(Almost) May Socks

Opening an office, a lot of travel for work, and some general lack of sleep delayed the completion of the second sock from On-Line that I bought at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival in early May. Finally finished the toe and grafting this evening at the knitting group. So, now a matched pair...almost perfectly matched stripes. Will let you know what I think after I wear them...I haven't like other cotton socks I have knit but this yarn has some nylon in it so perhaps these will be a better pair.

Am knitting an oblong shawl from sock yarn that is hand-painted in shades of gray and pink/raspberry. I think it will be lovely when completed. More on it in another posting.

Knitting group was lively tonight. I have missed several meetings and it was good to see so many people tonight at the library. I brought home more completed 10 by 10 inch squares that we are using for our Linus Project blanket donation and also for some laprobes for the veterans in the VA Home and Hospital in Altoona.

Weather was gorgeous today...too bad I was at the office all day...I would have enjoyed sitting on the deck to knit. Hope the weekend weather cooperates.

Knitting in Public

Am on vacation in Corning, NY at an LPGA Golf Tournament. I certainly don't spend my hours walking the course like my husband does each day. Instead, I strategically place my fold-up chair at either Number 9 or 18 and use my time to knit socks. Currrently I am knitting a pair of self-striping socks from On-Line's Beach line. I bought the yard at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and love the feel of it. Will be glad to get the pair done so I can give them the real test -- wearing them.

Also have been reading a knittng novel I bought at my LYS. First book in a new series is called Cast On, Bet's Off: A List & MaxDevereaux Sit & Knit Mystery. Author is Jack Olesker. Really quite good. I know I will get future books in the series.

Back to that sock! Look for photos soon. Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend.

Loopy Ewe's Sock Club is Outstanding!!!

Today's mail included a nice red,white and blue USPS box....from Loopy Ewe...oh my...could it be the first installment of THE SOCK CLUB??!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS it was and Sheri did not disappoint me. In fact, I was so awed by the contents I called and told her that my expectations are high and she certainly did not disappoint.

See the contents in the photos. First there is the lovely pattern designed by Lisa Parker at Wildhorse Farm Designs. This one is called Summerfield Socks. It is designed for 64 or 72 stitches but I use 56 stitches for my fingering weight socks. Fortunately, it is an 8-stitch repeat so I can adjust to suit. The Loopy Ewe sells really cute plastic zip top bags for sock or other projects. Well, this first package included one complete with Loopy the Lamb in his 4 socks, the name of the shop and the words "SOCK CLUB" on the front. This is a collector's item...there are only 150 people in the club!

The yarn is a gorgeous merino/bamboo/nylon from All Things Heather in a colorway called "Skinny Dipping." The skein is a gorgeous summer color of turquoise, green and yellow. Yummy!

Sheri always has just the right additions to make her packages extra special. This one did not disappoint. Of course there are the always present packet of Hershey Kisses that come with each order and additionally a sheep-shaped soap and a packet Kool-Aid Lemonade. To top it off is an adorable thank you poem from Sheri.

Wow! I don't know how she will top this for the next quarterly mailing! Thanks Sheri.

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

MDSW was the usual fiber lovers dream....yarns of all weights, colors, textures in building after building. Much of it was hand-dyed in gorgeous hues ...brights as well as muted colors. Something for every knitter or crocheter. There seemed to be plenty for spinners, too, but not nearly as much selection as for knitters. I was very conservative in my purchases this year and bought 2 skeins of cotton blend sock yarn for summer socks, a few patterns (which were my major goal this year), and a gorgeous kit for a vest made from garter stitch short rows and garter stitch miter squares.

I traveled to MDSW on a bus with 55 other fiber-holics. The bus trip was organized by The Knitters Underground in Centre Hall, which is my LYS and also a former employer. Our travels have picked up a few more participants so this year Molly rented the larger bus. The driver was happily suprised at how many people were making the trip. Molly's trips are really nice and include a little perk -- a very useful totebag with an original "Molly design" silkscreened on it. And, she knows how to start our day at 7 a.m. Inside the bag was a bagel, OJ, cream cheese and jelly. She doesn't do the breakfast stops we did when I organized the guild trip but instead does the bagels. Personally, I prefer the breakfast stop (because I am starved upon arrival and the food lines are often somewhat long) but most riders just want to get there....sigh...as much as I like the bus trip I might go on my own next year and spend at least 1 overnight. The jury is of course still out on that decision.

In addition to fiber fun there are the animals ... I got to pet baby goats and angora bunnies...such fun.

Billie and I always have a good time shopping together. This year we both had the same gameplan...begin in the big building and head for The Mannings. I really like their sock yarns and patterns and was quite lucky...that is where I bought both summer weight skeins of yarn and also a few patterns. We meandered through the other booths and were carefully looking...we were on a mission for Billie. She knits THE most gorgeous lace shawls I have ever seen and was searching for the right colors in yarn to knit herself a square shawl. We have a lot of the same taste in colors -- purples and tealy-greens -- so we spent time looking for a color combo that jumped out at her and called her name. There were several candidates but the winner came from Tess Yarns and Billie's choice is gorgeous in hanks and will be outstanding when knitted. I can't wait to see what creative design she comes up with.

Let me return to our arrival...Molly made a few announcements to the riders and I suggested she add no live animals could be brought on the bus trip home. No one could buy a rabbit, goat or sheep of any size or age. Other chuckled and some shook their heads in disgust at the thought of the announcement...well folk, I have some previous MDSW visions....

While waiting for the last group of people to return to our bus, lo and behold the next bus was getting a live adult sheep. The idiot woman who bought the poor animal was trying to put it into a dog travel crate that was not nearly large enough with the plan of having the sheep ride in the underneath luggage compartment of that bus the whole way back to New Jersey. It didn't happen, thankfully, because the fumes would have smothered the creature. The bus driver refused but to me it looked like he was waffling...so I grabbed my cell phone and Melissa's MDSW book and called the number inside the cover. Got a recording. So, with a "don't leave without me" to Molly I was off the bus and went outside to watch the proceeding. I was going to head to security but it wasn't necessary. They got the sheep onto the bus and as it pulled out we saw it in the back passenger seat. I bet it and the other passengers were damn glad when that trip ended!

Yes, this will bring about some correspondence from me...to MDSW, to the Howard County Fairgrounds and to anyone else I can think of associated with MDSW. I know the vendors are there to make money but they also need to be responsible with the sale of the animals. They need to make sure they are properly contained and in a good space for their trip. No, I am not a member of PETA but I have common sense and also compassion for those with lesser brains -- in this case the lesser brains were housed in the head of the woman who bought the sheep and also in the person who sold it. Oh, BTW, the latter stood by and watched the exchange between driver and new sheep owner. I do hope she learned something...but I bet she didn't.

April Socks/Yarn Organization

Don't these socks remind you of Spring? The bright colors were my inspiration to survive those recent rainy, gloomy days in Central PA. They are soft but yet sturdy...the first pair I have made from Perchance to Knit. These are the Azalea colorway. I just love them. Our 70+ degree temps are supposed to drop back a bit later in the week so maybe I will have an opportunity to wear these socks before fall!

Readers have asked where I buy my sock yarns...primarily from Sheri at The Loopy Ewe. Her selection beats all others I have reviewed and her customer service is outstanding. If you are a lace knitter, keep checking her site because Sheri is going to start selling lace yarns which are perfect for shawls. She is promising to post those yarns this week. I have bought a few yarns from her and they are earmarked for shawls -- my personal choice is using sock yarns. Check her site often because she sells out in the blink of an eye but reorders and gets the yarns as fast as the hand-dyers can get them to her. Most of her sock yarns are hand-dyed, made by 1 or 2 women so her business is also helping to keep other small, female-owned businesses (commonly known as cottage industries) in operation. If you shop from Sheri, please tell her I sent you!

Keith couldn't find me much of the weekend...I was knee deep in yarn. I decided it is time (well, actually waaayyyy past time) to organize my yarn stash -- a lot of which I have had for 5 years or more. I have been planning this adventure for months but never knew where to start. So, I just opened a box and started. I had notepad, pen and labels in hand. Each rubbermaid storage container is labeled with a box number and the notepad has the corresponding box number and box contents on its pages. I think I need to live to be very old or perhaps even have an additional lifetime to use all of this yarn. But, now I know what I have and can knit from stash.

I am almost finished with that phase of the project and then it will be on to the sock yarns. They are organized but I am doing some re-organizing. The rubbermaid containers are going to the rental storage area to give me more space in that room. Can't wait and neither can the cats...all of these boxes have taken over their playroom!

Washing Socks

Many people choose to wash their handmade socks in the washing machine and some even are brave enough to put them in the dryer. Well, then call me "Chicken" with a capital "c" because I handwash all of mine in Eucalan which has a wonderful smell and doesn't require rinsing. I let my socks soak about 15 minutes per pair in this wool wash, swish them around and then gently squeeze out the excess water. Then they are rolled in a towel and NOT rung out but again gently squeezed. After this they are hung on the bathroom towel rack to dry. Yes, it might take a whole day but I'd rather that than shrink, felt or damage them. I use sock yarn that is colorful and often costly. Additionally, the hours I put into knitting these gems is worth a little extra care in washing and drying. Others have methods that work for them and that is great. This works for me and I am sticking to it.

Needle Chatter

Reading other people's blogs is fun, interesting and sometimes educational. There has been a lot of chatter the past 2 weeks about the new Addi Turbo Lace Circular Knitting Needles. Another gimmick...well, that is what I thought. Then I read Wendy Johnson's blog Wendy Knits! which in my humble opinion is the premier knitting blog in cyberspace. There are a lot of really good blogs but I really am addicted to Wendy's...can't wait for her evening posts...just like the next chapter in a really good book.

Sorry, I digress. Well, when Wendy discussed the new lace needles and gave them a thumbs up, that was a decision maker. I was knitting the Feather and Fan shawl pictured (see new lace Addis in the photo, too) in this post and was using my lovely new Knit Picks interchangeable circular needles. They are nice needles -- I love their pointy tips. But, when I would flip around the shawl to knit the next row they would unscrew just a little...do this maneuver a few times and wa-la, a gap that catches the sport weight yarn. I was frustrated so decided to bite the bullet and see who had the new lace needles for sale. The lace needles I needed were $15.95 and I really didn't want to spend the money. I have wooden Clover needles in that size but I don't like their join because the bump catches the yarn -- wish the company would fix that problem because I love their straight and DPNs and I had regular Addi Turbo circulars in that size. Now, if I was a more experienced knitter and didn't have the help of either 2 cats or 3 Golden Retrievers when I am knitting I could use the slicker surface.

I now have a size 5 circular in the new lace needles and I am very pleased for several reasons....the tip is as pointy as the Knitpicks; the cord is THE most flexible of any circular I have ever seen and when unrolled stayed that way; the join is smooth and the needle is still fast to knit with but is not as slick. All what I wanted so I feel my money was well spent.

My Google search for a sales location came up with one of my favorites, Angelika's in Lakeside, Oregon. I ordered them on-line on Thursday and they were in my mailbox in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Very fast service. I really like shopping with her...great and quick service.

Well, I am going to take a cleaning break and go sit in the sunshine -- we finally got some -- and knit a bit. I think socks are calling my name today! Happy Knitting everyone.

March Socks ... and more...

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you all and may the luck of the Irish be with you throughout the year!!! I really could eat Shepherd's Pie today and wish I was in my favorite Irish Pub on Beacon Hill in Boston. But it is not meant to be this year.

I am still on pace for completing a pair of socks each month...I know, I know it IS only March but by now I am usually already behind my self-imposed schedule. These Feather and Fan socks are really nice and I love this yarn. As I said in a previous post I found it in my stash and probably have had it for 5 years. An early ebay purchase. And probably one of my last ones...I don't do ebay anymore. I got burned by two vendors and ebay wouldn't help me out...so I'd rather pay a shop owner for yarn and know I am actually getting it.

I have fallen in love with the Feather & Fan pattern and am doing it in this oblong shawl from sport weight Frog Tree Alpacha in this gorgeous dark teal color that I bought at The Knitter's Underground in Centre Hall, PA. Molly has a lovely selection of all kinds of wools and as a very accomplished knitter she can help you make the right choice for the pattern/design you want to knit.

Once this shawl is completed, I am making another one...that information is for a later post...but I bought the yarn from Sheri at The LoopyEwe who is my very favorite on-line sock yarn merchant. Yes, the next shawl will be from a varigated sock yarn that she just began selling...Seacoast in the Autumn colorway. This yarn is a blend of merino wool/bamboo/nylon. It arrived in today's mail and has an amazing feel to it. No photo now...will save that for later.

What Will This Be?

A pair of socks of course! Aren't the colors gorgeous?! This hand-dyed fingering weight is from Perchance to Knit and I bought it on-line from The Loopy Ewe of course. Last week was a crazy ordering time from Sheri whose head must have been spinning. She posted 5 pages of new sock yarns and most were gone within the first hour of posting. She is getting more yarns this week and will be posting them asap. She has great selections and colors for the knitters.

This yarn is called Azaleas and as a nice treat each skein comes with a cute hand-made stitch marker. Very nice touch. The yarn is soft and should knit nicely. It is in purples, raspberry, orange, light pink and a little yelllow peeking here and there.

I think I know which pattern I will use but am going to keep that as a surprise for another posting.

I do need to knit the second sock in the Lorna's Laces Sportweight that I posted in my last message but the colors in Azaleas are just calling to me. It looks like Spring! The LL socks are dark and winter. They will be wonderful and will get finished but I think tonight I will experimenet with this new sock yarn.

Mid-Winter Blahs!

I haven't been knitting much lately. Seems I have been stricken with the mid-Winter blahs or perhaps it is just some other things I need to resolve that have zapped my energy and desire to do much of anything.

But, in the past couple of days I decided to "push" myself to knit these simple socks from Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in colorway Baltic Sea that I bought from Loopy Ewe who is my favorite on-line sock yarn supplier. Taking a break from the usual knit, knit, knit I did a simple k2, p2 cuff for 1 3/4 inches and then switched to an equally simple k3, p1 for the leg to a total of 6 1/2 inches. As you can see I have completed the heel flap and heel and am beginning the gusset decrease...which is my FAVORITE part of knitting the sock. These will be my March socks...and I will post a photo of the finished pair soon I hope!

See this other yarn...the pretty shades of blue from J. Knits...of course also purchased at Loopy Ewe. I am going to use it for one of the nice lace patterns in the new Interweave sock book Favorite Socks which I raved about in a recent post. Perhaps I will do the cover sock, I am enticed by the picot edging and the lace design.

I have knit lace socks in multi-colored yarns but (in my opinion) a delicate lace sock needs solid or almost solid yarn to really show off the spectacular pattern.

Moving Right Along

I haven't had much time to knit in the past 2 weeks -- or to blog -- but Barbara said she was going to catch up with me on the blog tomorrow so I decided I wanted to write something to keep her amused in this cold, snowy weather. Hi Barb!!! Hey...enjoy your trip to Arizona and your family visit...we will miss you at knitting group but really want you to go and have a great time!

The purple-ish hand-dyed sport weight yarn that has been in my stash forever (see last post) is knitting up beautifully in the Feather and Fan pattern. As you can see, one sock is done and the other is knitted to the middle of the heel flap. I expect it will be done by sometime Monday. Aahhh, speaking of Monday -- President's Day -- in all of my years of employment it will be my FIRST paid Monday holiday. How am I spending the day, well knitting and looking for office space. The latter is my choice as I want to get a list to my boss this week so a spot can be selected.

Look what I found in a knitting bag. I started this sock from Trekking XXL before Christmas and forgot about it. I love the mix of the dark navy/black with the brighter colors. And, this first sock is past the middle of the foot. What a bonus find!

I am still pondering the next socks on the needles -- many, many choices. I think on the size 3's (sport weight) will be one of the Lorna's Laces I bought from Sheri at The Loopy Ewe which has become my VERY favorite site for buying sock yarn. She is the best and her customer service cannot be beaten. She is always getting new yarns and has a fabulous selection. One the size 2's will be one of the Fleece Artist colors I also bought from Sherri...and more were ordered yesterday.

Finally am making myself spend an hour a day organizing yarn and eventually will have the project completed. Yes, I have a lot of yarn but it takes me so long because it is so disorganized at the moment and I am trying to make some sense of it. I am moving it to a storage area that I rent for the Golden Retriever Rescue -- there is plenty of space for my yarn boxes and having them out of the bedroom will make the cats so happy! More space to chase their little mousy toys...

Look at this book, Sensational Knitted Socks that I bought at Barnes & Noble with a discount coupon. All sorts of lace patterns and other designs for socks. Humm...this one is going to get a work out. Am waiting for the Spring issue of Interweave Knits to hit the newstand next week. The preview of patterns on their website looks interesting.

February Socks and More

As promised -- total sock content for this posting. I love knitting socks...anyone who knows me can attest to that. I do knit other things but socks are my favorite. They are portable, quicker to knit and those sock yarns that are on the market today are so yummy...everything from self-striping to hand-dyed to some nice solids.

Many of you have asked me where I get my sock yarns. Well, some I knit are from my stash while the Trekking XXL was purchased either at Knitters Underground in Centre Hall, PA or at Mad About Ewes in Lewisburg, PA. I love Trekking XXL. However, these days most of my yarns are from an on-line shop located in Missouri...The Loopy Ewe at www.loopyewe.com. Sheri continually adds to her available lines and colors. On Monday she is promising to add sock yarn from more designers and many, many colorways. I can't wait!

See the pink shorter socks in this post? They are my finished February socks. Yes, I started them in January but they WERE finished in February. My rule is when they are finished not when they were begun. These are a hand-dyed, soft merino wool in a DK weight from Black Bunny Fibers and I knit them on size 4 DPNs. I usually use size 3 DPNs for DK weight yarn, however these are not to wear with shoes or boots but rather to keep my feet warm while I am sleeping. They did a perfect job last night during their trial run. Soft, warm and cozy...just right for a cold winter night.

The socks from the purple-ish hand-dyed DK yarn are my first venture into knitting a sock design that I like in the yarn I selected! This is a top-down Feather & Fan pattern that I found on the internet via a Google search. I love it because it is 48 stitches...just the perfect number of stitches for my DK yarn. Speaking of stash yarn, I was digging through a yarn drawer the other day and lo and behold his gorgeous yarn that I bought on ebay at least 5 years ago. And please note the DPNs...a set of size 3 metal needles from Knit Picks. I also bought a pair of size 2's and am so glad I did. I was hooked on wooden needles but these pointy metal ones (that are not much heavier than the wooden needles) are quickly becoming familiar in my hands.

I am so excited. My new sock pattern book arrived today from Interweave Knits www.interweave.com. Their customer service is also outstanding. I ordered this book via phone on Wednesday and it came today -- Saturday. Favorite Socks is a gorgeous hard-backed sock book with 25 patterns, complete with color photos and very readable written directions and charts that have been printed in Interweave Knits (my FAV knitting magazine) in the past few years. Some use more than my usual 56 stitches so I will have to swatch and see what I think. Those with 60 stitches can still be done on size 2's but the others might have to be knitted for someone other than me. BTW, this book offered a nice surprise when I opened it...the inside pages are spiral bound and it lays flat. Woo-Hoo!