Everybody out of the POOL

I had to rip all three of my second socks in Memories yarn. They were pooling to excess, not a stripe to be found. Which means casting on and ribbing again - my least favorite part of the sock. UGH!!! I think I will work on my patterned socks and leave these three on time out until the weekend. The Knit Picks Tweed yarn I am knitting the Bavarian Twist socks in is wonderful. I wish they had a color I could use for my tweed vest. My Pal Carrie sent me some great tips for knitting the cable and twisted stitches on socks. I'll be trying those out tonight.

Lace Style

Redemption. Oh Boy. I received my copy of Lace Style today. What can I say, it's the typical Interweave Knits Style Book. Patterns to die for, superb photography, thorough instructions and charts. The Design Notebook section is inspiring and empowering; photos, charts and techniques - Oh My!! Another Excellent Syle book - a must have for your collection.





There is a Lace Style Knit Along as well. I have selected three projects:
Page 91 Peek-A-Boo Cloche designed by Mona Schmidt- in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport Tuscany
Page 21 Lily of The Valley Shawl designed by Nancy Bush - in Knit Picks Shadow Sunset









Page 27 Floral Lace Anklets designed by Evelyn A Clark - in Regia Silk Mocha









Socky Goodness post update:
Knit Picks Memories colorways
Hawaii - sock one complete, cuff of sock two started
Fly Fishing - sock one complete, cuff of sock two started
Rocky Mountain - sock one complete, cuff of sock two started
Columbine Peak in Essential Burgundy - second sock complete
Casting on:
Regia Model 4331 Silk - White
Purple Mountain Sock Color Scheme 2
Bavarian Twisted Stitch Sock Essential Tweed Inca Gold

Ahem, more Knit Picks needles arrived with my copy of Lace Style so I can knit another 3 pairs at a time. Welllll, I thought the marathon was ending March 31st aaannnnndddd I could not get the socks off the needles fast enough to knit all of the patterns I want to try. So there!! I am reading the Cable Needle Freedom book because I find using a cable needle particulaly tedious when knitting twisted stitches and cables on socks.

Apparently Not * * *

Apparently marathons don't end. The Lime and Violet Sock Yarn Marathon 2007 has been extended to July 15, 2007. Thank the dog!! I will possibly reach my goal now. Yeah sure, :D Anyway I have many more sock patterns I am anxious to get on my needles. Que Sera Sera.

The Rockin Sock Club has started. I read the monthly newsletter and I am working on my entry for the first contest. Since I received 9 skeins of Socks That Rock a few weeks ago, I am not too impatient about the first kit. Don't get me wrong, I do look forward to receiving it. But I also want to work on my current stash for the Knit Your Stash 2007 and Sock Yarn Marathon.

I guess I should get knitting. It's getting late.

Interweave Knits & Marathons End?

This is the first time I have been disappointed in my Interweave Knits magazine. I have gone through it three times and my opinion has not changed. The Spring 2007 issue is a dud. I look forward to receiving this magazine more than any other and I usually select a project from each issue - not this time. I also subscribed to Interweave Crochet, but I keep hearing different reports about when the actual issues will be coming out. What's going on at Interweave?? My goodness!!!

Confession - I jumped on board the Lime and Violet Sock yarn marathon because I love sock yarn. It is soft, gorgeous and ranges in price (from cheap cheap to outrageous). I had such a lovely collection of yarn that I thought a marathon dedicated to using it was ideal. Okay, here's the confession part - I did not read the rules. I had no idea it was for 3 months. I totaled up my mileage, 8.6 miles and made that my goal. Yep, my goal was to knit it all. Granted I have completed 3 complete pairs and 4 single socks and have begun another couple of single socks. I have knit more than one mile. BUT the marathon ends at the end of March. Geez, I wish I had glanced at the guidelines. I will continue knitting up my sock yarn anyway and I will keep my mileage meter above running. I just want to see how long it takes me to do the 8.6 miles.

Crochet Cast is back - Awesome

I was thrilled to see a new episode of Crochet Cast download to iTunes when I logged in. Jeanie is one of my favorite fiber enthusiast and she inspired me to try felting. She has a new co-hostess, Cheryl, and a new format. It is awesome. I really missed the Crochet podcast so it was a real treat to listen to it this morning. I love that neither of them are yarn snobs, so you can really get useful information on yarn substitutions. Also, being a long time crocheter and relatively new to knitting, I too want to explore more crocheted garments with some of these fabulous wool yarns. I will continue to use my Red Heart Super Saver for afghans, because everyone loves them, the color selection is endless, you cannot beat the price, and even my Sister's dogs (lab and german pointer) cannot tear them up. But I was so disappointed in the crocheted sweater I made. The yarn was beautiful and the single crochet ribbing and front post double crochet stitch created a beautiful texture. But the sweater is so bulky and unflattering that I have only worn it a couple of times. I am ready to experiment with some crocheted apparel and fine quality wool yarns. I think Crochet Cast will be a great resource along the way. WELCOME BACK!!!!

Lots of Socky Goodness

Courtesy of Rosemary Waits

Fast and wrong

. . . to borrow a phrase from Wendy (Knit And The City). I cast on my vest last night and (1) switched to the larger needles too soon (2) misread what the asterisks encompassed (3) and will need to send over 2,000 stitches and 3 hours work to the frog pond. UGH!!!!! I will perservere. Socks tonight though, vest another day :{

Secret and Sockret Pal Exchanges

Well I have listed my Secret Pal 9 in a previous post, Bethanie, she was wonderful. She spoiled me silly. I will now name my two spoilees. My Secret Pal 9 was Carrie Stalder in Hawaii and my Sockret Pal was Carrie Barraco in New York. Yep, what's the odds on that? Carries coast-to-coast. They seemed to have enjoyed their packages and Carrie B. said her socks fit, they were the Memories Socks in Redwood Forest. So success and happiness. I am not going to sign up for Secret Pal 10. I have joined the Lime & Violet MB swap. It is only for one month and we do one big package. I have started gathering goodies already.

Weekend Ends

I made mucho progress, not all of it in knitted fabric. I put together my plastic boxes and sorted some project yarns into them. I got GAUGE on my vest swatch. I finished one Columbine Peak sock - I know I did not have that on my to do list. I picked it up to finish the repeat I was almost finished with, and in reading the pattern I realized I only had one more repeat to knit before starting the toe decreases. Voila, next thing I know I am KPPK - Kitchnering the toe closed. I cast on three pairs of memories socks, instead of two. The deal with that is I don't like casting on - in any method. I don't like knitting cuffs - whether it's 1x1 or 2x2. So I try to get that out of the way as soon as possible. I love heels and gussets. So if I just go ahead and get all the cuffs done for the first sock - it's a breeze from there. The other thing about socks is I can't get past the mid point on the foot without wanting to have the second sock well on it's way. I have never had second sock syndrome. I manage to keep my pairs going - with the second sock usually being finished the day after the first. The three pair I just cast on are gift socks so that makes it fun too. Tomorrow night I will do the horrid 221 stitch cast on for my vest, which is knit all in one piece to the armholes. I frogged my Victorian Lace scarf. I was 3 stitches off when I finished the 4th repeat. Not too far along to see the wisdom in a new beginning. I am deleting the Zimmerman Aran from my WIP for now. I'll get back to LizZ later.

Cast On

Columbine Complete

One down, one to go.

Side Effect

This Knit Your Stash 2007 knit-along has a side effect I was not expecting. I spent my get out of jail free card - all day Jan 19th. All of the yarn has arrived and I have managed to avoid Etsy, Loopy Ewe, Webs and Knit Picks (except for more needles) so far this week. But I cannot stop casting on socks and projects. It's like the starve and binge affect food diets have on people. My mind knows I cannot buy more yarn until I get through my stash. So I went through my stash Dec 30 - Jan 1 and made up project bags for a lot of my yarn. I have been swifting and ball winding like crazy. I keep wanting to get them all cast on. Which is totally unrealistic. I do swatches for projects and cast on socks, on every available needle. So - it feels like one compulsion has replaced another. Instead of compulsively buying more yarn for my COLLECTION I am compulsively casting on projects.

There was an interview on Knitty D and The City with Mel Clark the co-author of Knit 2 Together. She said that when we work on several projects at one time, it may feel like it is taking a long time to complete a project. But usually when you add up the actual hours worked - it did not really take as long as it seemed. I like working on sweater pieces, and I like the almost instant gratification of socks. I also get bored easily. So I will always have many projects going. But this is overkill. I am desparate to start my vest and sweater, and I have just cast on two more pairs of socks. I don't even think I want to put them on the progress sidebar. Too many projects to list. Well maybe later.

Another trigger to the compulsion to cast on is the yarn. Every time I look through my yarn stash I want to see it all knitted into warm, soft, beautiful clothing. After all, that is why I was compelled to buy the yarn to begin with. Addictions - yarn addiction, cast on addiction, crafting addiction. It may all be harmless but it feels a little like binging. Maybe the sane thing to do is just keep on knitting and crocheting and let everything else sort itself out.

Aw Memories

I love these colorways.

Kitchnered

I completed my STR socks last night. I love when my kitchner stitch comes out perfect. I am anxious to get started on my vest and sweater. Dare I say, I will try to finish the sleeves on the MT Cardigan?!? Maybe, maybe not. I also want to put another inch or two on each of my lace projects. Hence, the Columbine Peak socks will see no love this weekend. No rush, they are for me. I also want to cast on two more pairs of plain socks, in Knit Picks Memories. My basic goal for the sock marathon is to knit all of my Memories yarn and my Fearless Fibers. The Lorna's Laces and Koigu are for more patterned, complicated, time consuming projects. So I will keep a pair of those going in the background.

Fly Fishing

Hawaii

Losers

Not a good sports day on Sunday, both my favorites lost. Tiger lost the Dubai Classic and the Bears lost the Superbowl. Drag. I cast on the second STR sock Monday and knitted the heel flap last night. I didn't feel like looking at charts, so I did not work on Columbine Peak last night or any lace. I have lost my momentum on the Make Tracks Cardigan. I thought I could power through the modified sleeves, but I am just not enthused about the sweater anymore. I knit my vest and sweater swatches, but I have not done the gauges on them yet. I have been doing more computer work than knitting. We are gearing up for our family reunion in Las Vegas in August. I am printing labels, flyers, registration forms and maintaining the website. I get about 30 mins - 1 hour knitting time when that is all done in the evening. However, when I finish the STR I will be at 1 mile in the Sock Yarn Marathon. I am happy with that.

I am hatching a plan for a crocheted lace scarf in Lorna's Laces. I cannot remember the name of the colorway, but I think there is a picture in my archives. It is brown and white. Very pretty. (Checked the archive, not a great picture - will have to take another and post it.) I have several requests for scraves still pending but I am so busy right now. By the time I get to them the cold weather will have moved on.

A Bag Full of Love

My Sockret Pal knows how to work it. First off the bag covered with hearts is the cutest project bag ever. What's inside is incredible and wrapped with heartalicious ribbons.
DPN Needle Protectors: shaped like pullover sweaters

Wonderful Words: Love and Hearts Stickers
Chocolate Sensations: Lindt Excellent Extra Creamy Extra Fine Milk Chocolate - sorry pal, that's not gonna see Valentine's Day - smack :P
Inspiration: Fibertrends Flower Basket Lace Scarf & Shawls pattern featured in Fall 2004 Interweave Knits
Hearts of Yarny Goodness: Red Plastic Bubble Hearts filled with Kaalund Yarns Enchante 100% cultivated silk yarn in Camphor Laurel - the colorway is indescribable, I cannot wait for my project to be large enough for the colors to show really well in a photo
Handmade Love: a Tablecloth and Napkin set made of LOVE and HEARTS fabric. Unbelievable. They are so wonderful.

Less Than Half

My idea of shopping at home is working more for the yarn than for the books. I did buy my current read from my bookshelf but the listing of finished books on Half.com has turned out not to be viable. Books that are in Like New Condition which originally cost $6.99 and $7.99 are being listed for .75 cents. It is not worth the packaging and shipping to sell an almost new novel for that amount. So I am bringing the books in to work and putting them in the basket in the breakroom. I am sure they will go to a good home. I had yarn issues last night which cut way into my knitting time. I am finishing my last gusset decrease on my STR sock, but I did not get to touch my Columbine Peak sock last night.