Knitting: And the socks have it!

I feel a little bad about not blogging lately. I do enjoy it, but often don't take the time for it. I do well for a short time and then fall back ino lazy habits. I've also been bad about reading the blogs of my friends. I'm several weeks behind, so for that I apologize and if you see random comments from me on a post that is weeks old, you know why. :)

Blogging helps keep me up to date. While most of the blogs I read are people I know IRL, it's always an added bonus (to me) to read all those thoughts about their lives or their knitting (they are ALL knitting people); what they thought while knitting, and their finished projects. I like it all! And most of them, I've seen in person, so seeing the object up close from start to finish is fun as well.

Blogging for me, helps me to remember. I know what I was doing when and how I felt about a particulr yarn or place or thing. If it's not kntting or yarn related, it's probably music, movies or travel. So always good to keep writing those memories. I hope to never succumb to those debilitating memory loss diseases, but you never know what age will bring.

Enough rambling. I've been casting on socks left and right these days, although not the lefts and rights that actually go together. Are you surprised, really?!

Here it is... I went to Mystery Sock last Monday 9/27. I purchased the reccommended yarn ahead of time, one I hadn't used before. It's dyed by the Neighborhood Fiber Co and I forget the name of the colorway, it starts with an "A". Anyway, it's green, another shock? Probably not. So the pattern, it has cables and sort of a lace/rib motif going on. Very easy repeat to remember and therefore get through fairly quickly. It was knit from the toe-up with a cuff down option if you please and a short row heel. I have yet to cast on for #2, but do plan on later this week, read on to see why. So the pair will be finished and not left in single sockdom (promise)!



I had a bit of free time a week or so ago, right before Mystery Sock and I didn't have but ONE sock OTN. Well it was a sock I don't like very much and I didn't want to knit it, so I cast on another sock. It's in this lovely blue/purple colorway called Purple Haze. I decided to make a pattern from Wendyknits fame from the book, Toe-Up Socks for Every Body. I can't recall the name at this second, but I did make it through the toe and through part of the first repeat. About this time, I was feeling angsty, not about the sock, but about intense knitting (this was a Saturday). So by Sunday, I decided to go easy and start a new toe up sock, plain, plain stockinette. However, the yarn is Regia Hand Dyed Effects, which does this really fantastic color gradient thing. I didn't want to muddy with a pattern and wanted something easy. This foots the bill (pun not totally intended).

I don't have photos of either of these yet, but in my in-betweens, I've been working on the Regia sock. I'm through the heel and working on the leg. It's coming along nicely. Bring in today, I have Block of the Month, and I am behind. I only have 3 completed blocks so far and 2 half blocks done. I should have a total of 8 (whoops!). And the 2 I have OTN, I cannot find the pattern for... doubble whoops!

I'm also missing a pattern because I missed the class in August and they were out of the pattern when I needed to buy it. I'll pick that up tonight. But I did cast on and do the edging for today's block, so I am ready to go.

Oh and then on 10/01 I decided to participate in the SKA challenge after taking a few months off. I decided on an underappreciated pattern and had to cast on right away to claim it. I'm knitting the Rose Cottage pattern on Rav in the Knit Picks Tonal color Spring Blooms (I think). It's pink. I like it so far, but have only done a partial of the first repeat. It's a charted pattern that isn't difficult, but does require attention.



Then on Saturday 10/2, I received my next to last shipment of the Socks that Rock club shipment. The yarn is a deep green that makes me think of Pine trees and funnily enough is called 'Pining 4 Ewe'. It definitely makes me think of winter and christmas. The 2 patterns for the month are a new twist of EZ's Moccasin sock by Meg Swansen and Buggin Out by Stephen H. (hizKnits). I met him for a brief moment at SS09 and he's a nice guy. While I like the Buggin Out pattern, I think will knit the Mocc Sock first. But not sure if I will use Pining for it or not. Anyway, it's something on the backburner because I have SEVERAL others in line.

Knitting: Continued DISCOVERY sock progress

I'm still knitting away on the discovery sock. As I finished the pod last week, I opted to start the 2nd pod instead of finishing the leg on sock #1. It's going well, although I haven't committed to it this weekend. I haven't felt the knitting bug much however I did have some fiber adventures.

I went to Dublin on Saturday to pick up my "new" macbook. Purchased from Cath since she upgraded to pro. And since I was in Dublin, I stopped off to visit Temptations. I chatted with Karen a bit. Picked up month #2 for the BOM Afghan and purchased a skein of Malabrigo Twist in Grape. It's super pretty.

I now have 3 skeins of the twist in different colors. GK2 pal, Brandy made really super pretty and squishy cabled fingerless mitts. I decided these would be great gifts for my non-knitting but supportive friends. So I know have 3 colors that I believe they will each like, Olive, Rust/Olive and the Purple. I searched Ravelry last week for a pattern, but didn't see anything that jumped out at me, so I'm designing my own. I'm writing as I go. It's turning out really nice. The yarn is fantastic to use and I love the cabled diamond I chose for the central motif. Not sure if I will make these identical or, swap the cables out as I go. Providing on the feedback, I may go ahead and list on Ravelry.

Great thing is, with my new macbook, I can design anywhere. I'm not restricted to being home on my IMac. I have some great software and am so amped to get some of these ideas out, anywhere I go!

So the mitts are in progress. The Discovery sock is in progress... and I'm being very good to not pick up any other projects, nor cast on any additional projects until I'm done with the first pair of mitts and/or these discovery socks. I hoped to have the green socks done in time for St. Pats, but it won't happen. No biggie, they should be done before end of the month.

So I should have knit on Friday but didn't. Didn't knit most of Saturday, but had a lovely catch up time with Cath at Starbucks on Sat. night. I did knit a few rounds on the sock while there. I've finished all the increases and just need to knit to the leg lines and put the lifelines in and finish up the heel. Not much further at all.

Have the sock class tomorrow and will cut open for the leg and start a pattern. I'm going away from my original thought of designing a cable, due to lack of time. But I will definitely do it sometime in the future.

Not ready to start another work week, but we do what we must. Here comes Monday... bring it on!

Knitting: Why yes, it IS another new project

I decided to take a BOM class in hopes of actually being on point to finish an afghan. It's hosted/taught by Michelle at Temptations. It's sort of a beginner type of class, kind of going over the basics, pattern reading, guague, etc. My main reason for taking the "class" is because I thought it might force me to actually work on a block once a month and in a year, I'll have a fantastic afghan.

I've learned over the past few years, I don't always have the sticktoitiveness to get things done. I've started several blocks through different KALs and guess what, none of them are finished. So I'm hoping this will be my fresh start. Anyway, the pattern is pretty simple, just comination knit and purls to make a nice texture pattern. Each block will have a seed stitch border and we are also doing a crochet cast on and a specific bind off for each block for consistancy.

I did a total of 2 repeats last night and have about 10 more to do, depending on measurments. Shouldn't take long and it's definitely a relaxing knit.



The picture isn't great because I have it squished on to DPN's, but I couldn't find my 10" US7 and that being said, I may opt to go down to a 6 anyway. We'll see. Need to find more of my needles at home, perhaps that is the project I will work on tonight.