The magic of socks

I think I've thoroughly documented my love/hate relationship with socks. I've decided to explore the magic loop technique to see if it's any easier. I've never attempted this before only because I don't want to buy multiples of the same size needles. I have enough needles as it is. Well, I had to buy a super long no.2 needle for some edging on a sweater once (and I didn't really need it when it was all said and done). I had this seemingly useless needle just taking up room in my needle case so I looked into magic loop on one needle...and now I've started a new pair of socks:

I'm knitting them toe-up, which wasn't that hard to start on one needle. I think this needle is around 40 inches, and I wish it was a tad longer, but they're Addi Turbo so the plastic is super flexible and it's only a little tight ---not enough for me to buy another needle at least!

I have a whole bag of this yarn from last fall's Smiley's Yarn Riot. Two socks started, ten to go!

My first socks

Yes, I finally finished my first pair of socks. Ok, so these aren't the first pair of socks I've knitted but this is the first yarn I bought to knit socks, and it's taken me five+ years to complete them! I have been serious about cleaning out my stash and getting this yarn out of ball format was a major accomplishment! Of course, after staring at the yarn for so long, I'm sick of the pattern and the colors and I can't imagine wearing them. My mom likes them though so she will be getting a present soon.

Out of hibernation

I have really been awol from blogging this winter...Rita's prolific crafting is really putting me to shame, and reminding me that I'd better get to work on some baby stuff for a niece who's due in June. I spent the month or so after the holidays just working on my growing scrap blanket, which is fun & mindless after the holiday gift-making frenzy. I also knit a pair of knee-high socks for myself and crocheted a scrap baby blanket for my at-work charity crafting group. What else...oh, I also finally finished the cotton throw for my in-laws!

Now I have to shake off the winter lazies and get to work. In the last couple of weeks I knit a couple of chemo hats for a friend of a coworker (which I of course forgot to photograph), and started a scarf for I don't know who, knit a hat also for no one in particular, and started knitting a couple of uteruses (uteri?) for my sister's friend who is a birth care worker. So I'm starting to be productive again but I don't feel very focused - have to nail down some goals and get moving.

Front burner & back burner

There's still one holiday gift I have to finish - I started it on a bit of a whim, but I'm determined to finish this month. It's the cotton throw blanket on the left, and I'm not going to work on anything else while I'm at home, until it's finished. I was going to take it on my holiday plane trips but it was already too bulky to be comfortably portable, so I started a pair of knee socks for myself instead - a much better traveling project. These will stay on the back burner, relegated to subway and lunch-hour knitting, until the blanket (and a batch of charity hats) is finally done.

A very mild (thoroughly polite?) finished project

Here are the socks for my Dad - a nice neutral, practical gift for the man who, if pressed, will request only white handkerchiefs for his Christmas present. He's someone who appreciates both the little things and the handmade, so I think these will be just the thing. I started them a little over two weeks ago but only had a few inches knit, until I took a trip this weekend and had to wait for 5 hours in an airport for a delayed flight, during which time I finished the pair (well, I did a little work on them on the buses to/from airports, too).

Manly knitting

Although I could never top this project for sheer, legendary manliness, here are my latest attempts at knitting for men. On the left is another pair of Basic Socks from the Ann Budd book, in Wool-Ease Sportweight. They're for my Dad's birthday. On the right is the Seamless Hybrid from Knitting Without Tears. I'm using Cotton-Ease in Charcoal; it's really kind of like a faded black color, and my husband picked it out when I gave him some choices from my stash. I'm basing the measurements on his favorite Gap cotton sweater, but I'm still pretty nervous about how it will turn out in the end. I knit a sweater for him long ago when I was very inexperienced, and the result is only suitable for wearing while, I don't know, gutting fish maybe? He's really excited about this one based on the pictures in the book, so the pressure's on!

Slow Down

Note to self: Never make a resolution! I just never have anything to post anymore. Now that school has started again, my free time has evaporated...and I'm lazy :O)
So here are some socks I knit up a couple weeks ago for my mom's birthday.




They look kind of lame in the picture (my mom does not have monster feet). I used the "On-Your-Toes" Socks pattern by Ann Budd from the Interweave Knits Summer 2007 issue. I used Lang Yarns Aktion Jawoll. The yarn came with extra thread for the heel and toe, which was nice. I LOVE knitting from the toe up! I had no idea it would work so much faster. I struggled a little to finish the second one, but I finished--that's the key! I also really liked how the short row heel was worked; much thicker and stronger than the other pattern I've used in the past. This pattern also has directions for knee-highs, so I'm going to attempt that next!

Ridiculously long New Year's post

It's another new year! I went back to my "resolutions" post from a year ago and thought I would see how I did:

-Fewer impulse yarn buys - more conscious stash management!
Well...I did alright on this one. I tried to buy mostly sale yarns and to buy sweater quantities to encourage more garment knitting.
-Actually *finishing* more projects instead of ripping out 10 times before finally giving up.
I haven't gone back and counted my finished projects, and while I'm sure I was more productive than in the past I still had too many impulsive project starts and subsequent rejections.
-Knit more of my own clothes and knit more gifts for others.
Again, did better perhaps than in previous years but there's a lot of room for improvement.
-Do some charity knitting.
A community service group I belong to at my work did a hat knitting project in December - 26 hats for a men's shelter in our neighborhood!

My hopes for 2008 are high, and my project list is long, including lots more than just knitting. In general, this is my challenge: this year, how can I be more creative, more productive, and less wasteful? I want to think about these questions in all areas of life - crafting, eating, work, shopping & spending, etc. With regard to knitting in particular, I have begun to develop a list of specific project goals and sketch out a timeline for getting them done. I've resolved to buy no new yarn or clothes for 6 months in an effort not only to economize but also to focus on working with the materials I already have to create new clothes (or refashion old ones). And charity knitting is still a goal, both with the group at work and on my own.

Here is my last project of 2007 - the 6-stitch-per-inch Basic Socks from Getting Started Knitting Socks. I used one strand each of gray Wool-Ease Sportweight and brown sock yarn, and they turned out warm & well-fitting. They were very fast to knit, too.

Gifts & gifts

Here are a bunch of scarves I made for my coworkers and our student workers. I think I actually have another one to do, but since they only take about 2 hours to do on size 15 needles, I'm sure I can find time to finish just one more. I hadn't planned on making gifts for my work friends, but this Wool Ease Thick & Quick yarn was on sale and the colors were so pretty, I caved in.


And here are the two-circular socks - not much progress! I've already had to scrap 2 other gift projects due to an overly ambitious knitting program...it's down to these socks and a mystery project (hmmm...), and I'm hoping to mail them both out early next week so I have to pick up my pace!

Little sweater

It's the February Baby Sweater by the wonderful Elizabeth Zimmermann, knit in the yarn from a ripped-out old sweater of mine. I really enjoyed knitting this for a brand new baby, although she probably won't be big enough for it for a couple of months.


And these are my two-at-a-time socks! After the first couple of rows, it became easy to handle the two needles and manipulate the turns. It's so exciting to think that I'll get to avoid the notorious Second Sock Syndrome and have a complete pair when it's all over. The only downside is that the multiple components don't lend themselves well to subway knitting, which is how I've been trying to make a dent in my holiday knitting goal.

My Picture-free post

I don't have my camera! I forgot it at my parents house this weekend! I might not be back before Christmas! What am I going to do?

I will still mention my weekend work. I finished the body of my stag bag. I am blocking it right now, but I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't knit the sides up before I did it! I now have a fuzzy bag and will have to find a nice seam when it is dry. It is huge! I was imagining it to be purse-ish bag size, but it's going to fit my lunch, book, and cat with room to spare. I think that a liner is required so it doesn't stretch to the floor when I stuff it full of my vagabond life. It sure would be great if Tippi could give a tutorial of how to add a liner...

My other weekend project was the socks that I've been working on all year. I finally got the bug to finish them, but I just finished the second heel and I don't have enough yarn! I'm about two inches shy. I really can't follow whatever rule I laid out all that time ago. I am constantly running out of yarn for projects. Gah. This makes me mad only because I should have enough for two socks, but I guess I like the sock to be longer than normal. Maybe I just have legs a piano can stand on :) In any event, I might try and find the yarn again--does dye lot matter all that much? On the other hand, I probably won't wear these things.

I feel like my whole weekend was a waste!

Stag Bag progress + first holiday project

Here is the Stag Bag so far, all pinned up for blocking. After I sewed the side seams I fulled the bag lightly to tighten it up, and now it has a nice fuzzy, dense, felty kind of feel. The mohair in Lamb's Pride really fuzzes up, which I like. I've started knitting handles, which I think I will do differently than the pattern; I will probably make two tote-like handles rather than one long shoulder strap. I'm also debating whether I will do an applied I-cord along the side seams or just leave them. In any case, I'm pretty happy with it so far - it's huge! And I do love big bags. Oh, and I will be lining it, too, at some point.


And here is a new work in progress, the first sock I've ever knitted, which will be a Christmas gift. The yarn is superwash merino and so far, it's going pretty well. I'm using a really basic pattern from Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. I haven't gotten to the really terrifying parts of the pattern yet (heel, instep, toes) but I'm cautiously optimistic.

New Shirts

I finally finished a couple of shirts and thought I'd share the final products. They are both from the same pattern: Simplicity 4589. I was a little uncertain about how to read the pattern directions at first, but I figured it out and, obviously, both shirts are very simple.


The brown shirt is pretty great. I already wore it to work and didn't feel like a tool in it. The yellow shirt's arm holes are a little wide and I'm thinking I'll take a small tuck under the arm eventually. I wish this pattern had darts, but I think that might be a step beyond my current abilities...always something to work on.
Since these are my first attempt at sewing clothes, I'm pretty happy. Years of semi-quilting has at least given me the basics on how to use my sewing machine and how to sew things together. I am next going to work on making skirts and I'm also thinking of making a pair of linen pants with really wide legs.

On the knitting front I'm slowly working on these socks:

There has to be a Rita's Rule about knitting socks, but I'm too lazy to write one up right now. I have one finished and I'm working on the second one now. Maybe I'll have it done for the fall. We'll see.