Catch Up/Socks

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It was Spring when I last posted. Now, it’s Summer and I’m watering the garden to the chimes of the ice cream truck. Yeesh, where did May go? Anyway, there’s so much to catch up on now that my blogging mojo is returning. The next few posts are going to be a mix of old and new: a visit to an alpaca farm, other crafts, recently finished projects, not so recently finished projects, and whatever else comes to mind. I’ll catch up eventually.

In the vein of not so recently finished projects, I present to you a pair of socks that I finished in March.

Pattern: Little Child’s Socks by Nancy Bush

Yarn: Berocco Ultra Alpaca Fine - Turquoise Mix

Needles: US 0 (2.0 mm) DPN’s

Dates: April 22, 2010 - March 29, 2011

@ravelry

They’re soft. They’re warm. They took way too long to knit but I suppose that’s to be expected when knitting on 0’s. These socks were worth the year long wait though. All the small details - like the band on the cuff and the pointed bit of texture on the foot - really make this design. The pattern, the small parts that I actually used, was well written and easy to convert to toe up. I might even knit another pair but definitely not on 0’s.

I’m looking forward to cooler temperatures so I can actually wear them for more than 30 seconds at a time. Plus, 50º is better than 102º any time of year.

I pulled this pair out the WIP bin because I was and still am trying to clear out my unfinished projects. They were also more than half knit which is the only reason I finished them in March. In April, I cast on for a blue and purple pair of striped knee highs. It’s two months later and they’re not even close to  finished. So much for a pair of socks a month. I did manage to finish 3 pairs before my sock mojo took a vacation so I’m not going to force it. Maybe I’ll try again later in the year and maybe I won’t. Either way, there’s plenty of other things to knit.

Also, don’t forget that World Wide Knit in Public Day is this weekend. Enjoy your weekend and have fun wherever you end up stitching!

Hunker Down

After lots of rain early this morning, today has become one of those odd days that’s both rainy and sunny at the same time. I’m doing my best to enjoy the sun even if it is a bit damp outside. So, I’m hunkering down in front of my favorite window with my knitting and some new and not so new music.

The knitting is a pair of socks for March that I put down last year. I’m really enjoying the pattern, Little Child’s Sock by Nancy Bush, and the yarn, Ultra Alpaca Fine. If the rainy weather keeps up, I might even get to wear them in the next few days.

From the Sock Drawer

Up until the last few days, the weather was quite nice - 70 C, sunny, warm, and not too windy. The birds have been chirping and the trees have been blooming. I knew it wouldn’t last long. Rain, chilly temps, and a general dreariness have taken over.  Bah.  In response, my feet have demanded wool socks and I’m only too happy to comply.

Yarn: Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball - Brights | Needles: 2.25 mm

Dates: Jan 5 - Feb 1, 2011

@Ravelry (public link)

Long finished but never blogged, these are January’s socks and they’re far from dreary. I can’t help but smile when I catch glimpses of them peeking out of my jeans. Wild, shifting, and fraternal color is where it’s at. (Whatever “it” is.) Plus, my feet stay pretty toasty too. Just what I need during a grey March day. 

The pattern is my basic sock template: stockinette and toe up with a gusset, heel flap, and a few inches of 2x2 ribbing at the cuff. I mixed stuff up a bit by working all the increases in a straight line instead of my usual diagonal. Might keep that modification around for the next few pairs. If there’s any interest, I’ll write up the pattern.

Glorious color aside, I’m not sure if I’d used this yarn again for socks. Shawls, cowls, hats? Sure. The jury is still out on socks. It was a bit thin in spots and liked to twist back on itself. Zauberball isn’t the cushiest stuff either but it does soften up after a bath. During the knitting, I occasionally considered ripping everything out but quashed the thought. Let’s see if that comes back to bite me. So far, the pair is holding up well and I’ve got leftovers for darning when the time comes.

The forecast is predicting warm weather and sunny skies tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll have to put these away for another foul day when they can work their magic.

Before, After

Before

After

4 stitches. That’s the difference between a snug, well fitting sock and a baggy mess. I ignored this fact for 3 weeks or a foot, a gusset, a heel, and 4” of cuff. For a brief moment, I half-heartedly considered finishing the sock. Though, what’s the point in knitting an ill-fitting pair of socks? So, I ripped it all out.* Didn’t even bother to save the toe and stick it back on the needles. I’m over the whole thing. The yarn and the pattern are going into time out. Eventually, I’ll pull them back out. Not any time soon though.

So, no pair of socks for February. My year of socks isn’t looking so good; however, I’m going to enjoy my sock knitting sabbatical and knit something else instead. A freeing thought actually. 

*But only after a good night’s sleep. It took the sting out of the whole affair. The night before, ripping would have been aggravating and demotivating instead of necessary and right.

To The Library!

For the last week or two, I thought my mojo had taken a vacation without me. Or maybe the cat had dragged it off. He does that sort of thing. I could manage all the necessities like laundry and the dishes without skipping a beat. But knitting? Meh. I knit because there were due dates. Bookbinding? After cutting and and gluing the pages for a basic accordion sketchbook, it just sat - unfinished - on my desk. So, today, I put the crafty stuff aside and focused on other things. The other things turned out to be the jumble of books, computers, yarn, and boxes that I have the nerve to call an office.

I pushed play on the 98th episode of Cast-On and got down to work. Then I got distracted by a not-so-giant pile of knitting books. At first, my intention was to put them neatly away but I couldn’t keep myself from cracking them open. Weekend Knitting was first and it made me smile. Soon, there was a whole pile of books that made me happy. They ended up on the shelf next to my desk for easy reading.

I guess I just needed a bit of inspiration since my mojo decided to come around. The little accordion books are a little closer to being finished. I’m contemplating a few more sets of stitch markers. Plus, this month’s pair of socks - Dotty - don’t feel like such a chore anymore.

I could wax poetic about the inherent goodness of books, but I’ll leave that for another time and just get back to my reading. Then, knit night. Can’t forget about knit night.