FO: Cinema Socks

Well, December is here at last, and I feel like I really ought to have more Giftmas knitting done than I do (which is ridiculous-I have half of one present done, another won't take more than two hours, and the yarn for the last two is en route, so really, I'm in fantastic shape for the shape I'm in). But despite the frenzy of trying not to fall behind before we get too far into December, and tying up 2015, and planning the next few designs, I did somehow manage to finally finish a pair of socks for myself, and just in time for wool sock weather!

After almost eleven months on the needles, these bad boys are done! As I was finishing them up, I realized that this is only my second pair of socks knit this year (the first being my mum's birthday socks), which is kind of sad, given that I used to be such a prolific sock-knitter. I love my knit socks, and I have an entire bag of sock yarn in stash that's dedicated for socks, and I really had hoped that I would have gotten more pairs done this year. I guess that's something to keep in mind as I'm planning my 2016 knitting goals. (I think the solution to my sock problem is to go out to the movies more. I must experiment and report back.)

These are just basic cuff-down socks, using the Yarn Harlot's Recipe, which is always my go-to. The yarn was a dream too-I love how Patons Kroy knits up for socks, and I know these are going to be a fantastic cozy addition to my sock box.

Ravelry Page: Cinema Socks

Pattern: Sock Recipe: A Good, Plain Sock by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Yarn: Patons North America Kroy Socks Ragg Shades "Blue Striped Ragg"

WIP: Cinema Socks

Oh man, I thought I'd never get the first sock of these done! I haven't really been going to a whole lot of movies this year, and while I took the sock with me to Minnesota back in March, I hadn't really gotten much more work done on it. Last weekend my brother and I went to Jurassic World, though, and the end of the first sock just flew off the needles.

Then on Wednesday night, my mum and I went to see Spy, and I got half the leg of the second sock done! See, when I actually go to the cinema, I make progress on the Cinema Socks. I don't mind having these drag on in the background, though. If I don't have a good cinema project already started before I go to a movie, I'm rushing trying to get a couple of rounds done before the lights go out so I can just cruise along in the dark. And while sometimes I lose interest on projects that I haven't worked on in weeks, I know that these are just for working on at the movies, so there's no pressure to work on them any other time.

I'm still in love with this yarn-I love how Patons Kroy works up in my favorite needles, and I absolutely love the stripes in this colorway. Since I started the first sock right after last Xmas, I should be pretty set to have the pair finished sometime in the next six months :)

FO: Shelves Upon Shelves

I let these go too long and started resenting them pretty hard for not being done (I know, if I would just actually knit the socks they would be done, and I wouldn't resent them). Now that they're done I absolutely adore them.

Those colors. Those floats. Sheer perfection. They were a joy to knit, and I got pretty much the whole second foot done in one day once I picked them up again.

I wore them one day on my vacation with my Birkenstocks (bad heel blisters=no real shoes) and the sole of the first one has already almost worn through, so I'm super pissed about that. I don't know if it was the Birkenstocks, or the yarn, or what, but I haven't had this problem before. Thankfully, it doesn't look like it actually tore through anywhere, so once I get them cleaned I'll see about reinforcing the soles. Anyway, they were lovely once they were finished, and hopefully I'll be able to salvage them so I get lots more wear out of them. Will keep you posted!

Ravelry Page: Shelves Upon Shelves

Pattern: Shelves Upon Shelves, Erica Lueder

Yarn: Red Heart Heart & Sole, "Watercolor Stripe"

WIP: Shelves Upon Shelves

My current pair of socks has been kicking around in my purse since the end of August. I love this pattern, and I love the colors in the yarn. The first sock was done in three days, but since then I've only managed to work a couple of rounds at a time on the second one.

Once these are done, I think they'll be a favorite pair. I don't know if I've ever matched a pattern to a yarn so well-I love how the horizontal lines work with the stripes. I'm a bit worried about how these will hold up-I worry about the durability of the long floats, but these are certainly going to be very pretty, and I'm having a lot of fun knitting them.

I am Not a Yeti

I have small feet. They're oddly shaped, and difficult to fit, but they are not large. I know this.
Apparently I have trouble remembering how small my feet are. I remember that they're wide, and stubby, and have high arches, but not that they're a couple sizes below average.
I got this book for Easter in 2012.  I love this book, and it you ever knit socks, or ever want to knit socks, or just want to think deep thoughts about knitting socks, you need to read this book. Anyway, I devoured this book. I read every page, and then since I'd never done toe-up socks before I decided to knit Darjeeling, by Cat Bordhi. I knit a few inches, and then put them aside until I could sit down with the instructions to do the heel shaping.

I picked it up a few days ago, and spent an entire day knitting the heel shaping-increases and decreases. I got the whole foot done, and as I was knitting I thought to myself, "this looks a little big." But I decided that since I was following the instructions exactly and I'd never done toe-up socks before, that I'd keep going and see if it worked itself out. I was charting new territory, and I was fearless.
I got halfway through the heel shaping and thought again, "yes, these are definitely going to be too big." I decided to accommodate by knitting the small heel on an otherwise medium sock. "This should work," I thought, and I felt that I was being very clever.

The sock is a full inch too long. On top of that, it's got almost an inch of positive ease around the circumference of my foot. I have to rip it back and start over again. I'm frustrated, because these have been on the needles for so long, but I want to do work that I'm proud of, which means that after a bit of a timeout and a drink, it will need to be redone.

**Remember: 20% off in my Ravelry Store through 9/9 with coupon code "HB24"**

FO: Midsummer Night's Dream

Ta-da!  I finished these with time to spare, which almost never happens!  I kitchenered the second toe on Sunday evening and gifted them on Tuesday.  The first time I saw this pattern, I knew that I had to knit them for my mum since she loves gardening so much.

The yarn is Malabrigo Yarn Sock, colorway Lettuce.  I bought three skeins of this stuff from my "local" yarn store (it's an hour away, but it was my LYS when I was a student, and I go back every time I'm in the city) last summer.  I have big plans for the other two skeins, but I figured I could spare a pair of socks' worth for these.  This isn't the fist time I've knit with this yarn, but it's the first time I've made socks with it, and the result is divine.  These are so buttery and soft that I almost had to keep them for myself!

My mum loves them, and she's actually looking forward to autumn so she can wear them.  I reworked the chart to knit from the top-down, and I'm pretty pleased with how they came out.  I love the leaf motif, and I think the pattern works really well with this yarn.  They were a ton of fun to knit, and pretty easy, once I had the chart figured out. 

FO: Mother's Day Socks

Ta-Da!  These babies were done just in time for Mother's Day and what looks like is going to be a week-long cold spell, so Mum was very glad for them.

These socks went all over the place, too.  They came to Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier, two band concerts, and several evenings at the bar.

These are my go-to sock pattern: the Yarn Harlot's Sock Recipe for top-down, with my favorite heel flap (garter-edged eye of partridge-I think it's so charming, and in hand-painted yarn it has an almost mosaic effect).  

Ravelry Link

Flashback: First Socks

I was an ambitious new knitter.  I knit two dishcloths, then started on my first pair of socks.  Overall, this is a pretty solid pair.  They're the same size, the heels aren't crooked, the knitting is even.  The biggest problem is that they're too small for me.  I followed a pattern on a free flyer exactly (60sts on US2 needles) and my gauge didn't match the pattern, so the sock circumference isn't wide enough for me.  I also overestimated the stretch that the knitting would have, and the feet are a little short.

My own personal favorite, though, is the botched toe.  It's tough to see here, but the kitchener stitch is done on the wrong side.  See, when I started knitting these, the knitting fell so that I was knitting the socks inside out.  I had no idea that you weren't supposed to knit socks inside out, so when I reached the directions for kitchener stitch, I followed them exactly.  Et voila, an inside-out kitchener.  I love it.  Of all the things that could possibly go wrong in a pair of socks, it was the kitchener stitch that got me.

 

FO: Watermelon Socks

Two fruity, woolly, bundles of fun.

These socks went everywhere:

I can't remember the last time I had this much fun knitting a pair of socks. They were by far the most popular bar/choir knitting I've had in a long time.  I love how bright and clean the colors are.

I usually don't bother cutting my yarn so that self striping socks match, because I really don't care that much.  But I did try to start the second sock at the same point in the yarn as the first, since these are for someone else.  And if I only knit one pair of perfectly matched striped socks in my life, at least they're watermelons.  I ended up being off by about half a round or so, I think, which is pretty darn good.

Hopefully their recipient is as charmed by them as I am!

Pattern: Sock Recipe, by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Needles: US2 Boye DPNs

Yarn: Hand Dyed Self Striping Watermelon Sock Yarn

Ravelry Page

WIP: Watermelon Socks

I was at a local Fiber Arts Camp/Retreat a few weeks ago and made several new friends.  One woman and I set up a sort of mini-swap just between us two.  See, she doesn't knit socks, but she had this fabulous yarn:

It's from Abi Grasso's Etsy and it is magical.

After some discussion, we decided that she would get this yarn to me and I would knit it into beautiful socks.  When I'm done, I'll send them back to her and she will send me a ball winder.  (It's a bit of an unconventional swap.  But I really want a ball winder, she has an extra one, and I love knitting socks. Everybody wins.)

This yarn is so much fun to knit up.  The first sock has been a real hit around town:

I've been working on a Top Sekrit knitting project that you'll get to see here really soon, so my relationship with these socks hasn't been entirely monogamous.  I've got about half the foot left on Sock #1, but the Top Sekrit will be done soon, and I'll churn these bad boys out in a couple of nights at the bar and in church.  Then the magic ball winder will be mine, and I'll be able to wind ALL the yarn!