From Here to EterKnitty

Summer of Socks

2008-08-05T12:15:00.001-07:00

I was all gung-ho about knitting socks all summer when I joined SoS 2008 back in April or May, but then I got sidetracked by the Swallowtail Shawl so the sock knitting got off to a slow start. My mind still wants to knit shawls, but I can't seem to pick yarn or pattern to satisfy it. Until I do, here are the completed socks to date. All from the Sensational Knitted Socks books.

Scroll Lace Socks

Waterfall Lace Socks

Garter Rib Socks

Sidetracked Again

I had to come up with a baby present by mid-August. Although I have a heart blanket "in stock", it is blue and this baby is a girl. I know, I know ... blue is perfectly acceptable.

Anyway, I decided to try Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Sweater. I was admiring all the projects on Ravelry and decided is would be a quick knit. Ah! I spent all day Saturday knitting and ended up with nothing to show for it on Sunday morning.

It seems I have a major knitting-character flaw: I hate garter stitch. I think all the pictures of this sweater and of the Baby Surprise Jacket look wonderfull, but when I knit up all this garter stitch, I can't stand the look of it "in person".

I finally decided to modify the pattern to have seed stitch borders and raglan shaping in stocking stitch for the yoke. I am a much happier knitter for the choice. I only have a few rows to go on the main part and should make short order of the sleeves.

Yarn is Dream In Color Smooshy in Petal Showers.

Stash Improvement

There has been a whole lot of purchasing going on. I'll try and post pictures next time. I have been a very bad girl! :)

Mosaic Meme and Completed Swallowtail

2008-07-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

I usually pass on memes, but this one was too good to miss.

What to do:

A. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
B. Using only the first page, pick an image.
C. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Mosaic Maker.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name? Ghislaine
2. What is your favorite food? French Bread
3. What high school did you go to? Ecole Secondaire Evangeline*
4. What is your favorite color? Purple
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Alan Rickman
6. Favorite drink? Ginger Ale
7. Dream vacation? Scotland's Stone Circles
8. Favorite dessert? Lemon Tarts
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Wise
10. What do you love most in life? Sleeping
11. One word to describe you. Quiet
12. Your flickr name. EterKnitty**

* No results for the full search, so I settled for a search on "Evangeline" only. That baby picture was the best result.

** I certainly didn't expect any results for "EterKnitty" - so I searched "Eternity" instead.

1. Ghislaine de féligonde (and a bug), 2. French Bread, 3. Dreaming Evangline, 4. Just a Orchid, 5. Alan Rickman, The Great, 6. Canada Dry Ginger Ale ad, 1930s, 7. Tursachan Chalanais, 8. lemon curd tart, 9. Portrait of a senior woman thinking with head on nands., 10. It feels so good to be a kitten, 11. Quiet*, 12. Day's end at land's end

Swallowtail Shawl Done

I finished and blocked my Swallowtail Shawl a little over a week ago.

The blocked size is 65" across and 26.5" deep. Still pretty small considering I added 10 repeats of the budding lace section. I considered doing an extra repeat of the lily of the valley portion. I'm glad I didn't though because I would have run out of beads. I started on the second skein part way through the lily of the valley portion. This skein was more pink than purple and I like the effect of a slightly lighter border section.

This shawl will have to be gifted to a small person like my model, Emi.

Swallowtail Shawl Progress

2008-06-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Last week I finally made a yarn selection for the swallowtail shawl - Malabrigo lace in a lovely purple colour.

The first section (budding lace) was knit quickly, even though I added 10 repeats to the 14 called for in the pattern so that the shawl would be a bit larger.

Although the pattern calls for nupps in the Lily of the Valley section, I opted for beads. The photo doesn't do the beads justice - they match the shawl colours perfectly. I have never done beading before and so far it has gone remarkably well. I am using the crochet hook method. I am already on the last few rows - it should be done by the end of the week.

Last week I knit for a secret project. Here is a sneak peek until it is no longer a secret. Hourglass lace pattern in Elann Peruvian Highland Wool - Colour: Nutmeg Heather Heather.

Additions to my Knitting Library

I received some great new books from my son and his girlfriend as birthday gifts:

I am happy to finally have Elizabeth Zimmerman's Opinionated Knitter - it was the only one of her books I didn't own.

I haven't yet opened the Japanese knitting stitches book - that should keep me enthralled for hours!

Stash Improvement for this week:

June Update

2008-06-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

Clever title. Makes me wish I had just numbered my blog posts instead of using titles - but then I would know exactly how few posts I have made. With the advent of Ravelry, it seems superfluous to post to the blog. It's not as if I have loads to say - I just want to keep track of my knitting.

Since I completed the silk scarf shown below, I've been knitting socks while thinking of other projects. I've joined the Swallowtail Shawl KAL but I can't seem to make up my mind as to what yarn to use. I have loads in the stash already (which has not prevented me from ordering more). My plan for the weekend is to select yarn and get a good start on the shawl.

Crest of the Wave Silk Scarf

This lovely scarf was completed a few weeks ago. I had never knit with silk before and it was an enjoyable experience. This blocked out to 10"x80". It is fluid and practically weightless. Silk from Clever Cat Knits.

Café Mocha Socks

I just love these. The yarn came from Etsy's Sunnyside Ellen. Her base yarn is Louet Gems (very soft and squishy) and the precision dye job is admirable. The yarn came in two skeins, ready for matching socks. I used Anne Hanson's Tesserae pattern.

Lime & Violet Sasquatch Socks

Very cheery colours. I'm sure they will brighten up those dull, rainy winter days when I start wearing them. "Stems" lace pattern from one of the Sensational Socks books.

Lana Grossa Meilenweit Socks

Just plain striped socks.

Stash Enhancement

A short while ago, Yarn Harlot linked to EarthFaire. I can't remember what she was knitting at the time, but I'd never heard of them, so I had to go take a look. This is what I came away with. The yarn is a merino/tussah silk blend - very soft and shiny.

Socks and Lace Yarn - Araucania and Malabrigo purchased from Valley Yarn.

More sock yarn - Mama Llama, Shui Bui and Whimzy Pinzy purchased from Sonny & Shear.

Creamsicle Hearts

2008-05-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

I remember eating Creamsicles when I was a kid. I was reminded of their coolness and creaminess each time I picked up the needles on this project.

I wasn't sure about the stripes when I started, but I like the finished look. I rather enjoy non-traditional colours for baby things. I added an extra repeat of the pattern so that it would start and end with an orange row. It shrank four inches length-wise on wash/dry.

It will be gifted this week to one of my co-workers who is expecting in July.

Pattern: "Precious in Pink" from Leisure Arts Book #3219 Our Best Knit Baby Afghans
Yarn: Schoeller Portofino Soufflé
Needles: Circulars - Knit Picks 4.5mm
Pre-Wash size: 36"x53"
After Wash/Dry: 36"x49"

On the needles

A Crest of the Wave scarf in lovely 100% Spun Silk from Clever Cat Knits.

I wanted this to be a quick knit so I picked a pattern I had already used. I like crest of the wave - it is easily memorized; pattern the right side row, purl the wrong side row for eight rows and then knit both right and wrong side for four rows. Simple, right? So someone explain how I managed, seven inches into the scarf, to start knitting every wrong side row and did not notice this for another six inches!! Sometimes I wonder about me. Anyway, it has been frogged and re-knit. I should be done with it tomorrow.

Stash Improvement

This week brought to you from the friendly people at Sonny & Shear. They have a lovely selection of yarns. My chosen yarn came nicely packaged and ribboned, with a lovely note - handwritten no less - and some tea.

That's all for now. I'm off to see if can do a couple of loads of laundry ... I thought I'd be the only fool doing this on a Sunday evening but it turns out there are a whole lot of other people in this building with nothing better to do.

Soft Hearts

2008-04-28T16:32:00.001-07:00

It has been a few weeks since I finished this blanket ~ it has finally been washed and a picture taken (actually, as I am not a great photographer, quite a few pictures were taken to ensure that at least one was blog-worthy).

It shrank quite a bit length-wise, but it came out ever so soft and cuddly from the wash/dry.

Pattern: "Precious in Pink" from Leisure Arts Book #3219 Our Best Knit Baby Afghans
Yarn: Schoeller Portofino Soufflé
Needles: Circulars - Started on Addis 4.5mm; finished on Knit Picks 4.5mm
Pre-Wash size: 36"x42"
After Wash/Dry: 36"x38"

For some reason, the Addi needles and/or cables were not slick enough and the yarn wouldn't move along at a pace that suited me. Once I switched to the KP needles, the frustration level went down to zero and I finished the project very quickly. I'm glad I finished it on a happy note - I much prefer to knit cheery thoughts into my projects, especially those destined for gifts.

I Love Surprises

Sometime in March, I sent Jennifer a scarf as part of the Pay It Forward "thing" that was going around the blogs in July. In return, she surprised me with this lovely box of gifts! Some Socks That Rock yarn AND Malabrigo! Along with the yarn goodness, there were a number of other lovely goodies: cookbook, notepad, assorted teas, bath bomb and some mints and caramels (they were delicious!). Thank you so much Jennifer!

Sock Photo

As usual, some socks were completed. This pair in wonderfully soft Handmaiden Casbah. They left home as a birthday present. I really love that yarn though - I think I'll need to acquire more and make myself a pair.

On the needles

I started Ann Hanson's Honeybee Stole. This is destined to be a Christmas gift ... I'm starting early.

The blue hearts blanket turned out so nice that I started on another one, using the same yarn (I have a tendency to always buy more than one colour of any given yarn!). For some reason though, I didn't buy the same quantity of the tangerine and cream as I did of the turquoise and I don't have enough of to make a blanket of a single colour - hence the stripes.

Stash Enhancement

And of course, what blog entry would be complete without new yarn purchases. This time from a new (to me, anyway) vendor. I can't remember which blog is responsible for sending me to this shop, but Woolgirl has lovely yarn and her packages are a joy to receive.

March Madness

2008-03-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

I am very thankful that this month is finally over!

It started off with an extreme ear infection which had me in tears and kept me home from work for three days. Just when the antibiotics were kicking in and the pain was finally receeding, I caught a cold. I am still coughing. I hate being sick!

The weather has been chilly - which I don't mind. I was mightily cheered up by the sight of cherry blossoms popping out all over a week or so ago. Another few days, I thought, and it will all be picture-worthy. Last week, we had hail with thunder and lightning. On Saturday, it was snow and sleet. Enough already ... I moved from Montreal to Vancouver to get away from this kind of March weather.

Work has been so busy I can hardly find the time to, em, attend to basic needs. Never mind trying to keep up with blogs - either my own or others'. If you haven't seen me in the comments friends, I am not ignoring you and hopefully I will catch up with all of you in the next week.

I have managed to do a bit of knitting.

Predictably, there have been socks:

My favourite garter rib pattern in Rabbitch's "No Mean Feets". Lovely yarn! I don't think there is any stock on this in her store at the moment - she was "Harlot-ized" a while ago and hasn't yet caught up with the demand. I was lucky enough to place an order a few weeks before this happened. I am keeping my eyes open for more though - I like to buy from local people.

Tesserae Sock in KnitPicks Essential Tweed - colour is Inca Gold. These were a fast and easy knit. I am wearing them today and they are very comfortable. I love the fact that you start right in on the pattern - basically a 2/4 rib which alternates starting points every six rows. So simple - wish I'd thought of that! I'm sure there will be more of those in my future.

I have started trying to clear out the UFO pile and I am making good progress.

Here is the feather and fan scarf in Wooly Wonka superwash sock yarn:

I don't think I ever blogged about this one, but I started it quite a few months ago and got sidetracked. The Skeleton Scarf from Arctic Lace in Qiviut! What a wonderful knitting experience - soft and lighter than feather. The best part is I have a second 50g skein to look forward to. I had bought a shawl kit from Arnica.dk but decided I would rather split the yarn up and make two separate projects.

Thanks to the faceless model - my friend Christine.

That's all for now - must get back to work.

Angel Lace

2008-02-20T09:44:00.001-08:00

Just a short post to show off the latest finished object.

It has been quite a while since I've knit a shawl and I've really enjoyed this project.

Fibertrend's Angle Lace Shawl in Handmaiden Cashmere, knit on 3.5mm Addi Turbo Lace needles.

I added a few repeats of the pattern to use up as much of the yarn as possible. I weighed my skein after each pattern repeat so I could eventually estimate how much I would need for the edging and casting off. I did well - I only have 7 grams left.

It is decadently soft and as light as a feather (or angel wings, I suppose).

I'm still in a shawl-knitting mood, but I can't seem to decide which pattern to do next - so I'm knitting a sock while I come to a decision.

Sockless

2008-02-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

Amazing but true ... a post without a sock photo in sight!

Completed Work

The pink baby blanket is done and has been delivered to a happy grandmother.

To answer a question from a couple of posts ago on this blanket, it uses a very simple slip stitch pattern and you only ever knit one colour at a time. The stitch is in one of Barbara Walker's Treasury books - I'm not sure which one.

You need a multiple of 4 stitches plus 3.
Cast on with colour A (white).
Row 1: Purl
Change to colour B (pink).
Rows 2 and 3: K3, *slip 1, K3*. Repeat * to * across row.
Change to colour A.
Row 4: K1, slip 1, *K3, slip 1*. Repeat * to * to last stitch, K1
Row 5: P1, slip 1, *P3, slip 1*. Repeat * to * to last stitch, P1
With colour B, repeat rows 2 and 3.
With colour A, repeat rows 4 and 5.
The slip stitch should be done purlwise, with the yarn to the wrong side (at the back when knitting, at the front when purling).

You get a very different effect if you use more than one colour. In this blanket, colour A is still white, but I have used alternating rows of blue, pink, green and yellow.

The Crest of the Wave scarf was finished this weekend and it will be on its way (as soon as I can haul my sorry self to the post office) to a recipient who will remain unnamed for now. There are many many patterns out there for this. I used Judy Jacob's (which I found on Ravelry), but I cast on 65 stitches instead of 53.

Stash Enhancement

This is wonderful lace weight merino from The Sweet Sheep. It is oh so soft and the colour is simply amazing! It will become Ann Hanson's Snow Shawl whenever the pattern becomes available.

Sock yarn doesn't count, right?

Some cashmere from Purl Soho. See how I get sidetracked ... Someone posted a link to the Giacomo Baby Hat pattern. Very cute, I thought. I read through the pattern and considered whether I might ever want to knit this. I read all the way down the page where there was a link to a pompom tutorial. Ah, there was something I might use. Clicked on the link, but the tutorial used a product I had never seen. So I went to that site to purchase their pompom maker. While I was there, one skein of cashmere just jumped in my cart!

New on the needles

Let it snow

2008-01-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

This was the view from my apartment window just before I left for work this morning. It is pretty - from the inside.

I like snow ... as long as I don't have to make my way to work in it.

I was so pleased with the weather forecast last Friday. It was to snow during the weekend and get back to rain by Monday evening. Perfect for me since I had Monday off. I thought it would all be gone by the time I had to go to work on Tuesday.

If there is one thing you should never trust here in Vancouver it's the weather forecast! Oh, it did snow on Sunday - pretty much everywhere except downtown Vancouver. It was nice and sunny downtown.

There was really only about two inches of snow on the ground this morning - but it was enough to make the sidewalks treacherous.

I don't know what I'm complaining about really. You'd think that after spending most of my life in Montreal where they get "real" snow storms, I wouldn't give the snow in Vancouver more than a passing nod. I suppose that 20 years is long enough to forget what was and to take issue with what is.

Now THIS is snow:

I remember this storm well - March 4, 1971 - 18 inches of snow in 24 hours! I'm not good with dates, but this was also the weekend Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau married Margaret Sinclair and for some reason I've connected both events.

That's my mom (with dog Milou) in the picture. She always loved to shovel snow. She is 76 years old now and she still enjoys that activity ... although not on that scale!

Now for knitting content

There (of course) has been some stash enhancement since my last post.

Two skeins of Dream In Color Smooshy and some lace weight merino from Sweet Sheep. I thought I would do the Honeybee Stole with the lace weight, but I'm not completely happy with the colour - too bright; it looked a bit more subdued on my monitor.

Two skeins of sock yarn from Rabbitworks. The lilac yarn has already been converted to socks (picture below).

Some lovely Handmaiden Casbah which I received as a gift.

FOs

Some Dream In Color socks for me. Love the colour name: In Vino Veritas. Stitch pattern is "Stems" from More Sensational Knitted Socks.

These are from the lilac yarn from Rabbitworks. Also in the "stems" pattern. They will be on their way to my mom today.

Hourglass Lace pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks. Yarn is from Wooly Wonka. These will also be travelling to Montreal - for my mom's best girlfriend.

On the needles

It's NOT socks!

A Crest of the Wave scarf in cashmere from Posh Yarns in the UK. I bought this yarn eons ago - it is oohh soooo soft!

Winter blahs

2008-01-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting here staring at the screen for ages. I want to rant about the rain and gloom, but I can't seem to round-up my thoughts to produce some kind of coherent sentence. My brain is as soggy as the weather.

So, a bit of a knitting update for now.

I finished the main part of the pink baby blanket last week and started on the border. I had hoped to work on this all through last weekend and finish it up this week, but I got sidetracked. I really want to get this done so I can get to something else (I have been having cashmere dreams!).

Here is the sock of the week - just your basic sock. Yarn was a gift from my son's girlfriend.

This is what sidetracked me from the blanket border last weekend. My office neighbour had been complaining of cold hands all last week so I decided to try knitting my first pair of fingerless mitts. She was pleased by the gift and has been wearing them every day.

I searched Ravelry for a pattern and ended up using this one as a starting point. I used the garter rib stitch I have used so many times in socks. Yarn was Dream In Color Smooshy (Wisteria) left over from a pair of socks. A quick and satisfying project.

Given that I've been in a doom and gloom kind of mood, there has been some stash improvement purchases - online shopping is my answer to good and bad moods! Some of the purchases have started coming in. I'll post photos next time.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T13:11:00.001-08:00

I hope you had a happy holiday season and I wish you all the best for the new year.

I was lucky enough to have nine days off from work and I can't believe how quickly they went by. As is my usual practice on my return to the office after the Christmas holidays, I have been easing myself back into work mode by contemplating my 2008 calendar and pondering the allocation of my days off for the year - that always cheers me up.

Here is the knitting round-up for the end of 2007:

Christmas socks for my friend Claire who lives in Montreal - I haven't seen her since I moved to Vancouver 18 years ago, but we email and talk on the phone. Claire always wore high heels and I remember that she particularly favoured red ones - so I picked this lovely red yarn (Schaefer - Anne) for her socks.

While I was knitting them up, I kept thinking about The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy's ruby slippers. In the card accompanying the socks, I told Claire that these were soft ruby slippers for us "older gals" who need to keep our feet warm at night.

I got this picture from her in an email ... she was wearing these the day the socks came, so she plunked them on the scanner! I guess I had her number right :)

About a week before Christmas I decided that I needed something more for my son's girlfriend and started to whip up a blanket for her. When she took away the baby blanket I had knit for her new godson, she commented that she was tempted to keep it to snuggle up with while watching TV, so I knew she'd like this. I had 10 balls of Austermann Inverno and went with a plain garter stitch, corner-to-corner construction using 6.5mm needles. I finished this at 8:30pm on Christmas Eve. It blocked out at five feet by five feet - it probably could have blocked out larger than that, but my carpet is five feet wide and that is the only space I have for blocking.

I was afraid it wouldn't be dry in time for her arrival at 11:00am on Christmas morning, but I kept a fan going all night and I was able to wrap it up. She was very happy with it.

My last bit of stash improvement for 2007. I received a generous gift certificate to my LYS (Urban Yarns) and I wasted no time redeeming it! Two lovely skeins of Handmaiden laceweight cashmere!

I think this cashmere will have to jump to the front of the knitting queue - I just can't keep my hands off it.

Forgive me father, it's been a month since my last confession blog entry

2007-12-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

Just a little flashback to my catholic school upbringing there. I shudder just thinking about it.

I knew when I started this blog that I would probably never write more than once a week, but I never thought I'd let a whole month go by. No excuses for it really; I just don't seem to have much to say these days.

However, since I've had a couple of emails asking if everything was alright, I thought I'd better let you know that I'm still around. Thanks to those who asked!

There has been a bit of knitting going on:

Christmas present socks for my boss. My preferred garter rib pattern.

Although the blanket, hat and socks had been done for well over a month, I finally knit a matching sweater for this set. I used the pattern for the Tulips Baby Cardigan as a starting point. Once I had gone a few rows after the sleeve stitches are left on hold, I joined the two front parts together and kept going in the round so that I got a pull-over instead of a cardigan. I just crocheted around the neck opening. My kind of sweater: no sewing up!

I started another blanket which is still at the same stage since I abandoned it for some Christmas knitting. I'll finish this one during my Christmas vacation.

That's all folks.

On the Mend

2007-11-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

I'm on week three of a bad chest cold that just won't quit. I am finally feeling somewhat better. At least the coughing has abated enough so that I can get some sleep. My voice still comes and goes - at times it sounds like a cross between Donald Duck and Kathleen Turner (or, for French films lovers - Catherine Deneuve)!

Although I didn't pick up my knitting for a whole week, I still managed to finish one pair of socks and start a couple of other items.

These are Stansfield 196 from More Sensational Knitted Socks. Yarn is Dream In Color Smooshy, colour Wisteria.

I started these Garter Rib socks in Lorna's Shepherd Socks, colour Black Watch. I am very annoyed with the second sock. The yarn for the first sock behaved as expected, giving me stripes. The second sock is coming out in "blobs". I have already frogged it and rewound the skein so I could start from the other end - just in case that was better, but to no avail.

I started a feather and fan scarf. Yarn is from Wooly Wonka Fibers. I made socks out of this yarn a little while ago. I liked the colour so much I ordered more yarn for this scarf. This one will be for me.

And finally, an item from last year. I knit this Icarus shawl as a retirement gift. I had taken photos before giving it away, but I managed to lose them. A couple of weeks ago I received an email from the happy retiree and she was nice enough to send along a couple of pictures.

Isn't this an interesting way of wearing a shawl?

That's all folks.

I Love Mondays ... at least until the end of 2007

2007-10-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

Due to bad recordkeeping on my part and an earlier miscommunication from our payroll person, I discovered a couple of weeks ago, to my surprise, that I still had nine vacation days left! Since vacation days cannot be carried over to the next year, I decided to take off every Monday until the end of the year.

Yesterday was my second such Monday off and I am thoroughly enjoying the long weekends ... although I don't want to think about how difficult it will be to go back to regular weeks in January.

I'm afraid there isn't much else going on but, as usual, there are socks:

Cloverleaf Eyelet from More Sensational Knitted Socks in Dream In Color Smooshy. Color is "Petal Showers".

Bordello Socks (pattern on ball band) in Fleece Artist Sea Wool. Not sure what the colorway is ... there was no name anywhere on any of the tags.

This is pretty much the same pattern as Jaywalker socks except that there is garter stitch instead of ribbing at the top of the leg. It is just as unstretchy as the Jaywalker, but as the recipient has very slender feet and legs, I am sure it will fit properly (she says hopefully).

For those of you who think I only ever knit socks ... I started a scarf!

Yarn is one of my all time favourites: Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed. Colour "Berry". Inspired by the Irish Walking Scarf pattern, but I have added some smaller cables on either side of the centre one. The small cables are crossed every fourth row and the larger one every eighth. I am about half way through.

Déjà vu

2007-10-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

These socks - my first completed Christmas present for this year - were a lovely knit. This was my first time with Dream In Color Smooshy yarn and I am so very happy that I have four more skeins of it waiting in the sock-to-be drawer. The name Smooshy says it all and the lovely non-pooling colour (Beach Fog) is a joy to behold.

I've used this stitch pattern before (Cross-Hatch from More Sensational Knitted Socks) and it is definitely a favourite.

I was finishing up the second sock while watching the movie Groundhog Day on TV yesterday morning. I love this movie. I own the DVD, but I always watch it whenever it comes on the tube. I was knitting along merily and was sure I could time the end of the sock with the end of the movie - this appealed to me for some reason.

I was pretty pleased with myself when I finished the grafting of the toe along with the rolling of the movie credits. I basked in the glory of the finished sock for a few minutes before hoisting myself off the couch to go unite the just completed sock with its mate. I am holding both socks up by the cuffs, smoothing them together to admire my handiwork when, instead of perfectly twinned socks, I am horrified to see that the second sock is longer than the first! It seems I had done 10 repeats of the pattern on the instep instead of the 9 done on the first sock.

So I spent the next hour and a bit undoing and refinishing sock number 2 ... my own little Groundhog Hour!

This pair, also finished last week, is done with Wooly Wonka BFL Superwash in the Wasatch colour way. I like this colour so much that I ordered more of the yarn to make myself a scarf.

Stitch pattern is "Stems", again from More Sensational Knitted Socks. A very nice stitch which would be much better suited to a plain coloured yarn, but it nevertheless gives the sock a great texture.

What's Red and Blue ... ?

2007-09-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

These red socks were completed a couple of weeks ago, but since they hadn't yet arrived at destination, I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Now that Grace has received them, it is safe to post a photo.

Pattern stitch is from More Sensational Knitted Socks. Which pattern stitch is it? Your guess is as good as mine. The book is at home and I'm posting this from the office - so I can't check it. Yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Red Rover colorway.

The blue socks were knit for my son's birthday - the first pair I've knit for him. He loves them and they fit perfectly. Pattern stitch is Garter Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks.

I've been pretty good on the "stash improvement" project since I cleaned out and organized my closet last month. However, I just knew this restraint was too good to last. Here are this week's additions to the tightly knit (!) stash family:

Some Kauni, in the "EJ" colorway. I'm blaming Bets for this purchase ... why should I take full responsibility? She placed a big order with Astrid's Dutch Obsessions and blogged about it. Who am I to pass up the opportunity of a never-used before online buying source and the fun of receiving a package from the Netherlands? By the way, the yarn is lovely, but I think the best part of receiving this parcel was the little extra addition of a piece of Dutch spice cake ... was that ever yummy!

I'm not sure what the Kauni will become yet, but more than likely a shawl or stole.

Four skeins of Dream In Color Smooshy - all destined to become Christmas presents for family members.

I've been spending a lot of time at Ravelry. That place is brilliant, but sucks all the knitting time out of what is left of my day once I am done with work!

Happy 24th Sweetie!

2007-09-25T10:18:00.001-07:00

My baby is 24 years old today. How did that happen?

He won't let me post current photos, so I thought I'd be self-indulgent and share a few pictures showing some of what he did (and still does) best:

Eating

Sleeping

and charming everyone with his smile

He has grown into a lovely man - caring, generous and with a great sense of humour. Every mother should be so blessed.

Love ya babe!

Plan B

2007-09-18T11:27:00.001-07:00

I knit just a few rows on the stole last weekend and came to the sad realization that it was just not going to get done in time for birthday giving. I'm not throwing in the towel, but I'm just not in the right mood for it at the moment. It will either be a Christmas gift ... or a Groundhog Day gift (this woman celebrates everything!).

Accordingly, Plan B was called upon: Orange socks. Once again from More Sensational Knitted Socks. Stitch pattern is Hourglass Eyelets. Yarn is from Jayne's shop - wonderfully soft and squishy superwash merino.

While I was knitting these, I kept being reminded of the early years of the Montreal Expos baseball and one of my favourite players, Rusty Staub - known in Montreal as Le Grand Orange. I'm not that much of a baseball fan now, but those were the good old days (I can't believe I'm using that phrase) of the very small Jarry Park where you were practically sitting on the field with the team.

That was 1969. Sheesh, I'm feeling old.

In other news: I finally got my Ravelry invitation!!
Code name: EterKnitty.

Back in the Saddle Again

2007-09-10T08:15:00.001-07:00

I'm back at work after 10 days off and, not surprisingly, I really don't want to be here. On the positive side though, for the first time in many years I have not come back to a disaster area. I work as a secretary in a large law firm. When we take vacation, we are replaced with a "floater" (or, as I like to call them, guest secretaries). I have not had great luck with floaters in the past. There is one from many years ago who was so disastrous that even my boss remembers him (yea, it was a guy) and I've threatened to take an extra long vacation and bring him back on occasions when said boss is driving me crazy.

My vacation time was uneventful as I didn't venture far from home. It was just nice and relaxing.

I did get some knitting done.

In the déja vu department, here are, finally, completed socks. If they look familiar it is because I have knit this same yarn at least twice before.

These blue socks were first knit as toe-up back in May. I failed to be satisfied with my casting off and ripped them back. I tried them again as Monkey socks in July (I knit only one sock then) and wasn't happy with that either and I ripped it back again. I was tired of seeing the yarn sitting on my shelf, taunting me, so it became just plain socks. Fortunately, Jayne's lovely yarn doesn't need any fancy stitches to enhance its beauty.

This pink yarn (again, from Jayne's) also started life as Monkey socks - one sock knit on 2.5mm needles was too big and the second sock knit on 2.25mm needles was too tight. This stitch pattern (the name of which escapes me at the moment) from More Sensational Knitted Socks, knit on 2.5mm, turned out perfectly. (Why am I hearing echoes of Goldilocks and the Three Bears?)

I finished the baby blanket. Every time I knit this I tell myself I will never knit another one - I hate knitting the border (it seems endless) and sewing it on - but when it is done I am always so happy with the result that I keep coming back to this pattern when I need a baby gift.

I also knit up a hat and socks to go along with it. I will also knit a sweater.

I am still trying to get the orange stole done. It didn't look good to have it completed in time for the giftee's birthday, but I have a bit of a reprieve as she is away on vacation for the next two weeks, giving me an extra week. I have to admit that this project just isn't calling my name - so, just in case, I started some socks for her ... always nice to have a Plan B!

The Best Laid Plans ...

2007-08-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

I took a couple of days off from work last week. I had planned on finishing the main part of the birthday stole with a view to have the border done by the end of the month (in time for the giftee's birthday party).

It now looks like my new target date will be giftee's actual birthday in mid-September as I never even picked up the stole all weekend long.

I have been in cleaning and organizing mode. Since such mood doesn't strike me very often, I have learned to just go with it when it does.

My stash had been ... em ... stashed ... in different areas of my very small apartment - some still in a stack of Elann white boxes, some in my clothes closet (to the point where there was no longer room for any clothes) and more in bags stuffed here and there. I'd had enough of having to dig through various locations to find what I wanted, so I decided that the stash had to be centralized. I have a linen closet which held not linens, but a variety of craft and sewing supplies and my sewing machine. I haven't done crafts in over five years and the only sewing I ever do anymore is hemming pants - which I have been doing by hand because hauling the machine out of the closet and setting it up is too much of a pain.

So, it was clean-up time. All the crafting supplies were unceremoniously discarded (it was more than time ... all of my glues and paints had totally dried up) and the sewing paraphernalia was culled to an acceptable minimum.

My sewing machine has been set up on my desk since it is no longer used as a computer desk (the desktop PC having been replaced by a laptop a few months ago). The machine has been joined by my knitting books - all in easy reach.

I had to clean the machine's insides first, but it is now in working order and I've already hemmed two pairs of pants.

All my yarn has now been relocated to the linen closet:

See the bottom part ... more yarn in two space bags. I didn't have the nerve to inflate them to see what was in there!

Most people have a sock drawer.

I now have a sock-to-be drawer:

There was some knitting done during the weekend. I've had a special request for two baby blankets - both babies due in December. I figured I might as well get started.

It is knitting up pretty fast. Hopefully I won't get sidetracked by yet another project calling my name.

Pay It Forward - Part 2

2007-08-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jennifer and Suzann for joining in.

Please email me your mailing address when you have a moment so I can send off your goodies whenever they are ready.

fromheretoeterknitty AT gmail DOT com.

There is still room for one more - leave a comment here or in the original PIF post.

Pay It Forward

2007-08-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

I saw mention of this PIF Exchange while catching up with Grace's blog yesterday and thought it was a wonderful idea, but was too late to join there.

Going through the TV listings early this morning, I noticed that the movie is playing on a local channel tonight. "What a coincidence" I thought (the theme from the Twilight Zone playing in my mind).

As I was clicking my way through my usual blog suspects earlier, I found that Bets had issued the call.

OK, I can take a hint. I joined in and now it's my turn.

This is what the PIF Exchange is all about (copied from Bets' blog, which was copied from Grace's blog, which was copied from JenW's blog, ...you get the picture):

"Here is how it works! I’ll send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange! I don’t know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week…LOL… but you will receive it within 365 days, that’s a promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog… No pressure, no hype. The first three people to sign up get a prezzie AND pass on a little kindness."

Any takers?

Sock-in-the-Box

2007-08-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

I was shopping at my favourite store last week – the local Loonie store (or Dollar store for my American friends) and found some “Chinese Take-Out” boxes in a variety of colours. I thought they would be great packaging for sock gifting and bought 10 different colours. I’m sure I’ll be able to match the socks to each box when needed.

There was only one birthday-themed box:

A former office buddy is having a birthday at the end of this week and she is getting the Raspberry-Mocha socks I finished last week.

There are no photos of the socks featured in my last post on sizing dilemma because I have not finished any of them. I did find some volunteer "sock assessors". I have determined that the blue socks would indeed fit their intended recipient; however, I thought the Monkey sock pattern did not suit the yarn (it was just lost in the dark colour) – so I have yet again ripped that sock back and the yarn has gone back to the stash for a rest. The pink sock knit on the 2.25mm needles was too tight to fit over my volunteer’s average size foot. The sock knit with the 2.5mm needles was fine in the leg, but loose on the foot. I haven’t done anything yet, but I believe they will also be frogged and the socks will not be Monkeys but some kind of ribbed pattern which is more “forgiving”.

There has been some progress on the birthday stole. I ended up going with my original item knit on the smaller Addi lace needles. I have slightly more than half the pattern repeats completed. I am hoping to get the rest of it done this week and then I can start on the border.

I must admit that I really don’t enjoy working with lace weight mohair … and wouldn’t you know it … I have loads of it in my stash!

Stash Improvement Project:

I just can't help myself.

Unfinished Business

2007-07-30T07:28:00.001-07:00

(Impeded by Indecision)

Some people have problems making life altering choices. I've had to make quite a few of those in my life, but I don't recall agonizing over any of them. For example, I never hesitated over moving from Montreal to Vancouver, alone with my four year old son (having never before set foot in Vancouver).

Give me a small, seemingly inconsequential, decision to make though and I will ponder for hours on end. Alternatively, I will make the decision quickly and then regret it and go back and try something else.

I have been doing this a lot with my knitting lately.

Back in May, I made a first attempt at knitting toe-up socks. I wasn't crazy about the heel, but I did knit both socks and they sat there, still on the needles, because I could not manage a loose enough cast-off. So last week I decided to rip them out and start again - top down. It was a perfectly good pair of socks. I'm sure if I had tried harder, I could have cast off in an acceptable manner and they could have been gifted or donated. But no, I had to start over.

So I now have one Monkey sock requiring only the toes to be finished.

While I was knitting this sock, I thought it would be too small. I had an office friend try it on (she is the same size as my intended giftee) and she said they were fine. Even though she said this, I kept thinking they should be looser.

I must be out of my mind!

Instead of giving in to my delusion of sock size, I cast on for another Monkey sock, this time in pink. I knit the first sock on 2.5mm needles and kept thinking as I was knitting along that it felt tight. Déjà vu anyone? I abandonned sock number one after finishing the heel and cast on sock number two with 2.75mm needles. I got a bit further on this one, but I think it is too loose. I am now looking for someone to give them a try before I decide which one goes to the frog pond.

Think that was silly? Here's the next one. Remember the birthday stole? I had knit a fair amount already on my Addi lace needles (4mm). Well, I started thinking that maybe the fabric created was not airy enough ... so I started again on slightly larger needles. There is a bit of a difference, but I still can't decide which one I prefer. I spent half an hour fondling each piece on Friday before finally shoving everything back in its bag and berating myself for being so wishy-washy.

A decision must be made soon on this one ... birthday is one month away. Anybody got a coin I could toss?

Incendio!

2007-07-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

The hottest week of the summer (so far) in Vancouver has (hopefully) ended. I say "hopefully" because I absolutely hate such heat. We have had a number of days well over 30°C and although it is much cooler outside now, my apartment is still hotter than hell.

Even though the weather last week wasn't quite conducive to knitting, I did manage - with the help of ice packs and fans - to put in a few hours of my favourite activity.

I thought it was appropriate that in this heat I would choose to knit socks in a flaming hot colour. Continuing my Potter-themed sock collection, I joyfully started my "Phoenix" socks with Jayne's wonderful yarn. It is a superwash merino and it is oh so soft!

One sock done, second one started.

I had planned to use the flame chevron stitch from Barbara Walker's Fourth Treasury, but then I found this adaptation of the stitch in a Knitty pattern. The use of YOs instead of M1s makes the pattern stretchier, which I need to fit my fat legs.

I also did a bit of work on the birthday stole. This work was done on my lunch hour at work ... nice air-conditioned office. There is no way I was going to attempt to work with mohair in the heat! The only problem with working on this in the office is that I am always afraid the recipient is going to catch me in the act.

Oh, remember the "no spending in July" bit? I lasted only 10 days! The heat got to me and I relieved my frustration by letting my fingers do the clicking. Books and yarn should be landing soon. This is why I never make New Year's resolutions.

You got to know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em ...

2007-07-09T07:50:00.001-07:00

Last week I started knitting my friend's birthday shawl - the Persimmon Lace from Victorian Lace Today. I had been unsure about my ability to deal with the border but was eventually convinced that everything would be fine so I thought I'd get going on the "easy part".

Sure, there is patterning on both the right and wrong sides ... but I can deal with that; it is only 70 some odd stitches after all, only three chart repeats per row and there are only 6 rows to the pattern repeat.

I didn't look at the clock, but it took me what seemed like forever to get the first six rows done.

I ordered some of the new Addi lace needles for this. I love them - the points are extra pointy and the cables are flexible. However, they are brass coloured and my yarn is in autumn shades ... I can't see the darn stitches!

By the time I got to the end of the sixth row, I had managed to lose four stitches and I couldn't figure out where they went.

I put everything away and went back to my sock in progress.

The next day I ripped out what I had done (no fun frogging mohair) and started over. This time, I put stitch markers to indicate each repeat on the row and counted the stitches between the markers after I finished each section.

I completed 12 rows that time. I was pretty pleased with myself. I was getting the hang of it. On with the next six rows. But, as careful as I was trying to be, I lost some stitches again. I tried to undo stitch-by-stitch, but all those yarn overs on both the right and wrong sides were doing me in.

[Colourful expletives used and suitable-for-a-two-year-old tantrum produced. Use your imagination ... I won't go into details.]

Time to fold'em. This project has been cancelled.

I was still determined to knit my friend a stole. Yesterday, I went back to the book ... there had to be something in there that I could manage to get done before the end of August.

I settled on the cover item (Melon Stole). I cast on and knit up four repeats in no time at all.

The pattern is simple, simple, simple. I'll probably be bored silly by the time the center panel is done, but it is better than throwing tantrums!

Other Projects

I finished the second sock of this pair.

Another toe-up sock is in the works. I am still looking for a toe-up with a heel that is to my liking. I was going through Sensational Knitted Socks again and realized that she had more than one type of heel for her toe-up socks, so I am trying this one out.

I don't know what possessed me to buy this colour yarn. I decided to use it for this "experimental" sock - if I decide I don't like the way the heel turns out, I will not feel bad about not knitting a second sock or totally abandonning this yarn to the sock yarn blanket project.

The Lost (Knitting) Weekend

2007-07-03T07:26:00.001-07:00

For those of you who know this movie, no, I didn't drink my weekend away!

It was a long weekend for me - belated Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians - and the thought getting me through the day on Friday was "Wow ... three whole days full of knitting!". It had been a slow knitting week ... only 3/4 of a sock done. The weekend plan: finish the first sock on Friday evening, knit the second sock on Saturday and start something new on Sunday (no reason for the rush except that I was already bored with this project and anticipating the next one).

Right.

After changing and putting my stuff away, I made a cup of coffee, sat at my kitchen table and, instead of knitting, stared out the window. No mountain view, no sea view ... just a tree and another building.

I was not the only one caught up in the view.

I kept staring. My coffee got cold. I was pulled out of my reverie two hours later when my son came home. Yup, two hours of nothing!

Oh don't worry, I won't go through the boring weekend minute-by-minute. I will say that there was way too much daydreaming and napping going on.

I did manage some mind-enhancing activity - major inroads were made in my current reading material (Rebels of Ireland).

I think I got stymied by the realization that my stash is increasing much too quickly compared to the probability of project completion.

You see, when I'm bored or sad or lonely or ... well, you get the picture ... I shop. This happened a couple of weeks ago and the results started showing up.

This is the yarn I received last week (I'm obsessing over that "Haim on fire" from Jayne. More Potter-themed socks coming ... phoenix flames):

And the books:

I don't think that's all. I still have some stitch markers coming from Jayne (there was no resisting the Gryffindor colours). I couldn't possibly visit Jayne's shop and buy just stitch markers so there is one more skein of yarn coming!

I am now trying to have a "purchase free" July ... no books, no yarn! (Oh, I am NOT counting "the book" on July 21 in that statement). You know, if I stopped buying yarn I could probably afford to retire early.

OK, so the weekend wasn't a total knitting loss - I made my way back to the needles on Monday and finished the first sock and started the second.

Birthday Addendum

2007-06-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

Just came across this while I was blog-hopping. A few days late, but interesting. Who knew I had a power symbol! I don't know if I agree with "rigid", but the "picky" part it certainly accurate.

Your Birthdate: June 22

You tend to be understated and under appreciated.
You have a hidden force to do amazing things, doing them your own way.
People may see you as strange and shy, but they know little.
Your unconventional ways have more power than they (and even you) know.

Your strength: Standing up for what you know is true

Your weakness: You tend to be picky and rigid

Your power color: Silver

Your power symbol: Square

Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon

2007-06-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I was thumbing through my Barbara Walker "Treasury" books, looking for nothing in particular. Eventually (in "Second Treasury"), I came across the stitch pattern called "Dragon Skin" and thought that I could add to my Harry Potter themed socks.

I had been wanting to start socks with some Yarn Pirate yarn I had received as part of a sock club. The pattern it came with didn't appeal to me and I was looking for something else. The colour way is "Ozone" - earthy shades of green, browns, turquoise. That seemed pretty "dragon-y" to me, so I cast on for dragon socks. I had just finished the ribbing on the first sock when a picture flashed in my mind: the bright green dragon from "The Paper Bag Princess" ... bright lime green yarn ... didn't I have some of that in The Stash?

I went Stash diving and surfaced with Sweet Georgia yarn - lime green. The colour name: "Dragon"!! It was just meant to be.

The Dragon Skin stitch pattern is a 26 stitch repeat. Three repeats would have been perfect for socks in my size, but I was way too lazy to figure out how to work out half patterns on each side (since I wanted the full pattern to run down the middle front). While I was knitting the pattern, it soon became obvious how I could have done this but on paper, I couldn't figure it out. I took the easy way out and filled in with seed stitch.

And finally, a picture on an actual foot! These socks are so soft and comfy - I can't wait for cool weather so I can wear them.

Before knitting the dragon socks, I knit these very cheery ones. Regia "Nation Colors". I believe they call this "Rainbow", but I think of it as Caribbean.

Spoiled Rotten

Friday (June 22) was my birthday.

In honour of the occasion, I took a few days off work. A couple of years ago, anxious to avoid the office hooplah that would come with reaching the "big five-oh", I took three days off. By the time I returned to work the next Monday, my birthday was forgotten and I decided to start a new tradition and make the birthday holiday a yearly event.

That doesn't mean, of course, that I want the day to be totally forgotten :)

My mother and brother called (they live in Quebec). My mom always calls at 8:45am - the time of my birth. I have always been thankful that I was not born at 2:00am!

My brother, who is a trucker, called from the road - he was driving through some little town in Georgia, heading back north after a trip to Florida.

My son and his girlfriend spoiled me rotten.

There was sock yarn from Michelle. She doesn't knit, but went in to Urban Yarns in North Vancouver where she says she was very well received and counseled. The lady who helped her suggested that she should buy yarn in a colour she liked since sock knitters were likely to return the favour by gifting back the completed socks!

Michelle also showed a crafty side I didn't know she had by making me a Gryffindor knitting needle holder. A great glass vase decoupaged in red/gold stripes and checks with the appropriate coat of arms.

My son, Chris, added to my Harry Potter collection:

Silver lightning bolt earrings and pendant.

Magical currency (galleon, sickle and knut). These are marvelous! Thick and heavy. I tried taking a closer shot, but I haven't yet mastered those with my new camera. The reverse side of the coins have the picture of a Gringotts goblin.

There were also books - catering to all my inner selves.

Robert Munsch has been a favourite since I first heard him tell "Mud Puddle" on Romper Room when Chris was just a baby. If you've never heard him tell one of his own stories, you can download audio files from the "Storytime" section of his website. Can anyone listen to or read "Love You Forever" without crying? This "Treasury" book had been on my Amazon wish list for quite a while. I thought it was funny that I would receive it now, just after finishing dragon socks inspired by one of stories.

A DVD set to keep me company while I knit.

I am hoping my new Addi lace needles came while I was away (I get things shipped to the office) so that I can start the orange birthday stole. In the meantime, more sock.

RIP Boris

2007-06-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

One of my budgies died tonight. Boris is the one on the lower perch in the photograph in the side bar.

I fell asleep on the couch watching TV this evening and woke up at 10pm. I decided I might as well turn in for the night, went to cover the cage and found Boris dead, head first in the water dish. I have no idea how it happened.

I had been expecting that Natasha would be the first to die - she has been having seizures for many months and regularly falls off her perch. I wonder how she will do without her long-time mate.

The pair of them have been with me for six years. My then-neighbour's husband was a mover and found them abandoned in an empty apartment he was moving people into. He brought them home but since they already had three budgies of their own, I took them in. They had been kept in a tiny little cage with hardly any space to flap their wings. I went out and purchased what I like to refer to as the "budgie condo" - a cage meant for a much larger bird like a parrot but, fortunately, with bars spaced close enough so it could house the smaller budgies. It took them a while to realize they didn't have to be squished together in a corner any more. It has been a much better life for them since then.

Things will be a lot quieter around here - Boris was the loud one. I wonder if Natasha will find her voice now that he is gone.

Sigh!

Monkeying Around

2007-06-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

Monkey Socks in Seacoast Handpainted Yarns are done. I love this pattern. I don't think my photo does it justice. It looks intricate but it is a very easy knit. Plenty of ooohs and aaahs from anyone who has seen and felt the socks. I'm sure I'll find a good home for them soon.

I definitely think there is a pair of monkey socks in my own feet's future.

In the meantime, I am knitting plain socks this week, but in an extremely bright Regia yarn that yields wide stripes. I am just zipping along - the first sock is almost done.

This past weekend I went digging through the stash (high-risk adventure) to locate this yarn:

I bought this over a year ago because it was a good deal and the colour appealed to me, even though it was not in my usual range of colour choices. About a month after buying the yarn, I received my Knitter's magazine and this pattern was on the cover:

"Persimmon Lace" (which is also found in Victorian Lace Today). I knew that yarn and pattern were just meant for each other.

A friend is having her 50th birthday in September and she loves the colour orange in all its variations so this will (hopefully) be her present.

The center panel is easy enough - a simple six-row repeat - although it is patterned on both even and odd rows. It is the border that makes me feel a bit queasy as I have never done one of these before. I am not sure that attempting this for the first time in slick mohair/silk yarn is the smartest thing to do. However, since I have survived ~~foolhardy stunts~~ adventurous experiences in the past I will jump in feet first into this. (There is always Plan B - orange socks!).

Never one to pass on an opportunity for online shopping, I ordered some of the new Addi lace circulars to try out on this project.

The (Hor) Crux of the Matter

2007-06-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

It doesn't happen to me very often that I am faced with the perfect combination of elements; in this case, the inspiration from a Harry Potter-related pattern, great yarn and a colourway that charmed me from the moment I saw it. That I can combine these elements and turn out a finished object I am totally enthralled with is an even rarer occurrence. I just love these socks! They were a pleasure to knit from the very start and they actually fit my FFFF (Fat Fred Flintstone Feet).

I would have taken a photo of the socks on said FFFF, but it is too darned hot in my apartment and just the thought of woolly socks on my feet makes me sweat! I do know they fit though because I tried them on as I was knitting the first one (before the heat wave struck).

As you can see, I didn't quite follow the pattern.

On the needles: Monkey Socks. Seacoast Handpainted Yarns (Panda - 60% merino, 30% bamboo, 10% nylon) in the "Seaside" colourway.

I only managed to knit two rows on the Moonlight Sonata shawl this weekend; the pattern requires way too much concentration and my brain just can't seem to handle that at the moment - so I'm keeping it simple ... more socks!

Struggling with Second Sock Syndrome

2007-05-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

(or, battling the bewitching butterscotch)

First, a finished object. Last week, after abandoning the ill-fated Jaywalkers, I did manage to finish a whole pair of socks without incident!

Nothing exciting, simple garter rib in a colourful Regia yarn:

After a long search, I finally found a toe-up sock pattern with a traditional heel. I decided to be bold and defiant in the face of my seemingly retreating knitting mojo and started on it. The yarn is lovely and soft - colour by Jayne. I completed the first sock yesterday.

The yarn is still attached to the ball because I am not certain whether my cast-off is loose enough. I'll have to recruit a foot model to give it a try. It didn't occur to me until I was nearly at the heel that I should have knit this sock in my size so that I could test it out as I went along ... but then, I've got Fred Flintstone feet and the accompanying boulder-sized legs ... so knitting socks for me is quite the endeavour!

Since I started the mad sock knitting in December, I haven't had any trouble with the "second sock syndrome" I had read so much about. I would finish one sock and immediately cast on for the second as soon as number one was off the needles. I did give the "knit two socks on two circulars" idea a try but this caused me stress ... which defeats my "knitting is relaxing" mantra. So I am definitely a "one sock at a time" knitter, but I also wanted to be a "knit both socks of a pair before you start another pair" knitter. Don't know why, but it seemed like a good system. Until I met this yarn:

This colourway has been haunting my dreams since Jayne posted a picture of her sock in progress on her blog. When Jayne got some Blue Face Leicester to dye, I could resist no longer and placed an order. It arrived earlier this week and after much fondling of the lovely skein, I wound it up, ready to go. I wish I'd had the brains to take a picture of the skein as it arrived - it was so pretty, with a lovely little stitch marker attached to the label.

My fingers have been itching to cast on with this yarn all week long. I've resisted, so far. I think I would have given in if it wasn't for the fact that this is my first attempt at the toe-up sock and doing the second sock right away will provide me with the repetition I need to "get" the pattern. So, I was a good girl and cast on for the second sock as soon as the first one was done. I've turned the heel and am now in the home stretch. I can smell the butterscotch at the finish line.

The golden hues of the butterscotch made me think of Gryffindor (it doesn't take much these days since I have been listening to my Harry Potter audio books while I knit, in anticipation of Book 7) and I think this yarn will become Horcrux Socks.

Moonlight Sonata Shawl Update. Moving along rather slowly - I've only knit a few rows since I posted the first photo. I hadn't read the pattern through before starting it and had not realized that the wrong side row was not "all purl". Since I have to pay more attention at all times, this will be an ongoing project ... unless I find that it is needed for a birthday gift. It will not be for me ... triangular shawls just do not fit me well as I am a very large person. I prefer Faroese type shawls which sit on my shoulders better. I didn't have the patience required to figure out the adjustments required to make this fit me. I'm sure the Moonlight Sonata will find a good home when it is done.

Update on the great 2.25mm needles search. Since I knit socks on circulars only (I could never get the hang of the DPNs), the search for 2.25mm needles has been frustrating. I did order some Japanese made needles (HiyaHiya). The points are nice and, well, pointy, but the cables are the kind that need to be dunked in hot water and stretched out of their "kink". Having grown accustomed to the lovely KnitPicks flexible cables, I was a bit put off. However, this is one for the "ask and ye shall receive" department: KnitPicks now has some 2.25mm circulars! Hopefully these will solve my gauge woes and the Jaywalkers may yet get another chance.

Back to my Knitting Roots

2007-05-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

I’ve been having a difficult time with sock knitting for the last couple of weeks. After turning out so many good pairs since I first learned “how to” in December, I have come to expect successful results. I have been quite dismayed (… ok, “dismayed” is not really the word I want to use … but I’m trying to stay away of foul language here) with the fact that I’ve knit and re-knit the jaywalker socks twice now and I’m still not happy.

I decided to try something else to take my mind off the problem and started a toe-up sock since I’d never done it before. I was having the same problem here – a gauge problem. I knit with circulars. I use KnitPicks in either size 0 (2mm) or size 1 (2.5mm). The problem I’ve been having is that 2mm is giving me a too-tight fabric while the 2.5mm is too loose … way too loose. I kept on knitting anyway – I didn’t see the point of ripping back immediately since I didn’t know how I’d do on the heel part. Well, I don’t like round heels, so I ripped this sock out too.

It seems to me that what I need are 2.25mm needles. I found some HiyaHiya needles online. They make 2mm, 2.25mm and 2.5mm. I ordered some of the 2.25mm and I am hoping that the “in between” size will solve my recent problem.

This whole sock knitting frustration was getting me down this weekend. I was sitting there aimlessly, looking at the accumulated stash of sock yarn and wondering what I was going to do with it all if this trend didn’t come to an end.

I needed to feel successful again. I could have gone back and finished that cotton baby blanket that has been sitting there, halfway done, since last year; I could have assembled those two baby cardigans which have been in-waiting since … em … so long ago I can’t remember when; I could have finished the child’s Weasley sweater I started only two weeks ago – but the “fun” part (the front with the letter “H”) is done and only the boring plain back and sleeves are left. None of these choices appealed to me. It was now obvious to me that what was needed was to cast on something new.

A shawl! I haven’t knit one of those in months. I went looking through my stack of “must knit” shawl patterns and right there at the top of the pile was Shui Kuen Kozinski’s Moonlight Sonata Shawl (a free pattern at Elann). Since this whole knitting fiasco trend seems to have culminated with the last full moon, I thought it might be able to break the spell with a full moon shawl. I dug out some of my favourite Elann Baby Cashmere yarn and cast on. Not too far along, but I’m loving it:

There is really nothing like knitting lace! My first knitting project was a lace shawl. Well, I’m not counting the pre-requisite scarf I knit when the nuns at catholic boarding school taught me to knit when I was 9 or 10. I learned, I knit, I thought I’d never do it again … until, as a 17-year old catching the tail end of the hippie-dippy era, I came across a pattern for a triangular lace shawl and decided I must have it. I bought yarn (I don’t remember what it was, but I remember it was soft and a dark peach colour) and needles and taught myself how to knit again. I was already living on my own, so there was no one to ask if I was doing it right (both my mother and grandmother knit), but I relied on the pictures and instructions in the pattern book. I remember that the shawl was knit from the bottom of the triangle up and that I started it many, many times before I finally got through it! I had no trouble re-learning to knit, but I didn't "get" the logic of the lace pattern and I remember quite well that I just couldn't be interrupted in the middle of a row or else I would never be able to tell where I was in the pattern. I am nothing if not persistent, and the shawl was beautiful when done. I kept it for many years until I finally gave it away to a friend who admired it. I just wish I had a photo of it.

I went through my Barbara Walker books to see if I could find the stitch pattern and I’m pretty sure this is it:

Would you recommend this to someone as a first project pattern?

While I was in a shawl mood, I decided to block the Gracie shawl (from Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves) – modified so it would fit my extra extra large body. I finished knitting this months ago. I’m glad I finally blocked it because this morning was perfect shawl-wearing weather. It was fortunate that my office neighbour was wearing black today and agreed to model the shawl … as long as I didn’t show her face. This shawl was also done in Elann Baby Cashmere. I can't remember what the colour was called; it is a mocha shade which is not in stock at the moment. On my monitor, the back view photo shows the true colour.

Here a Sock, There a Sock ...

2007-05-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

I received my new HP R967 camera last Thursday and I have been reading the instruction manual (yup, I'm one of those people) and playing around with this great new toy. The large 3" screen is just wonderful!

I lined up all the socks for their official portraits:

The one that started it all - Elann Sock It To Me Yarn - The basic pattern from Socks Soar on Two Circulars.

Same basic pattern in Regia Ringel. Notice how the stripes match? I'm "one of those" too!

I then discovered Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks and Fleece Artist merino sock yarn.

Sweet Georgia Yarn - I believe that's my favourite yarn so far. Wonderfully soft.

Applelaine Apple Pie Yarn is also lovely, but there were loads of knots in both skeins.

Reynolds Swizzle.

Plain socks in KnitPicks Memories.

Garter Rib in Super Soxx.

More Garter Rib in Socks That Rock lightweight - Scottish Highlands colourway.

Garter Rib (notice a trend?) in Lorna's Shepherd Sock.

Gryffindor socks in Regia Nation colors. I've knit two pairs of these so far. This pair is mine; the other one went to an office buddy who is also a Harry Potter nut.

What to do with all the leftover sock yarn? A blanket, of course.

I toyed with the idea of doing mittered or log cabin squares but then decided I wanted to knit something as mindless as possible. Mindless is a good thing when all the other knitting is being abandonned because of full-moon hijinks (my jaywalkers have come to a screeching halt).

I cast on 50 sts and am knitting in sock heel stitch - just because I like the texture. I bought black yarn to use as separator and I plan on picking up and knitting black borders on either side of the strip.

Now that I look at this picture, I note that some of that sock yarn wasn't used for socks.

... a few minute of digging through old CDs ...

and here is a cute baby sweater - from a pattern in one of those Pattern-A-Day calendars from a couple of years back.

Nice to have all these pictures to share when I have little to talk about!

This new camera of mine also takes videos. I kept it near me all weekend long in case Mrs. Weasley did something cute which would be worth filming. No luck ... the minute I pointed the camera at her, she would just sit down and stare at me. The only cute pose she struck all weekend long:

Blame it on the full moon

2007-05-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

Back in the dark ages, when I was a teenager, my mother would always say "Ghislaine is in a bad mood, it must be the full moon" and I, in typical teen-aged fashion, thought she was crazy. She was into astrology and other "weird" things at a time when the term "New Age" was yet unknown. I learned then that I was born "on the cusp" (Gemini/Cancer) and I like to blame my Gemini side for the tendency I have of buying things in multiples of two.

My life has been filled with petty annoyances this week and my mood has been going downhill with each new stumbling block. So when, while I was busy royally cursing my computer, my office neighbour piped up to say that "it must be the full moon", I had a good laugh as I heard my mum's voice saying those exact words!

My knitting has also been suffering from the full moon curse. I had started knitting a lace scarf on the weekend. I wasn't happy with the resulting fabric because I had used needles too small, so I frogged it. I started again with larger needles and this was better. After knitting a good 10 inches, I weighed what was left of my skein and realized that I wouldn't have enough yarn to make the scarf a suitable length. I frogged again and decided to try taking out one of the pattern repeat (a difference of 15 stitches). I knit this up for about six inches and decided that even when blocked I wouldn't be happy with the width. Frog no. 3. I went through the stash looking for some more lace weight yarn I knew I had in a complementary colour; I thought I could "mix and match" and maybe work the two yarns together. I tried that and couldn't come up with a satisfactory result. I took it back down again - this time for good. The yarn is back in the stash until it matures a bit more and decides it really wants to become something worthwhile.

I've gone back to my sock. Think that this is a no-brainer? No. I decided to count the stitches and I am missing two. Somewhere along the way I must have worked a decrease on a row where it was not called for. I put the sock back in its bag until I can decide whether to leave it as is and just work two extra stitches in (I am about to start the heel flap and the chevron pattern looks just fine so I could easily add in the missing stitches). I tend to be very picky. Even though I will often say "just ignore it, no one will notice", invariably after working for hours after uttering such a statement I will rip back down and fix the mistake. At least now I just stop and think about it.

I'm in a much better mood today and things have gone smoother at the office. I also received a new toy - a new digital camera! I can't wait to try it out. It has a a big three inch viewing screen - my main reason for buying this model (HP R927).

Just think of all the great sock pictures I'll be able to take!

Socks Saga

2007-05-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

In April 2004, I placed my first order with Elann for Sock It To Me Harlequin sock yarn and some DPNs. I had never knit socks, but an office friend and lunch-time knitting buddy kept insisting I should learn. When the (soon-to-become-extremely-familar) Elann white box arrived, I made my first attempt at socks - without success. A few days later, my second attempt ended up with me flinging yarn and needles across the room - those d... little needles were just useless in my fat hands. Sometime in 2005, I tried again and the sock yarn and DPNs soon found their way back into hibernation.

In 2006, I bought Cat Bordhi's book and also found a number of excellent tutorials online for knitting on two circulars. I was determined to knit some socks before the year was over! I cut it very close. During my Christmas holidays, out came the sock yarn and circular needles. Two days short of the new year, I had my first pair of socks:

I was hooked!

I did have a problem though ... no sock yarn in the stash!! I placed an emergency call to Urban Yarns. As much as I wanted yarn, I didn't want to make the trek there on the bus (I don't drive) - so I selected three different brands, asked the lovely ladies to surprise me with different colours and sent a courrier service to pick up the yarn! I ended up with some bright and cheerful Regia stripes, lovely Lorna's Shepperd Sock and ever so yummy Fleece Artist.

Of course, since then, my stash of sock yarn has grown to form its own little clique.

The sock family has grown since December. I'll try to post pictures of all the individuals, including those members who have flown the coop - but for now, a group portrait.

Just last weekend I finished a pair knit with one of my original purchase from Urban Yarns - the Lorna's Shepperd Sock:

This week's SIP (sock-in-progress):

This pair might take a bit longer to complete though as I am "cheating" on the socks this week - there is also a lace scarf on the needles which needs to be completed for an upcoming birthday.

Sleepless

2007-04-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

I am writing this at 4:00 a.m. I woke up sometime before 2:00 and have been watching Sense and Sensibility yet again. I do love Alan Rickman! It doesn't happen too often that I wake up at such an hour to find something I want to watch on TV. I was hoping it would lull me back to sleep, but no such luck. I finally decided to get up and do something useful ... the laundry ... not my favourite task, but a necessary evil. The good thing is that at this time of day there won't be a line up at the laundry room.

Although I'd rather be sleeping, I do love this time of day when it is still dark out and things are quiet. I live in Vancouver's West End, too close to Robson Street, and quiet is not a state associated with this part of town; but at this hour, there is a bit of a respite - the bars have closed and the yahoos have made their drunken way home, there are few cars around and the birds are still silent.

I received some yarn on Friday. All sock yarn ... my new addiction. This yarn (finally) came from WEBS. I ordered this on March 26 - after been lured in by the "we are having a sale" email. They mailed it on March 29 - I guess it took the scenic route!

I finished a pair of socks last night (will have to wait until I get to the office tomorrow to scan a photo) and immediately started on another one from the yarn at the far right. They will be Jaywalkers.

The timer just went off ... must retrieve the laundry from the dryer. Wonder what exciting thing will come next? I'm hoping for a bit more sleep!

Ready ... Set ... Blog

2007-04-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

Just what the world needs - another knitting blog. I only set this up today because I thought of the title while trying to get back to sleep at two this morning. Things were not too busy at the office today, so I amused myself with the set-up. I suspect I will greatly prefer learning the geeky aspects of blog-keeping to the actual blogging.

I'm not sure I have much to say; but I do have a fair amount of photos of finished knitting projects I've been wanting to share. As good a reason as any to start a blog.