Too Much Yarn

Yes, I've been knitting...

I just realized I missed posting last weekend AGAIN!  Well, I have been knitting... 

In the last 10 days or so, I try to knit a complete repeat of the Zephyr Cove shawl a day.  There's 4 rows of 200+ stitches each row in each repeat.  I have 33 rows left before binding off or thinking in smaller numbers, 4 repeats left and the lace chart before binding off.

I finished the Hazel Knits Mystery Sock (Sock #1) about a week ago.  It's truly a lovely sock.  The pattern has been released as Chinese Bell Flower. 

There were 2 options for the toe. I opted for the fancy toe:

Currently, I've only joined the Hazel Knits Yarn Club, Cookie A Sock Club, and the Twisted Sock Club... this is the first year for the Twisted Sock Club.  Twisted is a yarn shop in Portland, OR.  The first shipment is a pattern, called Doug Fir, by Sivia Harding (which means, there are beads in the socks!).  It is a toe up pattern so I'm not putting beads on the foot.  I haven't decided if I will put beads on the leg.  The yarn that came with this shipment is a bright Emerald.  I don't wear green, much less this color, although I read that this is the IN color this Spring.  Yarn is Plucky Knitter Primo.

As I set my goal to try yarns I haven't used, I decided to use Fiberphile MCN Luxe on this pattern.  This colorway is called Loden.  This is the result:

So I've cast on 4 socks since the first of the year.  I do have one more I'm eyeing - will cast on after tomorrow so it will count for the February SKA and also with the HK Jan/Feb KAL. 

Stay tuned.... and stay warm.  Today's high is 2 degrees.  It's now 2 degrees (8:30 a.m.) so the temperature is just going to down, down, down.  It says it's now 2 degrees, but feels like -21.  Just great!

Check the temp!!

On my way to the yarn shop!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's been 10 days since I last...

POSTED!  See what I've done in the last 10 days:

Worked on my Romi Shawl, Zephyr Cove.  I'm about 2/3 done!

Finished 1 Drift Sock:

Finished (almost) the leg of the Owlie Socks:

Finished clue 3 of the Hazel Knits Mystery Sock - have to cast on the second sock!

Crocheted 15 hexagons and some 1/2 hexagons for the edge:

I'm very proud of myself for figuring out how to do the 1/2 hexagons.  My blanket is getting bigger...

I've been thinking a lot about 2013 goals and I'm going to make it simple!  So they are:

1.  24 pairs of socks.

2.  8 pairs of socks using variegated yarns.

3.  4 pairs of socks using yarn I've not used before.

4.  8 pairs using patterns from sock clubs, past & present.

5.  150 mitered squares for blanket

6.  200 crocheted hexagons for blanket

7.  1 sweater  (yes, Barb! I have to finish 1 sweater!)

8.  6 shawls

9.  10 knitted gifts

10. 3 published designs

And, I keep forgetting to tell you all that I am going to Stitches West!!  It's being held in Santa Clara, California, a neighboring city from where my sister lives in Sunnyvale.  So if you are going to be there as well, please message me on Ravelry so we can meet up!  Right now, my only plans are to have dinner with the Romi group on Friday evening.

I have the evening to myself, so guess what I can do for a couple of hours???  You got it!

 

 

"Cast On" is my middle name

So here's the second cast on for the year.  It's the Hazel Knits Mystery Sock.  As I showed you in the last post, I started it on Artisan in Cloudy Day and the variegation was cloudering (no pun, intended) the pattern.  So I started over in Entice - Poppy. This was a special color from The Tinsmith's Wife - a yarn shop in Texas.  The pattern is looking so much better with this color.

I did wind the yarn into 2 cakes so I could cast on the second sock, but NO!  How about another sock of a different pattern?  I've been wanting to cast on Owlie Socks for a while - at least 2 years and I decided this is the year to knit them.  I can say that it is a lot easier than I had expected, despite some cabling.

I gave my husband 5 skeins of yarn to choose from.  Here's our conversation.

Me:  Which of these look most like an Owl if I were to knit these socks (showing him the pattern on the iPad).

Him:  Who is it for?

Me:  You (what?? What are you thinking?  Oh, you must be feeling sorry for him because he's not all recovered from the knee surgery.)

Him:  Cool.  I like this one.

Hmm... he picked the most variegated skein, but it's beautiful.  I had just bought that with my Groupon coupon from the yarn shop by my house.  This is Zen Yarn Garden  Serenity 20 in a One of A Kind color.

And so I cast on.  This is what it should look like (BTW, I asked Emily what color beads I should use for the eyes.  She showed me some owl pictures like these:)

or

OK - I bought it.  I use gold/yellow beads for the eyes.  So this is where I'm at:

 But I'm concerned about the foot with the middle ribbing running through the toes. My husband does not have good-looking feet.  Hand-knit socks make it more attractive.  Short, big toes.  The toe in the pattern will not work.  So I've decided I'm going to adjust it so I'll have the owls closer to each other and run the ribbing on the side.

It's very addicting and if you've ever considered knitting these, do it now, as they count for the January SKA Sockdown!

Well, I need to get ready to knit for an hour during the premiere of Downton Abbey.  I got hooked while watching Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD last weekend.  I watched all the shows, starting on Friday night and finished it Sunday night.  I did get on with my life, but snuck in 10+ hours of TV - I did give up my sleep time, as well... Is anyone crazy about this series?  It's really a good timing for me because I was just done watching Homeland, which is also on Sunday, 8 pm.  I have to record The Good Wife to catch it later during the week.

I'm waiting for the Twisted Sock Club shipment, which I plan to knit - i.e. cast on #4.  I'm also eyeing the SKA Mystery Sock and the Kirsten Kapur's Through The Loops' Mystery Sock. I must have missed the announcement in December as I'm not keen on paying full price on a Mystery Sock.  It was free in the past.  I may just wait and see how it turns out.  Or, I could just be content and knit the 3 socks I've started this year!

2013 - The Year of the Socks

I was thinking I may finish A sweater I've started years ago and called this the Year of the Sweater, but I think I have to dedicate this year to the socks.  For one, I want to achieve the 26 pair plunge - so I have to finish 17 pairs by June 30.  So I'm going to set a goal of 25 pairs this year!  The most I've knitted in a year was 22 pairs.  But, I have a lot of single socks I can knit to accomplish a completed pair! 

So, without much adieu, this is the very first pair I've cast on.  The pattery is Drift Socks by Melissa Goodale.  I'm knitting this for the SKA January Challenge, where Mel is one of the designated designers.  Mel is also hosting her own KAL so I can double dip.  Triple dipping is using Sanguine Gryphon yarn to do the 13 in 2013 projects using one of the yarns from Sanguine Gryphon, Verdant Gryphon, or Cephalopod yarns.

Yarn is Bugga in Cotton Strainer.  I'm really liking this sock - I have the feeling the PAIR will get completed.  I have half a repeat left before I start the heel flap of Sock #1. 

I've also cast on a Mystery Sock at the Hazel Knits Artisan group.  Design is by Adrienne Fong (bellybuttonknits).  I introduced Adrienne to the group and submitted her name to the moderator to consider for future mystery socks design - that was a few months ago - back in 2012.  And now, it's HAPPENING!  I originally cast on the sock using Artisan in Cloudy Day.  I love the color, but the variegation is overpowering the lace pattern. 

and so I yanked the needles out and started on Entice in Poppy.  I have 1/2 the clue left and I will post a photo when that is done.  Today's a sunny day, so I hope to finish so I can take a photo of it.

Hey!  I forgot to take a photo of this skein of Entice in Spooky Hue - the November Twisted Shawlette Club yarn.

Have a nice weekend!

Have I been buying yarn?

Christy recently asked me if I still buy yarn.  How could I not be?  I'm addcited to them!  I checked my blog and realized that I have not shown you any yarn acquisition since Oct 23!!  No wonder she was wondering if I've turned over a new leaf!  So here are some yarn p0rn.

This is Hazel Knits Entice in Sparrow Song - it was exclusive to the Knitspot Fall in Love with Color club.  Though I only joined the pattern-only club, I acquired this from a destash.

These are 2 skeins of Three Irish Girls Glenhaven Cashmerino in Meditteranean which I pry-ed out of Yvonne's arms at the 3IG event at the local yarn shop, Amazing Threads.

Another Hazel Knits Entice in in Poppy - an exclusive kit from The Tinsmith's Wife.

Cephalopod Yarns Bugga in Man of War:

Traveller in Forbidden Isle:

Madelinetosh Pashmina in Spectrum:

Verdant Gryphon Bugga in Antilles Pinktoe:

and Eye of Newt:

Socks That Rock (I was in a pink phase here) Lightweight in  Princess Plummy, Boysenberry, Help Us Rhonda, Mulberry, and Andromeda.

Hazel Knits Artisan in Cinnabar:

Two skeins of One of A Kind from Zen Yarn Garden Serenity-20:

Sock Club shipments from Rockin' Sock Club for November:

Hazel Knits:

Socktopus Original in Sugar Plums (I can't seem to find a photo of a free MCN skein that was a gift)

and I don't seem to have a photo of the Cookie A Dec shipment... well, I'll save it for the next time.  So Christy, yes, I'm still buying yarn.  Now that gift knitting is over, I hope to share more new yarns and  projects. I've cast on a new sock yesterday and there are two more mystery socks I plan to knit.  As Dianne said, the goal now is to finished 3 pairs of socks a month.  I may need to knit some WIPs to catch up. Most of my socks in progress are 50% done!

Pair # 16!! And 2012 goals revisited!

    I can't believe that I forgot to blog about this very last pair of socks I finished on Dec 30.  My goal was to finished 15 pairs of socks for 2012 and I surpassed it by 1 pair!  Here is Sarsaparilla socks from the Cookie A Sock Club:

I used Hazel Knits Artisan (club yarn!!) in Salted Caramels.  Someone sugested that they look like pretzels so I named the project Salted Pretzel!

It had been a while since I finished any socks so I'm really glad.  I'd have to say they are my first love for knitting.  I have many pairs of socks I haven't worn yet since I've finished and even blocked them.  I guess they will be handy for last minute gifts! Here are the 16 pairs of socks I finished in 2012!

Out of these 16 pairs, you will notice that I used my favorite brands of sock yarns:  (there's really no sense in trying new yarns when I know what I like to knit with!)

4 in Socks That Rock

7 in Hazel Knits

3 in Bugga (Sanguine Gryphon, Cephalopod, or Verdant Gryphon)

and 2 in new yarns:  Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere and Plucky Knitter Primo.

So here were the goals set in January 2012...

• 15 pairs of socks (15 pairs in 2011). At least 6 from the 3 Sock clubs I  belong to in 2012 (5 in 2011).  At least 7 variegated (7 in 2011).  At least 4 from the Socktopus Book (my KAL with Jennifer).  RESULT:  16 pairs.  6 are club patterns (though not all from 2012!!), 4 from variegated yarn, 1 from the Socktopus Book, and 1 from another book I own!

• 12 shawls (7 in 2011).  RESULT:  Started 9 shawls, completed 5.

• 12 projects using yarn from SG and/or new companies, Cephalopod Yarns or Verdant Gryphon (9 in 2011). RESULT:  6

• Try at least 5 new fingering weight yarns for shawls/socks (6 in 2011).  RESULT:  2

• 6 knitted items that will be gifted (5 in 2011).  RESULT:  16

• 125 mitered squares for my mitered squares sock yarn blanket (124 in 2011).  RESULT: 142 mitered squares.

• 60 hexiflats for Bee Keeper’s Quilt (24 in 2011 - only started in September 2011).  RESULT:  ditched the Bee Keeper's Quilt and started the Crocheted Hexagon blanket.  Completed 165 hexagons.

Sometime in the next week, I will plan out the 2012 goals.  I can tell you that I'm up to no good as I've cast on a pair of socks and my sights are set on 2 other pairs.  For the 26 pair plunge, I'm have to finish 17 pairs in the next 6 months!  Wanna help?