Socktoberfest

My one sock - I'm frantically knitting up the cuff of the second and will take another (more creative) picture later. I've really enjoyed this - it was my first time making my own pattern (toe up with short-row heel). Though it wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be, I'm still pretty impressed with myself :)

If only research was this simple to enjoy...

Thanks for organizing this Lolly!



Update! I finished them! I'm still getting used to the mismatch of the stripes, but it's not sock yarn so I didn't expect them to match. They're nice and warm for this, um, not so cold October weather? Hmm. Perhaps I should move to a colder climate....



Socks get their own photo shoot.

So far I've knit a scarf and the front of a sweater on my machine - I'm not overly thrilled with my machine (it jams and drops stitches and all that when I try to decrease), but it definitely makes knitting stockinette go much faster. Overall, I like it. I'll include some pictures when I've blocked the scarf.

Additionally, I finally gave in and frogged the bind off on my mom's FBS - I have to block it still, but I think the points will be better this time around. In short, many pictures to come!

One down -

One (sock) more to go. I'll post pictures as soon as I remember to take them :)

Lots of knitting this weekend - I've been at home sick (haha, I typed sock) with a cold the past few days so I've put my sweater machine to use and churned out the front and half a back for a sweater. I still feel strange making something "machine knit." Then I look at all the yarn crammed into my tiny room and get over it. There are still plenty of things to knit by hand :)

Realizing I've got alot to do for my Christmas list:
2 shawls for mom
A few OSW's for friends
Some fingerless gloves for friends
2 pairs of socks for dad and possibly brother
That infamous sweater I had to frog and restart....maybe next Christmas....

Hmm...what am I doing at work when I have all this knitting to do?

FO's and Soctoberfest!

First off - a finished OSW (I think this is my third?) I'm still learning how to tweak the pattern - brilliant me figured out the stitches between the markers correspond to the shoulder-to-shoulder measurement - so if my guage is off all I need to do is figure out how many stitches match that measurement and STOP. Though I think her idea of 18 inches is smaller than mine....


Next - Hillary's Turtleneck Shrug for Stitch ya neck out

I've enjoyed working on this (no seams! How exciting!) though I was frustrated to run out of yarn despite being on gauge and having the amount of yarn the pattern called for. It'll go out in the mail soon.

Lastly, I joined Lolly's Soctoberfest
And learned how to do a figure 8 cast on - I have to say I like toe up socks now that I've done a pair (more so than the cuff down socks I learned on from Weekend Knitting) Seems easier to customize to your feet and yarn.

Yarn Crawl, FO's, and WIPs galore

This weekend Teresa and I went on a yarn crawl through Long Beach and Orange County (I'll send you to her blog since none of my pictures turned out). We began our journey at Alamitos Bay Yarn Company, where I had to seriously restrain myself - only the first store and I'm already overwhelmed by the selection of hand-dyed yarn (my thing these days) and mohair and....well, you get the idea. I bought a couple of Rowan magazines and ran out to avoid spending more. We then went to Lis Cat, where the folks at the table offered us coffee (they must have known how sleepy I was) Cute place with a pretty good selection of yarn, but nothing for the projects on my list. We then took a break to eat at Sushi of Naples - a short two blocks for Lis Cat and offering a wide selection of sushi and non-sushi. I'd have to say my favorite was the choice of sides you could get with your rolls: boiled spinach, vegetables, rice, and french fries. Yes, french fries in a sushi place. Of course I ordered them :)

Refueled on sushi, Teresa and I made our way to the Yarn Lady - I'd been looking forward to this store the most (ever since I saw her selection at the TGKA convention last summer). I wasn't disappointed - I found more yarn than I hoped for and even gave in and bought some Rowan yarn for once. The selection is amazing and we browsed for at least an hour. Finally, credit card pleading for a break, we went on to Velona Yarns and Needlecraft. I was a little wary given some of the reviews I'd read (one in particular has vowed never to go back). It's true, the store is crammed with yarn and very hard to browse. That didn't stop me from finding some more Rowan though :) And seeing a 45-year-old wallet.

Finally, our last stop was Stitches in Time in Bellflower. The streets were empty - no one on the sidewalks and not many cars on the road. We got what we thought was rock star (or Doris Day) parking only to find the front door locked. Peering in, we saw people and decided to try for the back door. The owners were very friendly and they had a good selection (including a yarn called "Frisky!"). Point of note - there's a store called Hootchie Mama Party Clothing a block down on the other side of the street. Just in case you wanted to know.

Our credit cards tired and our bags full, we headed home, encountering just enough traffic to remember why we'd left LA. The goods:


The blue is slated for this:

Lady Elenor Entrelac Stole from Scarf Style

The tweedy grey for this:

Lace and Tuck Ensemble for Interweave Knits Fall 2004

And the other grey for this:

Long Shawl-collar Coat from Hollywood Knits Style
sans child of course.

Finally - Turtleneck Shrug for Hillary from stitch ya neck out is mostly done - I've run out of yarn and bound off, pending discovery of more of the yarn in the same dye lot. I'm a little disappointed in the pattern writer - it seems like everyone on the swap list who made this ran out of yarn a few inches short of the neck end. But it is cute :)

I leave you now with some WIPs:

Everything bag, side 2, from Hollywood Knits Style

Another OSW

Lace knee highs, sock 1, from Interweave Knits Winter 2004

Somewhere in there I'll be making some gifts too....somewhere....

Just further proof -

that if it exists, you can make a cozy for it. If all else fails, give 'em a cozy. Well, only if they're women....The last thing a woman wants is a cold tampon. :)

Busily knitting away at Hillary's turtleneck shrug - I fear I'm running into the same problem as everyone else. Even though I'm on gauge, I think I'm going to run out of yarn. I'm at 5" now in the neck, but the pattern calls for 8". Going to have to email Hillary and see what she thinks...

Starting also to realize I haven't started any of my winter birthday and Christmas gifts yet....uh-oh!