Change of Heart

In exchange for payment our knitting guild agreed to knit for the stork project at the church where we hold our meetings. I voted no and resisted knitting for this project. I hate to feel obligated to do something especially when it comes to knitting and would have much rather paid for the meeting room. This weekend I begin the first of many pairs of baby socks to come.


Specs:
Pattern: My basic toe-up sock worked over 16 stitches.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino leftover from the Velvet-Edged Jacket
Needles: 2 US Inox dpn's
Started and completed: March 13, 2009

I began my 7th pair of socks using the Patons Kroy Sock that I got on sale at AC Moore when the skeins were 2 for $6.00. I using my basic toe-up pattern with 4 x 6 cables. This is the first time in a very long time that I've had to use a cable needle for cabling. It must be the combination of small stitches and small needles that is giving me a problem. Mom and I both wear a lot of black and I realized that we needed some black and/or gray socks to go with our wardrobes so I will be knitting several pairs.



So far, I've finished both sleeves and the left front of the Cassidy cardigan. This will more than likely be the last thing I knit for a while. I've got to institute some more lifestyle changes.

I got the results of a recent sleep test and found out that I have sleep apnea. My youngest nephew, Isaiah, told me that he doesn't like my snoring and on one occasion woke me up to stop it. My sister and mother have been complaining about it and that was my main reason for mentioning it at my yearly appointment with the sleep doc.

I'll have my CPAP test in two weeks to see if that will help me. In the meantime, the doctor told me that I am too fat and need to get skinny again. I have gained a tremendous amount of weight and have so far last 9 pounds in the past 7 weeks. With the dietary changes and exercise that I've already implemented I should be able to change my current status and improve my health. I'm looking forward to the continued good weather as I tend to get out more and thus will be more active. It's going to take some time, but I have plenty of that.

Disappointment

I have enjoyed knitting these socks but I am very disappointed with the yarn. I had 3 knots in the leg of the second sock. The colors were reversed after the second knot so the legs don't match. It's not that obvious and granted the socks are still pretty, however I really like for my socks to match. Perhaps this was another lesson in letting go of the need to control.


Specs:
Pattern: Slipped-Stitch Rib Socks
Yarn: Red Heart Heart and Sole with Aloe Spring Stripe
Needles: 1 US dpn's for body of sock & 00 dpn's for picot edge
Size: 9.5
Started: February 2, 2009 Finished: March 12, 2009

I received a package from Knit-Purl that made me smile. My rainbow Kauni that had been on back order arrived Tuesday. I feared that I may not have enough for doing the color repeats so I order some more of this color and the pastel that I ordered for mom. I'd rather err on the side of caution and have too much than risk not having enough once I get started.



Spring has sprung in these parts. The daffodils are in bloom and the tulips are beginning to poke their heads up. On the way to my car after work I saw the flowers beginning to form on the dogwoods. As I've said many times before, this time of year always makes me glad that I live in the south. It is absolutely gorgeous when all the flowers are in bloom.

Picots

In yesterday's Sockploration post I mentioned the picot edging. Below is a picture of the completed edging.


Since this was done on a toe-up sock, I had to sew the last row of stitches to the first. I found that to be the most time consuming part of the process. I love the results and will use this technique again. I used a needle two sizes smaller than the body of the sock, size 00, and knitted 7 rows before and after the picot row. I love the look on this pair of socks. It makes them even more feminine.

I'm very pleased with this pair of socks and must remember for future reference that slipped stitches pull the work in some. This sock is very snug but not uncomfortably so.



Sleeve #2 of the Cassidy pullover is almost finished. This sweater is shaping up really well and I'm sure that if I committed myself totally to this I would have it done in no time at all.



I recently discovered the patterns of cocoknits.com on Ravelry. I'm in love with Katarina. I have the perfect yarn in my stash, Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed, in two colors for this sweater. My dilemma is that I bought this yarn with plans to make sweaters for my brothers a few years back. I know that my mother and I would take much better care of this yarn than they would, but I'm feeling a little guilty about re-purposing it. They don't know that I have plans to knit them sweaters given the sizes I would have to make. Do you ever buy yarn for someone and then use it for something else?

Sockploration - Adventures in Sock Knitting, Part III

**New techniques used since original post on 2/16/07 and update on 6/10/07. This is the third of ongoing updates of post begun in February 2007. I will be adding new methods of casting/binding off that I am exploring. I have changed the techniques category to needles since this title is a more appropriate description.

Last year I began a "Sockploration", a term coined for the ongoing exploration of the methods used in sock making including but not limited to cast-ons, turning heels, knitting toes and whatever other interesting little tidbits are discovered along the way. It all started with a fascination with toe-up socks and a quest for the "perfect" fitting sock. To date I've learned the following methods:

Heels
1. Short-row, yarnover heel (PGR) - Toddler Ringel Color Socks
2. Short-row no wrap - Isaiah's Ribbed Socks*
3. Toe-Up Heel Flap (Judy Gibson) – Generic Toe-Up Socks
4. Round Heel
5. Sherman Heel – Supersocke 100 Fun 765

Heel Flaps
1. Stockinette
2. Slip Stitch - Broadripples
3. Eye of Partridge - Laburnum*

Cast-Ons for Toe-Up
1. Figure-Eight - Lilac Lace
2. Magic Cast-On - Raked Leaves
3. Easy Toe - Champlain Sunset
4. Turkish Cast-On – Broad Spiral Rib*

Cast-Ons for Top-Down
1. Longtail Cast-On - Maze
2. Twisted German (English) Cast-On – Laburnum Socks*
3. Combination (English & Longtail) - Isaiah's Ribbed Socks*

Needles
1. 4/5 Dpn's - This is my favorite and first method I learned.
2. 1 Sock on 2 Circular Needles
3. 2 Socks on 2 Circular needles – 2 x 2 Rib
4. Magic Loop - Broad Spiral Rib (Great for portability. You don’t have to worry about dropping and/or losing dpn’s.)*

Casts-Off for Toe-Up
1. Knitted bind-off
2. Sewn bind-off - Marroko Color Socks**
3. Picot bind-off - Slipped-Stitch Rib Socks**

No Snow Day

Okay, I didn't get my snow day. The truth is I didn't even see a flake. Lot's of rain but no snow. The state did give us a delay until 10:00 AM which I took full advantage of.

I changed the sock plan and switched to the Slipped-Stitch Ribs from Sensational Knitted Socks. I wish the Heart and Sole came in more colors. I would by more of it in a heartbeat. The color is Spring Stripe and it lives up to its' name.



My mind is all over the place. I have so many things that I want to knit that I keep checking and reordering my Ravelry queue before I'm even close to finishing what I'm already working on. That thing I said about having too many options is proving to be my nemesis. I'm seriously thinking about taking one day to go through the queue and stash in order to create pre-assembled kits. Usually once I've worked out a plan it's easier for me to settle down and get on with the task(s) at hand .

I've always struggled with the need to be highly organized and once things start to get out of hand it throws my whole balance off. I'm a perpetual list maker and I manage my stash on not just one place but three. I track my projects in multiple places and with the exception of my stash blog I some how manage to keep them all updated without expending a lot of time. It's one of those little quirks that make me unique I guess. Some call it OCD.

River Rapids

Socks #5 for the year. I really, really enjoyed knitting this pattern. It was easy to memorize and work up.


Specs:
Pattern: River Rapids by Sockbug
Yarn: Berroco Metallic Sox Durian
Needles: 0 dpn's for ribbing & 1 US dpn's for body of sock
Size: 10
Started: February 15, 2009 Finished: February 28, 2009

I would knit this pattern again in a heartbeat. I'm not so sure about the Berroco Sox. I found it to be very splitty and had to make stitch adjustments numerous times. I do like the color and patterning.

I've casted on pair #6 with Red Heart Heart and Sole with Aloe and I love the way it feels. I'm going to work the Welt Fantastic from SKS. It is written to take advantage of self-striping yarns.

The weather forecast for tomorrow evening calls for 3"-5" of snow possibly more. I hope it does come through. I would love to have an extra day to knit and have the fire going. It is unusual for us to get snow period and even more unusual for this time of year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

There's a hole, there's a hole

I haven't ridden a bike in years but this weekend I was spinning my wheels so to speak. I knitted one sweater sleeve almost 3 times. Each failure was due to operator error.

The first time I didn't bother to swatch and was more then 2/3's through when I realized the sizing wasn't right for the stage I was approaching. The second time gauge was right but I forgot to start the ribbing on a smaller size needle. I finally succeeded on the third try. I made the sleeve longer and now it looks that I may have made it too long and thus there's the possibility of more frogging.

I was straightening up in the craft room and came across the Koolhass hat and a knitters worst nightmare. A hole!


Some critter had eaten a hole in my hat. An unrepairable hole. I've haven't been able to locate any critters nor damage to any other goods so I'm hoping this is an isolated incident.

That wasn't the only hole I found. I put on my Cherry Tree Hill Champlain Sunset socks after taking them out of the dryer and felt a draft in the heel. There is a hole. A big ass hole in the heel!!!


I haven't committed myself to repairing it just yet. I'm hoping it will be easy to graft it with some of the leftover yarn I have. This is only the second sock I've knitted that has developed a hole. The first one was in the toe of a pair of mom's socks and it was so bad that I had to reknit the entire toe. This should be a lot simpler but it's also the reason I am hesitant to get rid of my leftovers.

I also came across my oldest ufo in the craft room this past weekend. The Diagonal Kimono from Jamieson's Shetland Knitting Book. I no longer remember when I started this particular project.



I do know the back was knitted first and the left front was done in a different year. The right front has been started. It's the endless rows of garter stitch that drive me crazy in this project. I'm doing everything in my power to convince myself to finish it this year. I think mom has been waiting plenty long enough and I can get my behind in gear and get this thing finished.