yarn tootin'

Sockpalooza

     After a very long drive, I arrived in San Antonio on Friday evening and look what was waiting for me...

     My Sockpalooza socks!  They were knit for me by Alli.  The pattern is Anastasia and the yarn is Lorna's Laces.  The socks fit great and I'm very happy with them.  Thank you, Alli!  I think that any pattern that was written in homage to Anastasia Krupnik is a good one, and I've wanted to knit this one for a long time.  The only problem is that I don't know how to knit socks toe-up and for some reason, I'm afraid to try it.  I think all of the tricky sounding cast-ons and the use of "waste yarn" freak me out. If anyone knows of a good online tutorial or book for knitting socks toe-up, please let me know.

Just in Time

     I finished my Sockpalooza 4 socks yesterday, just in time to make the August 2nd deadline.  They're still a tiny bit wet after their Eucalan bath last night,  but the dry Colorado air should have them ready to send out by this afternoon.  Here they are on my new Fiber Trends sock blockers that I got on my final trip to Shuttles for the summer.  I will miss my most excellent summertime LYS when I'm gone, but I'm sure it will be waiting for me next year.

Yarn: Hill Country Yarns (from Big Texas, of course) Sweet Feet in Chocolate Covered Kisses
Pattern: 2x2 rib for the leg, standard heel flap, plain stockinette foot, standard toe
Needles: 2 KnitPicks circulars, size 0

     I've also started knitting with the yarn from the most recent BMFA Rockin' Sock Club shipment.  I'm trying to do a better job of knitting the kits as they come.  This particular colorway is called Firebird. Per usual, I'm not knitting the pattern that came with the yarn because it's a toe up pattern and for some reason, I'm resisting learning to knit socks that way.  I really like to knit my socks from the top down on two circulars and since that's working for me, I don't really feel the need to change my system.  This yarn was a little tricky.  I started knitting the Central Air pattern from BMFA.  I didn't read the directions carefully enough, so it took a few trys to get the stitch pattern right.  Even after I figured it out, the cuff was a little baggy on my bird leg, and there was some unfortunate pooling happening, so I ripped out Central Air and started over with my new favorite sock pattern, Zig Zag.

   

    

   

   

     I came across Zig Zag on the interwebs a few weeks before coming to Colorado and I think it's going to become a standby.  The pattern is written for a thicker yarn, so I cast on 60 stitches instead of 48.  So far so good.  Pooling is no longer and issue.  These socks sort of look like Monkey socks, but the stitch pattern is much simpler and it's easily memorized.

     Bob arrived here in Boulder last night and we're heading up to Wyoming for a little vacation tomorrow.  There are no interwebs where we're going, so I might be gone for awhile.    I'll have plenty of time to sit and knit while Bob is fishing, so I should have all sorts of pretty things to show when I get to Minnesota later in the week.

Funky Scarf Swap

     Just before I left for San Diego the other week, my Funky Scarf Swap package arrived from Malaysia.  I have now done three swaps and this package definitely wins for distance.  Mira sent me this lovely, fuzzy, somewhat sparkly scarf along with some pretty chopsticks and a set of DPN's.  It's been warm in Texas again, so I haven't had a chance to wear the scarf yet, but as soon as it dips back down into the 60's, I'll be sporting it.  Bob says that I am officially a Texan now because I find it "chilly" when it's 65 degrees outside.  I included the envelope in the pictures because stamps from Malaysia are pretty cool.  Thank you, Mira!

     On another note, I just found out who actually won the audition I went to in San Diego.  At most auditions, folks congregate in one lounge like room after they've played while they wait to see if they will play again or be sent home.  After I played my second round, I went back to the lounge area to knit and there was already someone there knitting!  I introduced myself and we chatted about yarn for a little while.  When they came back to tell us who was going to play again, the other knitter got to stay and play, and I was cut, so we said goodbye.  The personnel manager in San Diego just emailed everyone who auditioned with the final results, and it seems that the knitting girl won one of the jobs.  I think that's pretty good.      

Socktoberfest

     It's Socktober again, and per usual, I am joiner.  I have very little knitting progress to report, so I'll take this time to answer Lolly's Socktoberfest questionnaire...

1. When did you start making socks?  Did you teach yourself?  Take a class?
     I made my first pair of socks in July and August of 2005.  I had been knitting for a few months and I was inspired by all of the pretty socks and sock yarns I saw on other people's blogs.  I more or less taught myself using the book Knit Socks!.

2. What was your first pair of socks? How have they held up over time?
     My first pair of socks was the Starter Stockinette socks from Knit Socks!  I've only worn them a couple of times, so they've held up quite well.  They are really thick and warm, so they're more like house socks or slippers.  I wore them sledding in Minnesota last winter and they were great for that, but they're definitely not every day socks.  At least not in Texas... 

3. What would you have done differently?
     Not much.  My first pair was pretty good, especially for a first attempt.  I haven't knit socks that thick since then, but it was definitely easier to learn on worsted weight yarn.

4. What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
     I've used Koigu PPPM which is okay, but not a favorite.  I like Koigu Kersti a lot better, but in general Koigu is good because of all of the pretty colors.  I've also used and loved Socks that Rock medium weight.  I have a skein of the lightweight which I haven't knit up yet.  I knit my Jaywalkers with KnitPicks sock landscape which is nice because it's cheap and colorful  It fuzzes up a little bit with wear, but I don't mind that so much.  I think that my KnitPicks Jaywalkers are my favorite pair of socks so far.  They are definitely the pair I wear the most. 

5. Do you crochet socks? Knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, using the Magic Loop method?
     Most of the time I knit socks on two circulars.  I sometimes use DPNs, but I prefer 2 circs.  I don't know how to do the Magic Loop method.

6. What type of heel do you prefer?
     I've knit heel flaps and short row heels.  I like the look of short row heels better, but I'm not as comfortable with them, so I tend to knit heel flaps.  Right now, I really like the Eye of Partridge heel.

7. How many pairs have you made?
     Nine adult pairs, two baby pairs, and two pairs of felted Fuzzy Feet.  I have four pairs of partially knit socks on the needles now, only one of which is likely to be finished any time soon. 

 
     Speaking of socks, today is the first day since I got back to San Antonio in August where I've been compelled to wear socks for something other than a concert or going to the gym.  I'm not wearing hand knits today because none of my hand knits go with the shirt I'm wearing, but it's raining and only 70 degrees outside so I've got on socks and Danskos nonetheless.  Let's hope it stays like this!