Cable Rib Socks

Pattern: Cable Rib from Interweave Press Favorite Socks
Yarn: Yarn Pirate's merino/tencel blend in Malamute
Needles: Size 1 & 2 Knit Picks circulars

I was so happy to finish the Cable Rib socks this morning that I went right outside in the below zero temps to try to get a good picture of them. I have found this colorway difficult to photograph and I wanted the pattern to show up too. I just parked my butt in my driveway and took some photos.

I don't usually worry about running out of yarn on my second sock but I started worrying as soon as I finished the first sock. I made these socks longer than my "normal" socks (a little over 7 inches from top to heel) and the ribbing and cabling use lots of yarn. Thankfully, the worrying was for naught as I had a nice ball of yarn left over.

When I first started knitting with the merino/tencel yarn I wasn't too fond of it. It felt kind of stringy. As I got used to it, however, I came to love it. I'm not sure what the purpose of the tencel is but the socks feel wonderful. The cables and ribbing make these very leg hugging socks - no worries about these puppies slipping down. I really enjoyed the pattern. It was simple to memorize by the first repeat. I love so many of the patterns in this book but I was looking for something that would work with this yarn. I think I made a good choice.

This will be my last Project Spectrum project for this triad of blue, gray and white. Truth be told, I am bone tired of these icy cold colors. I'm ready for SPRING and some new, brighter colors. My current sip is not very colorful but it is greenish in a khaki sort of way. I'm using Claudia Handpainted and going toe up because this time I know to be worried about the yardage. I'm almost to the heel of the first sock. I'm feeling confident that this short row heel will go much more smoothly than my last short row heel that had me pulling my hair out.

Just wait until you see my new yarn for my next project. I promise it's bright and cheerful and very, very springlike. It's made by Perchance to Knit - I bought it when The Loopy Ewe had their giant update a few weeks ago. It's certainly not like any yarn I've knit with before but I needed to make a drastic change to chase away these winter blues.

Got box?

Wouldn't you be excited if UPS showed up with a nice big box like this?



Imagine how you'd feel if you opened the box, dug through the protective bubbles, and found this:



Here they are together:



I ordered 10 reams of printer paper from Office Depot yesterday. I used a bunch of coupon codes and needed to add the paperclips to the order to bring it over a certain amount. The paper came packaged all together in a normal sized cardboard Xerox box. The paperclips came in this giant sized box. Do they not have smaller boxes at Office Depot?

Ski day

I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel that is winter. I love winter - I really do. One of the things I like best is that it gives me a time to regroup, a time to be idle without feeling guilty, a time to just be. By the end of winter, however, I start to get antsy. I'm tired of all the grays and whites. I'm tired of the layers of clothes. I'm sick and tired of being COLD.

Today was the last homeschool ski school day. The weather was perfect. The boys spent every minute on the slopes while I hung back in the lodge to help them when they came in. I got some knitting done - started that dreaded toe up Claudia's sock - but the wrists are still bothering me so I take a lot of rests. Mostly I chatted with another homeschool mom and various kids from homeschool families. Because the weather was so nice I was able to venture out onto the slopes to snap a few photos. This picture is of Mr. Baseball Knitter and our middle son. That middle son just loves the opportunity to have alone time with Dad and loves the chair rides up the mountain.

The early Daylight Saving Time, the end of skiing, temperatures in the 50s ... spring is right around the corner. I know the cold will return before spring is here for good and I know the reality of spring in New England (where it's affectionately referred to as Mud Season) but for now I'm happy to have had a taste of spring on a ski mountain in March.

Funny Way to Start the Day

At the risk of being redundant, I feel I must post this YouTube video. If you haven't seen it yet please watch it. I just about died laughing.



In an attempt to be completely honest, I have to say that my grandmother is a crocheter. I learned to crochet years and years before I learned to knit. I could crochet these cute little worm bookmark things which I gave to all the girls in the 4th grade (and maybe a boy or two). I also made about a zillion granny squares from great yarn like Red Heart which I purchased at stores like Ames or Zayres with my own money. I have no idea whatever became of all those granny squares but I know that I never put more than 4 together.

But back to Nana. Nana crochets. And smokes. Yuck!! Getting a gift from Nana is it's own special kind of torture because you have to act excited about the object while trying not to get sick from the stench of smoke. First of all, Nana believes in themes so I get questions like, "What theme is your kitchen?" Hmmm, I know there are theme people out there but I'm not one of them and Nana finds this incredulous. Secondly, Nana believes everything in the kitchen should be covered by crocheted items. To this end, and I kid you not even a little, she has crocheted throw rugs, curtains, tie backs, seat covers, magnets, blender/toaster/teapot covers, and tops of towels which then button around your oven door. She's also big into bathroom crochet objects - big butterflies that go on the wall, covers for toilet paper rolls (with granny heads on top), covers for tissue boxes, bathmats, toilet tank covers, skirts for underneath the sink.



I don't have a picture of the worst gift my Nana ever gave me but I wish I did. When my oldest son was born, Nana gave me the scariest shower gift ever given to womankind. Picture a slinky - a real metal slinky - that has been crocheted around. Yup, crocheted around the entire length of the slinky. Then on the sides are two crocheted arms with plastic hands and on the bottom are two crocheted legs with plastic legs. Finally, on the top is a plastic clown face with a crocheted ruffle around its neck. This thing actually gave me nightmares and I had to hide it in the closet (until I hung it from the shower rod of my girlfriend's house to "surprise" her in the morning).

I love my Nana. I really do. I'm glad she has found a way to occupy her time. She has even made a few beautiful things like bedspreads and afghans. Please know I mean no disrespect to Nana. You'd just have to see her house to understand.

First Cable Rib

The first Cable Rib sock is finished. I really wish I had a better photo to share but it's WAY too cold to go outside to take a photo. I'll get a good shot when the pair is complete. Let me just say that I really like the pattern. It's quite simple with a 6 stitch cable on each side of the leg and the cables cross every 10 rows.

I have totally changed my mind about the yarn. I'm using Yarn Pirate's merino/tencel blend in a colorway called Malamute. If you had a Malamute dog you'd totally understand the naming of this yarn. I didn't care for the yarn at first but as I knit with it and got used to it I decided I really like it. This pattern pulls in quite a bit with the 2x1 ribbing and the cables but the yarn seems to have nice elasticity. It definitely has good stitch definition (even if the photo doesn't show the cables very well). I wish I had a digital scale because I'd like to weigh the remaining yarn and sock to compare them. I'm just hoping I have enough to complete the second sock.

Speaking of worrying about running out of yarn ... I want to start a pair of socks with some Claudia Handpainted that's been sitting in my stash. I tried to start a pair of socks a couple of weeks ago with it but had gauge issues. The yardage is also an issue with me (with my size 10s). I've decided to bite the bullet and do these socks toe up. I hated the last pair of socks I knit toe up and vowed never to do it again but this yarn is really calling for it. I'd prefer to do them toe up but with a heel flap and gusset. I just want a plain vanilla pattern, toe up, with heel flap and gusset. I'll be searching. I need pictures and very small simple words.

Stash

I've been feeling a little guilty or overwhelmed or immensely grateful for my stash recently. At the rate I am knitting it will take me quite awhile before I could ever hope to knit it all and yet I keep buying more. The truth is, I've been indulging in some retail therapy. I haven't been feeling well - a combination of thyroid and hormone issues - and haven't been able to find a decent doctor to work with. The combination of some winter blues and not feeling well has me searching for ways to lift my spirits. I don't buy clothes or shoes or household decorative objects but I do love to buy yarn. I'll share a photo of some stash acquisition as soon as it arrives.

On a similar but different note, I've also increased my library of knitting books this year. This photo shows just the books I've purchased since January. Books don't make me feel guilty. In fact, they give me hope that I will indeed turn all this lovely yarn into items that can be worn. Oh how I love a good knitting book! I could thumb through the pages for hours and hours just planning which patterns I'll knit and which yarn would be perfect for each pattern. Sometimes I get industrious and make a list of possible pattern and yarn combinations.

I feel awfully lucky to have found a copy of Charlene Schurch's Knitting Marvelous Mittens at a local yarn store. This book is awfully hard to find. I'm particularly enjoying Knitting Vintage Socks and Favorite Socks. I've knit socks from both books already this year. I have a plan to knit at least one sock from each of my Nancy Bush books this year (they're not all shown in this picture).

What is your ONE favorite knitting book?

I'm coming around

After saying last night that I wasn't so sure I had picked the right pattern for this yarn I decided to try the sock on. Wow! What a difference. The cable doesn't show up well as I'm knitting and I thought it was all but lost in the yarn. Once I tried it on, however, the ribbing and cables spread out nicely and I'm quite pleased with the pattern.



See what I mean?

Okay, it's 40 degrees outside and we're expecting a snowstorm tonight into tomorrow. I didn't get my morning walk in today so I'm putting on my sneakers and heading out for a 4 mile walk.

Going slow

Random kitty photo because I don't have anything remotely knitterly interesting to share. Mason is our oldest and best behaved cat. Consequently, he doesn't usually do anything cute or funny that makes me take his picture. My middle son, ever the middle child, doesn't want anyone to feel excluded and asked me to take Mason's photo just because.

The reason I don't have much knitty type stuff to show off is that I hurt my wrists and arms knitting this weekend. Somehow, knitting my son's hat with the different size needles and worsted weight yarn I put stress on my joints. I tend to have problems with carpal tunnel and repetitive stress type injuries and I'm in the midst of a flare up now. The odd thing is my left arm is bothering me more than my right. I don't use my left hand for knitting so I'm not sure why it hurts so much.

I'm still knitting. A little. And a little at a time. I've put the hat aside but I do want to finish it. I've got the lining and the ear flaps knit and I'm just about ready to start the color chart. I'll just wait a bit.

I also cast on the Malamute yarn. I decided to go with a Cable Rib pattern from Favorite Socks. I had the hardest time coming up with a pattern for this yarn and I'm pretty sure this isn't the right pattern for this yarn. It's okay though and I've decided that okay is fine for now. Not everything has to be wonderful. I'm not sure what I feel about the yarn either. It's a merino/tencel blend and it feels sort of like cotton (which I really hate knitting with) but it has more give to it. I'm getting used to it the longer I knit with it and I'll make up my mind when I finish the first sock and can really try it on.

I'm here and I'm knitting but I'm just going slow.

SP 10

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I generally knit with wool or wool/nylon blends. I made a cashmere scarf this year and loved working with cashmere. I do not like working with cotton in any form.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a zippered case that dh bought me years ago to store my needles in. It's not beautiful but it works.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for about 13 years. I learned to knit from a friend who worked at a yarn store and made 5 Christmas stockings for family that year. I would say that I'm an advanced intermediate knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes but I'm working on updating it.

5. What's your favorite scent?
I really don't care for smelly things - they make my nose itchy. I do like very clean, natural scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I have quite a sweet tooth. My favorite candy is good dark chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I don't really do any other crafts besides knitting. I do not spin and do not want to learn. I do not crochet. I love to cook, bake and garden.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I can handle MP3s. I like 70s folks singers like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Carly Simon (I know she's not really a folk singer but it's the same time period).

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I really like purple and red. I don't care for pastels. I like jewel tones and I'm open to different colors.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm married with 3 sons. We have 3 cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear mittens and scarves but the yarn needs to be very soft. I'm wimpy that way. I'd love a pair of hand knit mittens.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I generally knit socks although I sometimes knit hats, scarves and mittens.

13. What are you knitting right now?
I just finished a pair of socks today and I'm working on a Norwegian Star hat for my 13 year old. I plan to cast on for another pair of socks tomorrow from Favorite Socks.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes!!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I do the vast majority of my knitting on Knit Picks circulars. I love them. I'd really like some 16" Addis in size 3, 4, 5 or 6 to make hats with. The Knit Picks circs don't come in 16".

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes, brand new this year and I love them both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Oh, probably 6 years old. I decided earlier this year that I'm not going to finish it because I really hate knitting it.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I love the 4th of July. It's a holiday with very little expectation. I love fireworks and cookouts and parades.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
No. Well, maybe cookbooks though I don't intend to collect them. I love cookbooks by Food Network cooks (I'll admit I really like Rachael Ray cookbooks and own them all even though Rachael annoys me).

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I don't subscribe to any knitting magazines because I prefer small projects most magazines focus on larger items. I don't own any of the Yarn Harlot books and those would make good reading. I'm more than happy to receive used books.
I love solid or semi solid yarns and would like to try a new indie dyer. My favorite online yarn store is The Loopy Ewe. I love Cherry Tree Hill and Mountain Colors Bearfoot. I don't care for self striping yarn.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'd like someone to sit with me to go over how I make a short row heel. I'd also like to take a class to go over different cast on techniques.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes. I have size 10 feet. I generally make my socks about 6 or 7 inches tall with a 2.5 inch heel flap and 6.5 inches in the foot before toe decreases.

23. When is your birthday?
April 5th

Conwy socks finished

Pattern: Conwy from Knitting on the Road
Yarn: J. Knits Boston
Needles: Size 1 Knit Picks circs
Modifications: I only decreased to 64 stitches at the gusset instead of 60 and kept the foot at 64 stitches until the toe.

These are the first socks I've ever knit with decreases in the leg. They fit like a dream. I could have made them an inch longer in the leg and been a little happier but they seemed like they were going to be too tight if I pulled them up higher. I liked the twining cables but was very glad to have my Knit Picks needles with their very sharp points or I might not have finished the pattern. I'm not too quick so I didn't memorize the pattern right away but once I did it flowed.

The J. Knits yarn was mostly a pleasure to work with. The color variations are wonderful - I love the dark blue that runs through this yarn. The yarn is very soft and very strong. It has nice spring to it. There were a few slubby areas and it had a tendency to be somewhat splitty (which is a definite disadvantage in this pattern).

Recycled yarn

This morning, this

became this


I've had that lone sock in my knitting bag for years. I'm not even entirely sure what pattern or yarn the sock is. I do know that I loved it when I knit it but for some reason never knit its mate. It was a beautiful sock but it didn't fit. It was too big. Knowing I'd never knit it a partner I decided to just frog the whole thing. I'll have to see if I have a matching skein of yarn somewhere. If I can find a matching skein the yarn shall become socks. If I can't find a matching skein, I've decided the yarn will become a keyhole scarf.

I'm still knitting the Conwy sock. I'm making progress - almost through the gusset decreases on the second sock - but nothing photo worthy. I should have a finished second sock soon.

Project Spectrum cast

It's just been one of those kind of weeks. It started last weekend with two full days of Scout events. It's not that the events weren't fun but by the end of the weekend I was bone tired. On Monday morning we left the house bright and early to go skiing. I don't ski - I CAN ski but I choose not to - but the boys and my husband have been taking lessons and skiing on Mondays. Everyone wanted me to come with them so I could watch, take pictures and help out with the younger boys in the lodge. The day went fine, the boys were thrilled to have me there, and I managed to get in a good bit of knitting. My oldest son hurt his arm while snowboarding but he seemed fine so we plied him with Advil and an ace bandage and continued on.

Tuesday was a catch up day. I was trying to get everything done that I hadn't gotten done over the weekend and Monday. I also had a dentist appointment in the afternoon and my oldest son's Court of Honor for Boy Scouts that evening. Wednesday brought the Nor'Easter. We had a pleasant day at home and I was so grateful not to lose power. Yesterday I was up early because my middle son had his first orthodontist appointment in preparation for getting his braces next week. As I was checking email and drinking my morning tea the oldest son came to show me his "sprained wrist" from Monday. I could tell right away that this was not a sprain and spent the next couple of hours getting him set up with an orthopedic appointment. It turns out that oldest son broke his radius in that snowboarding fall on Monday. Finally, by 2:00 yesterday we had finished with the orthodontist, the orthopedist, the lab (for my bloodwork), and two separate trips to Target (oldest son's long sleeve shirts don't fit over the cast). I was so tired last night I just wanted to cry.

Today is another catch up day. I've got the laundry started and the boys moving. I need to clean the downstairs of the house and keep the boys going with schoolwork. I don't want to spend the weekend doing chores that could be done today. I'm looking forward to a productive day.

This poor Hairy Woodpecker was at the feeder off and on all morning. It was not fit for man nor beast outside today as the Nor'Easter pelted us with snow all day. We don't often see the Hairy Woodpecker. He seems much more shy than his friend, the Downy Woodpecker. I was able to snap a few photos but I wasn't actually going to go outside to try to get a better one.

I've been waiting for a large order from KnitPicks and when I checked the UPS website this morning it said my package was out for delivery. I wasn't holding my breath because of the storm but I did hold out a little hope. Sadly, when I just checked the website again I got this message: THE PACKAGE IS DELAYED DUE TO EMERGENCY CONDITIONS BEYOND UPS' CONTROL. I'm sure my package will be delivered tomorrow instead and there's nothing in it that I can't wait another day for but I'm pouting like a three year old.

I have so much to be thankful for - my husband stayed home today and worked from here instead of driving in terrible conditions, my boys all went out to play in the snow, husband picked up a treat for me for Valentine's Day and made waffles for breakfast, we have heat and electricity (knock on wood for that) and plenty to eat, we have a beautiful fire going in the fireplace and roast chicken in the oven. It's a good day even without my package.

First Conwy finished

My first Conwy sock was finished this morning. I really wanted to share a picture but the temperature outside right now is 1 degree F. It's cold. Really cold. The funky winter lighting and the cold prevented me from being able to get a good photo. I'll try again later. The close up shot showing the detail on the leg came out much better. I really like the way the yarn works with this pattern. I don't think I would have liked this pattern in a totally solid colored yarn.

Here's what I think about the yarn and pattern:
Yarn - J. Knits yarn is very soft but has good memory. It produces a fabric with good stitch definition and good elasticity. The colors are very nice. The yarn could have a tighter twist and had tendency to split. There were also a few slubby areas. I was very glad I used my KP needles with this pattern and yarn - the pointy tips were definitely a necessity.

Pattern - Conwy makes a beautiful sock with twining cables all the way from the top to the bottom. The cables were easy to make once I got the hang of them and the 4 row repeat was easy to memorize. I've never done a sock with calf shaping before and I like how this sock fits. I knit it an inch shorter than the pattern called for but an inch longer than my usual sock. I wasn't sure I was doing the decreases down the back of the leg properly as the pattern only shows you how to do 3 out of 6. In the end I think I did fine because the back of the leg looks good. Again, I'm glad I was using a multi tonal yarn. As I was doing the gussets I kept the foot a bit bigger than called for in the pattern because it would have been too snug otherwise (I kept the foot at 64 stitches instead of 60 as called for in the pattern). It fits very nicely this way. I also did my own regular round toe that I always do. I just like it and don't see any need to change it.

Now I just need to get the second sock on the needles.

Mittens finished

Mittens knit with Cascade 220 in Heather Blue. Eric loves them.

When the boys were little I used to knit all their mittens. Cute little mittens with reindeer on them. Once I even knit black mittens with yellow lightning bolts for my Harry Potter loving son. As the boys got older, however, they started to prefer store bought ski mittens. I was very surprised by Eric's request for me to knit him a pair but I was happy to do so.

This is my first time knitting with Cascade 220. It's lovely yarn. I will certainly return to it again the next time I do some worsted weight knitting (which isn't very often). It's much less itchy than the Brown Sheep yarn I always used in the past for their mittens. The mitts were a quick knit and made for a happy boy. They are also my second completed project for Project Spectrum.

I have my third Project Spectrum knitting project on the needles now. A pair of Conwy socks using the J. Knits Boston yarn that I've shown here before. The yarn is wonderful and I'm enjoying the pattern. I got a little confused with the calf shaping decreases but I stayed with it and it all worked out in the end. I don't think this will be a quick knit but I like how they look so far.

Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter Tart

A cashmere scarf wasn't the only thing I made my wonderful husband for his birthday. I also pulled together this little concoction. It's a Chocolate-Glazed Peanut Butter Tart from the Chocolate edition of The Best of Fine Cooking. My husband was very surprised and delighted. He gave it two thumbs up and a big A+.

Like Sheri, at The Loopy Ewe, I don't pretend to be a food stylist but I thought this was too pretty not to share.

Stealth scarf finished

Today is my husband's birthday and it was 10 degrees F when he left for work. It was the perfect time for him to wear his new cashmere scarf. I don't have any modeled photos of the scarf but he wrapped it lovingly around his neck before leaving the house. I don't normally knit for him because while he's terribly supportive my my knitting habit he has no desire for hand knits himself. He seemed to love the scarf.

The pattern for the scarf is called Little Pyramids. The pattern was a simple 6 row pattern - actually, a 3 row pattern that repeated backwards. It doesn't roll at all on the side or top edges and is completely reversible. I ordered the cashmere from Sarah's Yarns and I was very happy with it. Her service was exceptional and her prices for cashmere are very, very good. I LOVED knitting with the cashmere - it was soft like butter but sturdy. It produced a fabric with wonderful drape and very good stitch definition. Maybe I'll even make a cashmere scarf for myself sometime.

This is my second completed project for Project Spectrum in the blue/gray/white triad. I have two more projects on the needles right now. I'm making mittens for my youngest with some Cascade 220 in a heathery blue and I decided to knit the Conwy socks with the J. Knits Boston. Clearly, these colors are not a stretch for me. I should have mitten pictures to share soon.

Super Bowl shopping

I'm almost embarrassed to show this photo but I feel like I'm hiding a dirty little secret. I briefly mentioned that I went to a Super Bowl sale on Saturday. I didn't mention that it was at my all time favorite LYS. I drove an hour to go to the sale on icy roads and let me just say it was well worth it. The store was not the least bit crowded and there was plenty of staff working to assist in finding things. I met a couple of nice people and helped one mother pick out a great birthday gift for her sock knitting daughter.

I knew how much money I had in my Paypal account and I was determined not to go crazy and spend more than I had. I was careful and deliberate in my selections - the yarn you see here took me almost and hour and a half to pick out. With all the yarn in the store 30% off it was tempting to buy everything but I remained calm.

Here's what I did buy:
Louet Gems Grape -no particular project in mind yet
Louet Gems Linen Gray - I don't know why they call it Linen Gray as it is a very tannish khaki color. When I bought new khaki pants recently I realized that I had no socks to match. I figured this very plain boring yarn could become a most excellent sock with unlimited pattern potential.
Dalegarn Falk in black and cream - destined to become a We Call Them Pirates Hat
Dalegarn Svale - for lining of said pirate hat
Rowan Calmer - a beautiful raspberry color destined to become a Shedir
Mountain Colors Bearfoot Berry - no particular pattern but some nice warm cozy socks

I also got an unpictured skein of Cascade 220 in a heather blue which is being turned into mittens for my youngest as we speak.

I won't be doing any shopping for awhile. I have more than enough yarn to keep me happy for a bit.

I did my duty

I finished my duty socks this morning. Jared is very happy with them (though proclaiming them a bit short) and they fit him well. Mostly, I think, he's happy that I took the time to knit socks for him. His love languages are gifts and time and these socks represent both.

These socks also count as my first Project Spectrum contribution as well as my February socks for the Sock a Month KAL. Woohoo!

Pass it on

I have this belief that when we let go of things we make room in our lives for new things to enter. When we let go of things we don't love, we make room for things we do love. It's just the way the universe works. I love to get rid of things and I'm happy to pass them along to new owners who will appreciate them.

This week I passed along a nice box of preschool toys which I gathered from various places in my house to a neighbor with preschool aged boys. The next day my middle son and I found a slew of wonderful books at Goodwill. As a homeschool mom, I'm always happy to buy new books but I'm kind of picky about what they read (not very picky but I'd like it to be better than Goosebumps). It thrills me to no end to find good books for low cost at Goodwill. So old preschool toys out, new books in (new used books which is even better to my recycling karmic thinking).

I have become the owner of so much yarny goodness this week that I hardly know where to start. Today I received my second yarn swap. It's wonderful Maine Mousse from Furryarns. I can't even begin to tell you how happy it makes me to trade something I didn't want and knew I'd never use, for something that I love and I know I'll use.

Swap yarn

Look at this beautiful yarn I received in a swap for a book I really didn't want.


Here is a close up of my son's favorite part.


The yarn is Winter Breeze by Brooklyn Handspun. I can't believe that someone parted with it. I don't have specific plans for it right now but I'm keeping it close to me. Last night my husband asked, "Why do you keep smelling that yarn?" "Because it smells good," I said while tossing him the yarn. He took a big sniff and admitted it smells good but he didn't get it. Muggle.

Project Spectrum Knitting Goals

Project Spectrum has officially begun and I hardly know where to start. After two pictureless posts in a row, I have plenty of photos to share today. It seems like a good time to go over my Project Spectrum knitting goals for the blue, gray, white triad. After two pictureless posts in a row, I have plenty to share today. Remember you can click on any photo for a larger image.

1. Finish the stealth scarf in time for my husband's birthday in 5 days. It now measures 53 inches and I'd like to get to 64 inches if I don't run out of yarn first.

2. Finish Jared's Silja socks. I've got the first one complete and the second one just rows away from starting the heels. I'm having a good attitude about this duty knitting as Jared routinely checks my progress to tell me what a good job I'm doing.

3. Finish the barely started hat for Dulaan. I found this turquoise yarn in my stash. Although I never knit with bulky yarn and it hurts my hands if I knit with it for very long, I figured I could eek out a toddler hat. I'd like to complete one charity project for each PS triad.

4. Knit socks with these beautiful yarns. I've had enough of smelling them and touching them, I'd like to knit with them. I won't cast on with either, however, until numbers 1 and 2 above are completed. I still haven't decided what they'll be. The Yarn Pirate yarn may become Monkey socks or Conwy socks. Any thoughts? The J. Knits is tougher because I want a pattern that takes full advantage of the color - probably something cabley.

5. Knit at least one of the socks for the current Nancy Bush KALs. I'm not really terribly interested in either but I'm considering the Gentlemen's Plain Winter Sock (pictured on the right). Maybe if I find the perfect yarn at the yarn store sale this weekend. If I don't find the perfect yarn, I'll just knit a different Nancy Bush sock.

I love socks

Christine, over at Pointy Sticks, is having a little anniversary contest. She wants to know all about socks - why we knit them, what we like about them, what kinds of yarns and patterns we like best - basically anything about sock knitting. I'm listening to my first ever Podcast right now as I type. Squeee!!

I learned to knit 14 years ago from a dear friend who worked a wonderful LYS. She worked on Sundays and I sat in the store, visiting with her, while she worked. That year I knit 5 Christmas stockings for my husband, myself, my mother and father in law, and one brother in law. I also became pregnant that year and knit tiny baby hats and a baby blanket.

Over the years, I knit many mittens, a slew of hats and the occasional sweater. The thing is, I hated knitting sweaters. I thought it was just because I didn't know how to seam properly so I took finishing classes but the fact of the matter is I really don't enjoy knitting sweaters. For years I felt like a second class knitter because I only knit small projects. I wondered if I could even call myself a knitter if I didn't knit fabulous sweaters or huge afghans.

I don't remember when I discovered knitting socks. It was a gradual thing. I knit the socks in the back of Homespun, Handknit and a couple of other socks that I found in knitting books or magazines. I loved the process and found heel turning and grafting to be quite easy. I made a couple of socks which didn't turn out so well because the first row was too tight and I didn't know how to make it any different.

Finally, one day I discovered the Socknitters list on yahoo. It was like I'd found a home. Now, the Socknitters list is not my all time favorite list by any stretch (way too heavy handed moderating for a darn knitting list) but it was on this list that I learned that I AM a real knitter. That I can be a real knitter even if I only knit socks for the rest of my life. Soon after this I discovered Nancy Bush and I knew that sock knitting had a real and deep history.

I recently went through a long period when I didn't knit at all. I completely lost my knitting mojo. When I returned to knitting last August, the first thing I knit was a simple pair of Regia socks with yarn from my stash. I started a new knitting blog and found wonderful knitting blogs to keep me going. I discovered all the wonderful new sock yarns and great new sock yarn vendors.

I love knitting socks because I love having socks that fit my large feet. I can knit socks exactly how I like them - wool socks with cuffs that aren't too tight, with cuffs that don't come up too high, and with long enough feet. Sock yarn has come a long way and I enjoy all the wonderful soft yarns available to me. Some of my favorites right now are Lorna's Laces and Cherry Tree Hill but I'm slowly discovering smaller indie yarns and I'll be sure to have favorites soon.

I prefer to knit my socks cuff down, one at a time, on two circs. I adapt all my patterns to be knit on two circs as I find it much more comfortable than using double points. There are too many favorite patterns to list but if I could only knit Nancy Bush patterns for the rest of my life, I wouldn't get too bored.

Just a day

Please imagine a picture of a beautiful wooden swift at the top of this post. That's the picture that would have been there. The swift I ordered arrived today. I happily opened the box, got the swift set up and gathered the proper hank of yarn. Before I put the yarn on, however, I noticed a problem. The swift wouldn't move. It didn't turn even a teeny bit. After searching online and trying various things I called the company. We talked things through over the phone and determined that the top part of the swift somehow got glued or lacquered to the center post and will not spin. I had to pack up my brand new swift and send it back. *big sigh* It was a sad moment.

It was that kind of day for me today. Frustration abounded. I'm trying not to dwell on it but none of the things have easy fixes and some of them involve big bureaucratic stuff that I avoid like the plague.

Instead of dwelling on the not so great things happening right now, I'll share a few good things.

1. I decluttered some preschool things and delivered them to a neighbor who I knew would appreciate them. I love to get rid of stuff and she was very happy to get some high quality preschool toys for her boys.

2. I decluttered some knitting books that I'll never use. They were gathering dust on my shelves and I decided to take action. I traded good books for even better yarn. I have some very nice Brooklyn Handspun and Furryarns coming my way in exchange for my books. I think everyone is happy all around.

3. The stealth scarf is now 50 inches long and is looking like it will definitely be finished by February 6. Jared's second sock is started - cuff finished. It won't be a fast knit but I'm feeling pretty good about it. Even duty knitting can be enjoyable.

Duty or Devotion

My friend, Melanie, always says that we do things out of duty or devotion and that it really doesn't matter as long as we get the job done.

This is a sock of duty and not devotion. I made my middle son a pair of socks last fall and when they were finished he proclaimed them "too tight". I decided that rather than frog them I'd donate them to Dulaan. He's been nicely reminding me since then that he still needs a pair of socks.

I had this gray and blue Silja in my stash for years and he liked it so I decided to make him blue socks with gray cuffs, heels and toes. He's thrilled with how they look and feel. The problem is that I HATE the Silja - really, really hate it. It feels fake and plastic and nasty. My hands are spoiled by "luxury" yarns and I just don't like the way this feels. It's not a bit fun to knit with.

Still, I'll cast on for the second sock cast on tonight so my son has a pair. Duty not devotion is what keeps me going.

Chocolate cinnamon chip muffins

When this is what your thermometer looks like in the morning, it's a good day to bake. Actually, by the time this photo was taken the temperature had risen 5 degrees. The top number is the temp outside and the bottom number is the temp inside. The amazing thing is that it's already much warmer than it was yesterday.

Based on a basic recipe in the King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook, I made Chocolate Cinnamon Chip Muffins. I've been waiting for just the right time to use the cinnamon chips I picked up last time I went to the King Arthur Flour stour.


1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached Flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbl baking powder
1 Tbl baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cinnamon chips (you could use chocolate chips here instead)
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Blend together the first six ingredients and mix in the cinnamon chips. In another bowl, beat the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, all at once, and mix together until just blended, about 20 seconds. Don't overmix.

Spoon the mixture into greased muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes.

Retail therapy

I found some inspiration in a little retail therapy.

When I heard that the Interweave Press book, Favorite Socks, was released early I wanted it right away. While I was in the city yesterday for my father's funeral, I went to one of my favorite local yarn stores in search of this book. There it was, just one book, on the sock shelf in the store. I picked it up and carried it around for awhile. I perused some yarn but didn't purchase any. Not one skein. All I left the store with was this book. And that was enough.

Now I have access to some wonderful patterns and plenty of inspiration. I know that many people have knit most of the patterns in this book before (waving lace and go with the flow) but there have got to be many of us who haven't had access to the patterns before. I can see a wonderful Favorite Socks KAL starting up as soon as more people own the book.

Tell me what to do

I'm bored. I need some inspiration.

I started January off with a bang. I was excited about the Mountain Colors Bearfoot yarn I got for Christmas and couldn't wait to finish the socks I started on Christmas Day. Then I discovered the Knitting Vintage Socks KAL and became very excited about the Fancy Silk Socks. Now both those pairs of socks are finished. I love them both but they're done.

Project Spectrum is right around the corner. The boys and I are gearing up. In fact, there is now a nice Flickr group for Project Spectrum Kids. If you're participating in Project Spectrum with your children please come join us. We'll still post the kids' creations to the adult group but this group should have smaller numbers of postings and the pictures will stay around longer.

I've got some great yarn to knit with for this triad. There's the J. Knits Boston yarn I bought right before Christmas. This yarn is yummy and I can't wait to try it. Then there's the amazing Yarn Pirate Malamute yarn I bought from Sheri at The Loopy Ewe. Oh my. It's perfect for this triad of colors - it's white, grays, and blues in a merino/tencel blend. I'm very anxious to try it out.



I even ordered a yarn swift today. I had a great weekend on ebay and my lovely husband agreed that a swift was a great idea if it means he won't have to hold yarn on his arms anymore.

I've got the stealth scarf to knit but it's been hard to find the time or motivation during the day. I also decided to start a pair of simple socks for my middle son who has been begging for wool socks. I'm using some Silja yarn that has been in my stash for years and I'm not enjoying even one minute of knitting with it. Thankfully, they're knitting up quickly. They're perfect for Project Spectrum also with gray cuffs, heels and toes and blue legs and feet. He'll love them when they're done.

I'm really looking for some inspiration. Something to be excited about. The new sock for the Knitting Vintage Socks KAL hasn't been decided yet. I haven't picked out patterns for either of the socks above. I want something that moves me. If you have any ideas for sock patterns for the yarns picture above please leave me a comment. I've got all the usual sock books - all the Nancy Bush books, Sensational Knitted Socks and many more. I just want someone to tell me what do do.

Fancy Silk Socks

I completed the Fancy Silk Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush for the January Challenge of the Knitting Vintage Socks KAL. This is my first sock from Knitting Vintage Socks and I enjoyed it tremendously. I followed the pattern almost exactly. The only modifications I made were to knit the fancy cuffs on a size larger needle. The smaller needle made a cuff that was just too snug. I also added 10 plain rows of stockinette after the last pattern on the foot. I didn't want the lacey part on my toes.

The pattern was well written and easy to follow. I never memorized the 12 row pattern repeat but I got the hang of it quickly. I like patterns that have row repeats because it makes it easy to make both socks the same and it keeps you motivated. Every time I sat down to knit these socks I attempted to complete a full 12 rows rather than put the sock down mid pattern.

I'm still working on my stealth scarf. It's hard to complete a project that can't be knitted a night. I don't really care for knitting scarves because I always get bored before they're finished. The cashmere, however, is wonderful to work with and my husband is sure to love the scarf. That keeps me going.

Finally, thank you to everyone who offered such kind thoughts on my father's passing. His funeral is this Thursday. It should be interesting as the only family my father has is his four children from two marriages. The children don't know each other very well. My father was a long time AA member and an AIDS educator for the state - some interesting people should turn out from his associations. My oldest son has decided to attend the funeral with me. He was the only grandchild who knew my father at all.

We're gearing up

We're getting reading for Project Spectrum. I went through my stash and flashed a picture a little while ago. I've been doing some thinking and planning and while I haven't made any final decisions I'm enjoying the planning.

Yesterday the younger boys and I were in the big city (you'd understand how funny that is if you lived here) for dentist appointments. I was explaining Project Spectrum to them and telling them that we'd be doing it together as part of our homeschooling. My middle son was pretty excited as he loves crafts. He has some fine motor problems that make many crafts difficult for him but he's always willing to try new things. My youngest son is going to be a little more difficult to include because he never likes to try new things. We brainstormed things they could do for the first triad of colors - blue, white and gray. We realized that we had pattern blocks and legos in those colors and the boys thought they could make some cool designs with those.

We stopped into A.C. Moore to have a look around and to see if we could come up with some affordable crafts for the boys to work on. I was shocked at how many things we found.

I had the Peg Loom sitting in a closet. I bought it ages ago at Goodwill - there's still a $1.95 price tag on the back - and we've never used it. I need to get out some white, gray and blue yarn from my stash and the boys and I will learn how to use it together. We picked up some cute little wooden birdhouses and a little wooden chest that the boys plan to paint. We also got a dolphin sun catcher and dolphin Perler bead set, a wooden cat shape that will be a picture frame, and some engraving art. Finally, we bought two big spools of gimp.

I haven't used gimp since I was a preteen but I'm pretty sure I can figure it out. I'm hoping I can teach the boys. I used to love this stuff when I was a kid. It brings back all kinds of warm, summery memories.

I think we have enough to keep the boys busy for a little while. I hope they enjoy themselves.

I could just spit!

I've been knitting for a long time now so I'm always happy when I discover something new - especially when that something is simple. I didn't actually discover anything - it's just that I finally decided to give something a try.

I don't know why I've never done it before. I guess I didn't think it would work or that the way I was doing it was working fine. Whatever the reason, this morning I woke up determined to give it a go.

I took my stealth scarf in one hand, and the newly wound ball of cashmere in the other and I ... well, I unplied them and spit on them. Yup. I finally tried spit splicing and was shocked at how great it works. Within seconds I had a great join in the yarn and I could continue on with my stealth knitting. I am just so happy with how well the splicing worked. It's wonderful not to have to weave in ends on the scarf and to know that it will be truly reversible without any little ends poking out where the yarn was woven in.

It's good to try new things.

Word Cloud

Flathead Cherry socks

First finished objects of 2007. Sheri at The Loopy Ewe is collecting pictures of socks in trees or bushes. I took this picture this morning on my ice covered rhododendron. Ooohhh ... it was COLD out there.

The Bearfoot Mountain Colors socks in Flathead Cherry. My 7 year old son gave me this yarn for Christmas. It's the first time I've knit with Bearfoot. I used a simple Garter Stitch Rib and only 56 stitches on size 3 needles. I'm not sure I'm too fond of the fabric - I don't know if it's the yarn with the mohair content, or the sport weight yarn, or only getting 7 stitches to the inch. We'll see how I feel about them once they're washed. Right now they just feel kind of squishy.

The stealth scarf is growing. It's at 24 inches now. I'm hoping to get 30 inches out of the first skein as I think a 60 inch scarf would be perfect. It's moving along and I'm enjoying the pattern. The cashmere yarn is a dream to knit with.

Now that the Bearfoot socks are done I'll make faster progress on my second Fancy Silk Sock. I shouldn't have any trouble getting them done by the deadline of January 31 for the January Sock challenge.

Foggy brain

Foggy brain today. I didn't sleep well last night.

My father died quite unexpectedly yesterday. We weren't particularly close. In fact, we had barely spoken in the past few years. My parents were divorced when I was very young and my father was an alcoholic for most of his life (although the last 18 or so years he has been sober). My relationship with my father was complicated. He was never a very good father but he never mistreated me. I always knew he loved me in his own way - he just loved himself more. I had made my peace with my father years ago. I didn't expect him to change; I accepted him for who he was. We just didn't have any need for a lot of contact.

Now he's gone. I don't have any regrets. It's just weird that he's gone. In his passing is a house FULL of stuff and no paperwork (insurance, deed to house, will) to be found. My younger brother is the one trying to sort everything out as he was the only child close to my Dad. It's a complicated and trying time.

I switched my blog over to the new blogger system and now my foggy brain won't let me figure out how to add photos to my links (like for KALs). I'm too tired and drained to figure it out properly. If you can help, that'd be great. For today, I'm going to try to do some uncomplicated, non-thinking kind of knitting. Then I'll try to take a nap.

Yarn Pr0n

Isn't that lovely?
Louet Gems in Robin. This is the first time I've ever seen Gems. It feels wonderful and the colors I saw were beautiful. I had a hard time deciding between this color and a more solid orangey color the same hue. I let my 7 year old decide. I'm thinking that it might become a pair of Whitbys.

Back to my stealth knitting. The scarf is now over a foot long. I've also been knitting my second Bearfoot sock - working on the gusset now. This weekend when dh is around I won't be able to knit much on the scarf so I'll finally get the second Fancy Silk Sock on the needles. I am very happy with all three projects I have going right now. They're all a pleasure to knit and I should have a nice little pile of completed projects by the end of January.

Bargain hunting

Oh. My. Goodness.

Not much stealth knitting was accomplished today as youngest son and I went bargain shopping. I love bargain shopping and the time after Christmas is the best time for it. I won't bore you all with the details of how I bought ten bags of chips, 3 Giggle Gear Masks, and a skateboard for $6.37 at Target but I will tell you that that's the kind of thing that gets me excited.

I decided it was a good day to return the defective Cherry Tree Hill yarn to the store from which I bought it. Beverly, the owner of Ewe'll Love It had already replaced the hank not once but twice but I needed to return the original hank so she could send it on to Cherry Tree Hill. While I was there I did a little shopping. I saw Louet Gems for the first time and I had to buy some (picture coming another day). I thought it might be nice to check out the books to see if they had Hats On! because I'm having problems with the amazon seller that I supposedly bought the book from. She was all out of Hats On! but she did have a copy of Knitting Marvelous Mittens!

I'm not sure how I first became interested in this book but I was shocked when I tried to buy it only to find that it was selling for $99 at amazon marketplace and is out of print. So you can imagine this bargain hunter's delight today when what to my wondering eyes should appear but 1 copy of this very book at the yarn store. It had to come home with me. It just had to.

There were other purchases today and I'm happy about all of them but for now I'm just enjoying this one.

Some progress

My first Fancy Silk Sock is done. After a little tweaking and soul searching I have knit a sock that I'm very happy with. Both my husband and oldest son have asked me why I'm knitting a sock with so many holes in it. "Doesn't that defeat the purpose of socks?" asked my oldest son. I knit the Fancy Cuff on size 2 needles so I could get the sock on comfortable but knit the rest of the sock according to the pattern in Knitting Vintage Socks.

Last night I got the first sock I started off the needles and rewound the yarn into a brand new center pull ball. I'll get the second sock started later today.





The second sock will be slower to the finish line because I'm now doing some stealth knitting. Shhh ... I'm knitting a scarf for my husband for his birthday on February 6. Most of my knitting is generally done at night watching tv with dh. This knitting must be done during the time he is away (or asleep). The yarn is a gorgeous dk weight 100% cashmere from Sarah's Yarns. I'm knitting a pattern called Little Pyramids and I think it looks great with the yarn. I've got about 6 inches done so far. I plan to keep knitting until I run out of yarn. We'll see how far that takes me.

Planning time

I don't have much knitting progress to show. I'm still working on the Fancy Silk Socks for the Vintage Socks January Challenge. I should be done the first sock tomorrow. I have decided to frog the first sock and start over. The second sock with the larger fancy cuff fits much better. These socks are different from any other socks I've ever knit - rather girlie for me really - but I really like them.

This weekend while the weather was warm and bright I decided to go through my stash to pick out my yarns for Project Spectrum. February and March call for blue, white and gray. I had a surprising amount of yarn that fit these colors.





The Irish Hiking Scarf was started in September and really needs to be finished. I made great progress on the scarf during fall baseball season but once baseball season ended I put the scarf aside and haven't picked it up since. It only needs about 5 more inches to be finished. The gray center pull ball and the hank next to it are 100% cashmere. I bought it from Sarah's Yarns with the intention of making a scarf for my husband's birthday on February 6. I still haven't decided on a pattern and I plan to knit it when he's not home so I really need to get started. The blue and gray skeins of Silja have lived in my stash for many years. I intend to make a pair of socks for my middle son with one or both colors. If you click on the photo it will take you to my Flickr page where you can learn more about the other yarns.

Project Spectrum

I've been waiting for Lolly to post the color selections for Project Spectrum. I've been thinking that it would be fun to align my other KALs and knitting plans to coincide with the Project Spectrum colors. This could be a fun way to help organize my knitting for the year and help me to make plans and set goals.

I still have some of that Christmas money my mother in law gave me burning a hole in my Paypal pocket. Sheri at The Loopy Ewe has promised some wonderful new yarns will be arriving in her shop this month. I've been waiting to make a purchase from Sheri and now I can't wait.

I already have that wonderful J. Knits yarn in Boston to make some blue socks in February. I think I've got the pattern picked out also. Wait until you see the gray cashmere that I ordered to make my wonderful husband a scarf with. It might also be a great time to try some of those paper snowflakes that Lolly and Julie made last month and try my hand at more origami. Baking and photography are sure to be part of my plans, too. I can't wait for Project Spectrum to begin. That gives me one month to finish my Fancy Silk Socks and my Bearfoot Flathead Cherry socks.

February / March
Blue, White, Gray

April / May
Green, Yellow, Pink

June / July
Red, Black, Metallics

August / September
Brown, Orange, Purple

Fancy Silk Socks

Wow, it's really hard to get outside shots in New England in the winter. The sun never seems to get high enough in the sky to let me take photos without shadows. It was clear and bright today so I did my best.

These are the beginnings of the Fancy Silk Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks. On the left is the sock I started on New Year's Day. I finished the Fancy Cuff and 4 (out of 5 or 6) repeats of the leg when I realized that I'm not going to be happy with this sock. The Fancy Cuff part is just too tight going over the ankle. I've made socks like this before and I've never been happy with them. While pondering what to do about that sock, I cast on for the second sock and used a larger size needle for the Fancy Cuff then returned to the smaller needles for the legs. Although I've only completed one repeat of the leg pattern they seem to fit much better and slide over the ankle more easily.