Rain, Rain, go away.

I started thinking about why I don't have anyone (that I can see) reading my blog and I think it's maybe because I don't post often enough so my new goal is to post much more often. Therefore, yesterday, I saved some of my juicy tidbits for today.

You see, I've been on a dreaded "D" word lately. A yarn, d-d-d-diet. Ugh, it's even hard to type that. It wasn't an "official" thing, I just knew the expense of moving would be coming up and I also shouldn't have way more extra yarn to move so I have been strictly curbing my yarn-buying obsession. The result? I have been completely blah about my stash. Usually the only yarn I like to buy is my sock yarn unless I'm planning a big project so the only thing I really curbed was the sock-yarn purchases. It has been months and months since I allowed myself to freely buy sock yarn. (Okay, maybe it was only a few months. It just felt longer)


Well, I started thinking about it.
What do I knit the most of? Socks
What do I want to buy the most? Sock Yarn


So, last week, after our moving expenses were (mostly) sorted out, I lifted the sock yarn embargo. Today, I wanted to show you my new sock yarn. Then what happened? The weather didn't cooperate. It is grey and drizzly and icky today so there's no way to get a decent photo.


Whoo, it just lightning-ed. If I could only catch it just right, I could get a good picture. hee hee.


So today you will have to suffice to hear about this:

Hmm, pretty yarn, nice stitches but what is it? you ask. It's the Ogee Lace Skirt
from Interweave Knits Summer 2007.



I'm knitting it with Classic Elite Yarns Waterlily. Color: 1995 (purple). A beautiful extra fine merine with some subtle color variations. The issue that I have is that I have 4 skeins of 100 yards. So 4x100=400 yards.
The pattern calls for: 6, 82yard skeins. 6x82=492 yards. Anyone else see a problem?
I might just shorten it so I don't do another repeat but I really love the length so I might just add in another yarn. I haven't decided yet. Anyone have any thoughts?

Socks for every occasion

I'm pretty tired today and may be just a tiny bit crabby the dh woke me this morning at 6:30ish as he was getting ready for work and as I am SO not a morning person and so I'm barely hanging on. My downstairs neighbor who is apparently moving out also seems to see fit to keep slamming their apartment door, making an afternoon nap impossible today. I may just make a second pot of coffee.

As a two-hour drive last Saturday and a concert with our friend's band and a trip to see the St. Cloud Riverbats play in the great American pasttime resulted in lots of knitting time I have finished these:

They are knit of 2 skeins of Kroy Socks Jacquard and they are sized to fit my hubby's absurdly big feet.(US size 13)* I wasn't particularly fond of this yarn but I think a big part of that is because I had just finished knitting with Plymouth Yarn's Happy Feet which is really, really soft and supple and this felt itchy and unyielding compared to that but I think it actually turned into nice looking socks that will be nice and warm this winter. They didn't take that long to knit up either. I was also knitting them toe-up to make sure that I would have enough yarn and I knit them plenty long for my taste and still had plenty of yarn left so I would definitely recommend it for having enough for men's sizes.

Since I haven't really caught up with what else I'm working on, I might as well bring up my other UFOs. (may I just say here that I am a fan of X-Files from way back and that the fact that Unfinished Object sounds so much like Unidentified Flying Object tickles me to no end.)

This is one of what will hopefully end up to be a pair of socks in Kroy Socks Stripes in the Kool Stripes colorway. Originally I bought this yarn to make a pair of socks for myself but I think the socks, once knit, are a little bit too much for me so I am planning them to be a Christmas Gift to my 11-year old niece. I know I'm taking a chance but I'm thinking my little Hannah Montana lover is going to love the rock-star-eque colors.

Well, I've shown you one pair of finished socks and one sock that's knit without a mate yet. What else is there? Of course I have a pair of "computer socks" which just means a pair of socks simple enough to knit while reading blogs or waiting for our "flower of 1998 technology" computer to load. That would be these:

Your basic ribbed sock knit in Trekking XXL colorway: 71. Some of you may remember that I knit a pair of socks for someone last year for Christmas out of this same colorway. Actually, now that I think about it, I think it was for my uncle for his birthday. I forgot how much I love knitting with Trekking yarn. It doesn't always make for identical twin socks but I am just funky enough to be okay with that. They are soft and have great stitch definition. I love, love, love it. Let's have a close-up so you can see those beautiful stitches.** The color isn't quite right though. It's much darker than this pictures. Almost like a black-ish denim.

I would also like to note that these are knit on my new Brittany Birch needles. I have only gone the bamboo route with wooden needles before and I love wooden needles. I still think my bamboo is my favorite because they get smooth and slippery much, much faster and they have a little more flexibility IMHO but I do like these.

That's pretty much it in the mindless sock knitting department but I do have to have something that holds a little more interest. That's where these come in:

Please welcome: Tofutsies #733. Being knit into The Fancy Silk Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks.

I really like the pattern. I'm not sure about this yarn with it though.

The yarn might be too busy to show of this lovely pattern. I like the suppleness of the yarn but I'm not totally sure of it. I love the fact that it will be somewhat antibacterial but I find that it had a kind of weird smell (to me) so I'm not sure if these are meant to be or not yet.

My husband says that it's not crazy to have up to 9 pairs of socks on the needles at once so I am well under the limit of crazy around here so there may be more socks to come soon.

*These pictures were taken on my coffee table. Yes, I do think a silver bowl full of Knit Picks Shadow is an objet d'art. Wanna make something of it?

**Showing off my "new" camera. Yay! Much better than crappy old one.

I am back in business baby!

Well, I'm definitely behind with my blogging but I am also back. We are (mostly) moved to our new apartment and while I spend all day unpacking, I can spend my evenings knitting and we've got our computer set up with the 'net hooked up so I can get back to my blog. Let's start with these:

They are Feather & Fan Socks from Socks,Socks, Socks. They are Trekking XXL Sock Yarn and while I love the yarn, I'm not entirely sure that I love that pattern with that color of yarn. I can't remember the number and of course since we have a ton of boxes, I can't find the ball band now. These have actually been finished for awhile and worn several times. That's how behind I am.

Then there's these:

Now, I'm using some of this yarn for my Arrr-gyles so I wanted to knit them fairly short. They are Plymouth Yarn Happy Feet and I am absolutely in love with this yarn! It's soft and just the right colors and absolutely gorgeous. It turned my sock needles just a little tiny bit pink so I am gonna wash these in some cold water with a dash of vinegar before they go into my usual rotation since I don't really want red feet. But I know these will soon be my favorite socks. I just finished them the other night and started up with my new travelling socks.

These are some Toe-Up socks that I'm knitting for my husband. Pictured last night on their first outing. To see a friend's band play. They are knit of Kroy Socks Jacquard. I think the yarn will be extremely durable but it's not the softest and nicest to knit with. Of course my bias might come from the fact that my husband has US size 13 feet and so I am dreading ever finishing these socks.

Not much else is going on on the knitting front. As I said, I'm mostly just busy unpacking box after box.

I would just like to add one more note before I sign off. It has been difficult for me to come back and face this page because every time I did, I saw my last post. My Pheebsie who passed on. It still hurts that he is really gone but I know life goes on and so my needles will continue to click away even though he's not there to try to chew my yarn. Thanks for your patience.

Sadness

pheebsiechess
Originally uploaded by kalkette

Yesterday my beloved furbaby, my sweet kitty Pheebsie, also called Mr. Pheebington died. I am really sad and can't even say any more right now. He was a member of my family and will be truly missed. Goodbye my Mr. Pheebington.