Rick Socks

For some reason I was thinking that I had already posted these finished socks. I was getting ready to do my regular Sunday blog reading when I realized I hadn't. I can't say why these socks took so long. Once I got restarted with the first foot I whipped it right on out. I took a couple of days break before starting the second foot and whipped it out in about two days.



Specs:
Pattern: Rick Socks from Sock Innovation by Cookie A
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino Peacock
Needles: 1//2.25mm Knit Picks 6" dpn's
Size: 10
Started: July 20, 2009 Finished: August 13, 2009
Modifications: I cast on 72 stitches instead of 60 and decreased to 64 while doing the gusset. The foot is nice and snug but the leg feels a little loose. Next time I will do the entire sock on 60 stitches. These socks used almost the entire skein of yarn.

**Edited to change photos.
I enjoyed the pattern and love the socks even though the aren't for me. I highly recommend this pattern. It's very rhythmic and easy to memorize. The only time I had to consult the charts was for the foot which after few rows also had an easy to remember rhythm.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

I finished my first pair of Cookie A socks on Thursday. If her Monkey socks pattern is indicative of her other patterns then I'm in for a treat. I found it well written and easy to execute. I love patterns that repeats that are easy to memorize, but not boring. By the way, this is the first top-down sock I've made since I can't remember. Most of her patterns are written for top-down socks and I plan to make them as written with exception of adjustments for size and length.


Specs:

Pattern: Monkey Socks from Knitty by Cookie A
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino Champlain Sunset
Needles: Knit Picks 1/2.5 mm 6
Started: April 1, 2009 Finished: April 9, 2009

I've casted on my second pair of Cookie socks. They are the Rick socks from her new book Sock Innovation. I'm not ready to dive back into sock design at the moment, but when I am this will be the first book I consult. One of my goals is to knit 1-2 pairs of socks a month and a significant portion of them will come from her patterns.

I started my CPAP therapy for sleep apnea on Tuesday. I also discovered that my legs are moving most of the time when I am asleep. I don't have this problem during my waking hours and the doctor said it also probably contributed to my tiredness. After almost a week I feel more rested than I have in a long time. I was told by the respiratory therapist that it may take 3-4 weeks for me to feel the full effects. Here's to better health, clearer thinking and getting more accomplished.

Off Schedule

So much for committment. Knitting on Cassidy has been slim. I did get the right front cast on and started but that's been about all. There's too much going on. Yard work, housework, spring cleaning and getting all the winter duds put away. All that and a very distracting pair of Monkey socks.


The rest of the additional Kauni EQ I order from Knit-Purl arrived yesterday. They called to let me know it was on the way and that they were winding it since it came in hanks instead of skeins. There is one large 250 gm ball and a smaller 134 gm ball. This color is also destined for a sweater.



Two more days and the basketball blitz will be over. This has been a great year for basketball. Most of the games have gone down to the wire and kept you on the edge of your seat. I hope the games on Monday and Tuesday will be as exciting. The two women's games that were on today were both blowouts. Things will be back to normal on Wednesday and the knitting schedule will resume.

This Little Monkey

Yesterday I boarded the Cookie A train. I've been wanting to knit one of her patterns for quite a while. I purchased several last year from her website planning to knit up a pair but never got around to it. I cast on her Monkey socks from Knitty Issue Winter '06. I reached in the sock basket and picked out a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in the Champlain Sunset colorway. It is the perfect match of pattern and yarn.

I knitted a plain pair of socks for myself in this colorway from a different dyelot. The difference between the two is drastic. This current skein has longer repeats of the blues resulting in more of a self-striping appearance when knitted compared to the mottled look of the other skein. In this pattern the effect is beautiful. If I didn't have a pair in this colorway I would be tempted to keep them for myself.


Once I started knitting it was easy to see why so many knitters have chosen this pattern. Over 8600 pairs have been catalogued on Ravelry. The 16-stitch, 11 row repeat is easy to remember and quick to knit. I'm certain there will be a pair in my future.

Carnival Time ( Albeit a bit late for Mardi Gras)

Success at last! All that remains to be done on the Carnival Cardigan/Jacket is the weaving in of ends and locating the clasp for the front. I used EZ's percentage system to design this sweater and with a little tweaking here and there it worked out perfectly.

It was a pleasant journey in which I learned quite a bit. I don't think I'll be as hesitant to step out and try my hand at designing sweaters in the future. This was a terrific confidence booster after the debacle with The Promise of Spring Sweater. The next stop on the sweater design train is set-in sleeves.

I'll give the full specs on the sweater once I've blocked it. Mom is very pleased even though she may not get to wear it until the fall since the weather here has taken a delicious turn toward spring.


I also managed to finish one of the many pairs of socks that are on the needles. This is my first pair of CTH socks and I'm anxious to see how they hold up. Mom's pair has already fuzzed and shrunk some, but she treats hers a lot more harshly than I do so I'll reserve judgement.


Specs:

Pattern: Easy Toe, YO Short-Row Heel Toe-Up Socks (Isn't that a mouthful!)
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in Champlain Sunset
Needles: 1 US Inox dpn's for body of sock, 0 US Inox dpn's for ribbing
Size: Women's size 9 1/2
Started: November 1, 2006 Finished: February 26, 2007