I finally finished my socks! I present to you my Monkey-ish socks!

These socks were definitely about the process than the finished product. I’m really not a big fan of wearing lacy socks but I really wanted to knit these socks but I didn’t want to knit them from the cuff down as in the pattern. I re-charted it in my 2nd year of knitting – it took three tries at reworking and reknitting to get the results I wanted. In doing so, I came to really appreciate Cookie A’s skill in designing socks because recharting this to be a toe-up sock was not an easy task. But it was challenging and fun. But that first sock I tried in this revamped pattern did not work. I was using lovely yarn by Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in the Carousel colorway. It pooled horribly and the stitch pattern was lost in the colors. So I eventually ripped it out. I never posted a picture then ’cause it looked so horrible to me, but here is one, so you can see what I’m talking about:

The color repeats were just too short for the socks to look the way I wanted. Cut to almost two years later, where I had one more year of knitting experience and some lovely dream in color smooshy in my stash that hadn’t worked for another project. (Colorway: Some Summer Sky)

Inspired by chrissythegreat talking on her podcast about knitting her Monkey socks, I started to think about that chart I’d did previously and I couldn’t resist casting on. This was an enjoyable knit. And they fit!

Now I have three pairs of handknit socks, two made by me and one I received during sockapalooza 4. Yay! Now … what else am I knitting?

I’m finishing up the hemlock ring blanket. I’m doing the edging and it is slow going but I’m over half way done so I know it won’t be long now. I can’t wait to see how it’s going to look. As soon as it’s done, I’m going to start work on the Voyager Stole with the Skinny Dyed Cotton yarn I got from my LYS. It’s such a pretty pink!

Also, I’ve been asked to participate in a project and have just finished a square for a blanket. I can’t show it to you yet ‘cause that’ll give away the recipient, but I will share when it’s possible to do so.

Talk to you later! Happy Fiber Fun!

First off all… what was in the box? My very own Majacraft Rose!! Whoo Hoo!!!! I haven’t had a chance to take some really good photos of it but here’s a peek:

I feel I made very good investment with this purchase.

See that little bit of pink in the lower left corner? It’s what I worked on first for Tour de Fleece. It was a work-in-progress that I had on my spindle for a while. I had totally over pre-drafted it but I wanted to finished it.

It was hand dyed by Spincerely, one of my favorite indie dyers, in the colorway ‘Goldflame Honeysuckle.’

I’m am very happy with the final results. I call it ‘Flower Petals’.

Started: 07-04-09 (as WIP)
Completed: 07-07-09

Weight: 3 ounces
Length: 208.3 yards

I LOVE it! I think it’s enough to follow through with my original thought to use it for a Morning Surf scarf. (If I can’t stop staring at the yarn, that is. )

Now I’m working on this:

It’s from the Spunky Eclectic Fiber club in the Colorway ‘Lame Duck Mallard’ – Superwash BFL. Not one of my favorite colorways so it’s perfect to practice chain-plying. I’m going to spin 2 ounces and then ply those singles and trying to figure out why I have such trouble. I’m enjoying spinning the singles – I’ve never spun BFL before and I’m like it.

In other news, my socks…

…I only have to do the cuffs and they will be done! Yay!

Fiber is so much fun, isn’t it?

I finally finished this hat. It was sitting on the needles for way too long and last month, I finally sat down and finished it in one sitting.

Pattern: Gretel by Ysolda
Size: Regular (I did the slouchy last time)
Yarn: Kraemer Yarns Summit Hill in colorway Aquamarine, not a whole skein
Needles: US 7
Started: December 15 2008
Completed: May 17 2009

I love this pattern. Well worth knitting again. This will make a nice gift for a dear friend. It’s nice to have a Christmas gift done so early.

…aaand… this past weekend, I was knitting like a fiend and finished the heels on my Monkey-ish socks so I just need to do the legs and the cuffs. I don’t have a lot of knitting time during the week ’cause I usually only have enough mental power for spinning at the end of the day so this part might take a while, but I love knitting these socks – a combo of my creativity with that of the Cookie A. Lots ‘o fun, in my opinion. (The yarn is Dream in Color: Some Summer Sky … perfect for this time of year, wouldn’t you say? )

This is the Sherman short row heel, great for someone who doesn’t like to deal with wrapping stitches.

I decided not the carry the pattern all the way around the leg. I really like how it looks.

and I got a new knitting book!

and I know what I’m going to knit next … Oh… the anticipation.

It’s been over a year since I’ve knit socks. And I blame chrissythegreat from The Manic Purl Podcast for the nudge to start these. She’s been working on and talking about 2 or 3 pairs of Monkey socks that she’s knit and I was reminded of a previous attempt to work on a pair of toe-up monkeys (my own version). Those only ended up in frustration so I ripped them out. In mid May, I pulled out the chart and some Dream In Color Smooshy ‘Some Summer Sky’ and tried again.

Things are going much better this time.

1. Fetching - (the color is not even representative of it’s true nature. Digital cameras do not like red… mine especially. )
[Yarn is Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes Cranberry]

I’m actually nearly done with this one… but it is too small
(yes, just like Odessa …I detecting a theme here… )
So I’m going to rip this out and try again with size US 7 needles. The good news, tho, is that this is my very first cable project!! That was a goal for me to do this year. The cable needle is a little fiddly but ok. (I’m not ready to try it w/out a cable needle… I tried and it didn’t work.) I can’t wait to do more cable projects!

2. Bejeweled –
Neck scarf made from Carnivale handspun.

Here is picture of the front …

Below is the section that helped me come up with the name.

The only thing left to do is the bind off … but I’m not happy about which row I’ve ended on so I need to think about it before complete this project.

3. Socks –

These are in a holding pattern while I decide if I want to rip them out or continue them. The yarn is so pretty but the colors have become so muddy in this pattern and there’s a pooly-stripeyness that I just can’t get used to. And if the pattern looks familiar, it is. I modified the Cookie A.’s Monkey socks so I could do them toe up. There’s still one thing I wanna fix on the pattern. I learned a lot working on these. That’s why I’ haven’t ripped them out yet despite my frustration at knitting them.

4. Amethyst Socks
And, I’m still working on these socks.

I am on the heel of the 2nd sock.

Knitting on US size 2 needles goes sooooooooooooooooo slooooooooooow. But I’m still chuggin’ along.

Enjoy your week!

There has been knitting goin’ on around here and it’s time for me to catch you up. First up: Finished Objects (yes… that means more than one! )

Finished Objects

BBE Socks

Yarn: Apple Laine Apple Pie
Colorway: Royal Blue
Needles: US size 3
Pattern: Basket Weave (6-stitch) from More Sensational Knitted Socks
Notes:I didn’t finish these in time to give them to the intended recipient…which I why I still have them. But I like them. The yarn is really soft.

Odessa

Needles: US size 4 & 6
Yarn: Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK (1 ball)
Pattern: Odessa by Grumperina
Notes: It only took me a week and a half to knit this. But it is too small. But that’s ok ’cause it’s basically my swatch. The gauge was given in pattern and I figured, if I’m gonna knit 4 inches in pattern, I may as well knit the hat. (I bought two balls of this yarn just for something like this.) But I really liked this pattern. Very easy to follow and a quick knit. Now I need to buy size 5 & 7 needles so I can make this hat in the correct size.

Next up: Works in progress… stay tuned!