Speed Demon

Now, the following picture LOOKS like roughly half of a men's sock.

In reality, it is so much more than that. I dare say that it is a completed pair of socks.

This sock yarn began its life as a lovely Paul Atwell sock. This combination of yarn and pattern was so absurdly gorgeous, that both I and my father were enamored. That is a rare occurrence. However, I did have the sneaking suspicion that I would run out of yarn. I chose to ignore this gut feeling, and ended up in the middle of the gusset with half of my sock yarn for the WHOLE PAIR gone. Sadly, this was frogged. Half a sock.

Next, I decided on Earl Grey. I have knit this pattern twice, and I figured this would use far less yarn than that yarn-eater Paul Atwell. I was right, but not right enough. Halfway through the toe decreases, I weighed what yarn I had left. Just over half of the hank had gone. ^%@)$!!! I had knit all but the last few rows of a men's size 10 1/2 sock IN ONE DAY (please be impressed), and I now had to rip back past the foot, and heel, and gusset, frog half of a repeat of the cable on the cuff, and continue on. One and a half socks.

After that, I wound the yarn (without bothering to steam it this time), and knit knit knit until I finished the gusset on the third attempt. Another half of a sock. That makes two finished socks . Wanna look at that picture again?

I believe I have a pair.

 

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Many More Socks

Since coming to college, I have knit socks, socks, socks. Some are for Christmas, so recipients will not be mentioned!

Hermione's Socks, in Knit Picks Stroll, Sparkle Heather. I think these are some of the most beautiful socks that I have ever made! The stitch looks like beading, and this color is to die for.

Bow Ties Are Cool, in Stroll Scarlet, I think. Not my favorite. I was bored halfway through knitting them, and the arch is too high. I should have known better and knit it shorter, but now I know to follow my instincts next time.

More Upside-Down Leyburns. I'm so glad that I revamped this pattern for top-down. The fit is ten times better (though they are big on me, because they aren't for me),and I love a standard top-down heel flap and toe. I used Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome in Cabin Fever. This color and yarn were great, complex without being too much, and very soft. I think it ought to hold up well.

Paul Atwell Socks, in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Fuchsia. I think Peppermint would be a better color name, but I have no complaints about this yarn. It's harder and rounder than the Sockittome, but the semi-solid colors are gorgeously blended. The red is a deeply saturated cherry, and the pink is almost as pale as I think it could be, while still be being considered pink. This pattern is a major yarn-eater, but I love the effect of the slipped stitches. It's similar to the Edwardian Boating Socks. Next time though, I want to stick to my usual toe with decreases every other row. The faster decreases suggested do make a nice rounded toe, but my feet just don't fit in it as we'll.

A crappy picture, but these are men's socks in Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome in Tropical Storm. I didn't notice the purple bits until I started knitting, but I think the man in question can live with it. I like the random thin striping on these socks, and I still had plenty of yarn left over.

Currently I'm using some Trekking XXL. I don't love the colors, but the yarn was majorly on sale, and they will still be warm when they are concealed under my boots this winter. Pictures later!

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Christmas in July

Well, in August. I have officially begun my Christmas knitting early, knowing full well that this need to churn out presents won't last, and I had better take advantage of it while it lasts. Here is what I have so far...

3 1/2 pairs of socks. Not too bad, especially considering one pair is a men's 14. I plan on either socks or a hat for each family member, since socks for each would be ambitious on both the knitting and financial front. Here I present to you, Leyburns! In something Knitpicks, ball band lost.

(Recipients will remain anonymous...for now). Rogers! In Knitpicks Multi, Lucky Multi (I think).

(Both modeled by my lovely assistant, Isabelle). Thermal Waffle-y Socks! In Knit Picks Stroll, Fedora.

And finally, reverse-engineered-upside-down-Leyburns! Well, one of a pair. Knitpicks Stroll Multi in Sunset Multi.

In the midst of all of this gift knitting, I managed to pick up some gifts for myself online (not that it was that difficult). Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn!

Supersock in Winterberry, which I think is the coolest yarn name ever.

Super sock in Fuchsia, although I think it is reminiscent of peppermint.

Stockittome in Wild Cherry,

and Stockittome in Tropical Storm. I'm not sure about this one, but it has more purple in person, so the black and blue contrast isn't as strong as the picture shows.

On top of this, I still have more Knitpicks sock yarn in my knitting basket. The sad part? I don't know how long into the school year this will last me! I suppose I will just have to make a trip to Knit One in Pittsburgh once I get there...

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I Am So Sick of Brown!

My boyfriend has huge feet. They are a size 14. As a result, his socks take an abnormally long time to knit, this time, I decided to knit a shorter cuff so he could hide the "unmanly" stripes under his boots. You would think this would make them easier to finish, but no. I am already horribly sick of brown! Solution?

Blue, green and yellow Leyburns. Actually, altogether I think these might make some sort of brown, but the stranded color changes thrill me to no end. These will be going to my Grandma Helen, but if this pattern is as enjoyable as it has been so far, I may end up with a pair for myself as well.

Quick Break

Oh my gosh. Portfolio week for IB, and I am BEAT. Since I last posted, I have accomplished the following...

Patrick's birthday hat is finished, with ample time between now and the big day. (Which is one day after mine except, ya know, a year earlier. So we're the same age for one day a year. So my dad can't complain that he's too old for me :D ). I won't post a picture in case my some accident I forget it's on here and he looks, but I'll just have you know. It's pretty sweet. Nuf said.

Secondly, following that hat victory I decided to take a swing at kinda sort half designing my own hat (as modeled by one of my teddy bears :) ).
The shape is an only slightly altered version of another pattern I found (can't remember the source just now...) and the designs are either borrowed from other hat patterns, or taken off of the street or from my own noggin. Overall it's a little big, but that means it won't flatten my hair, so it's all good. I wore it to the sectionals game the other weekend, and though I was freezing, it wasn't because my head was chilly.

I also began a quick pair of ribbed socks, and finished the first one and have started the second.

The ribbing goes from cuff to toes, and I used an Eye of Partridge heel just to see how it would look. Super simple, with a pretty colorway for machine dyed sock yarn. Whether they're for me or for use as a Christmas gift, the ribbing is sure to accommodate at least a few different sizes.

Yeah. That's about it.

Another Gift Delivered!

Kelley loved her birthday hat, and it sat atop her head, the topic of much conversation, on the rides both to and from Seabreeze.

She has decided it will indeed match her winter coat, and that she will now be that much warmer at the varsity football games and all throughout the winter. Glad to hear it Kel! Happy birthday!

Also, Gwynedd is coming along. I burned through the first of the four skeins of Wool-Ease the other night, and am now at the start of the second. I doubt things will chug along quite so fast once school starts and I'm slammed with homework, but for now I think I've gained a decent head start.

I still need the pattern for the braided cables, but the other sections are generally fairly easy to figure out, and a quick glance at the page every couple of rows usually suffices. I hope this doesn't take quite as long as I fear it will-I don't want to lose steam just as cold weather sets in, and I actually need it!

Two Gifts Done!

I handed over the completed Tridactyl gloves to Bonnie last night for her 15th birthday. She had been asking for fingerless mitts, but I couldn't have her know what her present was! There had to be SOME surprise! But she loved them, and they'll serve her well on the bench.

I thought this pattern was pretty original, and the wave pattern kept it mildly interesting, although it was still kind of a zone-out meditation project in some parts, so it was cool for watching movies.

The twisted rib cuff is extra tight, and should keep snow out. I think I'm going to try it out on my next pair of mittens for me-in fact, I'm kind of surprised I didn't try it before :P

I also finished Kelley O's bday hat, but I don't have any pics yet. I'll post one once I give it to her-I think the off white is going to contrast fabulously with her reddish-auburn hair :)

Coincidence

On a troubling note, my grandma took a fall down the steps leading from the road to the waterfront at my aunt's lakeside cottage. We think a broken ankle, EMS got her to the best hospital in the area quickly and safely. I wasn't allowed to go, and in the midst of my disappointment I looked down and realized my second sock was almost ready to graft the toe. It's a berryish striping pattern-pinks, brown, and navy, the pattern a blend of the YH's Generic Sock Recipe and a lightweight Thuja.

My mom dropped me and my sister off at the house, and before she ran out the door to meet the rest of the family already at the hospital, I slipped the finished pair into her bag for her to find later.

If I can't be there, I suppose my knitting is close enough.

KICK BUTT ! ! !

No picture of this FO-it had to be handed off to the recipient far too quickly.

The occasion? As they do every year, people from our dojo go up to the Kanreikai tournament in Montreal. My bff from our dojo and I had been planning to make our first saunter north side by side, so we could room together and root for each other from the sidelines. However, due to conflicts with my softball season and lack of training, I wasn't able to go. How could I show support without actually being there?

Of course, you're right. Knitting is always the answer.

Knucks, in Patons Classic Wool. A dark smoky grey body, reddish magenta ribbed cuffs. And across the knuckles, in chunky white letters, I embroidered my message to her: KICK BUTT. Enough said.

She will too, mark my words. Look out Montreal! The Americans are coming! And the girl in the gloves is a badass!!!

Good luck E! Love ya! <333

OhMyGosh

Softball season has begun, and thus knitting has fallen by the wayside (*sniff*). A sad fact, but at the very least it is being replaced by spending time with a great group of girls whom I love like sisters and not something pointless or illegal, right? Aside from practices and games 5-6 days a week, our coach encourages us to hang out together outside of that schedule, and thus we all had a massive dinner and sleepover at Bonnie's house over the weekend.

Perhaps the best thing she has suggested was the Kindness Swap, which got my sticks going again. We picked a name, and some time during the week had to do something nice for that person. Most people gave out sugary sweets and home-baked treats, but of course I had another idea in mind :) For Erica, I knit up a pair of Knucks out of Patons Classic Merino Wool in some heathery tan color, with the ribbed cuff option. Across the knuckles I embroidered "Redd Head" (yes, with two "d's" to make it fit). I got hugs back, so I think it was well received.

Now to continue knitting a pair for myself...this pair in royal purple, with puffy paint writing instead of embroidery, and the textured cuff. Across the knuckles? GANGSTER! Haha doesn't describe me in the least, but I'm just so proud to have figured out it has eight letters it has to be used! They'll probably end up on the hands of a certain teammate, but however this comes out, I can always knit more!

Before I Forget...

I am ashamed to say I have yet to take pictures of these projects, but I figured I'd list them really quick before I forgot. So here they are...

• My dad's Manly Scarf is finished! Yayy! I thought I'd have to go for a good while longer in monotonous garter stitch, but he decided it was plenty long enough so I happily bound off.
• Becca's dk Scarf-fringed, washed, and in the hands of the recipient. I forgot to get a picture of it before I handed it over, so it may be a while before I can post one. That also was bound off earlier than expected, and I gave it to her last night at free skate for immediate use.
• The Coupling socks from Knitty? I only have to cast off and my first-ever toe-up sock will have been completed! Still only half a pair, but whatever I'm just happy to have figured it out all right :)
• Oh, and I finished the Edge-Anything-Lace-swatch that I plan on wearing as a choker style kind of scarf. Can't remember if I talked about that already or not.

Anyway we're reflooring the kitchen so I have to get back to keeping the house up while my parents do that. I promise pics eventually!

Xmas!

By now my family knows that anything knit related will be warmly received on Christmas-an of course, responded in kind :) Here's what I scored this year...

• Lion Brand Homespun in the Mediterranean colorway.
• Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky. One skein Oatmeal, two Charcoal, and an olive-y color I forgot the name of.
• An 11oz skein of colorful brushed yarn
• The book Cables, Diamonds, Herringbone on the construction of Fisher men's sweaters.
• $50 to my local Ben Franklin :0
• Two skeins of Red Heart Classic in white and an electric blue

Not bad...not bad...lol I already have plans for some of it! The Wool-Ease has already been turned ino half a scarf for my dad. The brushed rainbow is already on the needles for a knit Fall Shawl. It's meant to mimic the crochet version, and isn't the funnest pattern I've ever worked on by any means. I'm still debating whether to frog it or keep going.

Here you tell me...if you were working on a shawl with 75% of the rows being purled (ew) when you knit continental, and the few knit rows only contained ONE plain knit stitch each, and you loathe the pattern with every fiber of your being...but the picture really looks warm...what would you do? Oh, and the yarn doesn't frog well. But you don't have any square, rectangular, or circular shawls and want to give one a try. Well? Lemme know!

Birthday Bliss!

Ahhh what a day! At school I was the lucky recipient of hugs and well wishes from many of my friends, and will be again tonight at the Music Department Christmas party :) I was going to have my party around now, but who can throw a better or bigger bash than all my chorus and musical friends?

Before I left for school though, I was already treated to chocolate cake for breakfast and a bunch of new knitting books!

• Chicks with Sticks (Knit Two Together)
• Charmed Knits
• Selbuvotter
• Knitting Without Tears

My dad also picked me up a copy of Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice, which is so great already and will become this marking period's English project subject.

Some of my friends know me better than others-my neighbor Andy, who I've known for practically forever, showed up to carpool with two skeins of Light and Lofty yarn, in blue and white. He was rewarded with cake. Later in chorus, Emily showed up with two colorways of sock yarn! Yay!

Haha I'm going to go sift through all of my new books and yarn now...and then get ready to go see my friends all over again! Woot!

A Warm Reception

Sensai loved the socks! Yay! I gave them to her after class on Monday, and got several hugs in return :) I had to leave a bit after that, but on the way out I saw my other sensai's incredulous look (the no-knitting-in-karate sensai) when he saw them. It was the funniest thing ever. Priceless. I wish I had brought my camera. One of my friends there who stayed later than I did said after I left she was sliding across the wooden floor of the dojo and almost fell backwards! Sounds like her. Glad she likes them. Here's a pic of them a few days before I gifted them-

Lot's of stripes! I may have to make myself a pair!

Congrats Socks Are Done!

Yeah you heard me-DONE! Have been for a day or two now! The only problem is having the patience to wait until Tuesday (or more likely Thursday) until I see Sensai Nancy. I'll probably get mocked beyond belief by everyone else, but whatever she'll appreciate them!

In the meantime...Muscari Socks drove me up the wall, so I frogged them in favor of another Monkey pair for the same friend. Branching Out scarf soon maybe...new Interweave Knits is in my possession. Overall, just knitting away until my birthday sometime this month, when I'm hoping my rents will supply me with all the knitting books I asked for! Wish me luck!

Plain and Simple

In the interest of getting Sensai Nancy's socks to her as soon as I could, I chose to knit a pair of the YH's Basic Sock Recipe again. I'm using Heart and Sole from Red Heart, and I don't know what colorway this is but it ROCKS and almost makes up for the lack of fancy stitching! I'm on the gusset of the second sock, no SSS problems here, and was about to get back to work on it with a movie. First, though, I have to take inventory...

I have no time or money for Xmas gifts this year :'( However my immediate family is in need of the following...

Dad-He has a sudden desire for a scarf, ideally one similar to a scarf he saw in the Gap. Different ribbings and blocks of manly colors.

Mom-Someone accidentally ran her Center Square hat through the wash, sooo...felted. Unevenly so. Another one of those is in order.

Lil' Sis-Not sure. I made her dolls clothes recently so she hasn't asked for anything.

Me!-A copycat Noro scarf. You know, the 2 row 1x1 rib scarves everyone is making? Like the Yarn Harlot for example? Only Noro of any kind is way out of my price range, so I'll follow the advice of a Ravelry forum I saw and try Paton's SWS instead. Never used it, but it seems beyond soft! And unlike Noro, is much more affordable and is carried by a shop right down the street!

Anyway, must finish socks!

WOOT!

Ok so here's my exciting bit of info for today...While I was at musical, the usual dojos got together for a good old-fashioned karate grading. (I'll test later at a makeup grading with another musical buddy and a student who was sick that day). One of my instructors, sempai Nancy, has now become SENSAI Nancy! OMG! I'm so happy for her-she's the first female sensai in the USA IFK!!! This is such a big deal, and I wanted to make her a congratulatory pair of-what else? Socks!

Haha I'm still debating on what kind though. A plain pair would be quick and stretch a bit more than cabled, and they'd look better in multicolored yarn. But it almost feels like a cop-out on this sort of an occasion. I think I'll end up with plain ones, just because I have no cash to go and buy solid yarn for fancy cables. Or maybe a lace pattern would be better...I don't know! Any suggestions?

Finally! Contact!

My lack of knitters in the real world has caused me to take action. I am now online at the Knitty Coffee Shop, under teenage_knit_wit. Forums galore, both knitting related and not. Lot's of fun. I have actually found some SnB's in the area on there, but since I feel iffy about revealing my location and meeting up with people I don't think there's any help there. I'll have to go local sometime when I don't have karate, and hop down to the group that meets at the local coffee shop.

I also have procured a Ravelry under teenageknitwit, and though it is in it's early stages of organization the ability to look up almost any project and see everyone else's FO's b4 diving in has me hooked. I'm thrilled.

Thirdly, I brought a dk black scarf to work on in between acts of my school musical, and got some interest from my friends! One of the girls from my softball team had learned and forgotten, and wants me to reteach her. Another friend has never knit in her life, but wants to try it out. On top of that, all of my other friends were intrigued, at least to the point of pensively watching the process while they talked to me. Maybe I don't need to find a teen knitting circle around here...maybe I need to create one from scratch! We'll see if it amounts to anything.

Oh, and I finished the Banana Berry scarf, fringed it, and handed it over. It was much appreciated. Job well done! :)

Ahhh...Zen!

I had forgotten how calming a simple garter stitch scarf could be. Mindless-there's no charts to follow or lace patterns to memorize. Cinchy-a colorful yarn does the job all on it's own. Still entertaining though, as a smooth yarn = great stitch definition which means you need to pay some degree of attention to the stitches as you loop them across the needles. It's a nice change from lacy cabled fine-gauge socks. Although I'm sure after a dozen of these scarves will slow my heart rate during a hectic first quarter of school, I'll probably be craving something obnoxious, like cabled-lace-entrelac kilt hose or who knows what for winter break. (If there is such a thing as cabled-lace-entrelac kilt hose, the designer should be dubbed the unchallenged Dalai Lama Knitter, and the socks in question should immediately be put on display in the Smithsonian next to the Hope Diamond). Yes, this Banana Berry Scarf is being strung together for a friend. But the Zen that comes from it's creation is mine for the keeping :)

Another Convert! At Last!

Ya'll know bout my bud I gave the stumpy-yet-stretchy scarf to today? Well for one thing she loved it-and for another she informed me she used to knit herself, and after digging out her old needles and yarn and pulling up a YouTube video she got a few feet into a scarf herself as well :) I'm immensely proud, even though I had little to do with her learning process. (Although it can be argued without the spark there is no flame...alright I'll allow myself cockiness. I helped indirectly). So-I gave a gift and got one in return. Gotta love it-early holiday spirit is here along with the fall air! Mmmm...I love it! Haha enjoy it yourself too before it's gone!