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!

The new year has begun and I'd like to set some goals for myself.

In 2007, I bought myself a spinning wheel. I didn't use it much this year but I'd like to do that this year. My goal shouldn't be to demanding but I'd like to try to spin 4oz a month and thus reduce my roving stash a bit. I would like to improve my spinning and try to learn to spin different weights of yarn, not just thin.

Last Christmas I received a sewing machine. During 2007 I greatly improved my fabric stash and this year I'd like to use more of it up. I'd also like to get better at sewing and be more comfortable using my sewing machine.



I've accumulated a lot of sock yarn in 2007. I would love to be able to use a lot of it up by knitting at least one pair of socks a month and maybe 2. In 2007 I was able to knit 17 pairs, I aim for 20 in 2008.



I'd like to finish at least 2 big projects (finish the Tree Jacket and the Comfort Shawl) and a few non-sock smaller projects. I'd love to do more fair-isle and more lace.



I'd like to be able to spread my time more evenly between knitting, sewing and spinning and still spend time doing other things like cooking, reading and exercising.

Let's rewind a bit to December 29, 2006.

These were my goals for 2007:

1. I will knit at least one pair of socks a month - I did knit at least a pair a month. I even knit 17 pairs plus 3 single socks

2. I will learn to Fair-Isle. To start I will make the Fake Isle hat from MagKnits - I knit both the Fake Isle hat and the Center Square hat

3. I will knit myself some lace, starting with Bejeweled and working myself up to something more difficult - I did knit Bejeweled and have just started a slightly more difficult lace pattern with the Comfort Shawl

4. I will knit myself a sweater, perhaps starting with Klaralund, perhaps starting with the Hourglass sweater - I did not knit Klaralund but did knit the Hourglass Sweater. I also knit the now unwearable Fitted Tank. I have started another sweater, the Tree Jacket from ZephyrStyle



5. I also want to knit gloves, mittens and wrist-warmers - I did not knit any

6. I will find patterns for the less than 100yds balls of yarn in the stash - I did not

Tomorrow, my goals for 2008

ETA: List of 2007 Finished objects so I can clean out my side-bar and start anew.

* 80's Punk Socks
* Austermann Step socks
* Bejeweled Scarf
* Calorimetry #1
* Center Square
* Child's First Socks
* Dream Swatch scarf
* Dublin Bay socks
* Elegance Socks
* Fake Isle Hat
* Fitted Tank
* Garterlac Dishcloth
* Hourglass Sweater
* Lemonade Stand socks
* Madder Ribbed Socks
* MDK Felted Box #2
* Monkey socks
* River Valley Socks
* Serpentine socks
* Siren socks
* Snicket socks
* Sockapalooza socks
* Spiraling socks
* Strange Little Mama socks
* Wing socks
* Yarntini Home socks

Testing Testing - Bloglines are you getting this?

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Last Friday I received my Special Swap package from Beth of Felt Like Knitting. She was hoping I would get it before Christmas and she definitely came through!

The box had these cute little snowman and snowflakes all over it and when I opened the box this is what I saw:

After a few minutes of unwrapping, this is what I found:



First there were chocolates, hot chocolate mixes, a Lindt chocolate snowman and Christmas tea. Then I found snowflake shaped cookie cutter and a beautiful pink, red and silver ornament. Then I found a beautiful pair of Fetchings knit in Rio de la Plata yarn in Carnation Pink.



Last but not least were these two books, one of which I'd be dying to get since September. I think you can guess which one it is... I can't wait to try out these new sock architectures!



Thank you Beth for such a wonderful swap! I do hope you get your package before New Year's!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

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Thank you to everyone who commented with kind thoughts after my grandmother's passing. I really appreciated everyone of them. Thank you for keeping us all in your thoughts and prayers.

My trip to Switzerland went really well. I got back only a few days ago and have been trying to catch up to everything. There wasn't much knitting done while I was away but my only deadline knitting (today) is almost done and I should be able to finish it no problem. I will be back in a couple days with pictures of the knitting and of an awesome Special Swap package I received on Friday.

2 weeks ago, I fell in love with something I saw over at Lotus Knits' blog. She'd just had a contest and the winner had won a skein of her Aura sock yarn in the "Walking with a Ghost" colorway. She'd also mentioned that she would post more of this yarn on her etsy shop that evening.
After a brief exchange through her blog and email, she listed a skein of that yarn especially for me and a few days later it made its way to me.

By now I bet you're wondering why I fell in love with the yarn, right? Well, first of all, Aura is a blend of Merino, Silk, Nylon and ... wait for it ... Silver strands. Furthermore, this particular colorway was silver colored so it was just beautiful!

You want to know what it looks like now, don't you? (Make sure to click on the pictures so you can see them bigger)

Can you see the shimmering of the silver thread?

The yarn is super soft and the color is just gorgeous. I've been thinking that I should make a pair of Snowflake Lace socks with the yarn. That would be a quite appropriate match I think. Now if I could only knit them in time for Christmas...

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!

Last night, I was minding my own business, browsing through Flickr when a series of unfortunate events brought me to this.

"This", if you haven't clicked on the links, is the Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl by Sarah Bradberry. I particularly fell in love with mustaavillaa and Funky Carolina's versions.

After browsing some more, through Ravelry and Flickr, I decided that I'd eventually try a version doing some of my leftover sock yarn. I sorted through my stash and came up with 2 piles. One of blues/greens/browns and one of pinks/purple/browns.

Here's the version I liked the best:

You can click on the picture to make it bigger

You know where this is going, right?

This morning, I cast on and knit the first 22 rows, and this is what it looks like:


I've decided to go with 4mm size needles, as this was what a few people used. I think it looks nice so far and I'm enjoying it. Of course, I haven't got 500 stitches on my needles yet...

To be continued.

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This weekend I went down to Mystic River Yarns for a Southern New England Knitting Blogger Meet-up. I was going to meet Debby which I had missed at Rhinebeck. Sadly, I experienced camnesia that morning and forgot to bring my camera. Thankfully, you can see plenty of pictures of the event on Debby, Sarah and Kristen's blogs. It was quite fun and I had a great time, it was nice finally meeting you Debby!

I made one small purchase at Mystic River Yarn...

A skein of Misti Alpaca Chunky in Fuschia to knit a Foliage hat or something like that.

ETA: Here's my friend's Kelly response to your wonderful comments about her Christmas Tree Skirt: ""Thanks for posting these pictures, Valerie! Whenever I see this skirt, I'm reminded again at how happy I am to be done with it! Yes, it took almost a full year to complete, with the majority of the yarn being Lite-Lopi with a little Lamb's Pride and DMC tapestry wool mixed in. It was 13 colors I think (?more?), in all. Thanks everyone for your kind comments! Knit on! Kelly"

I have much to blog about but not quite enough time (Getting ready for a big sale at the store for over the weekend!). So, to tide you over, I'll show you a few pictures of the Christmas Tree Skirt from the book Handknit Holidays that my friend Kelly knit.

I know she knit this out of Lopi yarn and it took her about a year. Correct me if I'm wrong Kelly! She finished it just after last Christmas. Sadly, she wont get to use it this year because she'll be traveling during the Christmas period. So I wanted to make sure that someone saw it!

If you want something more doable in time for Christmas, check out your local post office! You can get these adorable stamps...



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Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the US! See you all on the flip side, hopefully I'll be a better blogger then!

A week ago I went on a little trip to Iowa to visit my friend Kelly. She's still blog-free but considering creating her own knitting, cooking and birding blog...

Last Friday, we drove up to Minneapolis to do some yarn shopping and meet up with 3 bloggers: Chris, Guinifer and Deb

We met up at the 318 Cafe across from Coldwater Collaborative in Excelsior, MN. We had a fun lunch, chatted a lot and knitted quite a bit!

Chris & Deb


Kelly & Guinifer

Kelly, Guinifer, Chris and myself were working on socks and Deb was working on the Flower Basket Lace Shawl which I had just purchased that morning (the pattern, not the shawl) at Needlework Unlimited.

After lunch, we crossed the street over to Coldwater and had fun browsing there. I purchased one of their Dream in Color kit for the boy version of the Tulip Cardigan.



I have no one in particular to knit it for but I thought that the boy version would do just as well for a boy or a girl.

After lunch and my last yarn shop visit of my trip, Kelly and I went over to the Mall of America. Let's just say that we did a lot of walking there. Those who've been there will know what I'm talking about. We walked each level once and then in our search for a specific restaurant (very good by the way) we ended up doing 2 of these floors an additional time. Anyone have a clue on the mileage of one of these floors? The first floor is 0.57 mile long.

Our whole day in the Minneapolis area was a lot of fun. Thank you Chris, Deb and Guinifer for meeting up with Kelly and I, we really enjoyed it!

More on my trip next post.