Queen of Socks

Which Ewe Are You?

2009-06-11T20:29:00.003-06:00

A fun quiz from Potter Craft. You can take the quiz by clicking here.

Greetings in the New Year

2009-01-05T21:47:00.002-07:00

Well, I've been away for ever-so-long, haven't I? But, not because I wasn't knitting. I was simply busy blogging everywhere else! But I hope to catch up soon, and thank Ravelry for getting me back over here to post. I mean, it's quite silly to leave a knitting blog link over there, and then have my new friends land on a boring old rag of a blog that shows nothing new.

So stay tuned, and may you have hope and good plans in the new year. And may you live in uninteresting times. :)

My favorite baby gift

2008-06-15T19:36:00.006-06:00

I've given away quite a few of these combinations, and here's another package that went to one of our favorite local farmers, from whom we buy raw milk.. The yarn is Meilenweit Multieffekt by Lana Grossa... typical sock yarn chosen for the bright colors. I won't mention from whom it was purchased because I was extremely irritated at how long it took to arrive, no response to my email query, and then an excuse that ...... but, I babble on.

Here's a shot of the finished socks. I call them the Terrible Twos Tootsies. I loved the way the striping turned out. I knit one sock with thread pulled from the inside of the ball, and the second sock from the outside, thus reversing the striping order, and switching the order of the red and yellow stripes.

The bird is a special treat and you can see the entire collection at Ouray Toys where I buy them. Great service from these people. You can order online. The birds are by the Audubon Society and have authentic bird calls built-in. Just squeeze the back-end. My favorite, of course, is the Meadowlark, since they're our backyard bird around here.

A Tiny Bit More Stash Enhancement

2008-05-22T11:42:00.003-06:00

Some KnitPicks yarn and a set of their very wonderful double-pointed needles.

Learning socks

2008-05-18T16:13:00.006-06:00

Sometimes, one gets good enough at a few things, that it's time for some new learning. I made a few pairs of socks recently that were such learning projects. I decided the wool wasn't risky, and I wanted to try some new stitches, so I experimented on each sock. Neither match each other in stitch pattern, but who will notice? Here are some peeks:

These are cable patterns that don't require a cable needle. You'll find them in any stitch pattern book.

I like this variation of the baby cable best, and I think hubbo will get a pair using this stitch sometime in the future. Best of all, no cable needles required.

The best shoes

2008-04-18T16:25:00.000-06:00

Knitters often quiz each other on what shoes they like best to show off their hand-knits. Well, I don't know if these really show things off in a big and bold way, but we love boiled-wool Haflingers especially in the winter months. These shoes are enormously warm, lightweight, and offer fine sole-support. We wear them indoors and out. Here are the Haflis we got for Christmas presents:

I think they show off enough of the sock to call it a good presentation, don't you?

Kitty Knits

2008-03-14T07:07:00.001-06:00

What's that, Queen Mum? Is there anything in there for us? Is it fun?

Why yes, my sweet little ones. We have mice and other fun things for you. Just watch while we knit these clever little creatures all in one piece, starting from the tail, working our way to the bobble ears, and on to the tip of the nose. Too clever, simply too, and each mouse takes less than an hour!

And fuzzy balls filled with roving and catnip for my good little mousers.

Now what's on the needles? A paw for the clever door hanger. It was so much easier to increase stitches switching to a smaller needle for two rows.

And here it is, with a face even the Queen Mum couldn't love! Ah, well, the next one will have whiskers to rival Hercule Poirot!

But the final test is for the kitties to determine. Bentley immediately falls in love with his new toy. Some cats are so gratifying to their people, and he surely is one such darling. Do you suppose his recent neutering experience has something to do with his fondness for balls?

What about Beamer? He's not so sure about it all. But give him a chance....

Mama Cat thinks she might want to see what this is all about. Beamer says, "Paws off, Big Mama, it's my toy!"

Did he just say what I thought I heard him say? These young kids have no respect.

Porsche thinks there may be way too much fuss over all this wool.

Little Miss Aloof is not going to be bothered by any silly old mice made of mere yarn.

Oh-ho! But just wait until everyone's back is turned. Some cats have their fun on the sly.

What about the Royal Felidore? Shouldn't he have something new and fun, too? Perhaps a nice hat with very special ears to keep his head warm in a brisk wind.

Look how extremely pleased he is. Don't you wish you had a nice cat-hat, too?

But of course you do. You can wear it so many different ways.

I think it would be rather more handsome with a tail attached to the back. The Royal Felidore thinks so, too. Can you tell by that excited look on his face? It makes the Queen of Socks want to snap up her needles and knit up another one without even so much as a pause.

-----------------------------------------

All that fun was compliments of Donna Druchunas and her book Kitty Knits: Projects For Cats and Their People. Thanks to her and her knitting buddies for helping us make these wonderful treats. Of course, we're not finished with all the many projects in the book. Next will be a few felted cat beds, a lovely alpaca throw, and a pair of those clever socks with a kitty face border on the cuffs. But, the felted mice will always be our faves. The book is worth it just for that pattern. To get your own copy, click here, and be sure to follow the rest of Donna's blog book tour for more excited kitties and their new toys. You can visit Donna at Sheep To Shawl for the tour schedule. We enjoyed our visit with you, Donna. And we love our mice!

I'm only a cat,

and we'll get along fine...

As long as you know

I'm not yours...

you're all mine!

~Author Unknown

(If you'd like to leave us a message, click on the post title for a new comment page.)

In the pink

2008-02-19T22:35:00.009-07:00

Lovely pink tulips to brighten up the dreary winter skies.

It got me inspired to start a pair of socks in this luscious pink hand-dyed yarn from Spruce Dragon.

Not that Sassy is a bit interested in any of this discussion about the color pink. He is, after all, an orange cat. Excuse me, please, a ginger cat.

Identical Twins

2008-02-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, at last I've knit a pair that are as close to identical as I can imagine self-striping socks to ever be. To say "we are pleased" is an understatement.

I knit these straight, because I've decided that boldly self-striping yarn doesn't do any justice to a pattern at all. Why bother? Even ribbing can be too visually annoying. Problem is, I 've never gotten a pair to fit my leg very well without ribbing. So this time I stepped down to 52 stitches and knit the cuff with #2 needles, then dropped down a size to #1 on the foot. They fit loverly! I now have the formula for my own foot, and will plan on more of these socks for my idiot-proof-riding-in-the-car-holding-up-my-end-of-the-conversation projects. Hard to believe so few stitches for such a monumental foot. I must be a really loose knitter. I won't argue with results though.

Steinbach Wolle Aktiv Effekt, a typical sock yarn but slightly softer than Opal and even Trekking.

Soon, very soon

2008-02-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

I plan to host Donna Druchunas soon on her Blog Book Tour for Kitty Knits. Yes, this is the same knitwear designer who just released Ethnic Knitting Discovery. The woman clearly never sleeps, which is all to our benefit(s). Anyway, since this knitting book is for my furry royal felines, I thought perhaps I should introduce you to the purr-fect court of champions. Following will be photos of many, if not all. And, yes, I do intend to knit each of them one of those darling mice from Donna's book!

Every Queen needs a Harlequin

2008-02-03T11:19:00.001-07:00

Here she is although we call her Harly most of the time. She's one of our ferals and is the only tortoiseshell we've had other than her mother, Jazzabelle. If you can see past her curious markings, she's really a very beautiful creature.

The car club

2008-01-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

Edsel, Beamer, and Bentley. Where's Porsche? We better go find her. There she is on the Katman's back!

Believe it or not, these are all out of the same litter. They couldn't be more different in looks and personality!

Snoozers

2008-01-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

My oldest cat, Buddy, at the top. He's over 20 years old. In the center, Gingko and little Ming. Last is Sweet Annie in her usual pose. She's part Japanese Bobtail, and frequently sleeps this way. She exhibits another Bobtail characteristic - singing.

Meet Sassafras and pals

2008-01-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

You'll notice that the kitties you meet seem to have themed names, and indeed most do. Sassafras, and his brother, Gingko Biloba came from the same litter. Here's Sass, the handsome dude, and a few of his pals.

Socks for the Royal Gardener

2008-01-27T17:50:00.001-07:00

These are knit in Opal's Hundertwasser and the colorway is perfect for a gardening sort of person. The socks are great inside of a pair of Crocs, and even if your feet get wet, they'll stay warm because wool is that way.

Hubby doesn't like posing for pictures and this photo pretty much says it all as he prances through the offices after posing a few seconds too long by his standards. Har!

Hey, you want new socks, you model them for the Queen's sock blog. It's the rule!

Finally some socks for me!

2008-01-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

These out of Trekking knit up in a baby cable. When I saw the photo, I thought I'd goofed and knit K2 P2 on the foot of one sock, but it turns out I had one sock on inside-out. Whew!

The models

2008-01-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of knitted gift recipients. I was very surprised that the kids were as pleased as they were. One niece was really thrilled down to her soles. I didn't expect that. Considering that a pair of socks takes, on average, twenty hours to knit - well, it was very gratifying!

Christmas loot

2008-01-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

All the frantic knitting is done! Here are pictures of a few of the gifts I made.

Knucks for various friends and family members - the first two are made using the Fetching pattern from knitty.com.

Here's a shot of various pairs of knucks and wool socks for nieces and nephews. All of them were pretty thrilled, which was rather heartwarming. We always worry, don't we, that the gift will be a dud? So disheartening after all those hours of work. I have to say that the knucks were lifesavers in getting the projects done by Christmas Eve. They only take about six hours to knit up compared to around twenty hours for the socks.

Norwegian Sweater Knitalong

2007-12-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Donna Druchunas is leading an Ethnic Knitting:Discovery KAL starting in January. We'll be designing and knitting our own Norwegian colorwork sweater, and there's still time to sign up! Get more information at Donna's blog.

Hiding Gifts

2007-11-29T16:41:00.001-07:00

Where is she hiding all those socks she's been working on forever??

Knitting and writing

2007-11-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here's how my spot at the dining table has looked most of the month. The SIP changes, the coffee cup, and maybe the tablecloth. I've been trying to stay focused on National Novel Writing Month, so the basic set-up doesn't move. The knitting helps me with imagineering, the coffee is for my muses (yes, I have two and both are java fiends), and the Alphasmart is my constant companion. I can write an entire book on three double A batteries. So how is it going? I'm on schedule with Christmas socks. I'm 24,000 words behind on the book. I have until the last day of November to cough up a total of 50,000 words. I wonder how many stitches a sock has. And I wonder why I'm writing at the dinner table instead of in my office where I have a desk. Not that I have a choice about it. The muses are in control of that.

Sheep Musings

2007-11-13T18:47:00.001-07:00

Can anyone really be enraptured with yarn and wool and knitting and spinning and carding and all the various aspects of this avocation .... and not have the passing thought that maybe one should acquire a sheep of one's own someday? The idea popped into my head again as I was reading The Tale of Hawthorn House by Susan Wittig Albert. It's the fourth book in the cozy mystery Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series. And it's for grown-ups.

Beatrix, of course, is much admired by me and generations of other Peter Rabbit fans for her lovely artwork. This series focuses on her life upon her move to Hill Top Farm in the beautiful Lake District of England. She is still writing and illustrating her little books, but she has become very serious about preserving farms as well as the native Herdwick sheep.

Herdwick wool is best for rug weaving and insulation, being a bit scratchy, though the author provides this hat she made of Herdwick yarn and states that it's as waterproof as an umbrella. Nice-looking, isn't it? At any rate, the book has me thinking of what heirloom sheep I would acquire, if I got one, which of course I won't..... still we can think about it, can't we? One never knows what life will bring. I doubt that Beatrix Potter would have imagined the astounding impact her life and writings would have on future generations. It's quite a fascinating story in itself.

To learn more, check my Blog Book Tours site for an interview with the author. You'll find links to the other blog stops, each more fascinating than the next.

Step by step

2007-11-06T19:15:00.001-07:00

Those Christmas gifts are getting knit. Here, a couple more, their mates are OTNs. Is it time for carols yet? What about some holiday cheer? These kids are getting tired of just watching me crank out socks. Mom is sooooooooo boring.

DAL

2007-10-31T11:30:00.000-06:00

That stands for Designalong, and Donna Druchunas just announced she's having one after the holidays. It's based on her knew book, Ethnic Knitting Discovery, so get your hands on a copy. We'll be designing our own sweaters using her tips, and she'll be coaching us along. You can sign up at the Ethnic Knits yahoo group for more information, or just stay tuned here and I'll give an update as soon as I know more. I'm in though!

Maybe this sweater with some modifications? I've certainly got enough wool in my stash to work with, and I'm thinking I'll try my art project using a least favorite color, the most favorite, and black. Maybe I can redeem that hideous yellow I found.

Tiny stash enhancement

2007-10-30T20:11:00.001-06:00

I know, I know. I swore I wouldn't buy any more yarn until I put a dent in my existing stash. But, I had to get some dark blue to finish my nephew's kiss-my-big-toe socks, and I so loved the Trekking that I got last time, I had to buy some more, and then the Cashsilk screamed out my name and I knew I had to make myself a pair of those gorgeous red gloves out of .... which knitting book were those in? Anyway, I've made good progress on the gift socks for Christmas. How are you all doing with holiday gifts?

Coveting lace

2007-10-29T20:13:00.000-06:00

I spent a little time going through pattern books looking for fast holiday gifts. I'm always drawn to lace, and wish I could see and count well enough to crank out a nice shawl or scarf. Like the ones in Victorian Lace Today. So Old Buddy, here in his favorite pose, kept me company while I drooled over the pictures and patterns, and then cast aside any crazy ideas of casting on. He just drooled all over my wool scarf, perfectly content to let me have my little fantasies. He's a grand old cat, Buddy is.

Yarn arts

2007-10-28T16:56:00.000-06:00

I've decided I'd like some wall art depicting knitting and spinning, but don't really want a print. Most of the artwork I have is original, so I may need to paint my own. But here's an idea of what I'm looking for, a few examples from history. Aren't they lovely?

Next week's project

2007-10-27T20:33:00.000-06:00

I'm going to card up some merino with angora, hopefully enough to ply with straight merino for a pair of homespun socks. I love those subtle Fair Isle socks in the Twisted Sisters Sock Book and at least want to have the yarn on hand to give it a try. We'll see how much knitting I get done in November. It's National Novel Writing Month, so I'll be trying to get in my 50,000 words along with thousands of other writers worldwide.

Stash monsters

2007-10-26T22:23:00.000-06:00

Of all those balls of yarn I recently counted, more than 300 if you recall that post, these are the only ones I could easily unload. I've held on to the orange because the school colors here are orange and black. It's like Halloween year-round, boo hiss. But, any of the kids around here would love a gift knit in those colors. I haven't been able to get over the gag reflex though.

The yellow has a greenish-gray cast and I suppose I could create a design challenge with it. One of my favorite assignments for art students is to pick your favorite color, your least favorite color, and black. Then make a drawing using those three. It's amazing the dynamic results, and I imagine it would be as creatively stimulating with a sweater design, too.

The white stuff is some sort of velour ribbon and I can't for the life of me think of anything to do with it. A cape for a bride? A hammock? I got it in one of those great surprise bargain boxes from WEBS. All the other yarn packs were lush and expensive designer yarns, so it was worth it even if I got this one dud.

Done

2007-10-25T21:33:00.000-06:00

One completed burgundy mohair tam. I tried it on and looked as hideous as I do in any sort of hat. So, I made hubbo put it on and he looked quite good in it, rather Brueggelesque. Of course, he's a mad hatter and would look great in a dunce cap. His comment was, "I don't have to wear that, DO I?" It was a rhetorical question, of course. I'll try another version, but perhaps in a soft merino knit up with a multi-color pattern. Probaby not for the Man of the Place though.

Why didn't I think of that?

2007-10-24T15:03:00.001-06:00

There's been lots of conversation on the forums and in recent books about the importance of swatching. I confess, right here and now, that I don't mind it. In fact, I look forward to trying out any multi-color or novelty yarn I buy. I almost always swatch sock yarns I acquire on the very same day. But, I admit it bothers me not having imagineered a good use for those little squares of knit-up yarn. I've tried numerous times to develop a clever assemblage of the dang little things, and you know what? The result is invariably cheesey and ugly. I wouldn't foist the end-product on my cats to sleep on, much less use it somewhere I'd actually have to look at it. So when Knitting Daily suggested not only swatching in the round for proper gauge, but just making a swatch-in-the-round sampler, I had a V-8 moment. Of course, a long, striped tube! Finally, a potentially creative solution. I could stuff it and use it as a draft-stopper. Or coil it and make a kitty basket. Based on this recent experiment swatching several yarns discovered in my neverending stash, well, you can see the possibilities just from a design standpoint. It's nice having all those yarns knit up side by side. These are all sock yarns, and I'll knit needle sizes 0-3 on this tube. I'll start another for size 4 needles and up for DKs and worsteds. I'm thinking a few thicker tubes might eventually be pressed into service as very artsy-fartsy arm warmers. Yes, arm warmers for my teen nieces who insist on wearing sleeveless t-shirts in the dead of winter. Magnificently brilliant idea any way you look at it. It's rather handsome so far, don't you think?
What yarns are there? From right to left: Cranberry Dragon yarn, custom-dyed blue Opal from Angel Yarns, gray KnitPicks Essential, old KnitPicks Sock Garden, brown KnitPicks Essential, and the long remaining section is off the ball of Opal Hundertwasser.

Tam-ptation

2007-10-23T18:22:00.000-06:00

I couldn't resist anymore. After seeing posts of tams knit by Susan Wittig Albert on her blog, getting the latest holiday news with tam-wearing models on the cover, and discovering an easy-peasy recipe in one of my knitting books..... well, I decided I'd take the cosmic hint and try one as a gift. It is holiday knitting time, after all, and I have nieces - oh, so many nieces.

This pattern is for an advanced beginner. I can handle that. I did wonder why the "destructions" didn't mention anything about joining the cast-on stitches to knit in the round, but hey, I can punt. It called for a 16 inch circular needle. I had a 13 1/2. So far so good, right? Wrong. The 13" cable is far too long to join the stitches in the round. Grrrr. Was this pattern written by an advanced beginner? I ask you. So, I put the stitches on three dpns, and started knitting . After getting the K1P1 band taken care of and increasing until my dpns couldn't hold anymore stitches, I switched to the aforementioned circular needles. It's gone relatively well ever since.

More later after I get a bit more done on this burgundy mohair tam.

Back to the future

2007-10-22T11:53:00.000-06:00

There are hidden benefits to stash-busting. I discovered incompleted projects, some of them very old. One such was the two-color vest I had attempted in my teens and which I subsequently discovered in my mother's centuries-old stash. I took it home with me, and have been keeping my eyes open for matching wool ever since. Well, okay, I must not have been working too consciously on finding said wool, because I found both gray and red in my own inventory. Almost perfect matches really. So this teen vest of mine - was I ever that little - gets finished and then one of my truly little nieces can have a gift. Curious thing that's it's so modern looking. The needles are old aluminum things I wouldn't dream of using, but I keep them because they're my very first pair of knitting needles. Nostalgia, you know.

More than luxury

2007-10-21T11:23:00.000-06:00

So here's another cedar chest and it's contents. It included at least 30 balls of sock yarn. My total inventory of full skeins was over 300. That didn't include any cotton which amounted to maybe two dozen skeins. Then there're about ten pounds of leftovers, I'd guess enough for at least 30 of those aforementioned tea cozies. The inventory of the roving is not included in any of this.

I thought about the Monthly Selection at the Women Writing the West reading group, about a German pioneer in Oregon territory whose clothing is becoming threadbare, and who is learning to pound cedar bark into useable material. You might say I feel just a little bit chagrined by my bounty and her lack. The story even references a quote that very much hits home. To think I coveted all that yarn at Green Valley Weavers just a few days ago!

Next post will discuss what I can de-accession.

Contentment is natural wealth; luxury, artificial poverty. ~ Socrates

Going through the stash

2007-10-20T23:43:00.001-06:00

They say a picture is worse a thousand words. This, the wool contents of one wooden chest. More tomorrow, when I unload the others. Somewhere underneath all that is my dining table.

Stash inventory

2007-10-19T21:00:00.000-06:00

That's what I have on my agenda this weekend. I also plan to sand the cedar in the chests for better moth-prevention efficiency.

Oh, and I took a day trip to the city and while there, made a quick stop at my favorite LYS. Got a few treats, but I managed to hold myself in check. I don't need to be diverted with new projects while I'm up to my ears in Christmas projects. I got a tea cozy pattern and a Dragon Socks kit, and hubby picked out some of his favorite Galway tweedy green for what? A tam and matching scarf maybe?

An Ethnic Knitting Discovery

2007-10-18T08:29:00.000-06:00

BLOG BOOK TOUR STOP

Today we're visiting with Donna Druchunas to ask questions about her new book, Ethnic Knitting Discovery. Here we'll talk about the two-color knitting project I attempted from the book, what I’m calling The Buddy Project.

Dani: Donna, I grew up in Europe, seeing and wearing Nordic sweaters, and love them! I decided to try the two-color knitting in the Norway section of your book. I haven't knit using two colors much, and wanted a serious try at it. So, here's my first attempt, using your clever charts to size an ankle warmer for myself, and using one of my first attempts at spinning yarn. I had definite troubles stranding the yarn and you can see how it pulled inward. Any suggestions on how to alleviate that or is that just a common issue with beginners?

Donna: Getting a nice gauge with color knitting is always challenging. That's why I like the Andean technique. Because you're working on the inside of the tube, the floats are naturally eased in properly and there's no pulling.

When I work in other color stranding techniques (I usually carry one color in my right hand and the second in my left), I have to be careful to pull the knitting out on the needle before I start each color. I don't know about you, but when I knit with one color, I usually let all the stitches scrunch up on the right needle after they've been knitted. You can't do that with color knitting. You have to take the time to spread out the knitting every time you change colors, especially if you've gone more than 1 or 2 stitches between color changes. It isn't as annoying as it sounds; it just becomes part of the knitting rhythm once you get used to it.

That said, I still often have to steam-press my colorwork to block it out nicely when I'm done. I have a friend who knits so beautifully with color stranded techniques that she hardly needs to block her pieces. Some day I need to sit and watch her knit for an hour or so and see if I can figure out her trick!

Dani: I also had problems with a bit of a hole when alternating between the two yarns. Is there a trick to handling that while I'm knitting?

Donna: Getting a hole when you alternate between yarns usually happens in the Intarsia technique where you're not stranding the unused color behind your work and you have a separate length of yarn for each section of color. When you use that technique, you have to make sure you twist the yarns every time you change colors -- bring the new color up from underneath the old color on the wrong side of the work. If you don't twist the colors like that, you're essentially knitting a different piece with each color.

With stranded knitting, I've never come across that problem before. If you're getting holes in stranded knitting, we should discuss that more to figure out what's going on.

Dani: My zigzag pattern didn't turn out very well, and I think I got the stitches okay. But my handspun seemed to twist tightly enough that the stitches got buried in the black Brown Sheep worsted. Or is it just because a solid contrast color might have worked better?

Donna: Definitely using two contrasting solids would make the pattern pop more. But it also makes a difference which color you carry in which hand (assuming you're using two hands for your colorwork). I usually knit looser with my right hand and get a tighter tension with my left hand, so my patterning looks neater if I carry the background color in my right hand so the pattern stitches are tidier. But sometimes that makes the pattern recede into the background.

Dani: So using Donna's tips, I cast on a fingerless glove and things seem to be working better! You can take a peek at it and read about charting adventures, cutting up your knitting (gasp) and information about books in Donna’s future at the Blog Book Tours site where we continue our conversation.

To buy the book, click here.

To read a bit more about Donna's publisher, Nomad Press, and the Green Press Initiative go here.

Another book comment

2007-10-17T19:32:00.000-06:00

I've had every book I can find out of the library about spinning. I have to tell you that my favorite so far is Teach Yourself Visually - Handspinning by Judith MacKenzie McCuin. I'm so impressed, I think I'll take a peek at the Knitting book just to look at their hand exercises.

I won't buy either book. I'm becoming more and more concerned about the environmental impact of all the glossy photos, and though I like to support the arts & crafts as well as artists and writers, I'm trying to add to my own collection books that meet my standards. I can't always, but I can try to minimize the number of books I buy that fall into the questionable category. Sometimes that means passing up a lush book simply because I already have too many that were printed in China and took thousands of miles of non-renewable energy to land on my shelf. It ain't easy, but every little bit makes a difference and you have to walk your talk, even if it's little steps. So to the library it is when I need to take a second peek at this one. Ask your library to get a copy, too.

Eeek

2007-10-16T15:36:00.000-06:00

Edsel Ford, did you just eat my alpaca shawl??

Not me, Mom. It was like this when I found it, honest.

He looks way too guilty, doesn't he? Closer inspection tells the real story. It's the dreaded M-word. Moths. Moths.

ACK. EEEK. YIKES. I loved that shawl. It was the Aunt Phoebe shawl from Sheep to Shawl.

Speaking of that, don't forget to stop in tomorrow when Donna Druchunas has her blog book tour stop here, featuring her latest knitting book Ethnic Knitting Discovery.

Trekking

2007-10-15T10:06:00.000-06:00

This was my new weekend project, a pair of socks tentatively for a Christmas gift, although I like the way they're evolving enough to consider them for myself. I've never tried Trekking (XXL) before, being a die-hard Opal fan, but I have to admit I might like this yarn a tiny bit better for its softness. The label reads "SchurWolle" which is new wool, and I speculate that this results in more loft and a softer yarn. The fabric has a lovely feel. I like the subtle striping, too. Plus, I've decided to add a little burgundy to my life, so that's just an added excuse to tuck them into my own sock drawer. I'm going to try to finish these by the weekend.

Tangible Love

2007-10-14T16:12:00.000-06:00

I don’t always like giving my knitting away, because few people really realize the amount of time involved in creating a silly pair of socks. Twenty hours for me on average. I’ve thought about adding a little note-card that reads, “20 Hours of Handknit Love” to go along with a gift, especially to my relatives. Would that be too tacky, do you think? To point out how much time I’ve just spent on them? Yes, I suppose it would, especially since I’d knit anyway, whether as a gift for them or not.

And then there are the pals who DO appreciate a hand-made gift, and who are exquisite gift givers themselves. These are the people who get gifts like these from me. Where the entire assemblage becomes a project, like staging a play. One looks for the perfect box, and the extra little trinket to tuck in with the gift, and of course, one uses a leaf or two of tissue to declare how special the gift… and the recipient. Then one imagines with a little twinge of joy, the delight when the gift is opened. That’s half the fun.

Whether you wear your knitting or give it away, anything handknit is tangible love. ~ Bruce Hallmark

Buddy Project

2007-10-13T10:44:00.000-06:00

As I was organizing photos for the blog book tour stop, I ran across this photo of Old Buddy. He's my oldest cat, and now starting to fail as time goes on. He came into our lives as a stray, and when we had him neutered, the vet told us he was a very old cat. She also gave us the sad news that he had Feline Aids (FIV) and probably wouldn't live long. That was eight years ago, and he's been healthy as can be thanks to a whole foods diet and a lay-back attitude; that is, until lately. I'm preparing myself to let him go, without the frantic attachments I would have had in my younger day. He's had a long life and given us, as well as dozens of feline friends, all his sweet and gentle personality. Now he's tired, and he can go "over the rainbow bridge" whenever he chooses to give up the ghost. I'll always cherish this magical photo of him as he relaxes in the sun catching some warmth, unwittingly colored by the beams of a bevel in the kitchen window. When I post more pictures of my current knitting, it should be obvious why I've decided to call it The Buddy Project.

Roving on

2007-10-12T12:49:00.001-06:00

Over the next few days, I'll start posting my preparations for the Ethnic Knitting Discovery blog book tour that's coming up on October 18th right here! This is one of the yarns I'm using in the project I've designed from the book, here still as roving. I couldn't resist the colors and not having much experience with spinning, had no idea how it would spin up.

Here it is spun as a single.

I then plied it with an Opal black sock yarn
just to see what would happen.

This is the Knitty Kitty photogragh for the week. Edsel Ford is much more interested in what's under the fruit bowl than silly old yarn.

A side note

2007-10-11T12:55:00.000-06:00

I got this lovely care package from one of my writing pals.

At top right, you'll see three balls of yarn - Cascade Fixation - which I've heard lots about, but never tried. It's 98.3% cotton and 1.7% elastic, so has a very curious and stretchy texture. In fact, the measurements are very curious, too. Each 50 gram ball yields 186 yards (spandex) and 100 yards (relaxed). Don't ask me what precisely that means.

Knitting up - what was to be a swatch - of the pink color resulted in this - a very firm yarn, with great stitch definition and unquestionable stretch. Once I got going, I decided to just finish off the ball to see exactly how much I could get with 50 grams. I also got a real sense of the fabric, and I'm here to tell you, this stuff would be great for lingerie and bathing suits! Think bikinis, if you or someone you know is young enough to wear one. I mean, there's enough spandex in this for support! There's nothing wimpy about Fixation. And the colors I got are great. Socks? Well, maybe... though I'm not a big fan of cotton socks. Thinking about it, it might be because I ordinarily knit cotton too loose, but I don't think that would be the case with this springy yarn.

Knitting twitty

2007-10-10T15:44:00.001-06:00

Part of why I haven't gotten too far into my Christmas socks is because of the spinning lure. Also knitting up the small remnants of "twitty yarn" that we all make during the learning phase. We were talking about tea cozies on the Socknitters forum today, which reminded me of one that I morphed from a lace scarf I started, then realized I wouldn't have enough yarn. The handle opening was a save, but you can see that the spout only barely fits through an eyelet. After I joined the handle opening, I picked up stitches and knit the top in the round, eyeballing the shape and left an opening for the knob. It turned out okay, and the end-result is definitely more useable than the fingerless gloves from another batch of homespun which turned out to be a little scratchy.

And here, the first fingerless glove ever, but surely not the last since I had the brilliant insight yesterday that these gloves are about as much knitting as a sock cuff. This could prove to be most useful when I run out of time to make all those socks for Christmas. My new plan is to knit boys socks first, and see how far along things come over the next month. Then I'll bail myself out by knitting gloves for the nieces who'll adore me for being so totally kewl!

How many days?

2007-10-09T20:14:00.000-06:00

Someone I know recently mentioned the end of summer, and in the same breath, how many days until Christmas. I had every intention of knitting socks for all my nieces and nephews, and so dug out my accomplishments thus far. It looks like I have about 19 pairs to go and at least one more pair for my hubby. Can I do it? What's that sound? Oh, it's just me hyper-ventilating. No problem, about one sock every two days. Right.

At least I have enough yarn, so that's not an issue and the light worsteds knit up pretty fast. Remember me getting this box a few months ago? Wasn't I blabbering about Christmas socks at the beginning of the summer??

OyOyOyOyOyOyOyOyOyOyOyOy

Wheel of Time

2007-10-08T12:12:00.000-06:00

Quite a bit of time it took to assemble; not days, but certainly more than half an hour. Even deducting for beers and breaks, it took a good deal longer. But here it is, all lovely and assembled, and for the cost, I must say it works like a charm. The only little complaint is a persistent tendency for the left treadle to clack after continued use. We haven't quite figured that out yet. Today, it got a treatment with stain to integrate the various woods used in the construction of the wheel.

It didn't take long to use up the small bits of roving I had purchased at the class, so the next step in the adventure is to find sources for yummy wool to spin. I love the yarns from Beaverslide Drygoods, so of course, wanted to try their rovings as well. They also have organic wool quilt batts for a very reasonable price, and I love supporting a small wool grower. Here's the box that came in the mail, with a real-life prop for size comparison. Those are some big balls!

It's here!

2007-10-07T14:12:00.000-06:00

Well, it wasn't such a long wait. We had prepared ourselves for much longer suspecting the package might sit at customs in San Francisco on its way from New Zealand to The Middle. But, we got lucky, and here are all the components of our new Baynes spinning wheel all laid out and ready to assemble. The instructions assured us it would take about one half hour.

The Man o' the Place gets right to it. I had thought we should oil all the wood parts first, but he didn't think so. Well, and that's because he had every intention of allowing me the job. Bless his heart. I stand by my original theory that it would have been better to do that before we created all the nooks and crannies of an assembled spinning wheel. But, I digress.

Here is is, coming together. Okay, it's been a little more than half an hour. Not bad though.

Is it time for another beer yet?

So what did I learn?

2007-10-06T12:38:00.000-06:00

Well, we learned all the basics of spinning, of course. The components of the wheel, a little about fibers, how to work the wheel and actually spin yarn, how to measure the yarn and wash it, blending fibers, and on and on. I also learned what a niddy noddy was, finally! If you look really closely, you'll see kitty naughty down there, too.

The knowledge that made the cost of the class priceless was determining what spinning wheel to buy. We had numerous models to try in the class, and the experience of the teacher to draw from. I quickly determined I wanted a castle, or parlor-style wheel, with double treadle, and scotch tension. I'd had enough of the double driveband jumping off with the Ashford Elizabeth. So, the next step was to find a wheel that had all the required qualifications at a moderate price. We settled on a Baynes wheel that we purchased for $348 and free shipping through The Spinning Bunny. That took about ten days to arrive from New Zealand.

Next, we'll cover our adventures as The Man o' the Place attempts to assemble the wheel in the stated half hour.

Back to class

2007-10-05T22:22:00.001-06:00

So here are a few more pictures of Rosebud. You can tell I thoroughly enjoyed making friends with her. She must have the softest fur on earth, and

I have a few bags of her that I'll eventually card

into some other wool, and spin into what??... some Rosebud yarn. Sounds like it may end up being rose-colored. I would have gladly placed an order for a few bunnies of my own, were it not for my husband who nipped that idea in the rosebud right then and there!

Here's Sharon, our teacher, with Rosebud in her lap spinning right off her back. It was an amazing thing to behold! The rabbit seemed curious about the entire process, and even enjoying herself through it all.

A new knitting book

2007-10-04T13:13:00.000-06:00

I've just updated my Blog Book Tours site and placed some information about Donna Druchunas and her new knitting book, Ethnic Knitting: Discovery. I'll be interviewing Donna on October 18th so stay tuned! I've started a couple of projects from the book - my own designs using Donna's clever charts and tips - and am first creating some two-color ankle warmers that I'll display here. I hope. :) Until then, you can read all the blog interviews during her tour by checking out the schedule on her website, Sheep to Shawl. She has a great blog of her own there, too, so bookmark it as a favorite.

A Good Class

2007-10-03T17:52:00.000-06:00

Of course it helped enormously to sign up for a class, and as serendipity would have it, Table Rock Llamas in Black Forest, Colorado happened to have a beginning class scheduled. I talked hubby into taking the class with me. Once again, an experienced teacher makes the learning process shorter and much more pleasant. Stay tuned for more pictures and spinning tales as we learn the right way to do things from Sharon Dalrymple and her teaching assistant, Rosebud. Here's fellow student, Jackie, giving Rosebud a little brush-off.

All Hail the Queen

2007-10-02T18:55:00.000-06:00

Elizabeth that is.... even more precisely, a friend's Ashford Elizabeth which she had purchased for her daughter in the 80s. It had been used once, and before I knew it, Lizzie was parked in my parlor waiting for some serious attention. She got it in a hurry, though not without a little frustration. Poor girl was bone-dry and her moving parts squeaked relentlessly. After a quart or so of oil and a ton of frustration, we got her to do her job. With two decades of early retirement behind her, she probably forgot her reason for existence so wasn’t very good at training us, and we weren’t very up-to-speed on how to handle her. In fact, the Ashfords have changed so much that working with this wheel was really akin to having an antique.

Spinning Tales

2007-10-01T20:18:00.000-06:00

I suppose it’s inevitable that any truly compulsive knitter will eventually entertain thoughts of spinning their own yarn. There’s a nostalgic part of me that connects with the old crafts and a slower time, an era when life was more involved with the land, and when our survival and well-being depended on simpler activities. I suppose my times in the country bring those feelings to the surface. Well, and it’s a fad now too, isn’t it? Youngsters half my age are into it and posting their goods at etsy and eBay. My little pal, Faith spins some lovely yarns and so does Rachel at Have You Any Wool. For crying out loud, it uses no electricity! How can an environmentalist like me resist that final straw?

Socks for Inez

2007-09-07T11:45:00.000-06:00

I've been working on a pair of green striped socks for my friend, Inez Stannert. Inez is not a real person. She's the heroine in the Silver Rush Victorian mystery novels by writing pal, Ann Parker. It took quite a little while to find some green stripey yarn, and this is the new Felici by KnitPicks in the Arugula colorway. It's a lovely, soft 100% merino that's knitting up nicely.

But, I am rather disillusioned by the tangling from the center of the ball, and I even had this obnoxious knot in one!

I'm also a little unhappy that the yarn in the two balls didn't begin at the same point in the pattern. I tried to match them up and clearly failed despite my efforts. These little irritations seem to be a regular occurrence with KnitPicks yarns, and my major complaint with them. Ordinarily, unmatched stripes don't bother me - I think they're rather quirky and stylin'. But, these socks are for a Victorian Lady, and though she's hardly prim and proper, I don't believe she'd wear mismatched socks! I mean.... what would the Reverend say??

Your Local Yarn Shop

2007-09-01T20:44:00.000-06:00

Or LYS as we refer to it in knitting circles. No matter what the yarn choices online or through catalogs, everyone has a favorite LYS. That's because there's nothing quite like touching yarn in person, and being in a lovely space packed to the rafters with fibers of every color and texture. Add to that a knowledgeable staff who become your teachers and friends, and it makes for a combination that's pretty hard to beat.

My favorite LYS is still the one where I learned to knit socks years ago. Green Valley Weavers and Knitters was transported from California and made its home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, tucked in a little strip of shops amongst a long row of westside homes. The ownership has changed, but Judy, who taught me to knit socks, is still there along with Carolyn.

The shop has only gotten better, and I just bought another $350 Yarn Club account for $265 + tax. That's a 25% discount on all their yarns just for paying upfront, and my stash gets pretty spoiled because of that clever marketing ploy! If your LYS doesn't have one, you might suggest it to the owner. It's a win/win situation for the shop and for the customers.

It's so handy to drop by anytime and grab a few skeins of something and just deduct it from that prepaid Yarn Club. Here are a few balls of sock yarn I picked up just to try out some different brands.

Socks for meine Mutti

2007-08-24T19:04:00.000-06:00

At last I've finished a pair of socks for my German Mama. I'd given my Dad a pair for Christmas, and he really didn't like them because he thought they were too loose. So I was ambivelent to spend all that time making a pair for my mother. I should have known she'd be a little more grateful being a knitter, and understanding the time involved making a pair. These are light blue Opal, and I suggested that if she didn't really want to wear them under slacks, they would be lovely bed socks in the winter. I always wear wool socks to bed because I find it keeps any bit of arthritis at bay. No more stiff ankles in the morning. Mutti thought that sounded pretty good to her.

Long live the Queen!

2007-08-14T21:17:00.001-06:00

And, indeed, I am alive even after being away all these many months. Who ever in the world would have guessed that cataract surgery would include such a long recovery. Well, lucky me. Snort! I actually eased back into knitting quite early on, but the computer work took a little bit longer. My eyes still tire more easily than before the surgery, so I have to limit my time knitting, reading, and typing, especially on the computer screen. And truth be told, my knitting has been relatively boring. I'm just throwing yarn mostly for the sake of it, and not trying any fancy moves. Dropping stitches is easy, but picking them up is a real challenge still, so I'm sticking to straightforward works. I'll get some photos posted soon, too. Especially that big box of Christmas yarn from WEBS. Oooo-la-la. Now that was a treat to open.

Sock Hiatus

2007-02-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't been working much on socks the past two weeks. It all started with this Yarn Harlot scarf pattern, which I couldn't wear because it had a touch of mohair that was quite itchy. So I'm using it instead as a runner on my little Victorian writing desk. But, I loved the pattern so much, I thought I'd try to figure out how to knit it in the round for a sock cuff. That project fell by the wayside when, on a visit to my hometown, I decided my little nephew needed a nice wool scarf. So upon returning home and with that thought in mind, this lovely bowl of yarn called out to me.

The lush Kelly green knit up beautifully into a long, luxurious muffler; long enough, in fact to sew up some snuggle-y pockets on the ends. But, before I could get that done, I received the latest issue of Knitters Review with the pattern for a simple lace scarf, and so I grabbed the pink Beaverslide yarn from the bowl, and knit away on that! I just finished it today. Now that I've gotten scarf-knitting out of my system, I'm again moodling how to get that lovely Yarn Harlot pattern onto the cuff of a sock.... maybe using the blue Beaverslide mule-spun worsted.

I knit the lace scarf in two parts, having come to the realization that one end would differ from the other if I didn't start each side from the bottom, then join them somehow in the middle. Thanks to a tip from Faith at Flashbang Fibers , I kitchener-stitched the ends together at the back of the neck with a bit of straight stitch between the two. It worked well-enough. I'll let it relax a bit before blocking. I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to wear it. Now that I'm finished, we're due for fifty-degree temperatures again! I can wear wool socks for much of the year, but anything wool around my neck when it's not freezing-cold outside gives me an instant hot flash. Curious thing, that.

I cannot live without books

2007-01-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

So said Thomas Jefferson and I'm inclined to agree. I love knitting books as much as any other. Recently I picked up Knitting Tips & Trade Secrets Expanded, a collection of 340 tips from regular knitters and crocheters as well as top experts published by Taunton Press.

The illustrations are very clear, like this one for intarsia socks. Now there's something new to try!

And it also had a picture and "recipe" for those cute stay-on baby booties we've been talking about at Socknitters Forum.

Books, glorious books. Can any of us keep up with all the new knitting books? This is a title that's definitely being added to my personal library.

Stars and Stripes

2007-01-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

At the risk of having you seeing stars with yet another picture of the same ol' stripes, I'm going to post a few more shots. I'm really enjoying knitting with this yarn, and part of the reason is that I can actually see the stitches. You see, I have cataracts so dark solids are a bit of a problem for me. Then today at the Socknitters Forum, someone mentioned teaching, and it occurred to me that this type of stripey yarn is a marvelous teaching aid. The student can clearly see each stitch. It's a whiz counting rows.

And will you look at the stitch definition here, where I'm picking up gusset stitches? Each stitch is a different color. I had the worst time with this part of the sock when I first learned to knit them, perhaps because I was using a gray tweed. This yarn would have been so much easier to learn on. There's something for all the teachers to consider.

Stripes

2007-01-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

I rather like striped socks, even the self-striping yarns like Opal and Regia which are a bit like mixing watercolors - one never knows what is going to happen in the process. But, I don't particularly care for fancy stitches in the self-patterning yarns as all that extra work and concentration most often is lost to the eye. Still, sometimes the right stitch can enhance a multi-color stripe. Take for example this now-discontinued Sock Garden yarn from Knitpicks. You'll notice three distinctly different stitches and look how different they are. The straight stitch on the bottom of the foot, the slip-stitch on the heel, and the remarkably different twisted baby cable, which has a completely unique affect.

The inside of the heel, on the purl side of the flap, is even more interesting. This is a texture that would look handsome on the entire cuff, and inspires some creative design ideas for future projects. That stitch might even show up with the leftover yarn in the form of pulse warmers, perhaps lined in a solid-color velvet. I can see it as contrasting trim on a vest, too, can't you?

Comfort socks

2007-01-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

It's icy and snowy and blustery out here in the Middle of Nowhere. Just the sort of day for creature comforts like chili with shredded cheddar and saltine crackers, followed by a piece of apple pie, fresh-baked from the oven. On days like this, I don't feel very bold and creative. I just want to hunker down and feel safe. And so it is with my knitting. Instead of starting something new and daring, I'm back to knitting my favorite cuff. Right now, that's a simple baby cable which requires no cable needles. I first found it in Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch, and I've knit a dozen pairs that way. Here's a pair I made for the Man of the Place.

Thought for the day: The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work. ~ Emile Zola

A Day of Madness

2007-01-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

Still no luck trying to add comments to the blog even though I changed the template and had to recreate all the royal colors I so carefully chose the first time. It must be something in the air.

I then started a new pair of socks, and we know, don't we, that when we go to pull the yarn out of the center pull ball ..... and half the yarn pops out in one bunch and we have to wind it up around itself ..... well, it might just be a portend of things to come, mightn't it? Growl.

And then when we cast on this new cable pattern we are testing for Anni Design, and discover after just a few inches that we've grossly erred.... now look at this, will you, please? The left cable clearly is missing the cable to the back, the middle cable has two cable stitches to the front on top of each other, and I think the right cable is correct and looks the way the designer intended. Clearly this was meant to be a frogging exercise. And based on the appearance, I think I'll change yarns for the next go. I don't think I'm in love with the light blue for this pattern. Good thing I'm more a process knitter than an end product person, else I'd be a bit frustrated at this point. Notice the cable needle. It's the smallest I have, but it seems a bit unwieldy and too thick for this Opal yarn knit on size 1 needles. I'll have to try another tactic there, too.

Leaving a comment

2007-01-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Spoken in the Royal We:

We cannot seem to add a comment link to our blog, so have included at the bottom of the page a link to our mailbox. Should you care to comment, please refer to the post subject line and mail to Her Royal Highness the Queen of Socks.

Anatomical correctness

2007-01-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

The man of the place also likes these socks. You'll notice the toes are a little different. That's because I knit them to be proper for the left foot and the right foot. They don't interchange, being anatomically correct. I really just started decreasing on the big-toe side later than on the little-toe side so that the space for the big toe would be longer and wider. He hasn't knocked a hole through the toe yet, so the concept seems to work. These are knit from Austermann Step, that curious yarn with softeners like aloe vera added. It is indeed a very soft yarn, but be forewarned that it tends to tangle and knot during the knitting process. I suspect it's because of the added ingredients.

Hubby's faves

2007-01-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

These were knit in Brown Sheep worsted and were my first cable socks last year (or maybe it was the year before). They are now slightly fulled from washing and wearing, and hubby loves them all the more. Really, they're almost like felted boots. Speaking of which, I do so wish that Fiber trends would modify the clog pattern into a taller boot version. Men would love it!

UFOs

2007-01-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Something about the new year must bring out the housekeeper in everyone, because I've read numerous posts about cleaning out stashes and reviewing incomplete projects... just in the last day or so. That prompted me to do the same, and I was happy to discover some unfinished projects I had no interest in frogging. Included were these two socks, totally utilitarian but nice enough, and luckily with the pattern details on a slip of paper tucked in each sock. So, I'll finish those off in a hurry; hubby and I will each have a new pair of woolens for our peds before the month is over. I am a bit concerned about the dark blue ones for him. They seem a tad loose, and alas, they're superwash so not much chance of fulling them a little. Unless I try boiling them in a pot of water. I've wanted to give that a go for some time, and this is a low-risk pair so I think I'll try it and report back. I want to find a way to abolish the superwash characteristic if I want to.

Not-the-Sock

2007-01-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

I had to show off this very cool gift I got from my hubby for my birthday. He also made it... out of sterling silver. It's a Queen Pin for my shawls... a nice, graceful, large and beautiful Q to hold my knits together. I can't bear to tuck it away in the jewelry box when I'm not wearing it, so I display it on the handwoven shawl that's draped over one door of an armoire. Don't you think queenpins are much better than kingpins?

Washing our socks

2007-01-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of discussion about how to care for socks. I straddle the fence on the issue. On the one hand, it seems one should honor the time spent knitting socks through handwashing. On the other hand (or foot, as the case may be), once we've knit dozens of socks, it's nice to be able to throw them in the washer. I do that with my favorite pair. In fact, I've washed and dried them by machine for over a year and I bet I wear them weekly. I'm sure you all recognize the famous discontinued Brasil pattern by Opal Yarns. These socks wear like iron. I love their patterns, but I have quite a few solids in my stash, too. I buy almost all my Opals from Angel Yarns in the UK. They have the best prices even with trans-Atlantic shipping. Plus, they offer Socknitters Forum members an extra 10% off by signing up on their forum. I receive my order in exactly seven days out here in the Middle of America. So I consolidate my orders to diminish the environmental costs of all that mileage, and perk up my stash every 4-6 months. I'm about due for another order soon! I'm going to knit about three more pairs from the stash and then give myself permission!

Little Lola for Big Feet

2007-01-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

I made up these little shorties for myself from a skein of Shaefer Yarns Little Lola my pal sent for Christmas. It was like knitting up a box of crayons! I loved every minute of the process, although I have to say the end result was a little different than I expected. It was the first time I've knit with this yarn, and it is the yummiest. I'm a Shaefer fan for life. I think this yarn may well replace the Brown Sheep... it's softer, no pesticides, and, of course, much more expensive.

These socks are made for walkin', and that's just what they'll do! Perfect for my Adidas.

Socks for friends

2007-01-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

These are a pair of socks I made for my high school pal, Jill. Just basic socks knit from Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Alpine... as a remembrance of a skiing trip she took last year when we had a nice little visit after, oh, about thirty years or so!

Daniele

Here are the Christmas socks

2007-01-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

I made these for myself and another pair for my friend, Ann. Brown Sheep worsted in Red Baron. Permanently moth-proofed with some kind of toxic pesticide. Do you think I've just done us both in??

Seriously, it is important to question these sorts of practices. Even if the FDA does approve it.... well, they approved Teflon, too, and after several decades of daily use, we're now told it's harmful to our health. So who should we trust.... our collective commonsense or the government? I'd like to know how many times I have to wash these socks before the pesticide is permanently removed! I'm also wondering if a skein of Brown Sheep in every stash might keep the dreadful moths away entirely.

Socknitters!

2007-01-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

I just challenged the Socknitters group to start blogging so we can share each others creations. So here's my contribution to the cause!