Slow progress

Well, I wanted to show off my new Fleece Artist Merino Sock yarn, but decided to wait until I get another order (ALSO from Little Knits) so that maybe it could be disguised as one order and I won't look as much like the obsessive yarn acquistion agent that I am!

So instead, I wanted to show you the progress on my Carnations and Cranberries socks, only I am right now-literally (my computer can be slowwwwww...) tinking back a few rows! Don't you just hate when your DPN comes out and in an attempt to place the stitches back on, some stitch somehow, somewhere, someway gets messed up? So then you frog back to a place where you can safely get the stitches back on the needleS, struggle to figure where you left off, start back up on the knitting and again find yourself lost? So then you start tinking backwards still hoping to solve this whole problem and get right back on track...??Then the sock becomes a UFO because sometimes you just don't want to be bothered?! Well, I'm right about at that point before the sock goes into the UFO pile...There is still hope, but options are running thin and I am refusing to completely frog at this point.

Hmmmm...maybe I should just dig out some more of my Koigu PPPM stash and call it a night!

Just Knot Sure...

Ha ha! Get it? "knot"=not? I'm so witty today, aren't I? Well, not really, but it was my lame attempt at having a more interesting subject line. I mean, I read all these other blogs that are so witty and I think, "Why isn't my writing entertaining?" Not even as much as the others, but at least entertaining? Well, I just have to continue relying on people with this mutual obsessive knitting disorder who will find this interesting for the sheer fact that there is knitting content in it!

OK, now to further illustrate my whining about the Apple Pie yarn from Apple Laine. Here is a photo of where the knot was, and how far out it was to the splice that followed approximately 15-18 yds later...(Ball in upper left, first portion of skein...ball below, the 15-18 yds...splice is shown in yarn between tiny ball in lower corner and larger ball in upper right hand corner...



I will tell you this-the splice really seems quite strong. But you have to admit it is ugly and would have to be strategically hidden or trimmed or somthing!



BTW, after inspection of the other two Apple Pie skeins (Pastel Petals colorway...), my initial assessment is there are no knots and I didn't detect any joins. I will have to wind the skein to confirm this, but so far, so good...

To Prove I'm not always a Yarn Snob...

If you saw my earlier pic of one of the colorways of Koigu PPPM I had to buy at the last Greenwich Yarn sale, here is it's "partner in crime"--the light blueish-purple skeins! Also, here are some other KPPPM I purchased a while back...just to reiforce that I don't need *more* Koigu! (This is not my complete "KPPPM Stash"-yes, another sock yarn sub-stash!)

Oh-and the fluffy purply-blue (to the left of the blue KPPPM) is the other half of my Northern Sunshine Designs order for Apple Laine's Apple Pie yarn, shown in "Pastel Petals". Is it not gorgeous? I love the colors!

And to prove I'm easy, just look--it doesn't have to be handpainted pricey yarn for me to buy it! It just has to be attractive sock yarn or cheap sock yarn or...BOTH! Observe my latest stash enhancements from Knitpicks...Gloss, Dancing and Essential Tweed herein represented. I'm sick. I know it. That's all I'll say...

Yeah! More new sock yarn!

What would life be like without new sock yarns to try? I have purchased patterns from Northern Sunshine Designs, and now they are carrying Apple Laine yarn! Had to try, no? This is a wool, silk, mohair (uck-I can't breath the stuff in normally...), nylon blend. I purchased 4 skeins-enough for 2 pairs of socks! This is the Arizona colorway and I'm knitting them using the "Carnations and Cranberries" pattern. So far, I'm quite happy with the way this yarn knits up and the soft feel and the sheen of it!

The bad side: (now, I know knots happen in skeins...) BUT...one of my 2 skeins had a knot almost 1/2 way through...then about another 15 yards down, a splice! The splice seems strong enough, but has a bit of a 'shaggy' edge to it. I'm still contemplating the course of action to take. Probably will cut the splice out and join the two broken ends.

The other skein has no knots, but I so far have (twice since starting this pair) come a cross some slightly thicker portions that feel suspiciously like really good splices...I kept knitting and am confident they will stay and that I don't need to cut and splice on my own. So basically, I like this yarn and the colors, but will have to see how the other two skeins are and decide what my final verdict is regarding whether I'd buy more...


Sometimes it's easier just to throw the stuff onto a scanner bed; amazing the pics you can get just scanning vs. using a digital camera! I adjusted the color a tad; in real-life, the yarn color is a bit lighter than how it comes out as shown in the background sock...but then again, "it all depends on your individual computer monitor, blah, blah, blah..."

Puck's Mischief and a sewn project!

Earlier I posted about my new Puck's Mischief STR colorway. I couldn't resist and had to start knitting it up, so here is how far I've gotten
On the left is a toe-up sock knit in the STR Citrine colorway. The other two are my toe-up "Jasper" socks in...PUCK'S MISCHIEF! I started on one heel and am not sure a) if I am doing it correctly and b) if I actually like this type of heel...I may have to examine other toe-up heels to consider because I don't think I'm sold on this one...I guess that means I'm at a stand-still for now! RATS!

OH! and remember how I'm getting re-interested in sewing? Here is what I recently made for my spoiled Only Emperor Child
I made the shorts, too. Guess what The Mighty Emperor told me? They need to be SOFTER! SOFTER! (I think the kid is thinking fleece for his oh-so-tender skin!) Well, I'm proud I finished it, despite the fact that I still need to put snaps or buttons on the top!

This weekend's project...

Well, I noticed this pattern at Simply Socks Yarn Company (http://simplysockyarn.com) and bought two skeins of "Gramercy" to complete them. I didn't realize that the Gramercy is a DK wt, vs. Chelsea which is a sport weight. Luckily, I may be able to barely SQUEEZE a pair out of the 2 skeins and if I'd realized earlier, I would have worked the cuffs about 1/2" - 1" shorter...Oh well...This is the first time for me doing this type of heel. At this point, I still prefer heel flaps. Maybe after the second sock, I'll feel differently. As for the pattern, it has been interesting to do, but I've definitely had to concentrate on it. It is an 8 row repeat and while knitting the cuff, you have to shift the beginning and end stitches alternately every 4th row or so. This may be a cinch for advanced knitters, but I found that this is not the type of pattern to start and set down for too long cuz you could easily loose track of your place! In fact, I did! I started this a while ago and over the weekend; while trying to pick back up where I left off, I decided that the prudent thing was to rip out the 1 1/2" or so that I had created and start again from the beginning. This is as much as I was able to complete over the weekend...




Lily Chin "Chelsea Cabled Socks"-only I didn't use "Chelsea"... 

I guess I've never confessed to the fact that I also subscribe to the Yarn of the Month Club. It's fun to get the yarn to play with, but quite frankly, I haven't done much swatching and am starting to come to the conclusion that it is not for me. I just don't have the time to play with the yarn and design a bunch of stuff. I did learn of a stretchy, fuzzy, fine yarn from Mango Moon called "Capelli", which I think would be an EXCELLENT "Kidsilk" substitue for those of us that are allergic to mohair, so that's one way the club has been great... But here's the shipment I just got...


My recent "Yarn of the Month" club shipment... 

And yes, more true confessions...I hit the end of the Greenwich Yarn sale-literally! My friend and I were there the hour of the last day of the sale and they even stayed open an hour longer for us! Now, if it wasn't enough that I purchased more sale yarn than I should have, I definitely did NOT have to throw the 4 skeins of Koigu in with the haul-but I did. And here are two of the four I purchased. The other two are a bluish color and maybe one day I will dig it out and it will be posted...but for now, my latest Koigu PPPM...


Always adding to my stash...