The Late Christmas Socks

Wait, I forgot to post my mom's completed christmas socks! I was waiting to post them until she got the package in the mail then I forgot.

Here it is on my lovely new sock blockers:


100_3597, originally uploaded by Alissao.

Excuse all the extra floor around the sock - you have to frame photos just right for Ravelry and I blogged this photo directly from flickr since I misplaced the actual photo.

I love the way these socks turned out. I definitely need a pair this color for myself, eventually.

More crafty presents

I got a few more crafty Christmas presents! I got this lovely knitting bag, the Total Tote. It is also available from JoAnn Fabric online, but not in the stores. But please read the listing at KnitPicks as they have wonderful advice about removing a divider that has the worst velcro ever on it. Seriously, did someone who knows yarn even participate in designing this? Velcro with yarn? um, no. But once that is removed, it is a great project bag.

The main compartment opens up from both sides, this side has two little cubbies where I currently have my little notebook and a packet of tissues. As you can see the main compartment holds quite a lot. In this photo it has my headband on a circ needle and the three small balls of yarn that go with it, and my log cabin square on 9" straights with the small ball of yarn that goes with it and there is a bit of room to spare.
This one is the main compartment opened from the other end. It shows the little side cubbies where I have scissors etc. And the other end where there is a clear zippered pouch (needle card, stitch markers, etc.) that also snaps out of the bag so you can carry it around.

And here, we have the smaller zippered section on the outside. At the top we have a row of elastic strips holding options tips, cable needles and a lemonade packet. :-P And on the other side is a mesh zippered pouch holding a beeswax hand thingy, nail file, etc.


This one isn't knitting but it is crafty. I got a Stupid Sock Creatures book and kit!

It has a big softcover book detailing all of the instructions to make multiple different styles of stupid sock creatures, and everything you need to make a couple sock creatures of your own! Socks, buttons, ribbon, needles, thread, stuffing... it actually comes with everything you need! I am a bit daunted by the thing (steps include cutting the sock, sewing the sock up into a body, stuffing it, adding appendages that you sew from more sock pieces, and decorating with the buttons etc.) but I'm sure it will be fun when I find the time to get into it.
I also got a few more Harmony options needle tips but they haven't arrived yet.

More finished Christmas gifts!

I made a bunch of tiny socks, here's one that showcases my sock monkey tag that I'm putting on them.

To make the tags, I bought a sock monkey head rubber stamp and stamped it on Shrinky Dink (the official website is down) with brown ink (you have to use a permanent ink pad not just any kind), then I used colored pencils to do the lips in red and the eyes in black. Don't forget to punch the hole before you shrink them! A regular size hole punch comes out to a nice small hole when it is shrunk. Then I put on a jump ring and stuck it to the tiny sock!

Yet another pair of fetching... these were for my mother-in-law. This is Rowan Summer Tweed, the same as the pink one I showed earlier. This yarn works great for this pattern, but be careful! Now that I've made two of the same pair, I want to warn that you can get two from one skein but it is close. Really really close, I had a few yards left at the end of the second one. So don't let any yarn go to waste with extra long tails or anything, just in case!

I have one more Christmas present to post but that has to wait! On my needles right now: the second pink Fetching for me.

Knitterly Gifts

I'm back! I got all of my Christmas knitting done except for a pair of socks (well, I cut a few things off the list. But I got everything that I decided I needed to do done). I got one sock done but then had to use a tiny sock stand-in for the other one. I'm knitting the second one right now. Then I'm going to sneak in the second of my pair of fetching so I can wear them at work when it is cold. After that I have to knit a belated pair of dashing for Trevor's anniversary present. Then I can knit something for myself. Oh crap, no, then I have to knit the 2nd sock of a pair for a January birthday. Then I can knit for myself. sigh. Maybe by February? The first thing I'm going to knit myself is a booga bag using this gorgeous alpaca I ordered on sale from Webs (Classic Elite Inca Print #4627 - I hope it retains the gorgeous colors when it is felted)*. I'm going to use the leather straps I got at Rhinebeck instead of the i-cord handle. Then I'll make myself a pair of socks.

Anyway, back on topic. I'll be catching up on FO photos soon, but for now I have a bunch of wonderful knitterly Christmas gifts that I received. It was the year of the knitting related present for me. (wonderful, eh?) First, the books:

I got Mason-Dixon Knitting and Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks from my in laws and I got Knit Socks! and Casts Off from my parents. I've had Mason-Dixon from the library a few times and haven't had time to make anything from it so it went on the wish list. I haven't knit any Nancy Bush patterns yet but I've been told that she's a real sock guru. Knit Socks! was recommended by somebody (I forget who) and of course I want to add another Yarn Harlot to my collection...

Then the needles:
I got a set of Harmony wood DPNs, and two sizes of Harmony wood tips with 3 cables all from my parents. This photo is crappy, if you aren't familiar with how beautiful they are take a look. I haven't used them yet of course but I love them already.

I got a skein of Sockina Cotton in a different color than the one I have in my stash, from my parents.
I got a knitting pirate style shirt from Trevor,
Lovely wooden sock blockers from my parents and the best Sock Monkey sock project bag ever from Trevor. I am in love with this project bag. It is handmade and just gorgeous. Hop right over to YarnTraveler to order one from her. She's also one of the masterminds behind Knit Map and you should check that out too if you haven't already.
Also, my mom has become a sock blocker lover and she doesn't even knit! She said she ordered herself a plastic pair to use to dry her handwash only socks on (ones I make her and ones she bought at Rhinebeck). Here's a closeup of the cute sheep cutout on my wooden blockers:


And, a bunch of other nifty stuff (all from my parents):

At the top we have some plastic pouches for the cables and tips, and some needle id tags for the options needles. Then we have a needle sizer and the little doodads that hold a pair of needles together, and a row counting bracelet. Great stuff, huh?

* I haven't gotten it photographed yet, but it is super beautiful. I got it in a few colors since it was so cheap. At least one will be for a gift, the rest might be for me.

Super quick list update

then back to the knitting. Photos and descriptions as soon as I'm done with everything.

This was the list I posted November 24th:

2 skully dishcloths
1 cat dishcloth
2 pairs of Fetching - working on the 2nd of one pair, the other not started
5 various Nascar related dishcloths - 1
1.25 socks (the remainder of a pair) - almost to the toe on the 1st sock
1 pair toddler socks - ok I lied, they aren't done. But I'm to the toe on the 2nd and they are tiny so I'll be done right away.
up to 10 mini socks, a minimum of 4 - 3
3 or more scrubby washcloths - 1 (all I'm going to do)
2 plainer dishcloths (on needles)
DW dishcloth (on needles) - worked on a little
1.5 pairs Dashing (3 gloves) - one pair I "gave" Trevor for our anniversary (the yarn) and told him they'll be made after Christmas. So the deadline is off that one.

Items in bold are done. Items in italics have had some work completed since the last post. BWAHAHAHAHa. Yeah. Some items aren't needed until January 1st though so I have a smidge more time.

A token post...

I have been knitting! And doing the myriad of other things that go along with Christmas. And so, I have no time to post about the knitting - yet. Also my computer died and I had to resurrect it... And a bunch of other excuses. So, in the meantime I give you A Knitter's Christmas Eve - it is around the internet and was emailed out by my LYS but doesn't have an author listed...

KNITTER'S CHRISTMAS EVE
`Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
Was unfinished knitting not under the tree.
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
`Cause the heels and toes had not a stitch there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep; he was no help at all,
And the sweater for him was six inches too small,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I put down my needles to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tripped over my yarn and fell down with a crash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how much I still had to go.
Out on my lawn I heard such a noise,
I thought it would wake both Dad and the boys.
And though I was tired, my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
But what I heard then left me perplex-ed,
For not a name I heard was what I expected,
"Move, Ashford! Move, Lopi! Move, Addi and Clover!
Move, Reynolds! Move Starmore! Move Froelich –move over
Paton, don't circle 'round; stand in the line.
Come now, you sheep will work out just fine!
I know this is hard; it's just your first year,
I'd hate to go back to eight tiny reindeer."
I peered over the sill; what I saw was amazing,
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing.
And then, in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's feet coming across the porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet,
And as I turned 'round St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe,
And his clothes were hand knit from above to below.
A bright Fairisle sweater he wore on his back,
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran knit sack.
His cap was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
The scarf 'round his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
The back of his mittens bore an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I espied a small label,
"S.C." was duplicate stitched on the cuff,
And I asked, "Hey, Nick, did you knit all this stuff?"
He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to knit when I was a kid."
He was chubby and plump, a quite well-dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair,
He spoke not a word, but looked in his lap
Where I'd laid my needles and yarn for a cap.
He quickly began knitting, first one cap then two,
For the first time I thought I might really get through.
He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks.
While I sat back drinking scotch on the rocks.
So quickly like magic his needles they flew
That he was all finished by quarter to two.
He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me,
And I heard him exclaim as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year start your knitting sometime around June!"

Christmas knitting update

Here's what's left on my christmas gift knitting list. I don't see it happening but we are taking a long car trip in two weeks so if I get to ride a bunch of the way I can get a lot done then. So maybe.

to be completed:
2 skully dishcloths
1 cat dishcloth
2 pairs of Fetching
5 various Nascar related dishcloths
1.25 socks (the remainder of a pair)
1 pair toddler socks
up to 10 mini socks, a minimum of 4
3 or more scrubby washcloths
2 plainer dishcloths (on needles)
DW dishcloth (on needles)
1.5 pairs Dashing (3 gloves)

A few of the things I need 10 days before Christmas so I really need to prioritize and work on those first.

Go ahead and laugh at me. How's your holiday knitting going?

First socks of Socktober

I veered a little away from the goals I posted just yesterday ;-) But! It was because I don't have the needles for one thing, and the needles for the other are tied up in the George WIP. I need to put George on stitch holders or something because he doesn't get finished until all my Christmas knitting is done. Anyway, what I did get done:

Voila, the Springtime socks! A Christmas present for somebody, who has similar sized feet to me so I could model these. The same pattern as my Koi socks except the ribbing goes all the way down the leg. However, when I tried it on I decided I don't like that as much for this particular sock so I think I'll keep the ribbing shorter the next time.

Then, I finished one whole sock today! Okay, it is toddler sized. But it is very cute and has cables even. Although the yarn I had for these socks is a little too patterned to show off the cables. Next time I do this pattern I'll use a solid color.

The left shows the colors better and the right shows the cables better.

These socks will be a Christmas present for my niece Lily. I like the pattern, I will probably make another pair for another toddler. But first I have to make the second one of this pair.

Happy Socktober!

Are you ready for Socktoberfest? I am! I love knitting socks so what's not to love about a month celebrating the sock. I have a few single socks that I'd like to finish the pairs but since Socktober is conveniently located near the holiday season I have other plans for Socktober:

• Finish the "springtime" Fixation socks (doing the gusset on the second sock now)
• Cast on and maybe finish one other pair of Christmas present socks - either another of these (same as George in another color) or, Lace Wings if I get a chance to get another set of 3s (shakes fist at cat who stole one)
  
• Make at least a few of the many tiny socks I need for holiday presents

Hopefully I'll be back with some FOs of the sock variety soon. :-)

Fetching(s) Spree!

I am on a roll with my Christmas gift list thanks to Fetching! I am in the middle of the 3rd of 5 or 6 pairs I will be making. I love this pattern - it was my first cable project and now I am in love with cables. Here are two completed pairs and one in process - after that I have a cream pair (a gift), a pink pair for me, and maybe one more that isn't planned yet. I also have a possible pair (or more) of the male version, Dashing to come.



Aren't they pretty? They are all Knit Picks Shine Worsted - the green is Green Apple, the purple is crocus, and the blue is wave. This yarn works great for these - the gauge is perfect (up one needle size to 7) and the slight shine really shows off the cables. Hopefully I will continue to love the pattern through the rest of the pairs and won't get tired of making them before I'm done. :-)

When you wish...

I had a request from my Fall into Autumn swapper to share my knitting related Christmas gift wishlist that I mentioned the other day. So here it is!

• Cascade fixation sock yarn
  
• Crystal Palace Maizy sock yarn
• keychain mini sock blocker
  
• knit car sticker http://www.cafepress.com/knitty.22561366
• Red sockmonkey sock knitting bag from here: http://www.yarntraveler.com/knitting-bags/
• a tie dye kit (any kind appropriate for cotton except RIT)
  
• sock blockers size large
  
• Knit Picks Harmony wood double point needles sizes 1, 3, 4, 5, & 7
  
• Wood or bamboo straight needles - size #8 9 or 10" long
  
• Knit Picks Harmony wood circular needles sizes 6 & 8 - 16" long
  
• Knit Picks Options cables sizes 24", 32", 40"
  
• Knit Picks Harmony wood tips 5, 8, 17

Stash Enhancement

Some of my new christmas gifting yarn has arrived...

All Cascade Fixation: two balls of "Italian Ices" for a pair of christmas present socks (if you are uber observant this will look familiar - I already bought this color for myself and didn't recognize it online. Oops, so somebody on my gift list will have the same color socks as me.) One ball each of Celtic Green and Wine to make christmas colored tiny socks, One ball of Tahiti for a pair of little socks, and two balls of white for an experiment. I have been researching what kinds of dye can be used on cotton (not many) and I'm going to try it out to see if the Fixation will take the dye. I want to be able to dye my own sock yarn! :-)

Yarn changing with the seasons?

Just a quick post as I don't have any of my photos with me at the moment. (not that I'm posting from work. That's not what I meant at all. cough.)

The Fall into Autumn Swap hostesses are posting a question/topic of the week. Posting an answer to the question gets you entered into a contest so here goes!

"Now that in some geographic locations the weather is starting to turn cooler, do you change the type of yarn(s) you knit/crochet with? If so, what do you now knit/crochet with instead and why? If not, why do you not switch and what do you knit/crochet with?"

I don't change the types of yarn I knit with as it gets cooler. Since I don't work with wool it doesn't make much difference to me! I'm using cotton, bamboo, silk, etc. no matter the temperature. My projects might change - I don't really feel like making a scarf in the summer when it seems it will be eternity until I can wear it again.

As for what I'm knitting right now - that would be things from my big list of Christmas gifts to knit. So: socks, Fetching gloves, mini socks, dishcloths, and scrubby washcloths will be all you'll be seeing for awhile. After I'm done with that stuff, I really want to start a shawl using the silk my No Sheep for You pal hand dyed for me.

One FO for now

I have lots of posts in the back of my head but a few include items that are in the mail to a friend so I don't want to post until she gets them in case she sees this... also coming soon a Yarn Harlot-esque sock trip! But for now... the purple shortie socks for my MIL for Christmas:
The pattern said you could get a pair from one ball of Cascade Fixation. I had my doubts and figured there was definitely no way I could make them for big-footed me. But, since I only had one ball of this color and the LYS didn't have any more, I decided to try. I JUST finished them for size 8 feet, we are talking around 20 yards leftover. Actually, I only had maybe 1 yard left over but that's because I had already made one tiny sock before I got the idea to make these. So if you don't make a tiny sock first you'll be in better shape than I was. This is one of those colorways that looks better to me knitted than it did in the ball. I wasn't sure about it in the ball (then why did I buy it? I don't know.) but I think it is really pretty as a sock. I finally figured out the color too (lost the ball band) - it is called Lupins, which I always spell with an e but they don't. Also, Lupin(e) makes me think of Lepus, a jump I'm sure. But who doesn't like a giant rabbit?*


* Anybody who has been attacked by one, I'd think.