Marching into Sock Month Three

It's that time again, to talk about my new sock project for March! I am thrilled that I have already got two pairs of socks of my own and am looking forward to a third pair very soon. I have ambitious sock goals for this month. In addition to the pair outlined below, I need to finish my Dad's birthday socks (they were supposed to be Christmas socks, but I got a bad case of SSS [second sock syndrome]) plus I am taking a class on how to do two socks at a time on a circular needle. I'm very excited about this idea because it means no more SSS for me!

March Self-Imposed Sock & Book Challenge:

The Socks: I can't wait for Spring. One of my very favourite times of year, I love the return of the warmth and all the green. Even though this winter has not been too bad I am dreaming of longer days if sunshine, picnics, long walks and planting my balcony garden.

So with that in mind, I have chosen these socks: Tadpoles by Jenna Swanson. This free pattern on Ravelry features a lace pattern on the front of the leg and toe. These will be my first pair of lace socks and I am looking forward to wearing them this spring.

Photo from Ravelry page, see above for link.

The Yarn: For these socks I have chosen to use up a skein of Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in the Springtime colourway that has been in my stash for a while. I love the light green colour and it will show the pattern nicely. I love Knit Picks products for their affordability and their sock yarn comes in so many colours and varieties that it is never hard to find a great yarn for a project. I forgot to get a picture of the skein before I wound it, but here is an idea of the colourway.

The books: Well, I am still working on that pile of books for my class. And of course by working on I mean I look at them from time to time and feel slightly guilty about not reading them, but I will have to get cracking soon. I have however rediscovered LibriVox, an amazing website that allows you to download free audiobooks of books that are in the public domain read by volunteers. I am almost finished Alice's Adventures in Wonderland which was my knitting companion this weekend. Next up is a book that actually resides in my school pile, Jane Eyre.

My progress: I will confess that I started these socks a bit early this month as I knew I had loft sock goals and wasn't quite ready to dive into the monstrosity yarn that is my Dad's second sock - imagine neon orange and black tiger stripes, yikes! This means that I have completed one sock. I love the pattern and can't wait to block this sock to make the lace pattern really shine.

Happy Sock Knitting, 

msi. 

Happy Leap Day!

I know that technically it should be WIP Wednesday, but since it is the last day of February it's only appropriate that I show off and review for you my February Love Socks!

The pattern: This was my first time doing stripes and I loved it. i found that the colour changes made it more interesting to do the stocking leg and heel. I also enjoyed the combination intarsia/stranded colourwork on the heel and love the cute hearts. I have actually taken my shoes off multiple times to show relative strangers my heels. Awkward...

 I am glad that I ended up doing them the opposite colours for a pair of "fraternal" socks. All and all the pattern was very good, although I did have a bit of trouble with the heel, I think the numbers may have been slightly off in the pattern. The pattern is available for free on Ravelry and it is by Devon Clement.

The yarn: We all know that I love Tanis Fiber Arts and the Purple Label is extra yummy with the addition of cashmere (used the Sand colourway here). The red is leftover Fleece Artist 2/6 Merino that I had leftover from the guy's Valentine's heart. I loved this yarn also (it was my first time working with it) and the tones to the red are really beautiful.

The stack of books: Is still a stack of books. Actually, now that all of my students have finished choosing their books it has gotten a bit taller. Sigh...

And just because it is WIP Wednesday here is a sneak peak of my Mom's birthday present in progress.

Happy Leap Day!

msi

Love is on the Heel

It's time to introduce you to the February Sock I have chosen for the self-imposed sock challenge this year! 

February Self-Imposed Sock and Book(?) Challenge 


The Socks:  In honour of Valentines Day I am making LoveSocks by Devon Clement, free pattern on Ravelry. These socks have a simple stripe pattern with a combination fair isle and intarsia heart on the heel!

Photo from Ravelry page, see link above.

The Yarn (the stringy variety, not the story): I will be using leftovers of two great yarns. Tanis Fiber Arts Purple Label in Sand and Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 in Ruby Red. 

I love Tanis's yarns and the purple label is extra special with cashmere. Seen here in the Sand colourway. I had a bunch leftover from a pair of fingerless mitts I made for a friend for Christmas. It is amazing how far a skein of this will go!

This is leftover from a secret Valentines Project that I will reveal next week,  Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 in Ruby Red. Available for purchase from the amazing online yarn shop The Loopy Ewe. 

The Books: Despite my success with my January socks, the reading didn't go so well. I'm still trying to find time to read Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - good book, but so little free time in which I am not knitting! On top of this I assigned a book review for the class I am teaching about aging and disability so I have this lovely stack of novels to get through in the next few months. I also need to find my copy of Tuesday's With Morrie as several students have chosen this book. So the reading for pure pleasure part of the challenge is on hiatus, but I'm sure to enjoy some or all of the books in this looming stack. 

My Progress: As you can see in the previous photo I have already managed to make one sock. This is a really easy pattern (very much appreciated after last month's cables), so I have been able to zip through it quickly. I love the yarn combination and heart on the heel is so sweet. My colourwork skills are nothing to write home about, but I want to get more practice so this was a neat way to combine fair isle and intarsia on the heel flap. 

Close-up of the inside of the heel showing intarsia technique at the top of the heart and the switch to intarsia for the body of the heart. 

All that I have left to decide is if I want to do my second sock in the alternate colour pattern (like in the pattern above) or if I want them to match. I kind of like the idea of matching them. What do you think?


msi. 

Done in the nick of time...

I finished my My Vampire Boyfriend socks last night, just a few days ahead of schedule! I am super impressed that I managed to finish these on time and that I didn't give into second sock syndrome. So what did I think about my first month of my self-imposed sock challenge?

The pattern: A really enjoyable pattern by Kate Atherley. By the end of the first sock I had the pattern down. My chart was always near by, but the second sock went much faster and I managed to knit it in a little more than a week. It was a great pattern that you need to pay attention to and it challenged me (in a good way) the whole way along. I love the addition of the "bitemark" cable along the sides and the modified heart for the heel and toe. This pattern is available for free in the Fall 2009 issue of Knitty.

The yarn: This was a wonderful skein of Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label in a one-of-a-kind colourway. I love Tanis's yarn and it feels great to finally have a pair of socks in it! The socks are soft and sturdy and the colour variations are beautiful.

The book: As you may recall, I am also reading Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter as my book challenge for this month. I am not quite done, but it has been a great book so far. Between the three jobs and the sock knitting I have been a busy bee this month.

I'll be back with the February sock of choice soon.

Happy Knitting!

msi

September Sock Knitting

September is a big birthday month in my family; we have 6 birthdays this month and one on October 1^st. This means I am very busy knitting at the moment trying to get presents completed on time. The big birthdays (other than mine :P) are my step-dad and my grandmother’s. I had big plans for knitting this year, but due to my ever-narrowing time constraints they are only getting one knitted gift each. It just so happens that both of them have developed a taste for hand knitted socks ever since I learned about a year ago. Now for every special occasion that is what they request. My grandmother likes fuzzy ankle socks for wearing around the house and K, my step-father, likes the full sock, as long as it is warm and non-scratchy.

I picked out the yarn a while ago and have been slowly plodding away. For K, I chose a very cool yarn called ONline Supersocke 100 Butterfly Color that is patterned to look like butterfly wings. These were an awesome find in the bargain basement of one of my favourite LYS, Romni Wool. Being a nature guy, I know that he will get a kick out of these. I really like the way the patterning of the yarn has come along. I am finished the first sock, but I have a whole other sock to go and only 1 week to knit it! I cast on last night and then promptly fell asleep – this full time work thing is really getting in the way of my knitting schedule.  

Butterfly sock!

For my grandmother, I let her choose the wool from my stash and she immediately gravitated to the Mesa colourway of Chroma worsted. I have made her socks from this before and they are so scrumptious and soft. Again, I have one sock completed that I made in Chicago, and another to go. These aren’t such a big deal because they have a very short leg and are made of a much thicker yarn. 2 weeks until her birthday.

A cozy ankle sock out of Chroma Worsted

I always have about 5+ projects on the needles and I am dying to finish these socks so I can go back to a project intended for myself, Citron by Hillary Smith Callis. I am making this out of one of my favourite yarns Dream in Colour Starry in the Deep Seaflower colourway. I rarely make items that I end up keeping so I would really like to get this done for the cool fall days ahead.

Such pretty sparkly yarn!

One last thing before I leave you, I came across this article from the guardian that I thought was really awesome. It's about Joe Strummer's daughter, Jazz Domino Holly and her new book about crafting. I have put this on my amazon wishlist! 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/8735016/Joe-Strummers-daughter-is-the-Queen-of-Crafts.html 

My favourite quote from her: “Crafting is the perfect antidote to cookie-cutter mass-production, and gives us a means of expressing not only our individuality but also our originality in a handmade rebellion against passive consumption.”

I love this because it is so true! The reason I craft and knit is for just that reason. In an ever modern world there is so much focus on consumption of things that are easily acquired and that are essentially all the same. When I knit something it takes time and contemplation, and every item is distinct. I've yet to meet a knitter that doesn't make mistakes! Just like the people who knit and receive their craft, it is the imperfections that make something unique. 

Happy Knitting, 

msi