Catching Up

For the record, Franklin Habit is a very personable, very gentle, and amazingly bright man. He genuinely cares about knitting, knitters, and all things yarn; but his areas of interest and his range of knowledge are vast. He was a delightful and appreciative visitor. I am so glad the Stockin'ettes were able to sponsor his visit and ensure Sacramento's participation in the 1000 Knitters project. Thank you to all of the guild members and non-members —and new members! — who came out last Saturday to make the day such a success. And thank you, Franklin, for being everything we hoped you would be — and so much more.

The September Sock and the Great Cast-On Discovery

And now for some catching up. Somehow, September and October zoomed right by without me blogging my socks for those months. So here's the September sock:

This is Yarntini in "Strawberry Daquiri," although it reminded me much more of a strawberry soda. The knitted-in charm is a little martini glass, which is the closest I could find to a daquiri. :)


The pattern is my favorite Wendy's Generic Toe-Up sock, but what really made me happy about these socks is the cast-on. I used Judy's Magic Cast-On for the toe, and I just *love* it! I've tried several different toe-up cast-on techniques, but this one is by far and away my favorite. It takes a bit of practice to get the gauge to match the rest of the knitting, but not a lot. And once it's done, it is absolutely invisible. (See the next pair of socks for an attempt to photograph it.)

October Corn Monkeys

I remember being fascinated when I discovered bamboo yarn a few years ago, and since then, it seems that almost anything that can be processed and twisted into a sizeable thread is fair game for knitting. So I wasn't really surprised when I found Maizy yarn at Jimmy Beans in Reno. But I was curious about it, and really liked the feel of it. It's 82% corn fiber and 18% elastic nylon. (Kind of like Fixation — soft and springy.) And absolutely perfect for Cookie A's wonderful Monkey Socks.

If these socks look a bit different than other Monkey socks you may have seen, just stand on your head and look again. See? Cookie knitted her socks top-down; I knitted these toe-up, so the pattern is up-side down. I like it! And yes, the toe is Judy's Magic Cast-On. Told ya. I'm gonna be using it for a long, long time.

Can you see the cast on?

The knitted-in marker features a glass cat's head. Yes, I know it isn't a monkey. I just liked the look of it with the yarn. The color, by the way, is "Menswear." Go figure. Who comes up with these names??

Prelude to a Visitation: Sacramento Airport

Can you guess who we are waiting for?

Here's a hint.

:)

A Weekend With Annie

It's always so much fun when a well-known knitting teacher and designer comes to town! Last weekend, the Sacramento Knitting Guild -- aka the Stockin'ettes -- played host to Annie Modesitt. Annie taught 4 classes over two days: Embellishments & Beading on Saturday, and Cables & Lace on Sunday.

I think my favorite was the embellishments portion, but I definitely picked up *a lot* of useful tips from all the sessions. In my opinion, no matter how good a knitter you are or how long you've been knitting, there are always wonderful new and different things to learn.

For instance, it is truly mind-boggling how many different cast-on and cast-off methods there are. My mom knit for 60+ years and always used the same methods. Those were the ones she used when she first learned to knit, and they were the same ones she was using when she put down her needles for the last time. (And here's a really sad thing: other than me, Mom never had another friend who knit. Pretty incredible thought today, huh?) I definitely credit the Internet for spreading new ideas, inspiring and publicizing new books, forming knitterly communities and helping new designers, teachers, and authors gain market traction. Look at the explosion of knitting/fiber-related shows and conferences. And the yarn! Well, the wild proliferation of yarns and patterns available to today's knitters just couldn't have happened without Internet buzz.

What do you think?

Anyway, Annie was a lot of fun. Her teaching method is very personable and she has lots of knitting-related stories and jokes to tell. We all had a good time and laughed while we learned.

This is Annie & me joking around with the pictures in her new book, Romantic Knits. Annie donated a full set of her books to the guild library. Thanks, Annie! We look forward to your next visit!

Great Balls o' Fire!

Here's the latest in my Summer of Magical Socks series -- the Chinese Fireball Dragon socks. The yarn is from Sunshine yarns, and for once, I don't mind the pooling and flashing in this colorway, because, after all -- it is supposed to be dragonish.

I used the "Small Capitals" stitch pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks, but did them toe-up with an inch of ribbing to finish up the leg. The stitch marker is a sterling silver dragon charm.

The dragon picture in the picture with the socks is created using a Japanese needlework method called bunka. It is done with a small hollow punch needle and a fine raveled-silk thread. I started this piece when I lived in Okinawa as a teenager, and finished it when I was in my early 20's. I never liked all the "beginner" bunka pictures with flowers and birds -- I liked the advanced ones with tsurus, tigers, and dragons. :) I made several bunka pieces while in Okinawa, and gave them to friends and relatives. I kept this dragon, but this is the first time I have ever hung it on a wall in my house. I like it. I think it will stay for a while. :)

Tag team knitting

Yesterday afternoon a mysterious little box arrived in the mail. Tag! I'm It!

It's the Ragtag Knitsters team box from Dishrag Tag, all the way from Amanda in New Hampshire. She included a beautiful spiral dishcloth, a couple of strudy skeins of dishcloth cotton, a snack to keep knitting on, and a New Hampshire postcard.

I had my needles and pattern all ready to go. Since California is the golden state, I selected the gold and white yarn and knitted up the California cloth from the amazing Rhonda K. White. I added a set of my own TopFrog stitchmarkers, a package of Jelly Bellys (the factory is just up the road a piece), a couple of balls of cotton -- and taped the box back up!

This morning the Ragtag Knitsters box is on its way to Sarah in Arizona. It should be there on Monday or so. Go Ragtag Knitsters!

Fawkes Sawkes

Thank goodness Fawkes is here to protect my feet from all of those slithery socks of late! :) This is Phoenix yarn from Sunshine Yarns. I wanted to use a stitch that reminded me of Phoenix feathers, so I decided to use a slightly modified Flying Chevron from Walker #2. I like the way it turned out. :)

It's a bit hard to see with all those flaming phoenix colors, but I know what it is. I found the sterling silver phoenix charm on eBay, painted it 24K gold, and waterproof-finished it. It dangles down the back of the heel.

I was a bit disappointed that Fawkes did not make a return appearance during the Battle of Hogwarts, but I guess when a phoenix leaves for good, that's what it really means.

I'll keep these socks around for a while, though. :)

Dedicated Harry Potter Weekend

Knitting activities have been suspended this weekend while I read Harry Potter and he Deathly Hallows. Regularly scheduled knitting will resume shortly.

Tally Ho!

I have two more finished pairs of socks! They have been blocking and drying and out of sight, and therefore, out of mind. ;)

The first pair is knitted from "Sorted into Slytherin" from Dharmafey's Cosmic Fibers. Once again, these are the softer side of the house colors, and will blend perfectly into Muggle society. I don't know how Carrie manages to dye those beautiful silver tones into a yarn, but she does a great job of it!

The next pair is the "Sorted into Hufflepuff," also from Dharmafey Cosmic Fibers. I love the rich gold and greyish black of this yarn. It makes a striking pair of socks. (That little ball of yarn at the top is my leftover yarn. Whew!) Both pair of these are toe-ups on size 0 DPNs; 64 stitches on the foot, 72 for the feather-and-fan leg.

So, now for the tallies to date:

Here are the three pair that qualify for Summer of Socks.

And here here are my completed socks for the Summer of Magical Socks. There is one pair from each Hogwarts house plus the Heir of Slytherin. Hmmm. Maybe it's a good thing that I have a pair of phoenix socks on my needles right now. . .

Heir of Slytherin Socks

My Sockret Pal Beth E has extended her craft repertoire to include yarn dying. For her very first project, she created some excellent self-striping Slytherin-themed yarn, and knitted up some very slithery socks. Then, because she is a Slytherin who actually paid attention to the Sorting Hat's message about inter-house cooperation and friendship, she generously sent me enough to make my own slythery socks, even though I was sorted into Gryffindor. (I am positive this is exactly the kind of thing the Hat was referring to.) :)

So here they are — the Heir of Slytherin socks! I used the basic Broadripple pattern, as Beth did for hers, and I used size 2 DPNs. I also made them toe-up, which reversed the pattern. And I used a short-row heel. I like the effect! I think it looks very reptilian and shows off Beth's beautiful stripes. The knit-in marker is black onyx with a green Swarovski crystal. I washed them, blocked them, and folded them neatly in my sock drawer.

These are my 3rd pair of Summer of Socks socks, and the 5th in my Summer of Magical Socks series.

Later, as I was passing by, I heard a hissy-kind of voice issuing from the room where the socks are stored. I couldn't understand what the voice was saying — but it could have been speaking Parseltongue.

When I entered the room, I saw this . . .

Oh, Yeah — May

I was looking back over my Socks-of-the-Month project and noticed I had neglected to publish a photo of my socks for May. So here they are. These are Cascade Yarns Sassy Stripes in colorway 713, and they took two skeins.

In my defense, May was a crazy month for me personally. And as I (finally) recalled these socks, I remember why I was so ready to get them over and done with. For one thing, I could hardly wait to get my needles going on my Harry Potter yarn collection. :) And I had some gift knitting to complete. :) But the main reason I wanted to get these socks over with is because there was a knot in the first skein, and, missing between the knotted ends, an entire wide green stripe. :( And you know how my stripes just gotta match. Fortunately, there was (just) enough extra yarn to wind down to the next sequence and create a match, but the whole rest of the time I knit these socks I worried about finding another knot, and wondering what effect it might have on the striping, and if I would have enough leftover yarn to fix it.

As it turned out, there were no more knots, and I finished the socks, breathed a sigh of relief — and promptly dismissed them from my mind. I didn't even recall them when I said that I had had pretty good luck —up to now— with commercial self-striping yarn. Ah, well. Sometimes a poor memory is not a bad thing.

I knit to relax and clear my mind. I find self-striping yarns very soothing as the pretty colors slip through my fingers and form beautiful, orderly patterns flowing from my needles. It's a very meditative and calming experience for me, and the simple knitting requires very little technical attention. I guess that is why I'm a bit resentful when the yarn patterns break unexpectedly and create chaotic results. Its as if someone scuffed up the neatly raked sand patterns in a Japanese garden, or inserted a raucous heavy metal sequence in a Mozart symphony.

Well, enough of this. Anyway, the May socks are done — and I am really enjoying my Summer of Magical Socks!

Summer of Magical Socks Update

This sock yarn— which stripes very nicely, by the way — is from Darmafey's Cosmic Fibers, an Etsy shop. It is her "Sorted into Ravenclaw" colorway, and although it is not at all metallic, you can tell that the silver color really is supposed to be silver and not just gray. These soft colors transcend the Harry Potter genre, and make great all-purpose socks. Kinda like Harry Potter stealth socks — muggles would never suspect their magical origins. :)

The stitch marker is another of the tile wine glass markers I found on eBay. (The seller is taking time off from eBay to have a baby, but here's the URL.) This time, I filed a groove around the edge of the tile and fitted a wire into the groove. The tile is varnished to render it waterproof.

The socks themselves are my favorite Wendy's generic toe-up sock pattern — with feather & fan leg, short-row heel, and a turned-picot hem. I used a provisional cast-on. There are 64 stitches in the foot and 72 in the feather-and-fan portion. I used size 0 Knit Picks DPNs.

Next up? My "Sorted into Slytherin" socks are blocking tonight, and I'm already working on the second "Sorted into Hufflepuff " sock!

A Tale of Two Socks

I really, really, really like self-striping sock yarn. I've had OK luck with self-stripers from big yarn companies (up 'til now), but my preference is for the smaller, independent dyers. It's a lot of work creating a nice self-striping yarn, and I truly admire those who do it well and take pride in it. My June sock experience only increased this admiration.

I received a beautiful skein of Tofutsies in two of my favorite colors, pink & lavender, as a much-appreciated gift. Taking a time-out from woolen Magical Socks, I decided the lighter-weight Tofutsies would be the perfect travel project to take on my trip to Florida. The first sock was delightful:

The second sock was kind of a surprise:

A very deep pool!! The only reason the pool changed sides is because I had to snip out a 20-inch section of yarn that was missing an entire ply. (Is this a Southwest Trading Company issue? I had the same thing happen with 3 of 5 balls of STC Bamboo — the only other time I have ever run into this problem.)

I liked working with Tofutsies: even with sharp size 0 Knit Picks DPNs, I had very little splitting. I liked the feel of the yarn. I liked the colors of the yarn. So what's up with the pooling in the foot??? I have never had this problem with yarn from independent dyers — have I just been lucky, or does personal pride in a job well done factor in somehow?

At any rate, I don't think there will be any more "self-striping" Tofutsies in my future.

The Summer of Magical Socks

OK, I'll admit it. I have a real fondness for the Harry Potter series. I have all the US-version hardbacks, the British hardbacks, all of JK Rowlings' "Hogwarts textbooks, all the unabridged Jim Dale CDs, and a few of the British cassette series. And the movies on DVD. And the soundtracks on CD. And some action figures. And a mug. And a Harry Potter tablecloth. And maybe some other odds and ends, but, well, never mind. I like the series, and can hardly wait until July when the next movie and Book 7 appear.

So, seeing how often handknit socks are mentioned in the books, it's only natural that, being a sock knitter myself ... well, you can see where this is heading. I decided to have a Summer of Magical Socks.

Actually, it was my Sockret Pal Beth E who gave be a push in the Harry Potter sock direction. She generously made me a gift of Sunshine yarn's Gryffindor, which I have now completed as the first in my Summer of Magical Socks. And here they are:
The marker is a tile wine glass charm that I found on eBay. I glued ribbon around it and waterproof-varnished the whole thing to stand up to washing.

So that leads me to the rest of my Harry Potter yarns for the Summer of Magical Socks.

Since Beth E's Gryffindor yarn got me started, I've managed to find more colorways for the other three houses from DarmaFey, and scored some Chinese Fireball Dragon and some Phoenix from Sunshine. You can see that I've already gotten a good start on the socks from DharmaFey's "Sorted into Ravenclaw" yarn. (And HP fans will note that the Ravenclaw colors in the tablecloth fabric are not canon: "real" Ravenclaw colors are blue and bronze. Obviously this fabric is a result of Muggles in the textile industry.)

Here are the Chinese Fireball Dragon yarn and the Phoenix yarn. I found a dragon charm and a phoenix charm on eBay (where else???) and made stitch markers with them. I painted the phoenix gold.

And, also at the urging of Beth E (do ya think she might have me under an Imperius Curse??? ) ;) I joined the Summer of Socks group. Very few rules -- I like that. And it meshes very well will my own summer knitting plans, except that I have already started! :)

Lorna's March Challenge

Each month, Lorna Miser issues a challenge to the members of our knitting guild to take a pattern or idea and "make it our own." The challenge for the month of March was fingerless gloves. The photo above shows a group of knitters who brought their finished projects to the April meeting. What a variety we had!

Before Lorna's challenge, I had never done fingerless gloves before, and really couldn't see the point of them at all. But I decided to make a pair just to see what all the fuss was about.

OK. Now I'm a believer. These things are fun to make, and, after wearing a pair on coolish mornings driving to work, I like 'em! I think of them as kinda like a top-down sock leg — with a thumb gusset. :)

When I set out on my first pair, I knew that whatever I did with these mitts, I wanted beads. I tried beads with the "Wine & Roses" fingerless glove pattern from Winter 06 Interweave Knits, but didn't like the look. Finally, I just decided to try a simple ribbed pattern, and that worked. The only part of "Wine & Roses" left in the finished product is part of the lace pattern in the hand portion.

I used leftover Lorna's Laces in the "Tahoe" colorway, with purple AB glass beads. The beading on the hand is only on the back of the hand, and I sewed those on afterwards.

But the "leftover sock yarn" aspect was just too appealing, so here's my second pair in Vicki Suan's Watermelon yarn.

For these, I really DID make sock tops! I used my favorite feather & fan pattern -- with size 4 needles instead of size 0. Every time a black "seed" came up in the yarn, I purled the stitch in front of it, dropped 3 beads, purled the next stitch to lock them in place, and continued on in pattern.

These aren't the only two pair I've made, either! But since the others are destined as gifts, I won't show them here! :) But, as you can tell, I've really become a fan of fingerless gloves. I never would have bothered to try them without Lorna's Challenge — but I guess that's what she's trying to do: nudge us out of our comfort zones and encourage us to try something new. Thanks, Lorna! :)

April Socks

So before too much more of April slips away, here are my April socks. They are Claudia Handpaints yarn in the "Just Plum" colorway. The pattern is my favorite Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Socks, with feather & fan patterned legs.

Here's the knit-in stitch marker.

It's getting warm here in Sacramento, but we're supposed to have a couple of cooler days this week. This might be my last opportunity for a while to comfortably wear my handknit woolen socks, so I intend to make the best of it! But, like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter, I will be sock-knitting all during the warm weather, stocking my sock drawer to insure warm feet at the first sign of cool temperatures. :)

The Sockret Pal Catered Banquet

My Sockret Pal was Beth at Crafty Canines/Stuck on Socks — and oh-boy-howdy — can she cook up a surprise package!

Beth's package was in the form of a multi-course banquet. Here's the menu:



As any good caterer begins a special banquet, Beth started out with an Appetizer Course:


Yup. Frog legs. Of course, these frog legs are permanently attached to teensy little glass frogs -- and they live their lives as stitch markers! (Destined to become favorites, I can tell you!) (And check out the little green silk storage bag.)

Then there was the Soup Course:



"Crab & Shrimp chowder" in the form of Tofutsies sock yarn! (And I just l-o-v-e, love, love the color!)

Now for the Salad Course:



It's a frog spinner for my patio. Look out, squirrels! (One of my clever friends pointed out that a salad spinner often comes in handy!) Isn't it cute??

And now (taa-daa) — for the Main Course!!


It's the Sockret Pal trifecta win: perfect color, perfect pattern, and PERFECT FIT!!! Aren't they just beautiful?? If I had seen this yarn, I would have grabbed it in a heartbeat. The yarn is Fleece Artist, and the colorway is Jester. They are just beautiful socks, the workmanship is fabulous, and they feel great on my foot. (Did I mention the PERFECT fit? ) I am just thrilled with them! Wonderful job, Beth!! (She even printed off a personalized label for the socks!)

But wait — there's more!!!

The Dessert Course:


It's a selection of unique favorites from the Cincinnati area: a chili mix (which I will make up at the very next hint of a drop in temperature!) and some extra-special candy Easter eggs that, per Beth, are only available for a very short time each year. I love stuff like this! Local favorites are the last bastion against the chain-store-ization of the world! They are hard to find, too — because local folks tend to guard their secrets. Thanks for sharing these with me, Beth. :)

And the banquet doesn't stop there, either. Like a good hostess, Beth wrapped up a little packet of Leftovers for me.



Because, as she says, you just never know when you might need more. Isn't that thoughtful? And look how well those leftovers match my current nail polish: Hmmmm.... I'll have to think about what I can do with this (surprisingly hefty) little ball of yarn.

And then, because, — well, because she likes to end with a flourish, I guess — Beth tucked in a packet of Junk Food:

Pretty cool "junk food," huh? This is Colinette Jitterbug in the Castagna colorway. It's a bit camera-shy, but put it near a bit of mauve or green, and the those colors just pop out. What a great way to end a great banquet!

Thanks, Beth, for everything. You have been the best Pal a knitter could hope for. Your packages have been inventive, fun, and very thoughtful.

And the very best thing? I have a new email pen pal who is a kick to chat with. Isn't that the whole purpose of these Internet swaps — to meet people with similar tastes who you would probably never get to meet in your real life? Thanks Dani and Rachel for this opportunity. It's been a lot of fun! :)

A Touch of Blarney

I found a wee person visiting my house the other day, and managed to stare him in the eye just long enough to convince him to hold my March sock whilst I photographed it.

Now, many people will tell you that a real leprechaun cannot be photographed, but I'm here to tell you that's just not true. But it is not without cost. And in this instance, my little friend used his magic to drain the green from my Koigu sock in the photo, leaving only Blarney Stone gray behind with a touch of moss. Yep, this sock is actually quite green in real life. In fact, it is a very close match to the mossy agates I used for the sock charm! I purchased this Koigu on a trip to Bodega Bay, on a day when the fog and rain lightly obscured the green trees and hills: a perfect match for this MOSSY GREEN yarn -- with just a touch of gray.

'Tis an disappointment everlasting that you can't see the real color except when you see the socks in real life. ButI guess that's the price you pay for trying to fool with the Wee Folk.

Ah, well. Next time I catch a leprechaun, I'll just go for his gold.

Lorna's February Challemge: the Brea Bag

Last month I blogged about Lorna Miser's monthly challenges that she sets for our local knitting guild.

Her February Challenge -- the results of which were shown at our March 1 meeting -- was the Brea Bag. Here's mine -- the Bus to Reno Special!

Although the design is hard to see in this photo, it shows up well in real life! I knit it from Lion Brand Suede on size 8 needles, and it really does have a great texture. It is lined, and I inserted strips of magnets between the lining and the bag to combat the gap-osis that is the bane of this pattern's design. It also has a large gold button on each side with a tasseled loop closure.

I was getting a little short on time, and I still needed a strap, so into the deepest depths of my closet I went. And there I found a glistening little remnant of the 80's -- a gold leather-and-chain belt! Aha! It makes a great shoulder strap! However, it does remind some people of the purses observed on the "gambler special" busses to Reno, hence the name.

Here are all the Brea Bags and their creators who were at the meeting last night. (There are still several in progress, and they will make their showing next month -- or whenever!) :)

The variety was awesome -- big ones, small ones, all kinds of yarn, felted -- you name it: every one as unique as it's maker. This program is quite a hit with our guild members!

Our Challenge for March: fingerless gloves!

The Train Gang

Saturday, 300 or so knitters from Sacramento totally overwhelmed the Amtrak Capitol Corridor Stitch 'n' Ride Train to Stitches West! (Here's my little group waiting for the train home, loaded down with our Stitches purchases.)



The ladies at Capitol Corridor had their fingers on the knitting pulse, and had requested extra train cars, but the powers-that-be just couldn't imagine that that many knitters actually exist in the WORLD, much less little ol' Sacramento. Then, of course, MORE knitters boarded at every station along the way: Davis, Martinez, and Richmond, etc. We filled the entire 5-car train, including the cafe car! As a result, nearly 100 people stood or sat in the aisles.


Although many folks were understandably upset by the lack of seating, the Capitol Corridor ladies did a great job of making sure everyone had a goodie bag or a raincheck for one -- and the plethora of wonderful raffle prizes would have brightened anyone's day. Good job!


Can you imagine a train jam-packed with knitters?? It was fabulous! People were walking through the train chatting with everyone and admiring works-in-progress and works-being-worn. What a friendly, cheerful, beautiful trainload! (Although we did really feel sorry for the non-knitters who were innocently swept up in the needle-toting hordes! You could tell who they were by their deer-in-the-headlight expressions -- and total lack of yarn, of course.) :)


With this level of ridership -- and the presence of a couple of new-believer Amtrak officials and their knitting wives who happened to be on board -- Capitol Corridor now has the clout to demand -- and receive -- a dedicated knitting train for next year. Yay! One small step for knitterkind . . .


After all the fun on the train, Stitches was kind of an afterthought. :) By Saturday, a lot of the Market merchandise was picked over, although you certainly couldn't tell by the stuffed shopping bags everyone lugged home! I managed to score a skein of lightweight Socks that Rock in the Bleeding Hearts colorway before lunch, but people who visited the booth after lunch reported that all the lightweight yarn was gone. There seemed to be lots of Sock Candy, and other yarns, though.


All-in-all, a fun day that I wouldn't have wanted to miss. Knitting on a train packed with friendly knitters is a great experience. I'm looking forward to next time!

Mardi Gras Time!

Even though today is officially Fat Tuesday, we've been celebrating for a while around here. As proof, I offer my official socks for February — Mardi Gras Socks!Official Mardi Gras colors are purple, green, and gold: when I saw this yarn in the skein, those colors seemed to be dominant. But when I knit it up, the green went missing and lots of pink showed up. So now the socks are more Carnivale than Mardi Gras. Oh, well. :)


The knit-in stitch marker IS in Mardi Gras colors, and even says "Mardi Gras"! It is enamel, and I cannibalized a charm bracelet for it. The green and purple beads are Swarovski crystals, and the yellow flower is glass.

The yarn is Dancing from Knit Picks, and the pattern is my favorite, Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Socks with Feather and Fan Top.

And yes, I am wearing these socks today, along with my Mardi Gras beads! If you aren't celebrating Mardi Gras where you are, you can join the virtual celebration on the New Orleans Mardi Gras website. Let the good times roll!