Zeneedle...needleart as life

Where Oh Where Can My (Sock) Mojo Be...the One with the Waggley Tail

You'd think a sock would be perfect travel knitting, but I think my sock mojo has been lost or it has run off and deserted me.  Both the Rattlesnake Creek Socks and the Flickering Flames were started early enough in March to be finished before the end of PS Fire, but without sock mojo...it was a no go. They are both great patterns and the yarns are to my liking, too....it's just that lost mojo.  If you happen to see it will you please send it home?  Maybe it's wandering aimlessly and unhappily alone...dazed and confused.

I'd love to start a pair of sock for the Earth Edition of PS  and I do did intend on knitting with STR Rainforest Jasper, because it would be a perfect Earthy project.  However, I'm not sure they'd be finished and it's silly to start a new sock with two neglected socks already on the needles. Maybe the mojo will get it's mojo on and find its way back to me.  Yoo-hoo! Sock Mojo...where ARE YOU?

My mindset at the moment is focused on lace and sweater knitting. Ravelry has been a big enabler help as I've been able to turn unwanted yarn into an enjoyable project.  The Louet Euroflax that had been haunting my stash (a long ago failed project, or two) was morphed into Rowan Calmer for a new Nothin' But a T.  NBT will be the next summer project, something quick, cool and easy.  In anticipation, another project is also coming to the fore, but a little restraint is needed to keep me from overwhelm.  The ideas and desires start coming in waves (could this be spring fever?), and only when CeCe is finished will I share more.

Zetor has been easier to pack around than either CeCe or Persephone, and so she is now getting more attention (and because I am SO fickle). The colors are PURE spring...the pinks, blues, and purples are like the flowers that never come.  April 1st was the coldest April day EVER in Utah.  Mother Nature did a good job of fooling us.  As with the sweater knitting, the next couple of shawls have made themselves known.  It takes real effort to keep them from the needles...they must wait and I must keep knitting as fast as I can.

A Very Beautiful Sunday

The sky was just that clear, the air warmer than it has been, but still on the cool side.  It was just warm enough to sit outdoors comfortably and enjoy the knowledge that spring is near and the days will be warming up.

What could be better than sitting under a blue sky, the first strawberries of the season and company of friends?  Kids played in the yard and everyone relished the chance to be outdoors without coats.   With the sun so bright I was happy to be the only  person wearing an Easter bonnet.  It was a lovely Easter Sunday, despite the early date. 

Since finishing EPS it's been hard to get back into knitting. I have been knitting, but haven't fallen in total love, throwing myself with abandon into a project...it's been a bit of a slog.  My head is still enjoying and reveling in the success of Elizabeth's creative genius and nothing has captured my attention in quite the same way.  I know it will happen and what's on the needles will become effortless and enjoyable as EPS fades into the background...but for now, I go through the motions without attachment. My emotions are not engaged, good or bad does not exist.

Non-attachment is sought for in Zen, but I must admit, that attachment to a project does create joy and the anticipation of what's to come as the process become product.  Without the swing of emotions a little of the joy is lost. No joy, no disappointment and so, when I had to frog the Flickering Flames sock, I just did it...no problem, no thought, to angst.  Of course, if I'd been in the right state of mind the frogging may not have happened.  I would have seen the fabric was too tight, too squished and that there was no way such a small sock would go over my foot. 

In the end, the beginning began again and the sock is now on the right track. The lace pattern is visible and the process of knitting with this fiery yarn is beginning to capture my imagination. 

It's back to the process of loving my knitting.

Neglected Rattlers

I truly believe in a "knitter's insurance project".   If a knitter has something to knit with them at all times, no matter where they're heading, there is little chance of being stuck and needing to wait.  If knitting is forgotten, SURELY a knitter will end up twiddle their thumbs and wishing for knitting to do.  This policy has held me in good stead for many years and holds true 95% of the time. 

Because of my obsessive tendency to knit only EPS, with a little Aspen Grove on the side, the poor Rattlesnake Creek Socks have been neglected.  That all changed when the easy bits of EPS were finished and I needed something more portable to carry around.

 

As I knit with  Mountain Colors Bearfoot, I realized its thicker diameter was too small for the needle size I was using. The sock was tight and it was hard to knit the cables.  I switched to the next size up, #2 DPNs and found the knitting easier and looser, which will hopefully hold true for the sizing, too.   I do love the soft, fluffy nature of this yarn and the vibrant, warm richness of the colorway, Ruby River, a perfect color for PS III.  At least leg one is now finished and I'm moving down the heel stitches toward the foot. 

Much of my knitting time has been spent in anticipation, and it's likely because EPS and the Rattler Socks have been on the needles longer than I intended.  Illness kept me from knitting on EPS in January and the goal of finishing by the end of February evaporated. There isn't any real reason to feel  behind, but I can't help but think of what I could be knitting now if my self imposed schedule had worked out.  Daily I work at setting aside this anticipation and reminding myself that there is no race, no reason for my angst. This is all part of the process of life, the ups and downs, the ins and outs.  It is all of a piece and I will move forward as I can.  This I must remember. 

However, I do have the yarn for my next sock waiting in the wings. Colinette Jitterbug in Fire!  Is this not the most perfect colorway for PSIII?

Three sock patterns are in the running:   Ripples and Waves, Primavera Sock and perhaps THE one, Flickering Flames.  How can a knitter not be looking to the future with so many wonderful patterns and yarns?

Could it Be a Tropical Weekend?

The beautiful, tropical Spring Things Shawl is finished and in hiding as a big mess of mesh.  Tonight it will go to the ball bath and bloom like Cinderella, as her lace softens, opens and comes to life.  The magical moment of lace blocking is just around the corner and a photo shoot is on the schedule for Sunday (which promises to be in the 40s and sans snow!!). It's an exciting time. (Yeah, you could say I don't get out much.) 

Hot Flash Monkeys have grown nicely during lunch break and social knitting, and they may heat up a little more this weekend.  I'm looking forward to the day they warm my feet (and sear other peoples retinas).  Knitting entertains me and watching how each stitch changes color, each row creates a pattern and each section shows off the yarn is so much fun.  This is why I enjoy knitting so much...each stitch is pure joy of process.

It may get fairly balmy around here with the addition of the funky, fabulous, red hot roving that's waiting with Emmylou...waiting for me to sit and spin! This is so much fun because it doesn't need to be 'perfect'.  The lumpy bumps of silk, and other fiber, create a very textured single and a yarn that's full of character.  This, again, is pure joy of process, a hoot to watch and create. 

In a comment to my post on NaSpiMoMo Redux, Rosa had a great suggestion.  Let's knit in March what we spin in February.  Are you game?   I can see the Lady Slipper batt becoming a fun scarf or shawl and expect it to tell me exactly what it wants to be when the spinning is done.  So, if you spin up several yarns in February for Redux,  pick one (at least) and let's continue the process.  SpinKnit!

Back to Socks!

Knitting mojo proved to be illusive over the last month.  While I had dabbled at lace here, knit mindlessly on the EPS there, nothing new inspired or attracted the attention.  Once proper care and good meds started to heal the body, the mojo found its way back…with a vengeance. 

Kim's yarn, along with Susan's pattern (Leaf Lace from Vogue Knitting Ultimate Sock Book), sat nearby ready and willing, so Friday afternoon when I was able, we took off running.   With little to distract, only rest on the agenda, I worked through the afternoon and evening.  Saturday afternoon and evening I did the same and the goddess of speed must have been with me as the sock was finished that night.

Every stitch was a joy and the sock a perfect marriage of yarn and pattern.  Kim's Woolen Rabbit Yarn is so beautifully dyed and I just love the way shades of green intermingle with the reddish brown.  The colors reminded me of a forest pathway and the way the leaves, twigs and mud mix together in an organic stew of color.  The yarn has such a lovely, soft hand and you can be sure, there will be more of this in my stash.

Susan's pattern is entertaining, yet quickly memorized for effortless knitting.  The leaf pattern on the front is charming, but the ingenious bit is the center stitches that organically twist to form a vine like stem.  The back of the leg is a simple, elegant, sturdy lace…a perfect fit for the design.  The second sock is off to a much slower start (I've been lacing along, too), but I do think a new pair of socks should be ready to keep my toes toasty this weekend.

Stay warm and enjoy your weekend!

From the Ridiculous to the Sublime!

Fini!  And not a moment too soon.  The process of knitting this sock was not as enjoyable as it should have been.  That means only one thing...it wasn't the yarn, it wasn't the pattern, it was ME. It's unexplainable, truthfully, as to why this was so.  It involved the usual 5 sticks, a string (I made myself), and a pattern that looked great.  It was a pattern, an entire process, I just couldn't get into and one that didn't improve over time....the looong time it took to knit this pair of socks. Only by working on getting rid of the negative, concentrating, meditating on what was good, did I get through the project.  Slogging WAS the process, as it turned out, and that's as it should be. Zen is always as it  should be, its all perfect.  It was a moment of ridiculousness which made what follows even better. Without  the 'ugly' there would be no beautiful.

Enter....Sublime (albeit in a ridiculous situation)...

Ceilidh Lace Socks, by Anne, from her own Wooly Wonka Fibers, in a beautiful, soft, shinny and luxurious bamboo superwash merino, colorway Seashells, sitting delicately on top of a big black tire. Knitting this sock has been heavenly...the process is easy, perfect and delightful.  Ceilidh was a nice companion as I sat waiting for a flat tire to be repaired (never leave home without your knitting!).  The nearby tires were the only thing on hand to use as a back drop for a picture and the were a nice foil for the beauty of the yarn.  Since it took an hour and half for the repair I knew the sun would be long gone by the time I made it home. 

The gods of all blogging my be conspiring against me for NaBloPoMo...work has exploded and I'm out every night this week (mostly fun).  I'll be doing my best to keep up with daily posts and, hopefully they won't be pictureless!

'Tis the Season of....

Rock-tober!!  Sock-tober!!

Sweat-ob-er!!  (Ok, that's not so poetic, but the knitting has been mostly about sweaters this month.)  Instead of telling you about sweater knitting, I'm complaining about sharing the other knitting in my life.

The sock pictured is for Smith and he's a bit anxious for the pair to be finished.  The knitting, however, just isn't going very quickly and I think the reason why is the metal needles.  They are hard to handle, mainly because they have no give and, in turn, make my hands ache.  Knitting socks just isn't as much fun on metal as it is with bamboo.  Sadly, I don't think it's a good idea to change mid-knit, so I'll stick it out.  This will be my last pair of socks with metal needles, however.  I do love the way the colors spiral down the leg and the lack of pooling at the heel...the stripping is much more  handsome and now, it spiraling down the foot.  Let's hope the second sock works the same way (and that I don't run out of yarn).

The other project that's going v.e.r.y slowly (and not only because it doesn't get much attention) is the Portrait Scarf from Knitting Classic Style.  I'm totally in love with the yarn, hand-dyed by Anne for Wooly Wonka, but the lace pattern is fiddly on 4 needles. Knitting lace in a tube isn't exactly easy and decreasing for one section, increasing for the next, which creates the undulating affect, makes it even more fiddly.  The construction is ingenious and will make a gorgeous finished product...but the process isn't as much fun as I'd like it to be.  This knit will be about the product (which I want very much) and I will survive...the scarf will thrive.   

Another thing to love about October is Rhinebeck!  I'm seriously sad that I can't be there this year (2008, here I come!) to hang out with 'my people', fiber grrlfriends from near and far.  Fresh memories of our wonderful vacation to Arizona are the only reason I'm not in a state of tears. I can't help but think about EZ's words "Knit on with confidence and hope, through all crisis."  And while this isn't really a crisis...I will Knit On!  For those of you not heading to Rhinebeck...you'll get the sweater report tomorrow.

Lotsa Socks

Jane had a Show Your Socks Contest last year, and this year, she's reprising it with a twist.  It's very easy…just show the first sock and the last (latest) sock you've knit.  If you've just knit your first pair of socks they could be the same pair, right!?  If you don't have the first pair (my first pair was 1993-4), don't worry. Jane is being very generous with her interpretations of "first and last" and she's very generous with her prizes, too!  Did you know she's knit 93 pair, so far?!  I'm not sure how many socks I've knit in the past 13-14 years, but I don't think it totals that many.

Since the first pair I knit is no longer in existence, I've gone with the two oldest pair in my sock drawer.  Both pair were knit before I knew much about knitting socks in general and let's just say much has been learned since that time. The blue sock is from a mystery cotton denim yarn in a mystery pattern. The socks are hell to wear; hard, uncomfortable, stiff and almost painful on the feet.  The other sock is one I tackled before I knew much about two color knitting, but I did an OK job of it. It's the Finnish Sock from Folk Socks.  I have no idea what the yarn was, but it wasn't a good fit for the socks and I don't wear them much...thus they still exhist. It's a cotton/wool blend if memory serves. 

My newest (latest) pair is another pair of Monkey's (my third), in STR Mist, started while visiting with good pals, as an easy, peasy project.

Socks have not been my number one choice of projects lately...I'm feeling a little socked out, but there will always be a pair on the needles even if they don't get much attention.  However, I did knit several pair in the last few months and will enjoy wearing them now that the weather is cooling down.

From the top clockwise:  Monkey the First, Monkey the Second, Loksins!, Thelonious, Jaywalkers, and a simple Picot Sock.

Now it's your turn to show Jane your socks...go for it!

Eni Meany Miney Mo

Catch a socky by the toe...NOT knit it by the toe (you should know I'm completely inept at that). 

To get a handle on the sock problem around here I cast on for ALL three second socks.  Do you think that oughta do it!?  The goal is to have all three complete by the end of September and I'm wondering if  I should  knit on each one in turn or concentrate on finishing one at a time?   I could almost knit socks and lace forever more, but I do love a sweater from time to time.  Anyway...

In a fabulous feat of knitting prowess I was able to perrrrfectly match the beginning of the second Neapolitan sock...see how the picots are exactly exact!?  This yarn has a veerrry long repeat which went all the way down the leg and just past the heel.  With a big foot like mine, it really didn't take much to find the spot needed to start the second sock.

  I have decided to drop out of the SCFO because three socks on the needles is more than enough. Plus, it's time for someone else to get a pair of socks. Debi and Lisa, both told me I had to try Smooshy yarn and that took me down the rosy path to a stash purchase . I've been SO good, only shopping my stash (on Ravelry) lately, but Debi said Smith would love Vino Veritas (left) and I just fell hard for Gothic Rose (right), as I was looking through SSYC's Smooshy colors.  The next socks in my knitting queue (after the three for me are finished) will be two pair for Smith...a little guilt may be involved and yes, I did say 2 pair! One sock will be in a gorgeous Deepest Forest, by Fearless Fibers, and the other will be in Smooshy.  A good guy deserves good socks, eh?

Half a Pair Trio

What's got into me?  Has this ever happened? Three, that's three socks that have no mates. What we have here is not second sock syndrome...its delusions of grandeur!  Too many fun socks to knit, so little time (this seems to be my mantra for so many things lately).  The Neapolitan Sock (Trekking yarn) has been a kick to knit. Whenever I'm working on it in public (usually I'm knitting with other knitters) everyone has to comment on what fun it is and how it looks like ice cream or candy.  It's very eye catching and just plain fun. Last week I told you about finishing the first Shockwave out of my handspun and today I must tell you about my love for Ruby.  Ruby My Dear aka Thelonious is the apple of my eye.

Ruby has so many wonderful qualities from the tip of her toe to the top of her cuff. First let's look at thesubtle shading of reds in her yarn.  Judy did a smashing job of dyeing a red so rich and true with deeper reds in the undertones.  It really is exceptional. Smith proclaims often how much he loves the color. Not only do I love the color (and the texture) of the yarn...I love the pattern and the way the design travels around the leg and down the foot.  This sock has been pure entertainment to knit, even if I do need to refer to the chart often.  The lace pattern starts in four places on the cuff and travels diagonally down the leg, intersecting and then crossing over, to travel down the foot.  It's really ingenious the way CookieA adds and subtracts rib stitches to create the movement.

The ribbing is constant, yet changing, and helps to insure the sock will fit (pattern is in three sizes).  It's so cool to see the ribbing come and go, end and begin, as the lace panel works down the sock.  If you look at the front of the leg and the top of the foot you'll see the ribbing and lace fit well together.  Don't you love it?  I do!

I do believe the second Ruby will be knit before any other sock as I do so love this pattern and the yarn.  However, I have been thinking it's time for Smith's next pair of socks and tomorrow I should pick another yarn from my SCFO.  Hmmmm, whatever will I do?

Can’t Quit Them

It may not be all about sweaters around here...rest assured, sock knitting will never be abandon. First of all there is my love for Ruby.  Ruby My Dear, my rendition of Thelonious, isn't the type of sock you can pack around and knit while in a social setting. It takes chart watching, careful watching of just where you are in the pattern, and careful marking of the rows as you go.  It's work! Fun work, good knitting work, but work nonetheless.  The slow going is well worth the effort as the pattern is intriguing and unique. The first Ruby should be off the needles tonight and the second sock should go more quickly as the pattern, and how it works, is now in my head.  Judy's Tulip yarn was a good for the pattern with its subtle shades of red. 

I came >< this close to frogging the Strawberry Fields Shockwave Sock, but when I slipped it on my foot to see how it felt and looked, I was nicely surprised.  It fit well, felt good, looked great, AND was ready for a toe!   I finished it off and will start the second sock soon.   Spinning for socks will take a bit more practice as this yarn isn’t wonderful.  Next time I won't get so carried away and ply so tightly.

The Neapolitan sock had a bit of attention on Tuesday, but it's mostly relegated to social knitting and I don't expect it to grow much...it's very nice, easy knitting when a mindless project is in order, however.  I DO love me some sock knitting and it's true...I just can't quit them.

Last night we had a gully washer, rolling thunderstorm, with loads of lightning, boil up over our end of the Salt Lake Valley.  It happened just before I headed to bed and it was so delightful to listen to the patter of the rain, the rumbling thunder that went on and on, and to also hear the chirp of crickets through it all.  Nature is a wonder and falling asleep to the sound of water and cool moist air was very relaxing. Thanks mother nature, we needed that

Today is Anne's birthday!  I hope you can come up for air, friend and have a wonderful day!

Tomorrow I'm spending the day at the Wool Pack Spinning Retreat. Hopefully it will be drier (no rain and less humidity) than that last few days. Hanging out with accomplished knitters will be a blast!  See you next week.

Socks and Yarn Galore

Thank you for the lovely compliments on the sunset pictures. Antelope Island is such an amazing, unusual place and we hope to make another trip when it cools off.  It will likely be over 100 the rest of the week....too dry (we're burning up!), too hot, too hard to take, so we hibernate as much as possible, which should make some good knitting time!

Much knitting did take place this weekend and I wasted no time before jumping at the chance to knit with the lovely Malabrigo that Renee sent in my swap package last week. (She has also received the gift box I sent to her and I think she liked it!)  I confess to falling so in love with the gorgeous yarn that Scout dyed, at my request and with Renee in mind, so I had to have a skein for myself!  This is Glorious Morning Glory and it is so soft, so beautiful...thank you Scout!

The Malabrigo Chunky hat was a very quick project that I enjoy whipping up Friday evening while waiting for Smith to come home and make up a batch of martinis.  (It was a quiet and enjoyable evening and I was pampered quite a bit.) It is easy to see why Malabrigo has such a large fan club! It is a very soft, delightful wool that knits up beautifully.  The little hat only took about 2 hours and I put into every stitch a prayer for the niece to be. A fancy ultrasound showed that she should be fine and her problem will likely resolve itself after she is born...due date late August.  The whole family heaved a sigh of relief, but I still filled the hat with prayers and good thoughts of a little grrl growing up healthy and happy. Since Moxie was not willing to model, I made Max take his place (and yes, I do feel a little silly using a stuffed dog to show off this cute hat, but I did it anyway).

Sunday I reached into the SCFO bag and picked the yarn for July's sock (never mind that I already have another sock on the needles).  I was SO pleased to see Judy's Tulip sock yarn, as I had a pattern in mind for it already.  I'm a big Monk fan and, just so you know, many of his recordings have 'blue' in the title (Claudia said awhile back that there was too much blue knitting going on around here), I mean A LOT of his tunes...but, he did write one song for his wife, Ruby My Dear.  So, meet my soon to be Thelonious sock, Ruby.  Judy has a knack for dyeing and the vibrant red changes very subtlety with each stitch.  It should be a good match with CookieA's pattern.

Thelonious is a pattern that demands your full attention as every single row has something new happenin'...just like jazz music.  After a few rows I did get into the rhythm and enjoyed watching the stitches shift and move.  I'm now knitting without missing a beat.

Serendipitously more of Judy's sock yarn arrived in my mail box.  This lovely Sunrise will be perfect for Marigold,  and the other color...well, you'll just have to wait and see.

I plugged away on the Strawberry Fields Shock Wave and I must confess that I'm not a big fan of my handspun.  It's over-spun and hard in spots and while the sock looks fine, it just isn't all that fun to knit.  I need to practice spinning better sock yarn.  However, the sock continues to grow and the pair will be finished (at some point).

Neena (yes, I know she doesn't blog much these days) will be here this evening and we plan some Holiday fun.  Not much blogging will happen this week (pictures are planned and that's about it), but I do expect someone to win the comment contest, and Kim's Iggy Pop, by the end of the week.

How'd That Happen?

So, you do realize that Sunday is the first day of July, right?  JULY!  July 4th, the quintessential day of summer is this Wednesday...then it's all down hill from there.  How does time go by so quickly? Must stay in the present and enjoy every day of summer, even days when it's extra hot.  I have been knitting, just not as much as I'd like and with varying results - details next week. 

When I bought yarn from Kim for the comment contest, I actually bought this colorway, Rosemary & Thyme, to give away and the Iggy Pop to keep for myself.  When it came right down to it, it was harder to give away this color than it was Iggy. Isn't it beautiful?

I think I know what happened...it was after seeing Anne's finished Pond Scum socks that I changed my mind.  Rosemary and Thyme should make a perfect pair of Pond Scums, eh? Because Kim's yarn  is so nice...I just had to spread the love and decided, with a bit of a sigh, that Iggy needed a new home.  I also bought some of Judy's yarn to make Pam's  Marigold Socks. So much yarn, so many fabulous patterns, so, so, sooo little time!  Umm, yeah, I know...not very Zen.   

As I was making breakfast (while thinking about Megan's fabulous Fiberlicious Flickr group), I noticed that Iggy was the same color as a red onion.  Thus, my first Fiberlicious picture!

And since it is Flower Friday...pictures of beautiful lilies that my neighbor planted. I had no idea they could grow in our dry climate or be as beautiful as they are.

(They grow larger if you click.)

Have a wonderful weekend...get out and take a hike!

Before the Summer of Socks Began...

I knit Monkeys.

Monkey Dos* are done...fini....off the needles. It was just as fun to knit the second pair as it was to knit the first and I made the same modification...a picot cuff (and my toe is slightly longer).  This is my last Monkey. There are just TOO MANY fabulous sock patterns to be knit. A long row of sock yarn, avec patterns, sits on the floor of my 'fiber studio'. In addition, Sunday will be the first day of my Sock Club for One!  It's already time to pick a package from the wrapped up yarns in the sock club bag.  This is truly turning into the summer of socks and I wish for the ability to knit faster! (Yes, I know IT IS the process and I do enjoy it, but the desire to knit so many different patterns has me wishing the process was faster. Not very Zen, I know.)

Speaking of the Summer of Socks...

Meet Shock Wave, knit with my very own Strawberry Fields (Spunky Club) handspun. While spinning, I wasn't that careful about spacing the color changes and I'm sure the socks will be fraternal, but so far the sock looks pretty good!  I've heard it said the little joins that happen when you ply in chained singles will disappear in the fabric of knitting and I am finding it to be true.  Knitting with this tightly spun yarn is much like knitting with any other sock yarn, except it's not quite as perfect.  It lets me know it is MY yarn - yarn spun by my hand, a humble yarn that meets the need and fills the heart with the happiness of a job well done.

*Monkey2 is knit with Red Rock Canyon STR and took about 1 week...you gotta love that!

June 21st - First Day of Summer

There has been a  flurry of knitting going on in the Garden of Zen.  So far this month I've finished two pair of socks, a third pair is well on the way, FJ is near completion (and behaving) and Hidcote could see the finish line shortly (maybe).

Today is the first day of summer and, therefore, the first day of Summer of Socks.  This big summer event and KAL demands a special sock, a special beginning.  To wit, I’m knitting with my first true good handspun sock yarn…Strawberry Fields (from the Spunky Club). The yarn is from a Corriedale roving that I plied in chained singles. It's going to be interesting to watch the color change as I had no plan when I spun or plied.  The pattern is one I came across some time ago on Abigail's blog called Shock Wave and it should break up the color in an interesting way.  I'm raring to go and will start today as early as possible.

Once the Loksins! were finished, I did some (more) Monkeying around.  The second Monkeys are as addictive as the first pair and I predict another quick knit. The yarn is STR in the colorway Red Rock Canyon and it does a good job of mimicking the colors of the red rock canyons in So. Utah. One sock is complete, the second should come along quickly.

2007 seems to be all about socks. This wasn't my intention at the beginning of the year, but it's the way the cookie is crumbling.  There should still be a sweater or two this year and, hopefully, a shawl or two.  However, sock production will be way up (or at least it appears that way at the mid point of 2007).  Because of the Summer of Socks KAL I've decided on a few patterns I'd like to knit over the next few months.  In no particular order here are a few in my queue.

Embossed Leaves from Favorite Socks- This has been on my 'to knit' list for years and I have the yarn ready to go. It's Nature's Palette by Hand Jive in Odd Duck.
Also in the queue, is Anne's Summer Fun Sock. This might be moving up the queue as soon as I decide on a yarn.  It's a simple and elegant style which I love!  ETA: This CTH Purple is just perfect, so this sock just moved up my queue! (Hmmmm, looks like my sock knitting is going from blues to purples.)

Another sock is Whisper Lace Socks (there is also has a free pattern, Chain Lace Sock, which you can access from the same post) designed by Rachel. The pattern isn't quite ready, but the socks are fabulous! Choice of yarn has yet to be decided, but I'm dreaming of something in a soft orange.

Anne (WoolyWonka/Ewe-tah Grrl) has a beautiful new sock kit, Ceilidh (pronounced "kay-leigh"). It should be very pretty in the Seashell colorway she's offering.

This is only a the very beginnings of my loooooong list of socks to be.  Other yarns and ideas are bouncing around in my head at about a mile a minute.  So many socks...so little time. 

I've been keeping a queue of future projects on Ravelry and also, have entered much of my stash yarn.  This is such a big help in keeping track of what's on the needles and what's on the 'to knit' list. It has also helped me stay out of the on-line shops (to some extent) as I can shop in MY stash.  Many of you are still waiting for an invite to Ravelry and I promise it will be worth the wait.  You can check out many of the features in the preview and, if you're already a member, you might consider giving a bit of a donation to help keep it growing.

One Sock at a Time

This is the first Loksins! sock on Friday afternoon.

This is the first Loksins! Saturday afternoon.

This is the first Loksins! during cocktail hour the same day.

This is the first Loksins! just before dinner.

This sock is fun to knit, as something new happens on every row.  I LOVE the yarn, Reynolds Soft Sea Wool, it's stretchy and makes a very comfortable sock! I really love the color, hand dyed by MOI!  A few minor modifications were made:  The cuff was started with 6 rows of stockinette stitch to make a rolled edge, the heel flap was made longer to accommodate my high instep, and the toe is one of my favorites, the Purl Swirl Toe. Just so you know, I can knit a swirled toe perfectly, even after two martinis.  Second Loksins! will be my Estes Park knitting...hopefully progress will be as quick!

Sock Club for One (or Socks, Socks, Always Socks)*

Many on-line yarn stores, indie-yarn dyers, and fiber producers have sock clubs. There are more clubs very day and every single one looks like loads of fun.  So many sock yarns…so little time!  Even a constant sock knitter can't keep up with all the wonderful yarns, colors and patterns.  Yes, it is part of 'collecting', just having and enjoying the yarn as it is, but it's also overload for my mind, my budget and the time I have available.

In an effort to curb my desire to join every sock club that comes along, I've decided to start my own.  A Sock Club for One, as it were. Yes, I The largish sock stash, which is not as big as some, is still more than I can knit in a couple of years.  Lately the additions have been infrequent but, on occasion, they still happen. It takes something special to get me to buy. However, there always seems to be something special!   Sundara’s Cherry Blossom was one, Loopy Ewe's exclusive Claudia's Handpaint in Peppermint Mocha another, and SSYC Exclusive CTH was also irresistible.  Can you see what attracts me (as if you didn't already know)?  Yeah, lately it's pink or red, for the most part. The stash is multi-colored and I should get out of my pink/red rut more often.

A Sock Club for One has been created in order to (try and) change my behavior (like you can do that at my age), to do something about said stash and to abate my desire to acquire. Yes, I do realize you may find this silly and that I'm just trying to delude myself.  I'm rather good at delusions and I'm going to try it anyway. I've picked a few lovely skeins, all different yarns (and colors), and have wrapped them up in pretty paper.  On the first day of every month (I started on June 1st), I'll pick one package at random. What? You think I'll remember what's in each package? You give me too much credit. I have already forgotten!

I'm not saying there will be NO acquisitioning, that would be silly of me (and undoable).  This is just an effort to remind myself of all I have, all that is mine already, and have some fun doing it.  My sock choice for June (this is the only one I chose 'sight seen') is Cassie's Loksins!! and my newly dyed Blue-tiful yarn.  Since I'm rather new to this dyeing thing, I didn't realize how the dye job would knit up. It's seems to be spiraling a bit, but the colors are close and it isn't too distracting for the pattern (at least I think it's OK).  Cassie's pattern is interesting knitting and it's going to make a pretty sock.  I did add a few rows for a tiny rolled cuff, but the jury is out on if I like it or not.

The first Jaywalker knit with Vesper Yarns (Midnight Knitter colorway) has been finished. Smith asked where the batteries fit and I'm not sure he was kidding.  Youza-zouza! It is a bit electric eye catching, eh?

*The title is something my boss said to me the other day when he saw Cassie's sock on my computer monitor. He's a very good guy.

Remember the comment contest I have going on until 30,000 comments has been reached? Well, 28,000 should happen some time this week. Just sayin'.

Monkey See Monkey Do

Everyday, during my very short lunch (half) hour, I knit. The project this month has been the Spiral Boot Socks, which I'm loving, both the yarn and the pattern. Talk about easy knitting. But, as happens so often in this Knit Blogland of ours, Cara's monkeying around has persuaded me that I too need to have a Monkey on my back.  The Spiral socks won't be abandon and I will NOT knit more than one pair of Monkey's, but I've just hadta start a pair now.  While talking to Cara about Monkey socks, we decided that, like her Jaywalkers, Monkey's would also look great with a picot cuff.  So, that's what I did and, before I knew it, Monkey business was taking over my life!  Don't you think it appropriate that my yarn is STR January One?   I thought so!

Music has been a part of my life since the beginning.  All music!  Classical, Big Band Jazz and Broadway musicals made up the sound track of my childhood. The Beatles came along about the time I started to pick my own music (and you know how they changed the world) and then, the Rolling Stones came along and I fell hard.  I was (still am) a big, big Stones fan...BIG (yes, I know that proves I'm old).  I had every album on vinyl and now have most of them on CD.  To wit...Monkey Man has been bouncing around in my head for DAYS!  I can't shake, it has become part and parcel with the Monkey sock...the Monkey's that go everywhere I go. The pattern is as fun to knit, as Cara said it was...addicting...completely addicting....I'm a monkey woman....m-m-m-monkey grrl!

As to the yarn?  Oh my goddess, I am in love!!  I've knit with STR before and this time I'm not talking about how nice the yarn is...I'm talkin' COLOR baybee...COLOR!!  The intensity of color is as intense as Cara's love of knitting, of miters, of Jaywalkers, of Monkey's (perhaps now crochet?)...it is intense, deep and beautiful.   JO is made up of MY favorite colors, and I do believe, I need to knit a sweater with it.  I DO, I'm gonzo for it, crazy for it...addicted to it. I'm a January One woman...j-j-j-January One grrl! 

Well I am just a monkey man grrl.
I'm glad you are a monkey, monkey woman grrl
Monkey woman grrl too, babe!
I'm a m-m-monkey!
I'm a monkey!
I'm a monkey man grrl! 

The Beauty of Blue Socks

My plan was to cast on for a quick and dirty beautiful sock for myself once the Bloomin' Feet socks were finished.  The plan was brought up short by the great yarn winding disaster of 2007.  Some how the skein must have been tangled by the manufacturer when it was wound.  I've been working on untangling it for two days.  Every once in awhile I need to walk away as the scissors sitting near become very tempting. The idea of blue/green spaghetti sized bits of yarn has stopped me from picking them up....I want socks, not yarn spaghetti.   I am hoping that by the time this pair of socks is off the needles (or at this rate even ON the needles) that I will no longer be in need of warm socks.  This is a yummy, squooshy, bouncy yarn that Judyakathegoddess left with me before she headed South. Fiesta Boomerang is new enough that I had a hard time finding a link, but I think it's going to be pretty popular. It's BIG yarn and I expect (oh dear no expectations, please) to be finished quiet quickly, IF I ever get the yarn into a ball.

Remember the cute little Park City Cabin from this post? Well, Birdsong looked up and it's only $1,095,000.  You can check it out here.  Just thought it would be worth sharing with those of you who have big tax refunds to spend! Oh my, oh my...you know that poor little cabin will continue to be unloved.

Several of you have commented on the rocks I use as a back drop in my photos.  They are in the Garden of Zen on my patio.  The garden needs a good cleaning and the edging needs to be replaced. We're also considering a bamboo trellis with a climbin vine.  As soon as it warms up a bit we'll make it a weekend project. 

So, the BF socks are finished!   I'm also working on a little surprise to included in the package and I might just send it out next week...a wee bit early as I'm too excited to hang on 'til the end of the month.

click it

Pattern: Ellen's Sock from Folk Socks Knitting in Estonia* by Nancy Bush ETA: Thanks Rebecca for the correction.
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill - Special Blues
KAL: Bloomin’ Feet Sock Exchange
Time to Knit: 2-26-07 - 4-11-07

I'll be knitting the blues this weekend.  Have a good one!

SocKnittin'

Let's talk socks...

Is there any doubt that knitting socks is one of my favorite things to do?  I'm not talking about favorite things to knit, but one of my favorite things in general.  Do you think that's true of many knitters in or out of Blogland? 

I didn't learn to knit socks from Nancy Bush, but I give her credit for giving me the passion to knit socks.  Her books, classes and local rock star status, brought sock knitting to Salt Lake City in a big way.  It's hard to remember the dates, but I think I started knitting socks around 1995 and by 1997 I constantly had a sock on the needles.  Even when my main focus of crafting was embroidery, a sock in progress was my traveling companion, lunch time project, and general distraction from tiny, exacting embroidery. 

My sock drawer holds many hand knit socks, and even a few skeletons of socks that can no longer be worn but can't quite be eighty-sixed.  When you have a large number of socks it means no sock is worn often enough to wear out quickly and, therefore, some of my socks could be called vintage.

The main reason I have always had a sock on the needles is the entertainment factor.  Few of us find the turning of a heel, even the 100th heel we've turned, less than magical and certainly never mundane.  Even sufferers of SSS* don't stop knitting socks; they just pick up a different sock and continue to knit. Sock knitters rarely knit the same pattern twice or the same colorway of yarn more than once. 

The variety of colors, yarns and patterns is unending for the addicted sock knitter. Sock knitting, with all its accoutrement, can be nirvana and a sock can easily be made personally and uniquely your own.

As I knit with my own handspun, and consider spinning more yarn for socks, my thoughts turn to all the suggestions and advice given by spinners.  Some say that Navajo plying doesn't hold up for the long haul or that certain breeds of wool aren't as good as others.  Some say the socks you wear need to match your other clothing, or that hand knit socks should stand out in an ‘in your face’ way.  There are nearly as many opinions as there are sock knitters. 

Our sock knitting isn't done as a necessity to survive. Today we can have warm toes without knitting socks. Purchased socks are not only as good as, or maybe even better for warmth and durability, but are often less expensive.  The main reason we knit socks is the love of knitting and the love of color and texture…at least that’s my opinion.  Therefore, I don’t really care how long a sock will wear, if the number of ply is 2 or 6, how the plying is executed, or even what the fiber content of the sock yarn is (other than it's got to be wool or wool blend).  It’s all about knitting something my feet love to wear, knitting something my hands love to do, doing something endlessly entertaining, and it’s about sharing a passion.

Give me a sock and I’ll 'knit on' forever.

*Second sock syndrome

Variety is the Spice of Life

Friday night I did spin with the Friday Night Spinners and right away it was easy to see that the bunny fluff was goi