Knitting in pink

My latest FO has been a long time coming. I started it back in October and finished it only a couple weeks ago. It was my only deadline knitting and I finished it right on the wire.

Back in October, the Sockamania pattern for the month was the Elegance sock pattern. It had beautiful cables on the sides and I thought that it would be a great sock for my mom. I picked a yarn that I thought she would like and started knitting. I finished the first sock on my trip to Iowa in November. I cast on for the second sock just before leaving for Switzerland in December. I really wanted to be able to give the pair to my mom for Christmas but I didn't get to knit a whole lot while in Switzerland. When I came back from Switzerland on December 19 I think I just had turned the heel and was just starting on the leg. 5 days to go till Christmas... I knit on the sock during every spare time and finished knitting the sock during our Christmas Eve party with my parents. I was able to weave in the ends, pick up some discarded wrapping paper, wrap it up and hand in to my mom right there and then. That was cutting it close!

The next morning just before my parents were getting ready to leave to head back home I had my mom model her new socks for me.

They fit her quite well although they are a bit tight to get around the heel. I think I need to get a looser gauge in that area for them to fit her better. I guess I'll just have to knit her another pair!

Christmas day, since I had just finished the Elegance socks I picked up my Charade pattern and cast on for the second sock. I'm almost done with the second sock and should have it done by the weekend. It will be nice to add a new pair to my sock drawer!



I cast on last night for the Snowflake Lace socks out the Lotus Yarn Aura I purchased a couple months ago. I'm knitting them toe-up and have knitted the toe plus one repeat so far.



You can't really see the pattern quite well yet but I'm sure that after a few pattern repeats it will be nicer to look at. The silver strands of the Aura make the sock all shiny just like snow! The yarn is really soft and the silver doesn't seem to be bothering me at all.

I've also picked out the yarn to knit the January Sockamania pattern but I think that will wait until I get done with the Charade socks.

Next time I'll tell you about this really cool Sock Club I joined!

but I've been wanting to post this meme ever since I saw it on Turtlegirl's blog almost a month back.

1. What’s your favorite sock yarn? (please note that the word ‘yarn’ is singular. Just pick one. I know it’s hard.)
It's the first question and I'm already having a hard time answering it. I would have to say that my favorite yarn to knit with so far was Dream in Color Smooshy. I loved knitting with this this summer for my Sockapalooza pal. The yarn was really soft and I love the colorways it comes in. Of course, since I didn't knit them for myself I can't say anything about the wearing of the yarn.

This is a pair of Waving Lace in Dream in Color Smooshy Happy Forest

2. What’s your favorite type and brand of sock needle?
I'm a Magic Loop girl, so for me it's circulars all the time. I love my Addis, but the cables get so full of kinks it's a pain to knit with them. I also use the Inox circulars, these have perfect cables that don't kink up but the join between the cable and the needle is a bit of a pain.

3. Do you knit your socks toe up, cuff down, or sideways?
I knit most of my socks toe-up but I will knit a cuff down sock if I have to, or if I want to do a picot cuff.

4. Do you knit both socks at once or just one at a time?
So far, they've all been one at the time. But I'd love to try the two at once, although I'd deathly afraid of the tangled mess that will most likely happen.


Dream in Color Smooshy In Vino Veritas

5. What’s your favorite toe and why?
I've only done one kind of toe so far, the wedge toe. I find that it fits my feet quite well so I haven't wanted to try anything else. Also, it's the easiest toe to do toe-up.

6. Favorite heel?
Short-row heel all the way.

7. Do you prefer plain or patterned socks?
I love a plain stockinette sock to bring along with me but I am not afraid of a patterned sock and I love to knit them, just need a bit more attention.

8. Who do you knit the most socks for?
99% myself. But I've started knitting socks for other people now, there's only so much room in my sock drawer after all.

9. Do you darn your socks? If not, what do you do with them?
I haven't needed to yet, thankfully. I think that I'd probably try darning a small hole but I'm afraid I would just toss the offending sock in the trash. Good excuse to knit myself another pair!

10. Do you only wear handknit socks?
I alternate between my handknit socks and SmartWools. I just love those socks, they're warm and comfortable. If you have to wear something else than handknit, I definitely recommend SmartWools.


Detail of the Waving Lace socks

Bonus question: What pattern, if any, is your basic “I-just-need-a-pair-of-socks” sock pattern based on? Do you keep it written down or memorized?
My basic pattern is a Turkish cast-on, toe up sock with a short row heel over 64 stitches on size 2.5mm needles. I don't need to have it written down. Of course I'll write down key numbers so that I can replicate in sock #2 but besides that, no.

ETA: In the comments to this post, my Sockapalooza pal Alli from Knitosaurus, for whom I knit the Waving Lace added: "Hey, just wanted to comment on the wearability of the Dream in Color Smooshy Sock Yarn! I wear the socks you made me about once a week and I handwash them in no-rinse wool-wash. They are holding up remarkably well so far. I have a lot of handknit socks and I seem to wear them pretty hard because especially the heels are just a wreak. I even have a pair I finished this summer that I have already had to darn! However, the Waving Lace Socks still look great, a little bit of fuzzing on the heels but other than that they look just like the day they came in the mail! I love them!"

Thanks for the feedback Alli!

One day, there was a beautiful pattern named Snicket socks. They were in the September 2006 edition of MagKnits. A few months later, in July of 2007, I saw iSeL's gorgeous version of the pattern with modified heel and fell in love. At the same time, I had the chance to get a hold of a skein of Sunshine Yarns Soft in the Bloom colorway and thought that they would make a nice pair of Snickets à la iSeL's.

So I cast on towards the end of July. Back then I still used a cable needle to cable, so the sock took some time and effort. It took me just over 2 weeks of exclusive knitting but I had one sock.

A sock with no heel turn. Which I noticed only after the sock was finished.

Fast forward 2 months, it's the beginning of October and I just want to get the pair done. It takes me a month but I get the second sock done. I also learned to cable without a cable needle in the meantime, which makes knitting the sock so much faster and easier.



I also decide that the no heel turn thing is a problem and so I frogged sock #1 back to the heel. 5 days later I have a heel turn and another foot. And yet another pair of socks to keep my feet toasty warm this winter!



Stats
Sock #1 was knit between July and August 2007, the foot was later reknit in November. Sock #2 was knit between October and November 2007.
Yarn: Sunshine Yarns Soft in Bloom
Pattern:Snicket Socks
Mods: Heel flap with twisted stitches columns as per iSeL Knits

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I'll be visiting a friend in Iowa for a week starting tomorrow. I'll be in the Waterloo area during my stay there. We'll be going up to Minneapolis to get together with Chris. I'll have internet access while in Iowa so let me know if you're in the area and want to get together!

I'm sure you missed seeing socks around here. It's been at least 3 posts without them! : )

So here is the latest sock news:

1 FO

Stats
The first sock was knit in September, the second in October and finished on my Disney trip to Orlando.
Yarn: Vesper Strange Little Mama by Knittlerly Things in 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon
Pattern: Top-down with picot cuff and short-row heel

1/2 an FO



Half a pair of Charade socks from I may be knitting a ranch house. The yarn is H.L.Miller Merino Monkey in Rich Earth that will be available as our November Artist of the Month at yarn4socks

I really enjoyed working with the yarn. It's very soft and easy to knit. I love how the colors spiraled perfectly around the foot and the leg. Crossing my fingers that the same happens with sock #2. The pattern is awesome. Almost as easy as stockinette but more interesting... I just might make more of these!

2/3 an FO



Remember my Snicket sock without a heel turn? I just couldn't stand it and ripped the whole foot back to the heel flap. So now I have two socks that need a foot! I should be done with sock #2 within the next couple days and then I can go back and finish up sock #1 again.

1/8 an FO



My other sock on the needles is an Elegance sock for the Sockamania KAL. I started it on my way back from Disney and haven't had much time to work on it. Now that the Charade sock is done though, it will be my on the go project. The yarn I'm using is Lime n Violet Sasquatch Superwash merino in the color Tinker.

I'm going to Disney!

Tomorrow DH and I fly down to Orlando Florida for some Disney time. I've never been to Disney so it will be a new experience for me. We'll be doing the parks, going to see Cirque du Soleil (the best show ever) and meeting up with Alyson.

I look forward to having fun on the rides and to getting a bit more sun and warmth before winter starts.

I'll be working on the following socks (which I will be wearing in Rhinebeck in 2 weekends!)

They're just past the heel so in a perfect spot for airport and plane knitting.

I don't know how much knitting time I'll actually have while in Disney but I have a second project for when the Rhinebeck socks are done.



The Elegance sock pattern for the Sockamania KAL.

I'm thinking of also bringing my Snicket socks



I just realized that when I did the heel on the first sock I forgot a very important thing. I forgot to do the heel turn... The sock looks a little strange but fits just fine. So I'm debating whether I should just do the second one the same way or not. I'll call in my own unvention! lol!

Now time for one last errand and finish packing before heading out to Boston!

I wouldn't want all of you to think I've stopped knitting socks with all this lace yarn I've been showing you lately, so here's a quick update on the socks I've been working on lately.

I finished my first pair of Monkey socks. Sadly, they're not for me but for my Monkey Sock Swap pal.

Stats
Sock #1 was knit between August 26 and September 10 2007. Sock #2 was knit between September 10 and September 20 2007.
Yarn: ShiBuiKnits Sock in Mulberry from yarn4socks
Pattern:Monkey socks by Cookie A.
Mods: I knit a picot cuff instead of the twisted rib cuff and used a short-row heel instead of a heel flap

I enjoyed knitting this pattern. The chart was easy and although I kept checking it I'm sure I could do it from memory now. I don't usually knit the same pattern twice (except for my stockinette socks) but I just might knit this one again for myself.

Another shot just for fun



I've also knit quite a bit on my Vesper Strange Little Mama sock. I'm almost to the toe now. It's my mindless sock, so I don't work on it every day, only when I'm away from home. I do have to get it finished and start the other sock by the end of next week so I can work on it while in Disney in 2 weeks.



I started a more difficult sock this weekend. I joined the Firestarter Sock-A-Long started by Peaknit (See her September 15 post for how to join).



The pattern is beautiful with lots of traveling stitches along the sides and a cool toe-up gusset construction that I wanted to try out. The traveling stitches really kicked my butt at the beginning as I'd never done any before. I had a hard time figuring out if what to do at first and then if what I was doing was even remotely correct. DH did his best to stay out of my way while I was running from the living room, where I was knitting and pulling my hair trying to figure things out, to the office where I was looking up info and staring at pictures of other Firestarters to see if what I was doing was right. Now all is under control and am proud to say that I can cable without a cable needle. That skill will come in handy when I go back to my Snicket socks.

Also, my row gauge is slightly different than the recommended gauge. I did some math and hopefully I started the gusset increases in the right spot and the sock won't be too short or too long. I should know by tomorrow (crossing fingers).



The yarn is Phoenix Fiberworks Fetish Superwash in the color Nymph. Tina will be the October Artist of the Month at yarn4socks and will be available then if you're interested! : )

Yesterday, something incredible happened. I didn't know it was possible, having never witnessed it myself (well, maybe once, a long, long time ago). For you to believe it too I'm going to have to show you the proofs.

Proof #1

Proof #2



Proof #3



This incredible event is called "Casting on for socks #2 right after binding off sock #1". It is such a rare event that it got a very complicated name. The creator of the word didn't think it would be used very often. But I have been witness to this amazing event and I still live to tell the tale. I don't dare hope to ever see this happen again, but maybe you will...

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Is anyone reading this blog from New York City? This weekend I'll be headed there for a few days. DH has a 4-day conference to attend and I'm tagging along. I'll have 4 days by myself to be a tourist and do a yarn crawl. If you're from there I'd love to get together with you, so let me know!

I received yesterday my Special Swap package from now-blogless Susan. Special Swap is organized by Lynne and lasts a whole year. Every other month we get a new swap pal to swap with. Each swap is over two months and has a different theme. This time around, the theme was "Picnic". My Swap Pal sent me a suitcase full of goodies:

Along with the Picnic theme my pal went for a Cherry Pink theme. She got me a cute set of Watermelon picnic items, some pink lemonade tea bags, a cherry vanilla candle, a magazine full of amazing recipes and the lovely Lisa Souza Sock! Merino in Pink with a box of silver crystal beads. And all this in the cute cardboard suitcase. Not shown on the picture are a bag of pecans, a bag of dried cherries and some bite-size Toblerones... yum!!

She also sent me via email a recipe for Cherry Pecan cookies, to go with the pecans and dried cherries and a pattern for the Cherry Blossom socks by Sivia Harding to go with the yarn and the beads she sent.



I've never knit with beads yet but I intend to try and this might just be the best excuse to try it! Now I just have to get my hands on a dental floss threader (whatever that is) or a big-eye beading needle!

To continue the pink theme, here is my latest pair of socks.



They're the Serpentine socks from the Sockamania KAL July pattern. Sadly, they're the least favorite socks that I've knit. Not because of the lovely pattern but by my execution. I started the pattern a little to early on the toes and one of the cables bothers my little toe (I'm very sensitive like that!). They're a little on the short side so they'll remain house socks I think. You can see another shot with a great view on the cables here.

Stats
Sock #1 was knit between July 25 and August 2, 2007. Sock #2 was knit between August 25 and September 4, 2007.
Yarn: Louet Gems Fingering hand-dyed by me for the main color, Louet Gems Fingering in Pink Panther for the contrasting yarn. I used a dark pink reinforcing thread in the toe and heel area.
Pattern:Serpentine socks by Anni Design for the Sockamania KAL
Mods: Toe-up and short-row heel with contrasting yarn for toes, heels and cuff.

Quick update on my sock knitting:

One Monkey leg done
One Serpentine foot done

Time for some heel knitting now!

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ETA: Contest over! Thanks for participating. I'll let everyone know who the winner is when I post my 200th blog entry.

Contest

Time for a new contest!

Coming up soon will be my 200th post and my 1000th comment. I'm not going to tell you how many comments I have as of now but I will let you know that this is my 191nth post. So here is what you have to guess:

1. On what day am I going to post my 200th post?
2. Will I get my 1000th comment on that post? If not, please say if it will be before or after.

The person who gets both answers right or who has the closest answer to question 1 and still gets question 2 right will win a skein of Vespers in self-striping Astro, which you can see here on the right of the picture.

Please answer in the comments of this post. You have until September 5 to enter your guesses. Thanks for participating!

Yup, I finished another pair of socks, bringing my total of singles socks down to 2. Definitely more manageable than 5 or 6! This means that in August, I've finished 3 pairs of socks, although I only knit 4 out of those 6 socks during the month.

My last finished pair is this one:

Stats
Sock #1: June 23, 07 - July 10, 07. Sock #2: August 20, 07 - August 25, 07.
Yarn: Yarntini Home Self-Striping
Pattern:Plain stockinette toe-up magic-loop with twisted rib cuff

They're just a couple rows short and a couple stitches not wide enough. But they fit anyways and I don't know many people that have smaller feet then me, so I'll keep them and wear them. I did a twisted rib cuff, my first time doing a cuff like that. Takes forever... The look is pretty cool though.

Right after finishing the Yarntini pair I cast on for 2 socks more :



The one on top is the mate to the Serpentine sock from the Sockamania KAL July pattern. For the toe I used Louet Gems Fingering in Pink Panther along with some pink reinforcing thread.

The second picture is of my first pair of Monkey socks for my Monkey Sock Swap Pal. I decided to do a picot cuff a la mini-Monkey, my pal said she'd like that. I've done two repeats so far and it's a quite pleasant easy knitting project. I'm using the ShiBuiKnits Sock in Mulberry mentioned in the last post.

My goal for September is to finish the pair of Monkeys, the Serpentine socks and whatever new pattern we'll get for Sockamania KAL (Anyone know how long this KAL is supposed to go for?).

2007 will definitely be the year of the sock for me!