The Land of Wool and Honey

The Zealous Knitter

When I left work on Saturday night, I packed four projects to take home for the rest of the "weekend"--a shawl to finish, a pair of socks to start, a crewelwork project to wrap up and a cross stitch sampler to start, both a birthday present to myself and a reward once I've finished the crewelwork.

I'm always so blissed out by the idea of a day off, I invariably pack my schedule with an obscene amount of stitchwork.  Like I'm on vacation.  Like I don't have six loads of laundry, three weeks worth of dust buffalo to vacuum or a bathroom to deep clean have no other obligations in life.  Like there's a chance I'm going to run out of something to do.

It's obvious to me now that I am unequivocally delusional about the amount of stitching my two hands can manage over the course of 41 hours. 

But still.  I managed to cast on and knit about five inches on a new sock (a gift for someone I'm fairly certain does not read this blog) and I alllllllmost finished the X on my sampler last night while watching several episodes of Rome, Season 1.

(This is an older picture of the sampler.  With just three letters left, I've been at a standstill since mid-February.  What's wrong with me?!?)

At least no one can say I lack ambition.  But endurance, wherewithal, stick-to-itiveness? 

Perhaps.

Start, (Start to) Finish

Started a new project on Saturday,

and dug another from the depths.

 I feel like being productive this week--there's a chance I might have two projects by the end of it.

Smoke and Mirrors

Behold!  The first finished object of 2012!

It's okay.  Roll your eyes.  (I can't see you.)

Project:  Plain Olde Vanilla Socks (my own simpleton pattern), made infinitely more exciting by Faux Fair Isle Sock Yarn.  Just one more deceptive yet quintessential tool in a knitter's secret arsenal.  (Well.  Shoot.  Technically, it's no longer a secret.)

Started: Yikes...sometime in 2008?  I'd rather not say.

Finished: January 19th, 2012.  

Yarn: Online SuperSocke, ball band discarded long, long ago.

Needles: Sox Stix in Rosewood, US 1 (2.25 mm).

Size: US 7 1/2 to fit my mom--they were her birthday present (last Friday, the 13th).

Somehow, I feel a bit lighter now that these socks are finally finished.  Not only have I fulfilled my daughterly obligation to knit at least one pair of socks for my mother every year, but I freed up one more pair of needles. 

2012, you're looking up.

Fireside Slipper Socks

Now that my Christmas tree is up (white lights, homemade ornaments and all,) I am trying to think of any way I can to stay home, curl up in front of our wood stove and stay there.  Indefinitely.  I want to cozy up with all of my creature comforts--hot, spicy cider, a sleepy kitty, baskets of knitting and thick, cozy socks.  

I designed these slipper socks specifically for winter moments--they're heavier than fit-in-your-shoes socks, but because the cuff is short and the needles are large, they may just be the perfect thing to knit yourself for the Christmas holiday.

Project: Fireside Slipper Socks by yours truly.  

Started: November 1st, 2011

Finished: November 3rd, 2011

Yarn: Malabrigo Rios in Zarzamora, one skein.

Needles: Brittany US 4 dpns

Notes: The path to coziness starts here.  All I need now is a snow day.

 

Monday Round-Up

I didn't really think I'd been knitting much over the past month or so, but as it turns out, I have quite the affinity for casting on.  Dang.

(As it turns out, I also have quite the affinity for binding off, too--more on that later.)

All of these projects are future shop samples and were started sometime in early October (late September?) or later.  A few are even nearing completion.  Gasp.  

A Featherweight Cardigan in Malabrigo Lace (Burgundy).

Plain vanilla socks in Dream In Color Everlasting Sock (Amethyst, I think?)

Another Brooklet in Everlasting Sock (Chili & Bluebird--not pictured).

Another Sock Yarn Sweater in Everlasting Sock (Brilliant), though the color is not brilliant here.  Turquoise is ridiculously hard to capture.

Hark!  More WIPs!  My current favorite, which I just started on Saturday afternoon:

Millwater in The Plucky Knitter Primo Worsted (Peep Toes).

And a surprise--this week's kit for the Twelve Knits of Christmas.  It's tiny! 

Stitch by stitch, without even knowing it, it's possible to knit yourself an entire yarn shop full of samples.  Who knew?

Wordless Wednesday: Road Trip

 

Soup, Sick and Sock Yarn

Just like everyone else, one thing that always makes me feel better when I'm sick is soup.  I've made this recipe three or four times and it's a huge winner in my house.  Thought I might share it with those of you, who, like me, might have gotten hit with the crud this winter.  More than once.

Peanut Pineapple Soup from MaryJane's Farm.

{Saute:}

1 diced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

with

2 T olive oil

{Add:}

1 c. diced potatoes

2 c. vegetable broth

Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

{Add:}

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple

3 c. sliced Swiss chard*

Simmer for 10 minutes. 

{Stir in:}

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 T. Tabasco

1/2 c. fresh minced cilantro

Heat for 5 minutes.  Add salt to taste.

 

*No Swiss chard?  Try broccoli, spinach, red peppers...any combination you fancy to equal 3 cups.  I've tried all and they're equally delicious.

Sock yarn also helps.  Immensely.

Socks on Parade

Today's post brought to you by the Number Three, my favorite number.  Not sure how this happened, but I have three pairs of socks that I haven't blogged yet.  The last one was finished yesterday during a bout of insomnia.  (Or maybe the insomnia was brought on by the subconscious desire to finish the sock.  Who knows.)

1.

Pattern: BFF Socks by Cookie A.  (Arguably the easiest pattern Cookie has ever written.)

Started: December 2010.  That's all I know.

Finished: January 30th, 2011.

Yarn: Fiberphile MCN Luxe Sock, one skein in Bluebird.

Needles: Lantern Moon US 1 (2.25 mm) Rosewood dpns.

Mods:  None.  (Although I think one sock might inadvertantly be two rows longer than the other.  Whoops.)

There really isn't anything else to say about these socks other than this: if you make socks with handpainted cashmere yarn for someone, you certainly will become their BFF, if you aren't already.  Be warned.  This yarn is squooshy and awesome and on May 15th, we'll have a huge pile of it here at the shop to roll around in together.  ( I know.  It does sound like heaven.)

2.

Pattern: Monkey Socks by Cookie A.  (Second easiest pattern ever.)

Started: January 30th, 2011.

Finished: February 14th, 2011.

Yarn: Wool Candy Meringue Merino in Plum Cake,  one skein.

Mods: Not a one.  (12 rounds of twisted rib [or was that 10?], six pattern repeats before the heel flap and five pattern repeats before the toe decreasing.  I wear a US 7 1/2, Euro 38.  Fits me perfectly.)

I've knit these socks about five times in my life and I'd happily knit them again.  And again.  This is my go-to pattern whenever I'm in a yarny slump.  A little bit of patterning to prevent them from being overly simplified, but not a disgusting amount of yarning over so as to keep you from political conversations.  (Or, when knitting in certain circles, just enough yarning over to keep you from political conversations.  Ahem.) 

3.

  

Pattern: Nemesis from Knitty's Deep Fall Issue 2010.

Started: December 6, 2010.

Finished: March 8th, 2011.

Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Azules, 1 skein.

Needles: Addi Turbo US 1 (2.5 mm), 40" circular.

Mods: None.

 

Loved this pattern, although you wouldn't know it from the length of time it took me to knit these.  Sheesh.  I finished the first sock in a week--much of it while watching my sister graduate from NMU in December.  It traveled with me in my knitting bag for at least two months before I even cast on for the second.  Why?  We'll never know.     

 

But wait!  What's that I see?!?

It's a little hole in the middle of the foot. 

Actually, I would be lying if I said I just found this hole.  In fact, I knew about this almost immediately after it happened.  I don't know how it happened--I didn't drop a stitch or change my stitch count in the slightest--but there it is.  And there I was, too lazy to fix it.  I am hoping no one will see it.  (The Knitter's Prayer.)

So what do you do when you've finished all the socks on your needles? 

 

Start another.  Is that really a question?

Houston, We Have a Problem

The scene on Tuesday morning:

Ladies and gentlemen, these are my current unfinished projects.  There are 34 of them.  From closets, boxes, drawers and bags all over the shop.  (As well as the basement.  And the shower in the bathroom.)  In every little corner, cupboard and crevasse, I've managed to squirrel away some form of unfinished knitting.  I knew it was bad, but this is something.

And that's just the pile of projects that have needles inside of them.  There were many, many more (I'd say 45, if I had to guess,) but often, after I tire of the most boring/difficult/ugly projects, I pull out the needles, rip back the knitting and turn them right back into balls of yarn.  They're no longer UFOs (UnFinished Objects); they're just a part of my Stash.  (There is a science to it, if you must know.)

Pictured on the couch is the physical manifestation of my errant eye, my lusting ways.  Among the carnage are four hats, three adult sweaters, three pairs of baby booties, three pairs of fingerless mitts, three baby sweaters, two scarves, two tea cozies, one market bag, one monster and twelve pairs of unfinished socks.  Twelve.  And of those, nine pairs are just waiting for one more sock. 

For shame.

Now, you should know that I really have no intention of finishing these at all before I start my next 45 projects, but there were a few things in the pile that I figured I could tidy up rather quickly.  If for nothing else than to free up a few pairs of needles.

These were in the pile.  An almost-finished pair of Nutkins, started sometime in March. 

And these--a cute pair of baby socks also started back in March...of 2009.

So after spending about a half-hour with each project, I've got something to show for my Pile of Shame stash-diving.

Project: Nutkin Socks by Beth LaPensee.

Started: March 2010

Finished: February 2nd, 2011

Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Ravelry Red

Needles: US 0 (2.0 mm), 40" circular.  (I vaguely remember March being a month of discovery for me--I began to discover what a loose knitter I am.)

Notes:  This was my first short-row heel/toe combo and I liked knitting it.  The instructions were clear and the result is very tidy.  (Except for the holes in the gusset, which are actually quite alarming.  Most likely, I will stitch the gaps with a little bit of invisible thread.  It sort of seems like cheating, but what do you do?)  I probably wouldn't use a short-row heel for a pair of my own socks--the heel just seems so thin.  But pleasant knitting nonetheless. 

* * * * *

Project: baby socks with picot edge (my own pattern).

Started: March 2009.

Finished: February 1st, 2011.

Yarn: Claudia Handpainted in lovely pinky-brown color.  (Either Shells on the Beach or Maple Leaf--I can't remember.)

Needles: Lantern Moon Rosewood Sox Stix, US 1 (2.25 mm).

Notes: These will be a nice gift for an expectant friend, as well as a prototype for a shop kit.

* * * * *

Two down, thirty-two to go.  What problem? 

Three on Thursday

I do love lists, but I'm falling rather behind on Carole's Ten on Tuesday (ten is just so many!)  A slightly simpler version for today: Three on Thursday.  I can do three.  It's actually my favorite number. 

Three on Thursday: A Sock Triptych

These are the (sock) projects I'm currently working on.

1.  Nemesis from Knitty's Deep Fall 2010 issue.  I'm working with Malabrigo Sock, color 856 Azules.  You've seen these before, but I've since finished sock #1 and am just starting the chart on sock #2. 

 

2.  BFF socks by Cookie A.--you've also seen these on the blog before, too--but the yarn is a surprise.  (Sorry, Lindy!)  It's a beautiful indie yarn that will be debuting at the shop in February.  (Teaser: it contains cashmere!)

3.  Simple Socks for Women (my pattern), in Elizabeth's Designs Sock. 

Well, when I cast on, that's what I'm going to make.  Good intentions, what with the New Year and all.