Knits

No, I haven’t been secretly knitting socks because I spend to much time on Ravelry. These are the fantastic socks that were knit for my by my sock pal for Sockapalooza 4! They fit me perfectly. Seriously, I think she may have come in while I slept and tried them on my feet. And you know, they don’t make my ankles look fat which is something I often find handknit socks do. Maybe it’s because I have stupid skinny ankles.

Anyway, not only this morning was I elated to see that the sock pal that I knit for received her socks and they fit and she loves them, the postwoman knocked on my door about 1030 and I just knew it was my socks because I have been good and not buying other things hahaha. I became all thumbs as I tried to open it because I was so excited. And once I got the box open, I somehow managed to muster up a little bit of restraint so I could snap a picture of all the goodies she included. Seriously I got spoilt!

 
I was so excited I couldn’t even try hard enough to get a picture in focus! For all the details of the bits, click on the picture and read the notes.

I loved doing this swap and would like to do more in the same vein.

I did have a hard time taking pictures…

 
Dakota approves.
 

So thank you to Barbara for knitting me a wonderful pair of socks (I wore them today because it’s actually cool enough to wear knitted wool socks!) and to Leslie for liking the socks I knit for her. Both of you totally made my day week.

PS Sorry Barbara, I don’t have the restraint Leslie has. I just had to show off the socks!

PPS The pattern Barbara knit for me is Tidal Wave by Deby Lake in Lorna’s Laces - Jeans colourway.

Posted by Shannon at 18:49 | sockapalooza, socks | Permalink | Comments (2)

Dear Sock pal,

I feel sort of slack that I didn’t make a pretty sock band thingie to wrap around your socks giving you lots of detail about the socks. They are washable! I don’t think I remembered to jot that down. It’s superwash wool. I hope you also don’t mind that I didn’t make an extraordinary package for you. I have seen various pictures of other sockapalooza packages (either sent or received) and feel like I may have done bad by you! I hope all the beautifully wrapped packages filled with gifts (and in some cases lots of sock yarn!!) are an exception rather than the rule.

Hope you receive them soon - the post out of Oxford has not been reliable lately. =(

Please enjoy them!

-shannon

Well, I have been pretty good about not adding to my stash, but I did buy some yarn for something for my sister that is hugely popular and starts with C.

It was really difficult to take a truly representative picture - too bright, too dark - you know how it goes. This photo isn’t really representative either. It’s too dark, but getting close. It’s various shades of green with just a tad of yellow and blue thrown in. I had it out to photography and Dakota took a liking to it immediately - rolling on top of it, rubbing his face and body on it, snuggling it - but then I had to put it away because he really grabbed on, face buried in it, and started kicking it. Bad kitty. Maybe I need to make him a mini-skein.

I thought I’d made more progress on my modified-modified Cathode, but I didn’t. I tried it on and was disappointed to see how much more I really needed to do before I separated the sleeves. That’s what I get for having a long whatever-it’s-called between your boobs and shoulders. And I didn’t cast on for the socks, but am definitely planning on that tonight. I need something to take to the work knitting group.

Completely crap picture in many, many ways, but you can see Dakota loving the yarn.

I have been in a really foul mood with people I come into day-to-day contact with all week. Not all people, but a small handful. It’s not pleasant and it’s driving me nuts because I am not a confrontational person and for the most part, the situations wouldn’t even require confrontation. I think it all may be down to PMS. *sigh*

Oh, I think I forgot to point out Domesticat’s Drunken Bee sock pattern. It’s not a full pattern - just the chart and some basic instructions. I really need to do some stash busting so I can get some semi-solid sock yarns into my stash. I may, again, try to sell some of it, or give away some small, spare bits. OH OH, and totally humbling to see THREE people now knitting my sock pattern. Seriously. It feels me with delight and awe that someone would choose to knit something I wrote up!

Dear Sockpal,

I know it’s a day early, but I put your socks in the post. I forgot to take a final picture of the socks and little bag I got for you. I’m sure you’ll be taking a picture or two of your package so I can then link to that. Anyway, we’ve been having postal strikes the last 3 weeks or so and they are continuing so things are being delayed, hence the day early posting (although when I went to retrieve your address, I noticed the note says “around 2 August”). I hope they arrive safe and you eventually get to wear them since I don’t think it’s currently knitted sock wearing weather in your part of the world.

Enjoy!

-shannon

Sorry, no new dishcloth to show you ahhaha. I actually did start one for my sister, but the pattern has a lot of minor errors (stitch counts are totally off - one row has you make four increases and zero decreases, yet on the next row, which is essentially a knit straight row, the stitch count is missing three stitches. Argh.) And the shorthand used is not standard so I keep having to look up the abbreviations used which just slows me down. I’ll sort it out and knit it another time. I think the dark green cotton I have is cursed because I have attempted to knit three or four different dishcloths with it at this point.

With my newly discovered bra size I decided to actually take all my measurements for a knitted top. The Boy is coming over this evening to make me dinner so I will ask him to help me remeasure to make sure I had the tape straight, etc. With this good information I am going to cast on for a top - it might be Bad Penny or a simple sweater sort of my own design (by that I mean I am taking parts of a variety of sweaters to build my own). Or something entirely different. (Minor) Stash busting may ensue.

Hey, would some Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere which I got for super cheap make some nice luxury face cloths?

These are done. I’ve even written up the pattern in two formats. Further details can be seen in the finished object post or in the full pattern (see below).

They only need a wash before they’re sent off to my Sockapalooza pal on 2nd August. I think I can manage.

Download the full pattern or the chart-only if you’re more experienced.

This is the first pattern I’ve ever written up. If you come across any errors or are confused by anything, please let me know!

For other insect-related socks, watch out for Domesticat’s Drunken bee socks which have a very pretty heel.

Edited to add
First, thanks for all the positive comments on the socks. It’s really appreciated!

Second, I’ve just had a look at the PDFs again and noticed two errors - one in the caption for the images for making the flutter-by (and the number of times I proofed these! Argh!) and one in the chart. Something happened with the chart when it was converted to PDF. I have now updated the PDFs so that they are correct. Apologies for the inconvenience.

And if you do decide to knit these socks, please let me know and send along a picture as I will start a gallery for them!

I have always been lousy at estimating anything. I always am at the extremes, never close. I’ve always blamed this on some lack of depth perception and other mental disconnect. Maybe it’s one of those things that because I know there are tools available to measure whatever it is I want to measure, it’s never seemed important to me to be able to eyeball things or “guesstimate”. I know it actually is handy to do so, but I just can’t seem to get the hang of it. Which brings us to my progress on knitting…

I had expected that not only would I finish the second sock for my Sockapalooza Pal, but that I would cast on for the second Saucy sock and get well into it before Sunday became Monday. Neither of these things has happened yet. I suspect this evening I will get very close to finishing the second Sockapalooza sock if not outright finishing it (sans weaving in ends). I thought I would’ve finished these things because I was meant to be on trains for about 6 hours last Thursday and Friday as well as away from my computer. However, since I was ill, I didn’t get as far as I thought.

Yesterday I spent about three hours on trains and didn’t knit a single stitch. I could’ve easily have been near completion of the Sockpalooza sock if I had done anything, but I had unexpected company one direction and was way too tired the other. Next week I will spend a ridiculous amount of time on trains plus two nights in B&B/hotel accommodation and without a computer for nearly 3-days so I need to be sure to bring a couple of things to keep me occupied. There definitely won’t be much knitting around these parts after tomorrow night since I’ve got a friend coming into town.

I’m still incredibly exhausted due to the cold and work-related stress (that has now passed, but I’m still suffering the ramifications). I’m just not sleeping well and have to fight the urge to put my head down and go to sleep at all hours of the day in the hopes that when it comes time to actually go to bed, I can.

So right now it’s back to mindless Scrubs DVDs because they keep me entertained and I don’t have to pay attention since I’ve already seen them several times. It makes for great knitting time.

Oh, but quickly, Firefly has been trying to organise a From sea to shining sea blog ring as a memorial to her brother who passed away a few years ago. She is looking for people from every state to write about what they love about their state, maybe some of the hidden treasures, so she can have a blog ring available on the 4th of July so visitors can travel from sea to shining sea. She has 19 of the 50 states covered so if you’re interested, have a look to see if she needs someone from your state - of course she’s also happy to have more than one person from each state. And you don’t have to be a knitter/crafter/whatever to participate - you just need to have a blog or journal of some sort.

Yes, I am alive. After the tummy troubles of last week I came down with a cold on Wednesday night and felt miserable all of Thursday and into Friday morning. I’m feeling better now, but wasn’t really able to do any knitting from Wednesday night until late-Thursday night (I did all of two rounds woohoo) due to my head feeling like it was actually a boulder.

Also, I think the previous week I managed to sprain my thumb… I don’t know if this was knitting-related or cycling-related. It’s better now.

I am into the gusset decreases on the second sock for my Sockapalooza pal. Hopefully I’ll get that sock pretty much done today and I can cast on for my second Saucy sock.

I am working on Ms Marigold - I did the back and forth bits of the two front bits and have started on the back so once that’s done then all the pieces will be rejoined for a bit more back and forth before commencing the knitting in the round thing. It was moving along swiftly until the cold hit. I decided to cast on for the second Sockapalooza sock because I want to be done with them ASAP so if I have to fix them in anyway, I have time, an because it’s far more portable for my knitting sessions at work.

I did order (and receive) the extra ball of yarn for Ms Marigold and Bad Penny. I realised that I will have to rip out Bad Penny and start again because I think the same problem I had with Ms Marigold holds true for Bad Penny - I’ve tried to knit too dense a fabric instead of one that has some movement to it. I’m not really sad about this because now that I’ve learned my lesson about worn garments (versus hats/scarves) - sort of including socks (see: Falling Leaves) - I hope that I’ll be able to do the work needed quickly so that I can wear it before summer is out.

I also ordered some yarn to make a felted box or two from Mason-Dixon Knitting. And some Sox Stix from Lantern Moon in Ebony. So far so good. Definitely feel tougher than the birch ones although, as with most needles, I think they could do with a slightly sharper point. I feel that if needles are being made in the 2-3mm range, the work being done with them obviously involves finer yarns, and therefore smaller stitches, so why not make a tool that picks these things up better?

I know this post is lacking links and pictures, but I must dash for a train so I can see The Boy and infect him with all my germy goodness. Hopefully I’ll be well enough that this evening we can head into London to at least catch the headlining act for an [not quite] all day gig. Ballboy is supposed to hit the stage at 2130 and I’ve got a couple friends also attending so it would be good to be able to go and see all of that, yo. So I will try to get back here to put in links where I wanted to and maybe add a couple photos to at least make this post look pretty.

There are two food items that I love (obviously chocolate is at the top of the list, but AFTER chocolate) — asparagus and risotto — so hurrah for me for finally getting around to making some asparagus risotto tonight. I just stuffed a lot of it into my belly. And some wine. The risotto was this close — > < -- to actually having too much wine it. I know, how is too much wine even a possibly?

Dear self,

Why do you not make risotto more often? It’s dead easy and really doesn’t take much time. You are dumb. More risotto.

Love,

Your stomach

PS Please loosen your belt / trousers as they are a bit tight what with all the risotto you just ate. Ta.

Anyway, tomorrow morning I’m off to Northern Ireland and the Republic of until Sunday. I get to relax. The Boy has a talk on Tuesday night and a conference presentation on Thursday and I have nothing to do, but relax. And knit. Woohoo! I know I had a vacation from work a few weeks back when my mom and sister came for a visit, but playing amazing daughter/sister and host wasn’t really a break, you know? So I’m looking forward to this week very much.

Yesterday I hung out in London with a fellow ex-pat and taught her how to knit socks, sort of. She got the ribbing done and started on the leg. We’ll be meeting up again to drink fancy cocktails and that might not actually be the best time to get into turning a heel…

As for my Sockapalooza pal sock, well look –

Sorry for the blur - the batteries in my camera were low and it refused to really focus. Fussy technology.

I’m an odd number sort of person so I had to have an odd number butterfly rounds on the sock. I ran out of yarn with just that much to go. Luckily when I bought the yarn I had bought A LOT of it as I had planned on a baby blanket or something. I’ve changed my tune and am making a dress so I can afford to have to eat into just a touch of another skein. I just need to kitchener stitch the toe and weave in the ends and sock numero uno is finito. I’ll take yarn to start on sock two, but I might actually start on a sock for myself! *gasp* I’m looking to make Saucy from Cider Moon in some yarn I got from Piece of Beauty whose shop has reopened and she has some lace weights and solid colours now. Luckily none of her current sock yarns are calling to me and I really don’t want lace weight yarn. The yarn for the Sockapalooza pal is also from Piece of Beauty in a colourway called Desert Bloom.

I suppose I should go pack, eh? I’m a notorious last minute packer. When I went to live in New Zealand for a year I ended up taking damp clothes because I was still doing laundry the morning I was leaving hahaha. I don’t actually understand packing a week ahead unless of course you are entirely packing up your life and moving abroad the a few days should suffice. Have a good week!

I know it really does seem like I’ve fallen off the planet what with the lack of updates and responses to comments, etc., but I’m still here. Last week I was absolutely knackered every evening. I’ve always been a napper, but I’ve recently been in a period where I only tend to take a nap at the weekend rather than when I get home from work so I was a bit surprised to find myself taking one EVERY EVENING last week. I had to force myself back up to eat dinner and stare into space rather than sleep until midnight and then wake up and not be able to get back to sleep. Do you remember that Seinfeld episode where Kramer suggested sleeping for 4 hours and being awake for 6 or something along those lines because he was more efficient? Well, that’s how I am - I need 4-5 hours of sleep and I’m good for about 8 hours.

All of that was way more detail than you needed. I’m obviously still tired hence the rambling more than usual.

With all the sleeping last week, I did very little knitting. In truth part of it is because I am bored as everything I’ve been knitting is in the round with no pattern to it - just an increase or decrease here and there. If I were a faster knitter, I could’ve finished these things. So instead I kept browsing through my Stitchionary: knit and purl v.1 for a pattern for my Sockapalooza 4 pal socks. I cast on and started knitting a sock more with the intention of swatching and trying out a variety of patterns. Since I’ve chosen a very variegated yarn, a slip-stitch pattern would work best. I tried three patterns before deciding on one. I meant to take a picture, but when I was nearly done ripping it out, I realised I forgot to take the picture! DAMN. I’ve decided on the Butterfly pattern - the slip stitch version as I know there is a lace version too. It goes pretty quickly so hopefully I’ll be able to finish them up soonish.

Quick comment on the Stitchionary… it’s a nice book that’s divided into sections of pattern type - e.g. Knit & Purl, Slip stitch, Lace. My problem with this book is that there is no list of the patterns contained in it and there’s 270-something patterns so this is really quite frustrating. I was browsing another stitch pattern book and came across a couple of patterns I liked, but wasn’t sure if they were in the Stitchionary. So what I plan to do, and this is definitely the librarian in me coming out, is create a list of all the patterns in the book so I can reference it. I’ll make it available on this site for others, too.

I’ve finally finished uploading all my pictures from my family visit - a few highlights below.

Rosslyn chapel (yes the one mentioned in The Da Vinci Code — Obligatory shot of Stonehenge — An elephant’s rib cage at the Natural History Museum of Oxford University¹

I also did get some new yarn from the Yarn Chef on Etsy. It’s so scrummy! I haven’t had time to take photos of it or all the yarn my mom and sister brought over for me. The weekend was way too busy and too dark and wet. Maybe it will be bright enough when I get home tonight seeing it’s still light at 930pm these days!

A couple more pictures and I’ll let you get back to your normal lives…

My sister’s (semi-)Kittyville hat and a flower she stuck in it — My favouritest band, Travis who I saw Sunday night in Reading. Oh they are so cute and put on such a great show!

The full set of photos from the family visit are available in a set on Flickr.

Oh and I am almost caught up w/ all my blog reading! I was almost there and then a bunch of new posts hit Newsgator. I will also be catching up on any comments left here!

¹ I will likely make a whole post about this museum as it is my favouritest building ever.