June socks

Pattern: Binsenkorbchen, the January sock from Socken-Kreativ-Liste.
Modifications: I did a simple heel flap type heel, I cast on 72 stitches instead of 64, and I chose not to carry the pattern down the instep stitches.
Yarn: KnitPicks Memories 100% merino in the Fly Fishing colorway, and Claudia's Hand Painted in the Blue Sky colorway.
Needles: AddiTurbo size 2.5 mm circular, Magic Loop method.

I like slip stitch patterns and this was a fun pattern to knit.


Sock City

Bye Bye Black Sheep

It looks like I won't be going to the Black Sheep Festival in Eugene. (moment of silence)

I was looking forward to seeing Crown Mountain Farms in person and maybe caressing the beautiful needles made by Jenkins Woodworking. I enjoy watching people spin and I like looking at the animals. Ahhh, I can almost smell the sheep barn. But I have yarn and patterns that inspire me and I have a list of knit blogs on Bloglines, so what do I have to complain about? Oh, and I got my invite to Ravelry, so there is another way to feel connected. And my LYS is having a pajama party on Saturday and some of my knitting buddies will be there. Nope, nothing to complain about.

Queen of the sofa

I am queen of the sofa this week! I have the sofa all to myself. Mwa ha ha.

Last night while I was picking up and getting ready for bed I saw my knitting nest strewn across the sofa where I had been knitting for the last couple of hours and it occurred to me ... I could leave it there for the next day if I wanted to. I did not have to pick it up and put it away. Such freedom. Such power. But of course I would feel better if I straightened up.

I sat down on the sofa at about 8 p.m. and started hand winding balls of yarn on my nostepinne, and a few minutes later I looked up and it was 11 p.m. I felt like a kid playing outside on a summer evening and being told it is time to stop and go to bed.

This is what I started - the Binsenkorbchen socks, the January sock from Socken-Kreativ-Liste yahoo group. I am using Claudia Hand Painted Yarn 'blue sky' for the light color and KnitPicks Memories 'fly fishing' for the darker color.



The lace shawl is off the needles and ready to be blocked and have the ends woven in. I am waiting until I can go to the hardware store to buy some soldering wire to use as blocking wires.

The weather is practicing putting on its hot so it will be ready for a roasting July. When I was growing up here, June was usually a cool and often cloudy month. I never thought I would miss that, but now I do.

Quite a day

Today started out busy as soon as my feet hit the floor. My kids had to be at the church at 6:45 to leave for their trip to Mexico to build homes for families in need. It is a fairly large group with several churches combined, so there was the loading of personal gear (they already sent their tool bags), assigning of groups, briefing of group leaders, prayer, and farewells. I visited with my childrens' father a little and then trundled towards home (with a quick stop at the bakery - it wasn't me, it was the car). I also stopped at the fabric store on the way and got some first aid supplies for my mosaic sweater (to fix where I eeek'd the steek). Oooh, and I got the elusive orange Chibi on sale for $3!!

Then I stopped at the mailbox and a package had arrived. I am trying to get back issues of Interweave Knits and I bought these 5 magazines on ebay for about $10 (they were sold as a bundle).


Am I boring you? Well the next thing that happened felt like it came straight out of a dream. After chores and some work I sauntered down to my LYS. As I joined the other knitters at the big table I noticed the table was covered with skeins, hanks, and cakes of sock yarn. A lady known to one of the knitters was no longer physically able to knit socks (how sad!) and sent all of her sock yarn stash to distribute among the sock knitters. I was gobsmacked. This lady had excellent taste in sock yarn - Lorna's Laces, Opal, etc. etc. This is what came home with me....


Three cakes of charcoal grey yarn (on the left) - it has a lovely feel to it but I don't know the brand. The three cakes in the middle are Mountain Colors. And the off-white yarn on the right is Lorna's Laces. I also got woolly nylon sock thread and 2 patterns. Speechless.

And on the way home, when I stopped for coffee at the drive up window I realized I was a little short of money but she let me order coffee anyway.

Quite a day, and it isn't over yet. I still need to finish my work for the week but I wonder if I will be able to concentrate. I might be too busy daydreaming about future projects for my new yarn. Hee hee.

Shaun the Sheep

My heart is heavy for our fellow knitter / knit-blogger Annie the Knitting Heretic. I want to help, but how? I thought of buying a book or something directly through her blog/web site to give support, and to encourage others to do the same.

On the lighter side, let me share Shaun the Sheep 1

Armhole steek - first attempt

I jumped into the unkown with both feet and my sweater. I crocheted the armhole steek using my Cascade 220 (could not find anything smaller that was 100% wool) and cut it. Then I picked up stitches around the armhole and knit around once. I studied the schematic of the sleeve on the pattern that was my inspiration and noted that the top of the sleeve cap is 4 inches wide. I knit 4 inches centering it on the shoulder seam and then started short rows. I pick up the wrap and knit it with the wrapped stitch, then go 2 stitches beyond and do another WT and go back the other way. The cap on the sleeve is growing and will hopefully make a nice turn for the shoulder.



I have one big EEK. I decided the seam on the inside was too bulky and started trimming. I got too close to my crochet line and it pulled away. EEEEK. I attempted to felt some of the seam edge by spritzing some water and using my fingers but only had limited success. My next idea is to buy some Fray Check, but I tried this stuff years ago when I did a lot of sewing and I was not impressed with it. I know on the Shetland wool sweaters they do not need anything to stabilize the steek but then that yarn is pretty 'grabby'.

I decided that even the Enterprise on Star Trek had its off days when braving new frontiers.

Swatching

I gave myself a treat and knitted a swatch for a future project. I am using Peru DK Luxury on a size US 7 needle, which is the size the pattern calls for. I have 20 stitches to 4 inches and the pattern calls for 16. I guess I will have to knit another swatch with different needles. Ahhhhh, poor me having to knit another swatch. :-)

Mosaic sweater progress

I have finished knitting the body of the mosaic sweater.


Now to secure the steeks using a crochet stitch and cut them so that I can start the sleeves. I am deciding whether I should knit the sleeves then sew them in, or whether I should pick up stitches and knit down. I do not have enough experience to know how or if it will make a difference in the fit of the sweater. My preference is to pick up stitches , do some short rows to shape the sleeve cap, and knit down. I have a little bit of time to decide while I look for yarn to use for the crochet stitch in the steeks.

Correct information regarding Scala

The designer of the Scala sock pattern was kind enough to leave a comment on the last post with accurate information regarding her sock patterns and the book. So if you are interested, just open the comments for the last post and scroll down to read Stephanie's comment. If you are interested in joining Kreativ-Socken-Liste, then click on the button in the Knit-Along section under the Zimmermania button and it should take you to the yahoo group. Remember, it helps to be able to read and write German.

June starts out all hot and bothered

It has been in the 90's and thunderstorms keep threatening. The danger from the thunderstorms in this area is a forest fire. The danger from thunderstorms in this house is Sparky the 100+ pound dog. He has been known to chew the moulding off the doorjam and bend the metal frame of the sliding door with his teeth. He has to have someone sit with him and tell him everthing is okay.

Gretchen asked how she might be able to get the Scala sock pattern that I used for my mittens last winter...... I got the pattern as a member of the German sock knitting group called Socken-Kreativ-Liste in Yahoo Groups. It definitely helps to understand German, and I struggle with that, but the designer is kind enough to also include the pattern instructions in English. I also understand, to the best of my ability, that the designer, Stephanie van der Linden, will be publishing her sock patterns in the future.



I bought my first Stephanie Pearl-McPhee book today. I had a pair of handknit socks next to me while I was reading it and I grabbed a sock to use as a bookmark. Now that I think about it - it is a rather appropriate choice for a bookmark for her book.

And while Yarn Harlot's book had my wallet pried open I also bought a pouch for my dpn's

What makes this zippered pouch so special is that it is made from recycled rice and feed bags by disabled and disadvantaged workers in Cambodia (according to the tag). Here is the back...I bought this in the bookstore after I was lured in while enjoying a cold beverage next door. I told my daughter that I cannot go in that bookstore anymore.


A colorful spot in my backyard...