Saturday, March 10, 2007

Behold, my first sock since 2004 is completed!

Feast your eyes on my sock...my ONE sock...made by me...by myself...first sock in 3 years...I am having so much fun with it...




Why all the pics of ONE sock? With a K2P2 rib??
It's because it's my first sock knitted in 3 years, without anyone standing over my shoulder!!! Yahoo! I am SO happy! Yes, and it was so very easy with...you guessed it, the Sensational Knitted Socks book. Sigh. I love this book. Time to cast on my other sock, though, before SSS (the dreaded second sock syndrome)
sets in. I need to shorted the heel a tad, but besides that...it fits my wide (fat) foot well...and the Austermann Step is so very soft. I'm ready to whip up the second sock, so I can cast on...

MY STR (Socks That Rock) colorway in Monsoon, from Blue Moon Fiber Arts! Yes...my box came today. What an awesome binder, color, and pattern... the color here isn't true, but it's beautiful in person.
Now that Spring is almost here...I felt sorry for our 2 ducks, and Sonja, our lone geriatric hen, and put an old quilt outside for them to sit on while sunning...see here. Anyway, I haven't completely gone insane, however, the family thinks so.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

SP10 Survey

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I like superwash wools, fingering sock yarns, bamboo sock yarns, sock yarns in general! I love Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Cherry Tree Hill, Lorna's Laces, Claudia's Handpainted, and Koigu. I like natural fibers in general...there are so many handpainted and hand-dyed yarns to be discovered!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Um...at the present, a clear tote from Clinique! :) I don't have a holder, per se...yet.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I learned as a child from my grandmother, then not until my children were toddlers and made them each an acrylic dinosaur sweater, then nothing until about 4 years ago, and I started knitting shawls and simple sweaters. I've just finished my first sock since a sock class in 2004, and I'm now hooked on socks!!!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, it's here.

5. What's your favorite scent? Chocolate. Second is Lavender.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Yes to the sweet tooth. My favorites are Swedish Fish, Take Five bars, and milk and dark chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I have an Ashford wheel, but it's on a permanent loan to a friend who actually uses it. So no, I don't spin. I also quilt, especially with batiks or Kaffe Fassett prints.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like Celtic, The Gaither Vocal Band, Iz, and Twila Paris. I have an Ipod.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? My favorite colors are jewel toned colors in reds, purples, greens, and also lime green and coral. I don't care for pastel blue or pink. I like pink, just not baby pinks.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm a happily married homeschooling mom of 3 boys, ages 18, 15, and 8. We have 2 dogs (11 year old: Hannah, a Schnauzer, and Toby, a shepherd mix) We also have 2 older cats (Grady and Missy), Peaches the Guinea Pig, 2 ducks and an old hen, Sonja. One son also has cockatiels. Oh, let's not forget Roy, the Siamese Beta fish.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes to all.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I love to knit socks, shawls, and I've just started felting coin purses. I love knitting socks the most.

13. What are you knitting right now? Um, socks.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes. :)

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer wood, I have bamboo and rosewood. I use circulars when needed. I haven't tried socks with The Magic Loop method yet.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Not yet!

17. How old is your oldest UFO? a blue Mountain Colors shawl...it's pretty, but I'm bored with the Garter stitch...it's going to take forever.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas, then Easter, without the Easter Bunny. :)

19. Is there anything that you collect? sock yarn, costume pins (dragonflies, cats, flowers, etc.),
local cookbooks...

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 have the Victorian Lace today book yet, or the Cool Socks book by Lucy Neatby. I love Interweave Knits, and I subscribe to it.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Knitting socks on circulars, and more advanced sock knitting

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes. Length:10.0" Width right above my ankle bone: 10.5 inches and Width around foot at ball of foot: 9.5 inches. I have fat, wide feet...like a duck. :)

23. When is your birthday? July 31st.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Knitting Updates, and Life in General

I haven't updated my post lately, and I have even less updates to share with you regarding knitting. I didn't have the time I thought I would on vacation to knit, except for the purple cardigan which just needs to be seamed. However, I did TINK
and FROG this sock 3 times from the heel flap down....I made mistakes with my gussets, and just couldn't let those mistakes glare at me. So...I frogged the same mistakes and
reknit the same mistakes over and over...until...
EUREKA!!!! I got the "AHA!" moment of the whole heel turn and gussets without holes thing. I can't explain it...but sock knitting makes complete sense to me now! It should, since this isn't my first pair. So easy and it took me actually taking the time to understand the mechanics of knitting each sock part. Of course, it's what those fabulous sock knitters tell us all along..."know WHY you're knitting each part of the sock"...blah, blah...well,they're right!
No pics today, perhaps tonight!
P.S. I'm waiting PATIENTLY for my Rockin Socks Club package from Blue Moon Fiber Arts! Still waiting... :)