Knitting: Project 365 and more sock talk

So, yeah, I've been doing it this year. I think so far I've only missed one day... and maybe not really any, I just have to double check both cameras and the phone. I may surprise myself and really have a photo a day. Now... most of these photos are the suck... but really I don't care. When I have time to be creative, I will... but until then, you get what you get, really. And when I get off my lazy butt to get them all loaded up, I'll update my 365 set.

I've been pouring most of my creative outlet energy into knitting. Yes I have been doing a little bit every day. I'm really trying to get a pair of socks done... not just one, but BOTH. I am working the heel flap and it is slow going, but... of all things, I have now learned to knit BACKWARDS. Yes people, I thought it would be an arduous process, but not so much. The first step is doing. And once you do it and see it, it's like, DUH, why didn't I think of that before. I'm not quite too quick with it yet. I'm still changing how I hold the yarn and "throw" it. It's a small adjustment, but I have noticed, I'm getting through the row faster than I can purl a row, but I have also noticed my stitches are much tighter and not as loose as my knit.

My normal knit stitch isn't too loose, it's typically JUST right, but this backwards knit is definitely tighter, so I'll have to figure out the best method to loosen that up. On my eye of partridge heel, it's not that big of a deal, you won't notice a "row-out" but if I attempt this on something larger, say a sweater, it might be visible. But I'm also wondering with a larger weight yarn if it won't be as tight because right now, I'm on this fingering weight and giving it the death grip, where if it was worsted, I might not be so inclined to do so.

This backwards thing is something I will definitely continue to be doing. Especially for entrelac. I've been working this bag for like 2 years (maybe longer?) and it's been on the sidelines for awhile because there are so many more things that need done (i.e. the socks). But now that I have this new technique, maybe I'll pick it up and get through it faster. Of course this will definitely be after the sweater and socks that I'm currently doing. Again, it's the finishing year people! And this bag is something I've wanted for a long, long time. But already I'm in my head thinking of the NEXT sock project I want to work on.

I have this wonderful stripey yarn, it's the Knit Picks Schooner color and great for a spring-summer sock, so I'm considering maybe just a straight up knit around and around kind of sock. I'm dying to use that yarn up.

Speaking of yarns... I was a little less than pleased with the Knit Picks Imagination, Gingerbread House colorway. It's this tan with these bright red, blue and yellow streaks in it. For some reason it BOTHERS me. So I was considering giftin it to someone. BUT this morning, I had an epiphany. My friend just found out she's having a girl (yesterday) and I thought I could make the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket for her. And I should have enough yarn left over for some booties as well. Using the fingering/dk weight yarn (not sure what it's considered) and smaller needles will result in a smaller jacket for a newish born babe, depending on how big le baby is. So I'm excited once again and this yarn will no longer make ugly socks for me, but a cute jacket for baby. YAY!

And this really pays off well too because I've seen Ash's nursery colors and this jacket will definitely be in the same scheme. So it's doubly cool.

Knitting: 365

So I'm wondering if I can knit every day in 2009? Maybe I should do 2 project 365s. One for every day I knit and one for just random photos. HA! Pace yourself, Kristie.

Anyway, took a trip to Heavenly Creations yesterday. Met Lindsey there. She didn't buy anything, but I sure did. It's an obsession. Seriously though, that is IT. I'm cutting myself off. Cold Turkey!!! REALLY I can stop anytime!

I specifically went in for these elcheapo little short 5 inch bamboo sock needles. Needed to replace my zeros and ones. But they didn't have anymore. While there I saw the 9" circs by Chia Goo or whatever the name is. My sister and I saw them at Yarn Cravin in Perrysburg a few months ago. Of course a week or so later, she asked me to get her some if I saw them. So I called and she said she still wanted them, so I got those for her. Although I am very tempted to open the pack and try them out on the socks I'm currently working on!

I also picked up the super cute Fiber Trends pattern called Felt Flock. It's cute little sheep. I'm kind of wanting the alpacas, too. But let's face it, what the H am I going to do with them. Ah well, they are all super cute anyway. I also got another pattern for felt fishies. Again, not sure what I'm going to do with them. But maybe if I ever have a kid, these things will come in handy. I could see doing a fish tank type baby room. That'd be up my alley. Oh and of course I bought some yarn too.

Malabrigo lace... YOMYOMYOM! OMG, this stuff is so amazing. And at 8.95 for 470 yards, that is the cheapest I've seen it. So I bought this variagated blues color. It's for the waves and dolphin lace motifs I put together for a scarf. I drew up the pattern several months ago before becoming frustrated with lace. Well, now that I have soft gorgeous malabrigo, maybe I'll try lace again this year. BUT, I WILL NOT CAST ON UNTIL I FINISH AT LEAST TWO PROJECTS! I promise. I think lace is really one of those things you just have to keep going on. It's easy to lose your spot and with all the Y/O's things can get tense. So, as I said... finishing some stuff first, for sure!

Speaking of fnishing. Lindsey and I worked on our socks yesterday. She worked on the 2nd sock from the November Mystery Sock-Butterfingers. I worked on my Sophie Socks that I started the other night. It's a 6 stitch pattern from the More Sensational Socks book called Crosshatch Lace. It's coming along well, but SOOOOOO slow! OMG! I've only finished like 4 repeats so far. Then I was having a bit of trouble seeing and stuff cause my eyes were hurting. I thought it might be the color of the yarn contributing, so I picked up my Butterfingers sock and worked a couple of rows before realizing my eyes were just plain exhausted. I could barely keep them open. So I came to bed (6:30) and ZONKED OUT! I first woke up around 9, then crashed back out. Woke up around 10, got up, put eye drops in, took some more pills and back to bed I went. So of course at 4AM, WIDE AWAKE! But that's ok. Brian will be gone all day which means I can get a bit of cleaning done and then nap.

Oh and I'll be doing some knitting as well.

So my plans for the week are to work more on the sleeves of the green sweater and the socks. Lindsey and I discussed yesterday how many people are going to try and do a pair of socks each month and she thought if she did nothing else she could do socks, but then she wouldn't be able to work on anything else. And I was thinking depending on yarn weight it would obviously be faster do to worsted weight socks... but who wants that, right?! SO of course we like the delicate fine yarns for socks which in turn take for freaking ever. But I did more thinking on it in the wee hours of the morn today and I thought having a goal of getting at least ONE sock of a pair done would be doable. Especially for me considering I work on a multitude of things at the same time. SO, if I did at least ONE sock per month for the rest of the year, I should end up with 6 finished pair. That's a good goal I think.

And since I don't have an updated picture of my current sock WIPS, I leave you with a shot of the ever adorable Sophia!

Stash: More sock yarn

So, in doing a favor for a friend yesterday, I was tempted by the gooey sock goodness at the merc and bought another skein of Tuscan Grove yarn! :) I heart it, so many pretty colors.

And when I got back to my car, I realized I had a couple more skeins I bought recently and hadn't posted about.... So I brought them all back in to work with me and photo'd them. Please see below.

Beautiful purple Wildfoote


Pretty purplish Tuscan Grover


And lastly the newest Tuscan Grove...


Interestingly enough, the two purples look very close to true color on screen, but that last one is much brighter in person. Anyway... I keep buying all this darn sock yarn and I'm working on sweaters... what the heck!

Maybe I should add to my 2009 resolutions to make and FINISH more socks, too!

Bringing up the resolutions... good pal Lindsey pointed out the other day that since I was resolving to finish things in 2009, that maybe have a resolution to learn cast on's might be counter productive cause then I might be tempted to start MORE stuff. And I whole-heartedly concur with that statement, however I had decided with learning new cast-ons, I was just going to make swatches of them. Probably in a cheap ol' acrylic or some "waste" yarn. I just really want to do them, so I can understand the method as well as the different feels of the cast ons and why they might be useful for different projects.

And just so you know... I'm a big fan of doing my crochet cast on lately. This is where you make a crochet chain over the knitting needle to cast on. It goes so quickly and when you are casting on for like 200+ stitches... makes things go much faster and you don't have to worry about not having a long enough or too long tail. The downside of this cast on is it leaves kind of a chunky edge. I'll pic-post that later as I don't have it with me right now. But for ease and speed, I'll take it.

In real knitting news... I cast on the sleeves for the Green Verena Cable sweater the other day. I decided to do them at the same time on one cable needle. They are back and forth and it's pretty easy. Plus, now I don't have to worry about them being sized differently and I don't have to be as concerned that my row count is off and I'm cabling in the wrong place. So bonuses all around. Of course with the good, now the bad... it's taking for effing ever! Seriously! Each sleeve is a 54 stitch cast on and so in theory it's 108 back and forth and it seems forever to get through a row. But.... I have a long weekend and hopefully I can get some good knitting done, dependent on the eyes and how they are feeling after surgery.

I might start a mindless sock that I don't need to "see" this weekend. that I could probably do by feel. LOL!

Happy New Year all! Brian and I will be out tonight and I'll update for project 365 tomorrow! Be safe!