The Weasleys go to Canada

And the 14th pair for 2011 are done - these are going to my colleague Jo, who is having a really rough time at the moment, and spending 3-4 nights a week in a hotel - hopefully these will help bring a little 'home' comfort to her.....

Pattern: Weasley Homestead by Erica Lueder
Yarn: Claudia Handpainted in Maple Leaf (do you get it now? LOL!)

Hallelujah!

No, I haven't come over all religious - but I HAVE finally finished the *insert expletive* Rhombus socks:

Don't get me wrong: I love the colour and the yarn was delightful to work with. But it was such a slog to keep going with these - lots of twisted stitches, cross-over cables and picking up new stitches - just doing 6 rows (or less) was enough to give me a headache. And to cap it all, I'm not actually convinced about the final product....... In fact, I'm thinking of giving them away - but that would require finding some who a) has the same size feet as me and b) would appreciate the amount of work that has gone into them.

So maybe I should just put them in the sock drawer and hope I like them once autumn comes around again?

Knitting update

I finished my 12th pair for 2011 last night - which means I'm still ahead of my target :-) These were great fun to knit - the pattern is Rudy Got Sole by Amy Klimt, using Claudia's Handpainted sock yarn in the John B. colourway. Must get some more of this stuff - I love the rich, saturated colours and it knits up beautifully.


It will be interesting to see how June goes - I'm 'supposed' to start the June socks for the Knit.Sock.Love KAL (I'm substituting Sam for Stricken - can't face all those cables right now.....) and I also want to knit Yarnissima's Gush mystery sock for the Solid Socks group. However, I also have FIVE pairs of socks already on the needles, on which I really must make some progess.....

First up, there is Rhombus from Knit.Sock.Love - these are taking foreeeeevvverrr. I've finished the 1st sock, and the leg on the 2nd - really hope they will be worth all the work, because I'm totally not feeling the love right now...



Then there is the May Mystery sock from the Knitting Goddess group - I'm making these using a skein called Heather Trio (bought way back in 2009 would you believe?). Again, these are going slowly - I've only done the 1st clue on both socks......my brain doesn't seem able to cope with charts at the moment. There is no real deadline for these, so maybe I'll just let them 'rest' for a bit....


I then have a pair of SKA mystery socks that have been hibernating since March (these are the same pattern as the red/brown ones that Mum claimed as her forthcoming Christmas present)


I don't have photos of the fourth (Tresse Socks by Nicole Masson aka Stefanina, using Angels & Elephants sock yarn in the Mevagissey colourway) and fifth (Solid Socks March Mystery socks by Lisa Stichweh using a lovely delphinium blue from Patons) pairs - but that's because I haven't really made enough progress to justify getting the camera out......

UPDATE: I did indeed cast on the Gush socks :-) I couldn't decide between three shades of blue, so Mr A helped me pick this: Knitting Goddess Merino 4ply in Hyacinth:

Aren't they the most gorgeous colour???

Not green!

Cast on: 1 March 2011
Cast off: 23 March 2011
Pattern: Oviatt by Melissa Goodale
Yarn: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Hoppy Blonde
Needles: 2.5mm Magic Loop

Well, I did say that the next pair of socks shouldn't/couldn't be green didn't I?

To be honest, there were times this month when I seriously wondered if I would actually finish a pair of socks this month.

In addition to Oviatt (which was amazingly easy to do, by the way), I also started a pair of Thelonious in Dream in Color Smooshy in Some Summer Sky. I got to the bottom of the leg and they were faaaaar too tight, so that attempt got frogged.

I then used the same yarn to start a pair of Rick socks - only to be reminded exactly why I've never been really enamoured of that pattern (I don't like all the holes).

Third time around, I started another pair of Thelonious using some Juno Fibre Arts Buffy Sock in a lovely mix of purples - nope, that pattern has definitely got me licked.

Sometimes, Cookie A. patterns work a treat, other times they are just completely beyond my already over-loaded cerebral capacity......however, I still very much want to make a pair of Thelonious, so keep watching :-)

THREE pairs!

I have managed to finish not one, not two, but THREE pairs of socks since I last posted - not bad, given that I've also been very busy with family stuff (more on that later) and getting my head round some fairly major changes at work.....but enough of that uninteresting, work-related stuff, let's get to the pictures!

First up, I finally finished the Gentian socks for the Hazel Knits KAL. I was given this particular skein of yarn (Artisan sock in Sagebrush) last summer by the awesome Christine - I wonder if she realised just how addicted to it I would become? (Actually, given how much of this stuff she has, I think she probably did - naughty girl!)

Pattern: Gentian by Lisa Stichweh

Yarn: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Sagebrush

Start Date: 1 January 2011

End Date: 13 February 2011

It's a wondefully squishy, bouncy and quite thick yarn - it knits up with beautiful stitch definition and makes for a pair of very warm, snuggly socks. As a result of Christine's machinations, I have since acquired two more skeins of Artisan - Hoppy Blonde and Cloudy Day (this last one was the Club yarn from December 2010, which I was lucky to get my hands on through a trade with a fellow Ravelry member)

I also ordered the February/March sock club yarn - an amazing deal, as you get TWO skeins of 'surprise' yarn for a really good price. It's currently on it's way over the ocean (hurry up, Mr. Postman!), but I took a sneaky peek at the Hazel Knits blog - and almost fainted.....

Good Morning and Pick Me:

SWOOON!!

Next up, we have the Monkey socks from the Knit.Sock.Love February KAL - these were made using Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in Quinault Canopy. Another nice, thickish, squishy pair of socks - and I love the way the colours twisted themselves around the leg...

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A. (Knit.Sock.Love)

Yarn: Socks that Rock Lightweight in Quinault Canopy

Start Date: 1 February 2011

End Date: 23 February 2011

The reason these socks took just over three weeks was because I was also knitting another pair for a colleague who's in bad need of some serious cheering up. She's going in for back surgery next week and is just a little nervous to say the least. Hopefully, these will cheer her up nicely while she's on her back for 3 weeks afterwards:

Pattern: Diagonal Rib Socks by Ann Budd (I inverted the cables on the 2nd sock)
Yarn: Lana Grossa Meilenweit Sunset 100 in shade 8701

Start Date: 5 February 2011

End Date: 25 February 2011

Next up on my list is Thelonious, which is the Knit.Sock.Love pattern for March - looks pretty complicated and has required the creation of some special stitch markers so I don't lose my way. I'm also planning on turning the Artisan in Hoppy Blonde (the first yellow picture above) into a pair of Oviatt socks by Melissa Goodale - her description says it all:

"Echoing the grand Art Deco glass of Los Angeles' Oviatt Building, this sock's slip-stitch pattern creates an eye-catching geometry. Ribbing feeds into the window-pane design - much like the period by which it is inspired, Oviatt is functional, elegant and modern". Can't wait...

This post is now quite long enough - I will keep the big family news for the next one!

Plodding along.....

I finished the Hedera socks for the January Knit.Sock.Love KAL - not too sure I understand why people rave about / enjoy this pattern so much. I found it quite boring, and had to really push myself to finish them. They are now in the hands of Royal Mail, heading off to Scotland - hopefully they will bring a touch of spring to my best friend's feet :-)


Pattern: Hedera by Cookie A.
Yarn: Buffy Sock by Juno Fibre Arts in Stargazer colourway
Start date: 15 January 2011
Finish date: 4 February 2011


I'm still soldiering on with the Hazel Knits mystery socks - I've reached the final clue on both socks, so hopefully I will have a new, finished pair to show you shortly. I've enjoyed knitting these - mainly because I know completely understand why people rave so wildly about this yarn. However, they have been slow-going and I will be glad to get them off the needles and onto my feet. The yarn is super squishy and bouncy - and these socks will be very warm and cozy - perfect!


I've also started a pair of Monkey socks for the February Knit.Sock.Love KAL. I'm using some Socks That Rock Lightweight in the Quinault Canopy colourway. I've always drooled over this yarn when I've seen it on Ravelry - so I treated myself to four skeins for my 40th last year. This is the first one to be knitted up - and I LOVE it....the squishiness, the colours, the excitement of seeing how the colours come out and they way in which they pool together in different, mysterious ways......happy sigh! Here's the first sock (are you impressed with the photographic composition?)

I've also started another Mystery Sock (I know, I'm powerless to resist!) in the Barking Dog Yarns group. I've only recently discovered these yarns, and I'm looking forward to knitting with the skein of Sirius that I recently purchased. However, I'm not using that yarn for this project, as my swift has had to be sadly retired to knitting heaven and I am therefore forced to only use yarns that I have already wound into cakes until I can find a replacement.

I started out using a rather interesting yarn I had traded last summer with another Knitting Goddess - it's composed of 50% wool, 50% yak (of all things!). I love the colours and it was coming out quite pretty:

Unfortunately, it feels very stiff and scratchy. It's also unbelievably fragile - in the space of one single row, it broke THREE times. So, I have frogged my progress so far - I think I'll use hold it double and use it for something that won't get intensive wear, like a hat or scarf. We'll see......

I'm now going to be using this:

Zitron Trekking XXL in a lovely grey that is shot through with red, orange and brown. I've had this for ages, so it's definitely time it got used! I've only managed the cast on so far, but I reckon I should make good progress in the next few days.

That's it for today - now must get off and finish those HK socks!

Peacock Feathers

At last! Started back in October, I really don't know why this pattern (Passerine by Cookie A) was such a struggle.....and given that I was knitting them in the softest, smooshiest, squishiest merino/cashmere mix, you'd have thought they would wizz by.

Still, I'm really happy with how they have come out - and I love the 'feather' pattern that goes down the leg and long the foot....

I also managed to finish this little baby jacket for my friend Jessica, who had her second baby boy the week before Christmas - I'm also giving her the Oxblood Mystery socks that I finished back in October - I had enough left of the brown wool to make a little hat, so both Mummy and baby will be snuggly warm :-)

First pair of 2011

Yipee! The Cauchy socks are done - and I'm pretty pleased with them to be honest. I like the way the various purl and knit stitches combine to create an almost optical illusion. The Koigu was lovely to knit with (quite similar to Claudia Handpainted in terms of weight and 'bounce') - it makes for a nice snuggly pair of socks, without being overly warm, which is always nice!

Now to finish the Passerines that I started back in October......

New Projects

It's a New Year, which means New Projects - right? Well, in my world it does :-)

(Note: we will ignore the two pairs of socks still on the needles from last year, as well as the three crochet blankets crying out for a little attention......)

First up, I've been whipping up some more squares for Knit-A-Square -

I'm particularly pleased with this one, which is called Wagon Wheel Square:

Then, we have the first 'official' KAL for the Knit.Sock.Love group. Cookie has structured this book according to the design elements of the patterns - Columns, Tesselations and Diagonals, with the patterns in each section being listed according to difficulty. The group will be knitting the patterns slightly out of order, with the 1st Column, then the 1st Tesselation, etc. etc. We are allowed to substitute up to four other Cookie patterns throughout the length of the KAL.

This month the pattern is Hedera - which has never really rung by bell, so to speak. So I'm using my first substitute card. I give you Cubist, using Koigu Painters' Palette Premium Merino (also known as KPPPM in the knitting world - not surprising really!) in a rather lovely, washed-out shade of minty green:


As always with a Cookie pattern, it's an interesting construction - and it's growing quickly (the picture shows the results of just one evening's knitting), which is good because I have also started a Mystery Sock with the Hazel Knits group. I was lucky enough to be given a gorgeous skein of Hazel Knits Artisan yarn by the lovely Christine back in the summer. As it's a mystery sock, there is no name for the pattern just yet, but it's by the amazing Lisa Stitchweh who does awsome things with cables:

Interesting, until I saw these photos together, I hadn't realised quite how similar these colourways were - it's obviously going to a 'spring green' month.....anything to counteract the grey skies and drizzly weather that have been hanging around in the last few days.

I might (just might) start a pair of blue socks for the Solid Socks KAL (January has been declared 'blue' month) but I'm not sure yet - I'll certainly not finish them by the end of the month (both of the other KALs are two months long - even if Life intervenes, I know I stand a good chance of finishing them before the deadline!).

Knitting Totals 2010

Well, I made it up to 17 pairs of socks in the end! Here are the final two pairs:

- the first for Mum using Angels & Elephants BFL Sock in Tamar and my own cable design:



They fit her perfectly and she loves them - result!

The second pair were done on a bit of a whim. I've joined the Knit.Sock.Love KAL group on Ravelry, where we will be doing each of the socks in the books over the next year and a bit. In December, they organised a warm-up KAL where you had to use a Cookie pattern that was not in KSL - I decided to make a pair of Wanidas, partly because I loved the pattern the first time around and partly because I wanted/needed a pair of plum-coloured socks to replace a pair that have mysteriously disappeared - I swear, I've hunted everywhere and just can't find them. I'm most unhappy, as they were last year's Socktober mystery socks knitted in Dream in Color Smooshy that I finished on New Year's Eve 2009. So here are the replacement pair, also finished on New Year's Eve, but one year later (obviously!):



These were made using the Knitting Goddess's Merino/Bamboo. It was originally a very bright mix of yellow, pink and orange - really not my thing. So I overdyed it with some Dylon in Violet - and absolutely love the result - a mix of plum, purple and russet brown. I re-named it Forest Fruits as it reminded me of autumnal walks and blackberry picking :-)

In terms of other knitting totals, I managed the following:

8 baby jackets (all in crochet - love how speedily it grows!)
12 hats of various kinds / sizes
6 shawls and scarves
95 crochet squares - either for my own baby blankets or for the Knit-A-Square charity
2 pairs of gloves

Not bad going really........

On that note, I wish you all a Happy New Year - may 2011 be filled with all you wish for and lots of creative inspiration!

15 pairs!

Back in January of this year, I set myself the goal of knitting a pair of socks a month for 2010. It's not quite December yet, and I've already blown the target out of the water :-)


I give you the 15th pair in all it's glory:

They are the Sock Knitters Anonymous November Mystery socks (such a long name, the designer is currently running a poll to find a good name for them), made using YarnAddicts Yarns BFL in Dusty Lilac. They are also eligible for this month's KAL in the Solid Socks group, which was knitting on an 'air' theme - these make me thing of those frosty morning, when your breath puffs out in clouds and things crunch underfoot - very appropriate given the freezing temperatures we are currently enduring. I've christened them Frosted Lilacs

I am sooo in love with these - they look really complicated with all the twisted stitches and cables, but they really weren't that bad. Maybe that's because the knitting was split into clues...I don't know. I finished them on Thursday night and they fit like a dream. And that yarn is sooo soft - have never known BFL (Blue Faced Leicester to you - 100% British sheep!) as soft as this. A pity the dyer doesn't seem to sell this particular yarn any more....

And, just because I can, here is the 'Sock Gallery 2010' - big smile!

Of course, socks are not the only thing I've made this year - will be back soon with the totals in all other categories....

Wooosh!

Yep, that's what happened to October - it just went whizzing right past my eyes...no idea what happened to it, but I was shocked on Monday to realise that it was already November.

Progress on the two pairs of October socks has been slow to say the least - but I have turned the heel on all four socks and the 1st sock of the pink Through The Loops socks is almost done. Just to prove it, here's a picture of what they looked like at the end of Clue 2:

Passerine (the green ones) has been a little painful, due to all the twisted stitches - so much so, that I have decided to knit the foot in a simple ribbing stitch to save my wrists.

Despite the lack of 'sock mojo', I did manage a few other things:

A couple of little bits of cuteness for imminent arrivals (they will get hats and little shoes to match)

And some hats - the two pink ones were intended for me, but came out too small, so will be gifted to various little/young people for Christmas.

In the meantime, it's the start of another month, which of course, means new socks (yes, I know the last two aren't finished - but you know what? I don't care!). Both the SolidSocks and SockKnittersAnonymous groups on Ravelry have mystery patterns this month - and I'm such a sucker for those.......

Here's the start of the SolidSocks one:

I have started the SKA Mock, but haven't made enough progress to show you any pictures. Soon, I promise! P.S. It has twisted stitches - will I never learn?

Socktober!!!

October is a very exciting month in the sock-knitting world - because it means the start of Socktober! It started out as an excuse to knit as many socks as possible in the month - either new projects or finishing up languishing projects.

I had started a pair of socks using the Knitting Goddess April sock club colourway (Speckled Egg) back in April of this year. It is the most gorgeous stuff imaginable - merino, cashmere and nylon - you wouldn't believe how soft it is.

Anyway, I finished one sock and had done the cuff and one leg repeat when (for whatever reason) it was consigned to the 'Works in Progress' box and was happily ignored. Given my impending status as a new auntie, I thought they would be perfect for keeping my sister's feet warm during night feeds. So I 'resurrected' them last Friday and got them finished on Tuesday - not bad, even for me! Even better, this is the 13th pair I have finished in 2010 - which means I'm waaaay ahead of my target to finish 12 pairs (wonder how many I can actually do before 31st December?)

Yarn: Knitting Goddess Luxury sock yarn in Speckled Egg

Pattern: Cloverleaf and Double Eyelet Socks by Mary Hough

Started: 1 June 2010

Finished: 5 October 2010

One of the other really cool things about Socktober is the annual mystery sock published by Kirsten Kapur (aka Through The Loops) - I made two pairs of her 2009 pattern last year (yes, it was THAT good!), so I was really looking forward to this year's pattern.

It's also been declared 'Opulent October' in the Knitting Goddesses forum (an excuse for using something 'special'), so I'm using Crazy4Dyeing's Luxe Sock - yep, more cashmere! It's looking good so far - once I'm finished here, I'm off to start the 2nd clue. Don't you love all the little twisted stitches in the cuff?

Lastly (and because I'm just a sucker for starting new projects), I'm joining in with 'green' month in the Solid Socks group.

This is yet another 'luxury' yarn, from KelpieFibers on Etsy - and how gorgeous is the colour (Jade Water Garden)? The pattern is Passerine by Cookie A, which as you would expect, has lots of twisted stitches - think I might need to do a pair of plain, 'vanilla' socks next month!

August / September Socks

It's been a while since I posted about anything knitting-related - but that doesn't mean I haven't been playing with 'string and pointy sticks' :-)

First up, a pair that I started back in June, but which got a little stalled as I got bored with the pattern. Having said that, I'm pleased with how they came out - particulary as the yarn was one of the first skeins of Knitting Goddess goodness that I bought last summer, so I'm pleased to have found a use for it at last!

Yarn: Knitting Goddess BFL Superwash in Copper Desert
Pattern: Dragonfly socks by Jocelyn Sertich
Started: 1 June 2010
Finished: 25 August 2010
Destination: Alex B's Xmas pressie

Next, another yarn that was purchased almost a year ago, and which did not prove very cooperative. I tried knitting a lacy scarf with this, as well as two other sock patterns, and was almost ready to throw it out before giving it one last try.

This was the Solid Socks September/October mystery sock by the amazing Himawari (aka Claudia Eisenkolb). I loved the pattern - with all the leaves, perfect for autumn - but I'm still not sure it's the perfect pairing of pattern and yarn. We live and learn I guess....

Yarn: Madeleine Tosh ToshSock in Oxblood
Pattern: Mystery socks by Claudia Eisenkolb
Started: 5 September 2010
Finished: 29 September 2010
Destination: going to Jessica when she has baby #2 in a few weeks time

July's socks

Some of you might remember that, a few months back, I decided to follow the Yarn Harlot and set up my own personal monthly 'project club' - I set up a bag containing various smaller bags with the yarn and pattern already paired together. The theory was that, each time I finished a project, I would pull another one from 'the bag' at random....I will be honest and admit that the contents have been 'tampered with' a little - I've switched some patterns around. This is partly because my focus has switched slightly from socks to shawls - must be thoughts of Christmas being not that far away now.....

One of the projects that got 'substituted' was this pair of socks:

I'm really, really chuffed with these - for several reasons:

a) they only took 2.5 weeks, which when you think that they were mainly knit on the bus to / from work, is really not bad going

b) point a is even more amazing when you consider that they are made from a Cookie A pattern (Angee to be precise) - while I love Cookie's patterns, they are definitely not 'easy' socks and often require a lot of concentration (and some swearing at various points!)

c) I don't think the photos are doing them complete justice, but the colour is just gawgeous - the yarn is Colinette Jitterbug and the colourway is Morello Mash - says it all really! I had popped into my local yarn store (Loop, in Islington) to check out their new premises - and had been completely powerless to resist this gorgeous bit of squishyness - I cast on only two days later, which is unheard of in my world lol!

This is definitely one of my favourite colours - in fact, when I went to put the finished pair into my sock drawer (yes, I now have drawer specifically for handknit socks!) I realised that I had already made two pairs in a similar colour - predictable, me?

P.S. Update on the Knit-a-Square crochet-thon - 25 squares shipped off to South Africa this morning! Wonder if I can do better in August?

A busy life......

.....leaves very little time for blogging! No seriously, I can't apologise enough. Life really is very full these days.

A quick snapshot of the last six weeks or so:

- the new job is going well and looks set to last until at least September

- Miss A is enjoying spending more time with her Granny (who picks her up from nursery these days, as I can't any longer), but is still refusing to sleep in her own bed....

- Mr A and I took ourselves off to Spain for a week in mid-June (without Miss A who was looked after by my parents). Total bliss - long lie-ins, good food & wine, lots of sunbathing and book-reading - just what we needed. No photos I'm afraid as I deliberately didn't take my camera!

- we've all be suffering a little in the recent heatwave. I personally wouldn't mind it, if only I didn't have to sit in a hot, sticky bus for an hour each evening.......bleurgh!

- Miss A has just acquired her first pair of ballet shoes and leotard:

Can't wait to see what happens during her first class next Saturday.

- Mr A and I are in the throes of planning our joint 40th birthday party this weekend. We've discovered FOURTEEN bottles of champagne in the cellar......raspberry belinis anyone?

On the crafting front, the heat has pretty much scuppered most attempts at playing with wool, but I have managed a few things. While on holiday, I finally managed to make some progress on the Solid Socks May Mystery socks - those cables almost did my head in.....but I'm very, very pleased with the result:

I have also once again been completely taken over by the crochet bug - I can't express how much I love this particular craft. It's portable, doesn't require as much concentration as my knitting, and gives super quick results. I whipped up this little beauty in just under a week:

Partly due to the heat, and partly due to a recent urgent call by Knit-A-Square for over 55,000 squares by September, I'm devoting most of my free time to making granny squares:

These are just a few of the 35+ squares that I've managed to whip since the beginning of July. I'm hoping to send several large bags before the autumn. And it's a great way of using up scraps / spare wool! Talking of leftovers, I happened to mentioned this little 'project' to a colleague of mine and she mentioned that she had starting making a crochet blanket a few months ago, but got bored. So yesterday, I took delivery of this:

70 part-completed squares
and 15 very large balls of wool

Should keep me quiet for a while, no?