Two and a half
That’s how many pairs of socks I knit while writing/testing this pattern! You’ve already seen the green and gray pair I knit for my Hogwarts secret pal last year. Here’s a better picture of the stitch pattern that I didn’t show you at that time. Amelia’s socks were size Medium.
I used the leftovers (Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Pewter) to test the Wide size. What you don’t see in this picture is that I ran out of yarn. No surprise there, since I didn’t have an entire skein to work with. Only the toe needed to be completed, so I had my Mom try them on, and they fit very well. Continue reading »
designs, knitting | 12 stitchesVirtual Vacation
I got to visit West Virginia, courtesy of Heather C, for the Knitter’s Virtual Vacation Swap!
The first thing I saw when I opened the box was this cute pink mesh tote. Continue reading »
knitting, secret pals or swaps | 8 stitchesRed Ribs and Cables
These are my first pair of socks completed in about two months. I didn’t think I would be happy with a sock break, but it really helped! In fact, I’ve already started a new pair, this time for gift-giving later this year. Still in the works are the socks for my Hogwarts Sock Swap TWO pal; I must get back to those soon!
The pattern I used is from Sockamania Club KAL; it’s a nice combination of wide ribbing and cables. It was pure luck that these characteristics matched my sock pal’s preferences perfectly. These also qualify for the Socks in the Cities KAL. (I met the hostess, Sarah W, last weekend at The Yarnery, fun!)
This is actually my first time using cables in socks. I don’t think I did too badly. Since this cable is on a stockinette background, it doesn’t pop as much as it would on a purl background. I rather like this subtle effect, which fits the pattern name well.
In these last two pictures, the hint of purple in the reds is more apparent than in other pictures. Oh, and these socks were knit toe-up.
I had extra motivation to finish these quickly so I could mail them off to their new owner overseas without much delay. Fingers crossed, I hope they fit!
knitting, socks | 13 stitchesPeach Cuties
This week, I’ve got Jury Duty. I have no idea if I will be selected to sit on a jury, but I suspect I’ll get a lot of knitting done while waiting. I’m planning to take Big Christmas Gift #1 to work on; my goal is to finish a big chunk if not the whole thing.
Meanwhile, here’s a FO report. I decided to knit up a couple of cute, little pieces for my Knitter’s Virtual Vacation Swap downstream pal, blog-free Rachell, who’s expecting a baby in November.
These are knit with Panda Wool in the Saffron colorway. I chose this color because it was light and gender-neutral but not pastel or babyish.
The pattern gives instructions for the hat to be worked flat and then seamed. I hated the thought of a seam on a baby hat, so I knit it in the round. For the most part, it worked out well, but I mis-translated the garter border for the lace edging as stockinette. It doesn’t look too bad, and I made sure to match this ‘design feature’ on the booties.
These are the first bootees I’ve knit in this style. Admittedly, I never really was a fan of these squarish baby shoes because they remind me of Frankenstein. Now that I have completed a pair, I think they’re cute as heck.
(Ugh… these pictures are blurry in places. I didn’t notice when edited them, my eyeglasses must have been dirty!)
baby stuff, knitting | 12 stitches
All Hail Caesar!
The mosaic socks for my Sockapalooooza pal are finished! I’m ever so pleased with how these turned out.
knitting, secret pals or swaps, socks | 25 stitchesHogwarts SS2 Questionnaire
We’re in the middle of Harry Potter mania with the newly-released movie and the soon-to-be-released final volume. I enjoyed the Hogwarts Sock Swap and after much deliberation decided to sign up again for Hogwarts Sock SwapTWO. This time around, I’ll be a Second Year, and interestingly enough, I’ve been transferred into Slytherin House. (Silencio! No booing or hissing.)
This swap runs from August 1 to October 31. Rebecca Deputy Headmistress McGonagall has modified the swap objectives to keep things interesting.
Goblet of Fire
Owl Post made a delivery last week! I eagerly opened up the box from my Hogwarts Sock Swap pal Tanya to find several packages wrapped in purple and green, natch. These colors have nothing to do with Hogwarts, but happen to be one of my favorite color combinations. Which to open first??
knitting | 14 stitchesDecisions, decisions (Part Two)
It took a while, but I finished swatching the possible color combinations I had chosen for my Sockapalooooza pal’s socks. A few quick pictures will show how the swatches turned out.
knitting | 17 stitchesDecisions, decisions (Part One)
I’ve been thinking about what to knit for my Sockapalooooza pal. I browsed through Knitty, MagKnits, and Nancy Bush’s books for inspiration.
Nothing seemed right until I happened across a sample at Knit Picks of all places.
knitting, socks | 12 stitchesSocks for Hufflepuff
Finished up my socks for my Hufflepuff pal in the Hogwarts Sock Swap last week. I really like this simple chevron rib pattern and would love to knit myself a pair someday.
knitting, socks | 10 stitches
