A Little Calorimetry

So I knit up Knitty's Calorimetry...um, like 5 times so far with these results...



http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=344757566&size=m



I say 5 times and show you two pictures. That's because I knit the stupid thing several times before getting smart (after Stilaholic Nartian mentioned board talk on this pattern...) and FINALLY checking out chat boards for comments on this! Well, my checking confirmed that yes, this will knit up huge if you follow the pattern, as printed. (Note: I contacted the designer who said she has submitted changes to Knitty...) So actually, I have three-I conveniently forgot to post my third pic! So really, there were 5 attempts and one that will not be frogged (the red). I plan to frog the Noro one because now that I have altered the pattern, I'm not using as much yarn and like the reverse colors on the skein better! My first Calorimetry attempt (not shown) was using DK weight. I miscalculated my adjustments, but at the time didn't even realize the pattern was off...thus, a HUGELY HUGE Calorimetry in a lovely tweedy green gradation. I re-knit that first attempt to come to the realization that the pattern is WAY off! So the first one sits and will also be frogged.

The good thing: 1) this is a relatively quick and easy knit, 2) the striping helps keep my interest, 3) with the revisions, this will be even more quick and easy since there will be less stitches!...

So I have joined the oversized Calorimetry Club! I have to admit that even the red is bigger than I'd like, but I already sewed a button on and have worn it a few times. I'm lazy. I'll live...

Do pairs ever really match?

Get a load of this:



I can't BELIEVE how tight I was knitting at the end of my first sock!!! Believe me, I'm NOT frogging the first one to re-do; I'll live with them the way they are! I would actually consider it if it were not for the fact that looser stitches = more yarn=joining ends/splicing =I *don't* care to do that!!! So, this one I am finishing shall be my right foot sock; the other, my left foot sock. I am thinking I must have gotten into a rhythm in finishing the first sock and was knitting more on the tips of the needles. Oh well...

Well, here are some pics...

FINALLY, some pics! See if they turn out, though...I seriously need to fix this blog!

As you may or may not notice, I only earned a 1.0 GPA; I like to think of the 2 singles as a 'pair', so I guess I can stretch it and call it a 2.0!-lol!


My Rockin' Sock Club final shipment: Rare Gems and Mustang Sally!


And my latest purchases...(acutally, there is more STR, too...shall I post pics of those, too?...

Lotsa Show and Tell

Well, I just got a new laptop and just switched my blogger account to the 'new' version-whatever that means. I haven't gotten my internet connection figured out yet, so pictures will be a challenge for a bit. But, of course, so much to share! My Rockin' Sock Club final shipment of 2006 arrived earlier in the month. In addition to our shipment color (Mustang Sally), I got a 'Rare Gems'-basically same concept as Cherry Tree Hill's "Potluck"-it is leftovers or odd balls that are either overdyed or dyed with dyes leftover from other lots. My Rare Gems is a burgundy shaded skein. I don't think there could have been a color I wouldn't have liked. I gathered my sock club socks for pictures only to find that I am quite the flunkie, with one pair plus 2 singles completed! In addition, I have quite the growing stash-what else is new?! Stilaholic Nartian is so awesome! She took a trip down to Purlescence and purchased more STR yarn for me in: Puck's Mischief, Black Onyx, and Harlotty. In addition, she GAVE me Seal Rock for Christmas!!!! I LOVE that colorway!!! Boy, it is so fun to have an equally obsessed knitting friend who is a mere flight of stairs away! So...now to see if I can get pics posted. So far, I'm having trouble just forming a new paragraph; thus, this lovely run-on entry!

Blog Diving!

Well, Stilaholic Nartianhas finished her PAIR of Kews! And Monkey1's pair, to boot! Am I lame or what? I can't seem to get past my first Kew!

And I even checked out my lil' bro's blog and he actually has updated it recently!

So everyone else progresses and I feel like I've not got much done at all! This past weekend I had bad lace knitting karma and am not feeling too great about that, but at least with the Kew, I can easily frog back the few rows where the chart and I parted ways and get back on board! As for the shawl...? Ah, not sure I'm up to the challenge in dealing with that one! I need to just work on some plain stockinette, huh?...

Color themes and other knitting aspirations

Well here is the progress on my Rooster Rock Kews:



Yeah, down to the heel flap on the first sock and that's it right now! Meanwhile, my KAL buddy had knit along to some other project since she has finished her pair! Take a look: http://stilaholicnartianknits.blogspot.com

This is the "Sock 1" previously mentioned which continued to stripe, but in a bit fuller ribboning, since I loosened my tension a bit. Much better than pooley Sock2.

And do you notice a similarity in the color scheme going on here?



Velvet Cake! This is the accompanying 'focus project' that shares the ziplock baggie with the Rooster Rock kew. It's the beginning of a top (Rebecca No. 22) which I am hoping will one day actually BE the a top! I'll try to maintain my focus, though the STR pink granite I just got is calling me big-time!

The good news? The pink ribbon socks are done and two of the 2 pair of toddler socks I was "Extreme knitting" (sock within a sock) are finished. I liberated the first two after finding the second joining and decided I needed to finish them separately. I did decide to be crazy and do the seconds at the same time (sock within a sock...) just so I could say I did a whole pair in this manner. And of course, once they are done, never to do them that way again unless I suddenly were stuck on a desert island with no other knitting or needles and trying to make it take as long as possible to do...

Socktoberfest continues!

Well I just read that Lolly is going to keep Socktoberfest going! At least at Flickr! This is great because I was feeling like a big looser for not finishing the second sock of my Breast Cancer Ribbon socks I had started a year (or two?) ago. I would have finished the second sock by the end of October, but I realized I had forgotten to add the reinforcement yarn in the toes and tore back the decreases. I was so tired working on them last nigh that I couldn't keep track of my decreases and finally put it down and decided I didn't need to be anal about finishing the damn sock by EOM!

So here is my progress...


And, in case anyone is searching for pics, here is the October "Don't Come A Knockin'" Socks that Rock Club shipment.


I haven't gotten very far with my Titania's Revenge socks, and may shelf those and work on this kit first, since it is med. wt and will knit up quicker! (Yes-always a plan!-lol!) But...to finish this pink ribbon sock first, a hat for a friend's grand daughter, and hmmm...I think I'd better seam a fluffy baby 'jacket' or I may end up being shamed by the mother into doing it! But have no fear! I am always knitting on ten million things at once!

Dare I share?

OK, look at this!


I don't like to swatch-especially for socks because they are most usually stating the gauge "in the round", so I just go ahead and knit the sock as if it were the gauge. In this case, in order to decide which needles to use, I swatched small swatches back and forth. I settled on the size 0 which were giving me a near perfect gauge.

As the sock knit up, the STR Rooster Rock colorway was looking awfully cool and I was really liking this sock.

Then I tried it on. It seemed a bit tight. Crap.

I decided to go up to size 1 (Clover, so they are 2.25, not 2.5mm...). For some reason, I think that going up a size needle made the gauge bigger not just by virtue of a larger size, but also because my hands somehow started knitting looser. (Or perhaps, the size 0 encouraged a tighter knitting?...or the lovely tiny pointed ends and slick smooth surface of the 0's encouraged a tighter grasp or playing the stitches closer to the tinier tips of the needles making for the tighter gauge?...) Of course, this (acheiving a looser gauge) was the point, and the fit "seemed" to be better. The colorway started out looking interesting and I kept knitting despite the fact that they appeared to be pooling. I kept thinking, "this isn't really pooling, it will just end up a broader, twisted type striping!"

I got to the last repeat of lace and guess what? I don't see the pooling becoming streams of ribbon colors!

I'm not one to get all upset about pooling, but look how much more gorgeous Sock 1 is to the larger gauge sock?

So again, I decide to try on Sock 1 without the needles sticking around in it. I put the stitches on waste yarn and, though a bit snug, I decided it fits afterall! Yeah, it fits 'afterall'! (I decided it really isn't as snug as I first feared or imagined, but I will admit it could be a bit roomier...) But guess what? I'll sacrafice a bit looser fit for that awesome striping I'm getting with Sock 1! Shallow, aren't I?

Of course, I won't frog Sock 2 until I am *really* sure Sock 1 is a go! Somehow, I fear this could be the beginning of a very long frogging adventure. I hope not. But then again, this could all just be a swatch, right?...

A "Four" Meme...and ANOTHER Sock started!

A fellow Socknitter had posted a little quip I found entertaining, so I blogdove over to her site...

She tagged anyone who knew her blog exists, so I thought it'd be fun to participate!

Four Jobs I’ve had:

1) McDonald's-gotta list that first job-and I was damn good at slinging McMuffins!
2) Office Assistant at an Orthodontic Office
3) Executive Director of the San Diego State College of Business Internship Bureau
(I like this one the best-it sounds so 'BIG'-lol!)
4) Rental Car Agent


Four movies I can watch over and over:

1) Cinema Paradiso
2) Lilo and Stitch (and with a 6yo, I've done this!)
3) Lord of the Rings -any and all
4) Harry Potter -any and all!

Four places I have lived:

San Francisco, CA
San Diego, CA
Honolulu, HI (if summer school counts, otherwise I can only list 2...)
Fairfield, CA (I list this for the above reason and because I would spend weekends and a good portion of summers there at my grandparent's...)

Four Television Shows I love to watch:

Law and Order
Star Trek
South Park
DIY-Carol Duvall Show and other crafty shows

(I actually don't even watch much tv, but these are shows that are the most watched and that I enjoy)

Four places I have been on Vacation:

Tahiti-that's the big one!
Hawaii-no, not counting summer school!
Europe
Louisianna


Four of my favourite dishes:

Cheesecake-oh!-maybe that's not a 'dish', huh? OK, then...
Honey Walnut Prawns
Tomatoe Beef Chow Mein
Lasagne
Prime Rib


Four Websites I visit (almost) daily:
Yahoo Mail
Google
My Blog
The Socks that Rock KAL

Four Places I would rather be right now:

Home
A yarn store (stolen from the person I took this meme from!)
San Diego
Italy

Four bloggers I am tagging:

Stilaholic Nartian Knits
BeadLizard
Anyone else who decided to read through this!


And Guess What I did this weekend?...

As promised...or did I threaten? I went ahead and started yet another sock! Ta-dah! Behold, the Kew socks knit using my new Rooster Rock STR colorway! YAY! I love the way this pattern is working with the Rooster Rock-nice and Autumny! And you all need to check out how good the Nodding Violet looks in this pattern, too! I'm harassing Stilaholic Nartian to put pics of hers up, too! They are looking fantabulous in that colorway, as well! More of a Spring Garden variety of leaves with the purples, blues and greens...

And yes, this pic also provided for your pleasure via the scanner!

Signs of Compulsive Behaviour...

I was just reading the Soctoberfest board under the How Many Different Socks do you have on the needles? topic, went home and discovered-gasp!-I have EIGHTEEN OTN! Then I remembered 2 others! I'm so sick...

And what just got posted at Knitty? Kew-a new sock pattern!

You would think that with this new knowledge and realization as to how many socks I have started and unfinished, I would not even consider starting a new sock! Not so, as I am dying to cast these on and proceeded to shoot an email to Stilaholic Nartian proposing we both do these-our own little KAL! Talk about ADD and compulsive behaviour! But don't you think...perhaps the Rooster Rock?? I'm going to have to visit my stash and see...

BTW, in looking through my UFO's (or are they KIPs?...where does one start and the other begin? are they one in the same?...) I came across my skein of silk Opal and a couple of the glittery self-striping stuff and remembered other sock yarns in a box downstairs...Like I said, I'm sick and there is no way anyone will be able to see my whole sock yarn stash!

Here's another thing: in working on a KPPPM sock for my sister, I realized that the 2 skeins are rather small and may not be enough for my sister's size 8 socks I'm working on. I normally don't worry about yardage, since I wear size 6, so it is a foreign concept to have such sock worries on my mind. At any rate, it does finally come to mind and I start to think about and worry about future yarn shortage for this pair. Well this is the sick part: the worry lasted for a bit in the back of my mind, but once I realized that I would have to do the toes in a different color, I actually got excited about the possibility of not having enough yarn-that meant I would have an excuse to shop for a suitable companion yarn for the toes! Yes, I'm that sick...I think my purpose in life is to make others feel good about themselves! (You know-there is always someone worse than you out there and I'm that person!)

Flashing the Stash for Socktoberfest!

I'm ashamed to admit that I am one of those persons whose sock stash cannot be shown in one picture nor gathered together at once! I grabbed as much of it from a couple of places in my bedroom, took out the new stuff I already showed off, then divided roughly into handpainteds, solids (roughly) and self-striping/variegated. I can't beleve how much time it took just to resurrect most of it-then I couldn't get it all back where it came from! How'd that happen? My original intent and justification for taking the time to do this was that I could re-organize alot of the stash and make it fit better into the various nooks and crannies where they were placed! Not so, apparently...

Here are some of my handpainteds: STR, Lorna's Laces, Mountain Colors Bearfoot, Lisa Souza, Cherry Tree Hill...
Hand-painteds 


Mostly solids...I just love the Merino 2000! Washes up really well for socks! Missing from this lot are all the solid sock yarns I got from Elann.com. My Kool-Aid dyed and Easter Egg leftovers dyed yarns have been tossed in the front. Some awesome cashmere mixed in!

Mostly solids; a couple of my home-dyed in front 


I do still love seeing the patterning and colors reveal themselves with the self-striping variety, though I just haven't been as motivated to knit them as I have been to challenge myself with textures and cables which generally aren't the best patterns for the self-striping stuff...but here is my variety...

Self-striping and variegated 


Well! That doesn't look so bad, now does it? Of course, as I said, I left out all the other yarns that I already earlier posted: KPPPM, some STR, etc...And this is not all of my yarn stash-none of the Cascade Fixation/Elann Fixation-like are shown. I also have more self-striping and probably solids that are around and not shown, either. But let's pretend that's all of it, shall we?

Moving on...

Here are the Socktoberfest Questions:

Do you have certain patterns planned for some of the yarns? Some, yes, others, no...and still others I planned after finding patterns and looking through my stash.

Do you buy yarn and then choose a pattern?With my sock stash, for the most part, yes. However, I find that after purchasing a gazillion self-patterning when I first started sock knitting, I started adding to my sock stash based on type of pattern. e.g., solids and lights for more textured socks or to show off a cabled pattern I might have in the back of my mind to knit, sportweight solids for quicker knits, etc...

Does a certain sock yarn you have in your stash take you back to a certain event? (where you were when you bought/received it? what was going on in your life at the time!)Some do. I can mostly remember where and when I bought the yarn-envision the petting, the drooling and the cave-in, the excuse for/of purchasing! Time-wise, I don't necessarily have any memories attached, though my first Koigu PPPM I completely remember buying-my first sock yarn and purchased at Stitches West from Foxy Knits! Ah, yes...the start of it all!

Because I care enough to share the very best...

Oh, My! How did these get here? 


MORE STR, you may ask? Well, you see...it's like this: I was planning on getting a few more skeins and then I find out that a somewhat LYS is opening in the area and will be carrying STR-what's a STRer to do?! There the skeins were, staring me in the face! IT'S ALL Stilaholic Nartian's fault! She knows I'm weak! She knows all you have to say is 'yarn sale' and I'll follow you anywhere-even an hour drive from home! And if it's STR, well, it's all over! In her defense, (like I said...) I had been planning a STR purchase in the near future, so actually she SAVED me money-I didn't have to pay shipping on these skeins! (Gas money doesn't count, right?) So there you have it! New yarn (a Malabrigo thrown in...) from a new store, Purlescence, that just opened in Sunnyvale, CA! Looks like they are the lucky store to get distribution rights in Northern California!

Highlights of my store visit:
-I got to pet the BMFA "Bambu" yarn-oh so soft!
-I met Cookie A. of Knitter's Anonymouswho probably thinks I'm nuts, but I had to introduce myself and show her my Hedera socks which I wore there in case I saw her!
-I got to check out other BMFA yarns!
-I got to see my bud (and most talented, knowledgable), Sylvia and catch up with her! I got to meet her DD who is as tall as Sylvia says! And she is darling!
-I met a wonderfully awesome knitter who helped me with my Puck's Mischief sock heel*

*more on that, later, as my mystery is actually only 1/2 solved now!

So let me show you what my skeins look like!...

The dirty details...STR in Moonlight Revel, Carbon Dating and Rooster Rock. Malabrigo Stonechat 


My little brother was in town this weekend and look what he brought from downtown?

Can you tell this was a good weekend?! 


And look what else I need to share?

Gluttony comes in all forms! 


Finally, yes, I have been doing some sock knitting...Finally doing some Jaywalkers using Fleece Artists Merino Sock, Baltic Sea colorway...(I actually didn't like this colorway much but decided to 'go outside the box'! Glad I did cuz I think it is looking pretty awesome knit up!)

It's not always about just buying... 

"Xtreme" Knitting?

Yeah, like Xtreme PITA!-lol!

OK, first of all-yes, these socks look nothing like the colors of the beginnings of my DK socks I earlier showed you. That's cuz they're not! I couldn't find the beginnings I started last week and ended up stash diving to find more 'kid sock' yarn colors I didn't mind giving up for this project.

So, look how far I've gotten...?

Look how far I made it! 


And see what I am now showing you?...Yes, Miss Smarty-Pants me decided that I no longer needed to check between the two fabrics to make sure they weren't stuck together. Luckily, I didn't wait too much longer before checking again, yet it was long enough! At least 1 1/4"-1 1/2" to tear back! If that wasn't enough, the join ended up right at the gussett decreases! ARGH! Why not at some straight portion?

The other side that I 'neglected' to show you! 


I messed around with the two fabrics and did my best to repair the damage. I figured as long as the stitch count comes out right, I really don't care how perfect the gusset decreases are. After all, won't a kid be happy to have something warm on their feet? Who cares if the gussets lack perfection, right? So, that said...

This is as good as it gets! 


Criminal, I tell you!

So this is my assessment thusfar of this technique:

1) I am glad I am doing this project so that I can learn this technique.
2) I will probably never apply this to sock knitting
3) I don't understand what sane person would prefer this method to others-buy an extra set of needles! Don't be so cheap, damn it!
4) I could knit the pair at the same time more quickly doing them on two sets of DPNs or circs-carrying the yarn front and back wastes time and drives you nuts
5) The risk of having your socks ending up stuck together and having to waste time fixing TWO socks far outweighs any benefits
6) I'm questioning the effect on gauge when knitting in this manner-I will refrain from judging whether it has an effect or not until this set is complete
7) If the gauge is not affected (see 6 above), I could see the benefits of perhaps knitting sleeves in this manner-it would drive me less bonkers than knitting 2 sleeves in the round on 2 circs (which I am currently doing!)

Th-th-th-that's All Folks!

Socktoberfest is Here!

I'm so shameful. Here it is, October 4, I posted on the 2nd and all I could do is whine and obsess and forget to mention Socktober fest altogether!

Well, I'm ready to Socktober Fest! Here are Lolly's questions...

When did you start making socks? After telling a overly zealous saleswoman at a LYS (quite curtly, at that) that I had no interest in doing anything in that small of a gauge (I only do large gauge!) when she gushed about Koigu and how her dream was to have a whole drawer full of Koigu socks by Christmas (hmm...this must have been Fall of 2002...). I bought my first sock pattern and Koigu KPPPM at the following Stitches West in February 2003! Shortly thereafter, the journey began!

Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class? 100% self-taught; first via the Ann Norling pattern I bought at SW (basic cuff-down), then via on-line tutorials and other patterns where I learned 2 on 2 and all the details. One gal at a LYS told me she taught herself Magic Loop by looking at the cover of the Magic Loop book and said it was very instinctual. I looked at the cover and did the same.

What was your first pair? Ann Norling basic in Koigu PPPM. How have they "held up" over time? They are still worn by me and are wonderfully soft.

What would you have done differently? I was told by a woman at Foxy Knits (at SW; they sell only Koigu)that though the yarn called for size 3 needles, she preferred knitting her socks on size 2 1/2. Me being 'so smart' decided on my first sock that since: 1)I had gone down a 1/2 needle size already and 2) I have chubby, wide feet...that I should not decrease down to my original 64 stitches and instead only go down to 66 or 68...! Needless to say, my "intellegence" resulted in my first sock being a bit too loose. Luckily, I decided to knit my second sock properly, rather than have both too wide...So one sock is larger than the other!

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed? Definitely Socks that Rock (STR)! Also, "Seduction", which (like STR)is another Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn, only a merino/tencel blend. Lovely to work with, looks wonderful and washed up well...but, IMHO, at around $32 a skein (vs. $19 for STR), too luxurious to again use for socks! Love Fleece Artist Merino sock and was pleasantly surprised at how nice the Jawoll felt to knit with! Also love Zara and Print 2000 for heavier wt. socks! Washes up like a dream!

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method? Haven't tried crochet yet, and don't really much have the desire to. I mostly prefer DPNs, but will use whatever needles are around and do own the tiny sized circs, too. HATE 2 on 2 circs-just don't like having to keep untwisting the two strands of yarn!

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?) So far, I definitely lean towards flap.

How many pairs have you made? 13 pair that I can recall, and have around 3-5 singles that I can think of.

And here is my extra comment...
What am I currently doing for Socktoberfest? Well, at this point, I thought it would be good to try and finish at least one single sock to make a complete pair. Second, I was inspired by the Extreme Knitting article in Knitty and will attempt 2 pairs of toddler socks (if I am able to master this Double Knitting technique) to donate to CIC or some other charity.

This is as far as I've gotten...Just figuring out the cast-on took a bit of time for me! YIKES! Let's see if I can even get this monster joined!

Now to join in the round... 

I know...I keep harping on this...

I've progressed on my Carnations and Cranberries socks in the Apple Laine Apple Pie yarn. I keep finding funking portions of slubs that come up, but I continued to knit. I'm still not convinced that this particular skein isn't some mill end, but it certainly does knit up nicely and feels so soft!

Here's a 'slub' that I was talking about...

The look of a 'slub'... 


And another...
Still obsessing 


Maybe you can see it as stitches on the needle...am I just being obsessive? Probably, huh...
10th and 12th stitches in...do you see what I see? 


This pic is as good as I could get to show the slubbies sticking out in the knit fabric. Subtle, but still there...
Follow the points of the needles (lower right and left) 
src='http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/151/6467/400/DSCF0669.jpg'>

This is a bit lighter...maybe you can see the chubby stitches better?
A bit better...? 

At Your Request! A Full Service KPPPM Show!

So I have publically admitted having a Koigu PPPM sub-stash of yarn, so I guess I will reveal it. I think this is about the rest of it, save a couple of colors currently living as "WIPs"-or would it be "UFOs"...? At any rate, those will get posted eventually!

Following are the wound skeins-can you see the various color schemes I was working in when I chose thees? Can you also now understand *why* I needed to purchase the pinkish and periwinkle/bluish skeins? I *had* to broaden my Koigu palette, don't you think? The far left color is actually not as black as it looks. Kind of more of a burgundy-black look to it.

And more Koigu PPPM! 


And more Koigu with a splash of Shelridge Farms and Twisted Sister mixed in. Shelridge Farms is the greyed-out teal mix in the upper right hand corner. Twisted Sisters are the two far-right blue, greenish-brown mix. Definitely a couldn't pass-up purchase!

Koigu, Twisted Sisters and Shelridge Farms