Another week gone...

I am very sad to say not much knitting or other fiber-y things have been happening since I last posted. There is another row of owls below the ones in the photo and I just started the heel flap on the first owl sock this morning. This pattern isn't a hard knit at all, just slow, very slow.

The plain sock is at 6.5" so I am just starting the gusset. I've been putting most of my time into the owls.

Yarn has arrived. A photo another day. I was bad. I was just looking at a new place I found online a few weeks back. Everything always seems out of stock so I was just nosing around to see what colors and options they offered. I wrote down a few that I liked for 'someday'. Just as I left, one on my list popped up for sale! Before I took my next breath that sucker was in my cart and paid for. Oops. Yes I was bad but the yarn has arrived and it is delightful!

Double or triple oops! Other yarn is on order from yet another company. 2 skeins this time. It's being dyed for me though so it will be several weeks before it ready. Yet another company that is always sold out. I seem to have a real knack for finding them.

After those though, I am officially done buying yarn. I'm watching out for a couple more skeins from other companies.  I'm going to try not to slip and buy....I don't need more!

Grumble, grumble

So it's been 5 days since I mentioned casting on socks. I really don't think they could go any slower. The top down owl socks...I haven't made it out of the ribbing yet! I work and work and no progress. Ridiculous! The toe up plain sock is barely 4". They are both just creeping along in slow motion.

I've noticed a pattern now. Socks drag, I want to shop! I don't need yarn, I don't need yarn, I don't need yarn....
Think that will work if I chant it constantly? Yeah, me neither.

How many socks

can I cast on in 3 days? Apparently 3. Actually knit a sock to the heel turn in sports weight. Pulled the needles out of it on day 2 and put the yarn away for frogging later. Pattern didn't work out at all. It was skewing so badly the sole was twisting to the top.

Then I cast on an owl sock in that natural yarn. Ugh, top down. As I have grumbled before, hate top down. The cuff is full of twisted stitches and KTB, with no more than 2 stitches the same. I made it through 1.5 repeats of the chart before it started annoying me. Obviously this isn't going to be a full-time sock.

So back to the yarn satchel. Emptied it completely to see if I had any bits and pieces that would add up to a pair of socks. Not enough of anything without caking a co-coordinating skein. Dragged out the worsted weight bag, nothing appealed. But oh goody! I found one skein of center pull Online sock yarn. I don't care for this brand yarn but it was either that or no more knitting*. I will just make vanilla socks to have something super simple to work on.

*Pretending I don't have a shawl on the needles too. I'm not enjoying the big needles at all.

Another week missing

Well this week blew by in a blink. Not much happening in the way of fiber-time. I'm still working on the same pair of socks. Happily though, 10 more rows of ribbing and done!

I'm not sure what I am casting on next. I only know it will be with Cascade Heritage sock yarn in natural. For the simple reason, it is the only yarn caked, ready to knit. I am insanely short on time as usual and just haven't had time to set up the swift and winder. I don't expect to have time until next week so natural yarn it is.

I like natural a lot. Just not for hand-knit socks. Over the years the sole gets too dingy and since you can't scrub it or bleach it, I tend to keep them in the drawer rather than my feet.

I'm off here to try to get through this long day. Hope your weekend is fun and sunshiny!

Easy knitting week

Absolutely insane work hours the past few weeks. I'm so far behind on everything that I have resorted to fast groceries. I am more of a 'from scratch' cook so buying tortillas, sliced deli style meats, cookies, and bread is highly unusual. It is helping keeping our tummies full, though not always happily.

Surprisingly I am almost finished with a sock. Started it March 30. I just need to finish one more round then cast off. I went with a simple design, black toe, 3 rows of colorwork, pink foot, black heel, part of a pink leg, 3 rows of colorwork then finish off with 3 inches or so of black. Since it doesn't require thought I can do half a round here and there and it is flew off the needles.

I'm trying out a new circular needle too. I ordered a red lace ChiaoGoo circular when I was ordering a tiny crochet hook for beads. It was a bit of change but overall I enjoy it. The big differences are the cable (not as floppy) and the needle isn't as slick. The former it turns out I quite like, the latter was an adjustment. The cables joins are so perfect that they are a joy.

I also slipped and ordered yarn. Oops. A lovely sock yarn called Bugga! from The Verdant Gryphon I've spent a fair amount of time, since it arrived, trying to decide on which pattern to make. The yarn was a splurge for me so I want to be sure to choose well. I have a bit of time yet as I have to finish the current socks.

Off to work for me. Best count this as a Tuesday post as I don't expect enough free time to come back by then.

Relief

I don't think I have ever been so thankful to finish a sock. I finished weaving in the ends about an hour ago. Thank goodness! I was so afraid I would not finish this sock. I have been pushing all week, using every spare second to knit at least a few stitches on it.

I had other plans for the next socks to go on the needles but after this pair, I did some plan shuffling. Time to make a pair that is barely more than plain vanilla.

Rambling Tuesday

I am beginning to think my favorite Chinese food restaurant is jinxed. I knit while I wait on my carry-out. Every single time, I have to undo every bit of what I accomplish in that restaurant. Never fails. After today I think, I will just carry a book along or simply people watch.

Knitting, of course....

Ah....I needed that. I took a lovely break from frustrating patterns and made a insanely fast beret. Seriously fast! As in a long afternoon it could be completed. Took me 3 days of early morning knitting with time left over on the third day. With the leftover time, I quickly grafted the toe of Evil Pink. That went so smoothly and pain-free that I kept looking at it thinking, I must have done it wrong. I didn't though and it looks lovely.

 

Beret is blocking for the second time. First time I used a pie tin as suggested in the pattern. While the shape was ideal, the size was not. It's blocking on a dinner plate (also suggested) this time.

 

I awoke the following day ready to tackle the second Time-Out Sock! I'm almost to the gusset so it is moving right along. I'm playing it smart this time and adding a lifeline every 8 rows. That only takes a minute and will save a ton of frustration if something happens.

 

To go along with the sock knitting, I decided to start a lace shawl. I know I said no more shawls but when I was looking for hat yarn in the stash, I took a hard look at the stash. I have 5 skeins of lace yarn yet I haven't knit lace in over 2 years! Then I have more sport and worsted weight than I would like. It's time to put some of that yarn on the needles. I'm going to try keeping a non-sock project on the needles, for a while, along with my usual sock or two.

Procrastination

Second Evil Pinky is done except for kitchner-ing the toe. Super easy pattern stitch. Shocking but I actually followed the pattern. I am not sure I have ever done that before. Thuja pattern is free on Knitty.com. Psst...if you are trying to read the pattern under the sock that is for a different sock.
Lessons learned:

1. I still don't like knitting top down socks. I am going to make myself do another couple pairs as I need to practice the heel flap so the pickup stitches will be a bit neater. Honestly though, if I never made another top down sock I would be content.
2. Doing kitchner more often does not make me like it. In fact, I am beginning to loathe it.
3. I have 18grams of yarn remaining. If I wasn't being stubborn about becoming more proficient with top down, I could have used all of the yarn!
4. US5 (3.75mm) are still the size of baseball bats.

Anyhow I have another pair of socks to add to the precious sock drawer.

Now to procrastination.....I don't want to cast on the second Time-Out sock, so much, that I actually pulled out the hated hat. This poor hate has been in the to-go bag for at least 2 years now. I added an inch or two to it this morning. Plus I spent time on Ravelry looking at hat patterns. Apparently I am willing to do most anything to avoid that second sock. I'll start it by this weekend but right now we need a little distance!

Time-Out

Meet Time-Out Sock. Time-Out is now finished but oh dear...it needs a mate still. I am hoping that with a bit of a break from each other Second Time-Out and I will get along a bit better. The stitch design is easy enough if you aren't me and pay attention to all 35 stitches rather than just the first 5-6 of each row!

Yarn is Cascade Heritage Paints. Pattern is Froot Loops from Knitty.com.

Silly, Silly Sock

This silly time-out sock is doing it's best to teach me a lesson. Not sure what that lesson might be though. I finally made it successfully through turning the heel. I have a lifeline set and will start the leg tomorrow. I'm almost scared!

New books on the way! I was browsing Amazon while doing some computer work. Couldn't believe my eyes. A book Knitted Socks East and West had been reduced from $15.xx to $5.08. Last week, I had just marked some of the patterns in that book as future wants. Since I have free shipping there, I hit that buy button just as fast as I could. I'm delighted as I really didn't expect to ever get the book.

I placed a restriction on myself a year or so back, no pattern books. I enjoy having them but have a tendency to not use them much. My bookcases are terribly full so I try to keep my new purchases to a minimum. I'm the type person that once I have a book, it never leaves me! Reference books are easy to justify but patterns are so easy to come by online that I put a restriction on those in an effort to keep the bookcases from collapsing.

Second book is a Yarn Harlot book.....for $2.77 and free shipping. Who could turn that down? It will be small enough to pop in my on-the-go bag. Perfect as I haven't had a book in there for a while now.

Poor sock

I worked on time-out sock. Poor thing. Yanked all the new knitting back out....twice! I just don't get it. I did 6" with no problems then everything has gone wrong. If I count all the inches I have ripped out this sock could be long done! I've got it back on the needles and am now into the gusset. I am putting a lifeline in every 4 rows! Newest problem is I knit past the start of the gusset so had to fudge a bit to get it back on track. I've done that before so I know it will still fit fine.

Just pink

Bad sock is still in timeout but I cast on a second evil pink sock. This is more like it. Still don't like top-down but I had the ribbing done in no time. I changed the cast on and connecting just a touch and it went much smoother. That was the whole point....become proficient in other styles, even if I don't like them after the fact. So these socks will be called a success.

Boo-hoo

cry cry cry....I unraveled a weeks worth of knitting on one of my socks. This pattern was a poor choice....it read ok but reality is, it requires too much counting and concentration, at 4am. I've been amazed I made it as far as I have with no unfixable errors or counting errors. Dummy forgot to keep putting in lifelines every inch. I knew better with such a stressful pattern but got cocky. Then I messed up my row count by marking at least one row done when I still had the sole stitches to go. There were big gaping holes due to loops not getting closed on the missing rows. I tried to fudge but it was just ugly.

 

Since there aren't any plain rows, to save my life(or the sock), I couldn't pick up the stitches to just below the problem area, though I tried. I had to rip back several inches to the last lifeline.

 

Sock was bad so it is in timeout now and I am giving it the silent treatment. BAD BAD SOCK!

 

I'm seriously thinking about cheating on it and casting on another sock because I'm not happy with the other pair I am working on either (who knew pink yarn could be evil????). The evil pink ones aren't hard(I've already finished one) but it was to learn new techniques, the yarn has a mind of it's own and I am knitting with baseball bats(3.75mm). I've already decided I don't like those new techniques. It was easier than expected, looks fine, but oh so awkward...I would have never knit socks if I had done this first...oh wait I did! then didn't try to knit socks again for 18 months. lol I have much more experience now so decided it was time to become proficient in other methods(I have a list!). I disliked it so much though I don't want to make the second one.

Do you have it yet?

The re-released The Principles of Knitting of course. I received mine last week. Oh it is wonderful. It is absolutely huge, about 8.5" x 11" and over 700 pages. It is a major bargain too. Easily found for under $23 (half price) right now due to it's popularity. At full price I would still consider it a bargain.

I've only had time to skim it but I have already learned a number of things. I am delighted to have this book as a reference on the shelf.

I am a technical learner, I like to know the why things are done in a certain way, why an author believes 'this' is the best or most correct way and I like lots of options. This book covers that. This book won't be my only reference book but it covers so much information that it will be a joy to have around.

The only con, I have noticed so far, is I wish they had put a bit more into the quality of the physical book. I would have happily paid more(a lot more) for heavier paper and a better binding. What they used, is well within line of the retail price of the book, though.

Another pair done

Pair 2 of 2012 done.

Typical on the desk photo but I guess better than nothing. This Leyburn sock pattern really ate up the yarn. Pair weighed in at 82-83g yet the leg is only a bit over 2". I had 85g to work with, so that was as long as I could get. Pretty socks.

I cast off and immediately cast on for the next sock. Plan is to cast on 2 socks....one in worsted weight(on the needles now) and one in fingering weight.

The worsted weight will be knit top down, out of my comfort food zone. I dislike a lot of things about top down socks. Some people love them, some people don't. I'm one of the don't group. I have top down socks, that won't convert to toe up well, on my wish list so it's time to start pushing the skill again. It will be my first time with a heel flap and gusset. In the past, the top down socks were made with afterthought heels or short row heels.

Not very surprising, I still don't like top down socks. The cast on is a hassle, connecting so it isn't twisted is a hassle (I even know all the tricks), hoping the cast on was loose enough, fighting the first few rows still irritating, and I haven't even finished the ribbing! Frustrations to follow....not knowing how long I can make the leg and still have enough to complete two socks, having purl stitches under my heel*, potentially discovering my cast on was too tight and having to rip back the entire heel and leg, ladder on the starting side **, having to kitchener the toe***.

All of which is why I am making them out of worsted weight so it will be over quickly. I want to make sure they don't infuriate me before casting on a top down, fingering weight, pair.

The second cast-on of fingering weight will be my comfort socks. Toe-up!

*I have somewhat princess soles. I don't mind the purl bumps that result in knitting all stitches of the sole but I can feel every bump and row if there is any change in gauge. Which means I can feel the row changes from knit to purl.

**For what every reason, I have no ladder problems when making toe-up socks. With toe down though, I fight a ladder, the first few inches, on the starting side no matter how much I tug and tighten. I have high hopes that it will one day clear up due to more practice.

***Kitchener. I can do it successfully every time. It usually looks perfect. I don't like doing it (go figure, I do a sewn cast off for toe-up socks and love that). I can feel the difference when I wear them.

Almost socks....

As usual I am terrible about getting around to taking photos. I did get this though. The yarn is the lovely sneeze-worthy* Wollmeise from Germany.

Leyburn Socks Very easy to knit. 8 row repeat and every other row is a rest row.

Second sock is on the needles and I expect it will be finished in just a few days.

*The wool wash Wollmeise uses makes me sneeze, a lot. Even though I washed the skein twice and it has been almost a year since purchase....I still sneeze when trying to knit with it.

Tough decisions

It is too tough to decide on the next knitting design! Unlike machine sewing, I have to choose carefully, since it takes weeks to complete anything. So many patterns.....so little time!

I've picked my current sock, well sort-of. We'll see. The reviews talk about some major fit issues. I have a back-up pattern picked out that I can use the same toe, if it doesn't work out.

Anyhow, I'm looking ahead, trying to match what sock yarn, I have on hand, with patterns. It is tough narrowing down the choices. So many pretty designs. I have found hundreds of patterns online I would like to try and that doesn't even include the books and stitch dictionaries that I have loaded with bookmarks.

I thought I was getting close to ordering yarn but durn....I calculate I have enough yarn in fingering weight for at least another 10-12 pairs. I'll need to get creative with some of the yarn, do stripes and such, but there is plenty for most of the year. I so wanted to do a bit of yarn ordering but I'll be good a while longer.......maybe.

I wonder...

When do I have enough socks? Is it about the socks or the pleasure of knitting? Gut reaction will always be the latter, of course. I was putting away wool socks until next winter and realized I made 11 pairs of socks in 2011. Considering I didn't knit for about 5 months last year.....that's a lot of socks! I admit I was rather shocked when I was counting.

I decided earlier this month that my no-pressure goal is to make 12 pair of socks for 2012. It's a realistic goal, especially if I don't take a long break when it gets hot or get distracted. Not really sure what I will do with 12 more pair of socks as I only wore wool socks, maybe 6-7 days this winter.

I cast off my first, started in January 2012, pair on the 29th. Next pair started.

Tuesday again...

Nothing fun happening around here sadly. I'm working crazy overtime hours. In knitting terms this means, in the past week, I've only managed to knit from 3.5" to turning the heel on my sock. This week is going to be even worse. I made myself sit down and knit this morning as I didn't even touch needles yesterday.

About the only good thing about my crazy schedule is I get crazy pushed and start hard de-cluttering. Stress and frustration means if something gets in my way, there is a very real chance it is headed to the garbage bin. Scares the family to death. They just never know what might disappear.

Work for me. Talk to you next week.