ... not as long as there are beautiful yarns!

specs: silk garden lite colorway 2011 lot A, size 3 dpns, 64 sts, toe up, short row heel, knit until the yarn almost runs out and then use a kitchner st. bindoff.
note: this is (finished socken) how far you can go with a ball of silk garden lite ... one ball for each sock ... almost every last bit.

SAFF sort of ....

i don't have much free time at the moment ... (and i should be doing other things right now), but ... i just wanted to share my first handpainted yarn ... painted by me !


it's a dk wt. superwash wool, 320 yds. i'm thinking it might become socks. because, i kinda (sometimes) can't stop knitting socks.

anyways, the yarn was handpainted at SAFF in nancy shroyer's class ... creating a variegated yarn that does not repeat. ie: no flashing or pooling, no matter the number of stitches or pattern.

i am eager to knit this up, but i first have to have some serious free time, and perhaps finish one or two other things ....

stuart's got a girlfriend now ....

and she's quite appropriate, as she's a holiday gal. she was made in honor of halloween, and stuart is a product of valentine's day. i think they make a good match.


and, she's kinda racy ! she has a tattoo ! she's still nameless ... but, i'm thinking she will be named within the week.

i don't know why ...

... i want to knit a toe up sock. i am not a fan of the short row heel. nor am i a fan of the bind off methods of toe up. but, i am a wee bit curious to try the reverse gusset with heelflap.

so, of course, i picked a pattern full of short row parts (heel and toe) ! but, i have a plan .... maybe.


this is knitty's falling leaves sock. the toe begins with a provisional cast on and proceeds with short rows, full of yo's and turns and untwisting. i was too lazy to read the instructions, so i just did a crazy 8 (that's what i call it, whatever it's really called) cast on, starting with the toe tip, and increased from there.

now, all those wordy instructions will come up again at heel time. but, i think i'm going to try the heel from knitty's diamante instead (both of these sock patterns are 72 sts.).

i've been told that i work awfully hard to be lazy ....

pattern notes:

c.o. 10 sts each needle, +'d to 18 sts e.r., +'d to 36 sts e.o.r.
work 1 rnd plain, begin lace.
32" 2mm turbos
lorna's laces shepherd sock in tuscany colorway.

whooo hooooooooo !

so, i did finish these about 2 days ago ... but, you know how it is .... waiting for either free time or good daylight. i finally got both earlier this evening around 5:30pm. thus, i present ...


and the picture wouldn't be so big if blogger was cooperating at the moment.
all i can say is whoooo hooooooo ! ... i finished a(nother) pair !

these are roza's socks from IK spring '07, knitted with panda wool by crystal palace, on susan bates 2.25 mm dpns.

i love the pattern ... i love the 3x3 rib in brioche. i don't love knitting with panda wool (it's splitty, but not as spittly as their maizy). but, i do love the fabric. i would knit with it again. and, i will knit this socken pattern again.

green socks rule ! ... seriously

quickie

.... because grey's is about to start ....


yeah! a real modeling shot! ... thanks to debalicious ... we had a little photo shoot after work in the parking lot. corbett did confirm that this is noro's kureyon. he did a great knitting and blocking job, as it's very soft and drapey. i just wish we'd get some cold weather so i can wear this!


fresh yarn ! this was a gift ... and who ever would had thought that pond scum could be so beautiful ?!


this girl was gifted to another girl that likes things with sparkles, bobbles, feather, fringe, doodads, and animal print. shopping for socks at target, i at least found two things ... sparkle and animal print ! i always forget how much i enjoy making sock creatures.

see, ... told you it would be a quickie .....

fiber festivals

over the past couple of years, i've had some opportunities to attend a few fiber festivals. my first was the perfect introduction, vermont's sheep & wool festival. it was small compared to others i've been to, but it was a very good one ... not to mention up in beautiful vermont when the leaves are changing, just outside of the swanky town of burlington, and the area has at least two fabulous yarn shops to boot.

after catching the bug i was eager to go to both maryland and rhinebeck. both were a blast, and both were big.

this year, i'm going to SAFF with chak-a-khan. i picked SAFF because i have wanted to go in years past and it's local ... not nearly as so far away as other festivals.

i was hoping to finish knitting my patons cabled pullover by then, but i seem to not be able to stop knitting socks.

instead, weather permitting, i might be wearing this instead ....


i'll get a full shot later. i just wanted to share this lovely handknit ... knitted by corbett for me! i sent him my hypoteneuse which he received on monday, the exact same day i received this triangular cabled shawl. YEAH!

i knitted a shawl for him because i can not go to rhinebeck this year. and i wanted to go ... it's more than just a fiber festival, but it's a social visit too, to hang out with jim & corbett in catskill ... just down the road from rhinebeck.

he knew i was making something (as he was banned from the blog), but i had no idea he was making something too. he just said we'd have an "exchange". i thought that meant yarn (i've been pining for his green fleece artist merino sock yarn for two years now). never did it occur to me that he was knitting me a shawl ....

socktoberfest = sockensploshen

i'm not trying to pass these off as a fresh pair, but i was thinking this new shot was better than the one in my previous post. maybe.

next up, a finished pair of socks ....


though started in may, this pair took me 6 months to finish ! i'm sure that's not a record, as there are plenty of other orphans that have been waiting in the wings even longer. though, i have "rescued" at least 6 of them ... and probably added a few news ones to the batch too.
the yarn is trekking xxl in col. 05, knitted at 9 sts/inch.

i have lots of orphan socks. and i'm okay with that. i'm so okay with it that i'm having another freak out over which ones i might like to knit next!

i think i want to knit some knee socks. perhaps knitty's clessidra or IK's spiral boot socks. or maybe something rather simple like diana's knee socks ....

and then there's other sockens, shorter sockens, with yardage i may actually have in stash, such as eunny's bayerische socks, magknit's tropicana socks (look at this beautiful version!), or knitty's cable net socks.

and just two days ago, i was contemplating some toe up's with reverse heelflaps, such as knitty's widdershins, diamante, and baudelaire socks.

socktoberfest = sockensploshen

sock report

first things first, i did get a photo of my monkeys, somewhat focused. i guess trying to take photos with the day's first light doesn't exactly make good lighting. actually, i think with the change in season, that the light is shifting more to the back porch instead.


but, they are finished ! and repaired. the hole i found two mornings ago was latched up with a wee crochet hook and then secured with a scrap of yarn.

monkey remains one of my favorite sock patterns ... and i have a feeling that the roza's socks (scroll down link) will be added to that short list.





i was out & about last night with agent scarlet and stuart. our occasional dates involves food & knitting. after knitting at one bar (where we also had dinner), we moved onto another for a nightcap and dessert (and better lighting).

stuart is modeling a knitted scarf in the lovely schaffer anne.


there was a bonus treat involved in the get-together ... as ms. acrylique gave me a whopping hank of yarni goodness! i actually had a choice between the pictured yarn and a 100gr ball of trekking pro natura. though i was extremely tempted by the trekking, i seriously fell for the reds.

of course, i will spend many hours perusing ravelry and my knitting books for a sock pattern worthy of this beautiful yarn (pagewood farm hand dyed sock yarn)....


in between sips of beer and bites of black bean quesadilla pts., i finished up my first raisinette socken.

yes, it is an orphan, and hopefully not for long. this is the spey valley sock pattern from nancy bush's _knitting on the road_. it's all based on a 5x2 rib, with a very interesting horizontal braid that defines the cuff. i really like the pattern, and the sock.

what i did not like so much was knitting with the yarn ... it's crystal palace's maizy. it's the absolute most splitty yarn i've ever knitted with ! the fabric is nice, and the fiber content (corn fiber and elastic nylon) is an interesting combo, but even on mindless knitting one must pay absolute attention that all the strands are knitted and not splitted.

this isn't ...

... a picture of my finished monkeys because of a failed photo shoot this morning ....

instead, this is a picture of the HOLE i found in my sock while taking pictures of my finished monkeys.

somewhere along the way of knitting speedily on socken #2, i apparently dropped a stitch, which ran when i put my socks on this morning for pictures. ugh.

and, there would be a nice picture of said socks, with hole, if every shot i took wasn't out of focus.

editted: it is fixable! and i did fix it this morning ... i just had to whine a bit ....

stuart is into socktoberfest

i have almost completed my "obligation" in regards to socktoberfest. i made a deal with a friend that i would knit mates to three of my orphans. the kaffe ones were first, and i've made a respectable dent with two more. the trekking sock (left) saw lots of action at the movies last friday, and a good couple of inches of foot on sunday. but, it's hard to work on the same thing for too long, so i cast on for a monkey-mate and am cruising rather steadily on a mere 64 stitches.


and, i created a new orphan ....


green socken above is knitted with panda wool. i like the sock and i love the pattern. i'm not crazy about using this yarn for socks, as it feels much like cotton when knitting. i do love the fabric and the slight variation of green tones. i was also a bit concerned if i would have enough to get me through the toe, but there's plenty to spare.

now ... the question is, how long will the green socken remain an orphan?