WIP Wednesday: Hitchhiker, nemesis socks, and a cowl for my MiL

I have more projects than usual on the needles right now, and I'll share the main three today.

I've been really digging the Hitchhiker pattern, but was stressed about the fact that I don't have 500+ yards of any one sock yarn...it only means I'll have a shorter piece, so I eventually bit the bullet and cast on. I'm using the 'Whale Watching' yarn that I got in Juneau that's been burning a whole in my stash for 2 months. Love. It. Love the way it's knitting up, love the flecks of silver, love the pointy points in the pattern. Overall, huge success. My pal Mel is also knitting this right now (in a gorgeous deep green), and she has nicknamed hers "dragon tail". Not to be outdone, I've named mine "stegosaurus tail".  I love dinosaurs, the points look like plates...why not? (Also, pretty sure a dinosaur would destroy a dragon in a street fight).

My nemesis socks. Seriously. I rue the day that I picked up this yarn and couldn't put it down. Because that's how it was - ask anybody that was there. I was all torn about it, like 'oh, I don't want to spend the money' but also all like 'gosh, I've always wanted a nice pair of pink striped socks'...so I bought it. And I hate it. It's not the color, I really do love the color. It's the fact that it's not plied. And this is my first attempt at 2-at-a-time socks, and the two strands just keep trying to grab each other and hold on. Ensue tangling, swearing, and throwing of project. I had intended to rip it out, but then I realized I was already halfway through the heel flap, so I really need to just finish. But for the record: hate.

And my MiL's cowl. This is surprisingly fun to knit. I say surprisingly because I traditionally like patterns that I can knit while not paying attention. This one requires a moderate amount of attentiveness, but I've got it under control. She picked out the yarn and approved the pattern...I really hope the finished product is perfect!

WIP Wednesday - two-at-a-time socks

I'm STILL working on my sweater, and I'm still working on these two-at-a-time socks. To be fair, I really haven't knit much lately because I've been sewing (and reading and cooking and working), but I'm ready to pick them back up and finish. The yarn is really grabby, so it's kinda driving me crazy...but looking at this pic reminds me why its worth it. Love the colors, gotta stick it out.

Jose's Christmas Socks

I took my skein of Too Much to Dream and knitted a pair of socks for Jose. I thought it would be a surprise, but he kept asking questions along the way that told me he knew. Boo on that, but yay for the outcome!

First, Jose said they are the best fit of any of the socks I've made him, so that's positive. Second, I wrote the pattern and I like the way it turned out. There's a little more variegation in the yarn than I would have liked for this simple pattern, but it's still nice. I'd like to type up the pattern and post it on Ravelry, but it's just so simple that I feel like it may not be worth it. We'll see. Third, Jose said the socks might be his favorite gift. That may mean that the other gifts I gave him were failures, but I'll take it to mean that the socks rock :)

This is my attempt at a close-up of the rib. The cuff is a 4X1 rib and for the body of the sock, I ran 15 stitches (with a purl on either end) down so that it's just off center on the front of the foot. My original vision was for a cable, but I wasn't able to find one that was masculine enough and I started running out of time. I just got a book of stitches for Christmas, so I should be able to find a manly cable for next time...

socks fit for a yoga master

When my mother-in-law said that my sister-in-law was taking up yoga and had asked for a mat this Christmas, I decided to knit some yoga socks to complete her ensemble. I used my friend Meg's pattern as the basis, and was completely pleased with the results.

First, her instructions were so much simpler than the ones I saw on Ravelry. Second, it's written in a way that you can change up the ribbing, add various cables or stitches...the possibilities are endless. Third, they knit up quick and are great for stash busting. It just so happens that I had some Encore in my stash leftover from the owlie sack and hat, and it was the perfect yarn for this. Soft, durable, and just stretchy enough. Love, love, love!

Christmas socks for my FiL!

If you know me, then you've definitely heard me say that I have the best in-laws in the world. And it's true. I mean, I really seriously want to challenge anyone that thinks theirs are better to give me a call so we can put all the cards on the table and figure it out. I would bet Berger and Puggie that I'd win. So yeah, I'm pretty sure.

Earlier in the year I made my MiL some cotton ankle socks that she could sleep in (special request), and as we were getting things together for Christmas, I decided that I really wanted to knit my FiL some socks. Why? Well, the reasons are many:

1 - I knew he would appreciate them. He's definitely a sentimental kind of guy, and the fact that I spent 30+ hours on these socks would be completely lost on some, but not on him. Bonus: I dyed the yarn as well.

2 - We're taking a family vacation to Alaska next year. Can you think of a better place to wear hand-knitted socks? I mean, I'm sure there are a few (Antarctica, Russia, the North Pole), but Alaska and comfy socks seem like a perfect combination. And he will be visiting his friends in NY, his other kids in MN...he'll have plenty of cold places to wear them.

3 - There's nothing I can buy him that he doesn't have or can't get himself. But...he can't knit. So I spent lots of time dyeing the yarn, tweaking the pattern, and knitting them up to show my love.

And if you don't mind my saying so, I think they turned out pretty well!

If you're interested in duplicating it, I just made a few adjustments to the Yarn Harlot's Earl Grey pattern. One that you'll notice right away is that I didn't do the cable. I like it, but I wasn't feeling it with this yarn. So I ended up with a very hip stripe down either side of the foot. Additionally, I did cast on 70 to begin with, but when I did the gusset decreases, I stopped at 72 so that I could do the round toe. I hate the kitchener stitch.

a special yarn deserves a special pattern...

I love the colors in this yarn, I really do. But I bought it at a time that I was really buying yarn for what it looked like in the skein, and not for what I might do with it. I've cast on with it several times and I've frogged and frogged and frogged. I'm not frogging because I don't like the way it looks, it's because I'm waiting for it to be SPECTACULAR.

My friend Melissa made a sock in the Kiertoradalla pattern, and I'm thinking that this might be the one. But before I cast on again (and hopefully for the last time) I want to see if anyone has any better ideas. I'm always impressed with the yarn/pattern combos that you all pick, and I'd like you to weigh in now. Doesn't have to be socks, just has to be awesome.

Bring it.

too much to dream

I resisted the temptation of the yarn I was dying for a long time. And by a long time, I mean one month. There was something about this blue that I couldn't pass up. I dyed two skeins at once and called the colorway "I had too much to dream last night". Working on some socks now, but can't quite get the pattern right. They have to be perfect. Stay tuned...

sockin' it to Jose...

As my husband has (anonymously) pointed out, this began as a knitting blog and I haven't blogged about knitting in quite some time. That's mostly because I'm working on super secret projects, including these socks that I just finished and presented him with.




Colinette Jitterbug - Velvet Leaf
bought at The Quarter Stitch in NoLa
Textured Rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks

Sidenote: Bought this yarn because it reminded me of the color green in a lot of my grandmother's decor when I was growing up. Jose and I regularly joke about the secret ingredient of whatever dish we've cooked being 'love'. I thought of my grandmother every single time I worked on these socks, so a lot of love went into them for sure.

MiL Socks

Last month we took a trip with the in-laws to Charleston, SC. The first order of business (after dropping Berger off and grabbing lunch) was visiting the local yarn shop, Knit. My mother-in-law had requested that I make her a pair of socks...I was excited because I thought I could use up some of my stash...but she didn't want wool socks and wool and wool/nylon is all I've got. So we set out to find a good cotton blend. German-made Opal is what she picked:

I had a suspicion that this would be self-striping,
but the entire label is in German, so it was anybody's guess....
















the finished product...
















one of my guilty pleasures is gift wrapping...
just couldn't help myself...

Happy Sockentine's Day!

This year, Jose and I agreed to make each other gifts for Valentine's Day. I've had this Flat Feet yarn for 6 months and I've just been waiting for the right time to bring it out. It was tricky to make them without being able to measure Jose's foot or have him try them on as I went, but they actually turned out perfectly. AND, much to my surprise, Jose LOVES them. I always peg the wrong gifts as hits!

I must also mention the "wrapping paper" I used. I put the socks in a cracker box that was going to recycling and I wrapped it in extra copies of a report that I presented this week. The bows? Those are brittle old rubber bands that were on their last leg. I'm pretty much as proud of the wrapping as I am of the socks.

[Game], Set, Match!

I finished the second sock in record time. Probably because of the NFL playoffs.

Needles: 3mm Harmony Wood
Yarn: Malabrigo
Pattern: Scrolls, More Sensational Knitted Socks
Top 1X1 rib

Wait, they're supposed to match?!

I've had two socks on the needles for MONTHS...and we're not talking about two-at-a-time matching socks. No, I was working on the first sock in two separate pairs. It was a little like second sock syndrome, but with the first sock.

Over Christmas, I decided that this was a little ridiculous and made it my goal to finish them both before beginning anything else. Now that I've made good on that, I'm aiming to finish the mates to both before attempting new projects. I make no promises.

The Crimson Pride sock yarn was definitely disappointing. The colors do pool and I tried several different patterns before settling on this alt waffle rib. Such a boring pattern, but I think it was probably the best I could do with the yarn.





















The purple Malabrigo did not disappoint. The subtle variations of color allowed for a more complex pattern that I love love love! It's a 14-row pattern called "scrolls". Not horribly difficult, but it does require more attention than I'm used to giving...great for solo air travel and during TV shows that I don't care much about.

close-up of the pattern scrolls pattern:

Crimson Pride

I grew up in a household that recognized college football as the single most important entity known to the world. And the University of Alabama was the most important piece within that entity. So with that in mind, coupled with the fact that the U of A is now my Alma Mater, I'm a pretty hardcore fan. That's why, when I found out that Serendipity Needleworks in Tuscaloosa, AL was having Lorna's Laces custom dyed in lots called "Crimson Pride", I knew I had to have some. Well, I knew I had to have some more. My friend Melissa gave me my first skein and I made a hat. I was so thrilled that I called and ordered two more skeins for a scarf. Then, on my next visit to Tuscaloosa, I bought two skeins in sock weight. The projects are both on the needles and have been stalled for a bit, but in honor of today's Iron Bowl, I thought they should both be featured. And probably finished. Soon.

both projects...



















a close-up of the scarf, knitted in the Easy Drop Stitch pattern...















the sock. an incredibly boring pattern, which is why it is stalled...















ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!

Finished Project Two: Second City Socks

In 2009, I began a new tradition of buying sock yarn in every city that I visited so that the result would be a really great souvenir (once the socks were knit). The idea is that I would have my New York socks, my Orlando socks, my New Orleans socks, and so on.

The first city that I visited after making this vow was Chicago, the Second City. This particular yarn was purchased at Knitwerks and the colorway was a Lorna's Laces custom lot named for the store.

Coincidentally, this is my second pair of socks. They have been sitting incomplete and unwearable, because I needed to finish a toe. Really? One toe stopped me from finishing these socks for at least four months. Shame. So I sat down and made myself finish them.

My second city, second socks...in baby cable rib:

Moratorium: Foiled

well, just as easily as i implemented the moratorium, i broke it. first i bought the yarn for my lace wrap class--totally legit, right? then i went to chicago for the American Library Association conference last week. one of my knitting instructors said that she buys sock yarn in every city that she visits and then she has a pair of socks as her souvenir...much better than a snowglobe, right? so i had told myself i would do the same...

when we got to the yarn shop (knitwerks), i fell victim to "crazy eyes." after touching and holding every skein of sock yarn in the place, i found a basket of custom dyed lorna's laces. the shop owner pointed out that one of them was named "knitwerks" and made especially for the shop. this was the clear choice. the colors were great. but there was another color that caught my eye and i couldn't put it down. so 4 skeins of sock yarn and an electronic row counter later...

so weak.

my wrap class starts monday and i have a few goals. before that class starts, i would like to finish my second sock from the last class i took. i would also like to add all this new yarn to my stash in ravelry and upload pictures of everything.