Saturday, March 14, 2009

hey, i thought this was a knitting blog

Wow, when was the last time I had a picture of some knitting on here? Good heavens. It has been awhile.

I've been pretty much knitting soakers for the Etsy shop, and socks. I'm on a major sock kick (ha! funny!) right now for some reason. Perhaps because I only knit TWO PAIR of adult socks in all of 2008. That's just ridiculous for me. I did knit 3.5 pair of child-size socks for Daughter, but that hardly counts. They are teeny.


This is the most recent pair I finished for her. The yarn was purchased last summer when I first discovered Red Heart's Heart & Sole sock yarn (I went on a bit of a buying spree because, hey, only like $2.50 with a coupon, awesome), and the socks were started when AJ was still in the hospital. I couldn't concentrate on anything more complicated at the time, and still they took months.

Heart & Sole sock yarn, I believe this is the "mellow stripe" colorway.
US size 2 Brittany Birch double pointed needles, two of which inexplicably broke during the knitting of these socks (yes I will be returning them as they are guaranteed).
Cast on 48 stitches, 2X2 rib for the leg, work heel flap, etc, etc, kitchener stitch toe. Couldn't be easier.

And for me:

These are some interesting socks. If by interesting you mean fugly. What a hideous colorway! This is "Lily Pad Multi" Knitpicks Essentials sock yarn, but I have named these my "Pond Scum" socks, because that is what they remind me of. Ugh!

The yarn came as part of a sock sampler that Hubs gave me for Christmas 2007. I thought it was about time I used some of that up! (Perhaps the reason for the sock knitting obsession these days...) Anyway, I would never have picked out this yarn on my own. It's gnarly.

The pattern is from Knitting Vintage Socks - which is not in the room with me so I can't recall the exact pattern name. Gentlemen's socks with lozenge pattern? Could that be it?

Here is a closeup:


I love the pattern. Very textured and it lends some interest to an otherwise boring old sock. I decided it's also time to start working my way through some of the umpteen pattern books I own. How many of you do what I do - just collect the darn books and look through them every once in awhile, but never actually use them to make stuff? How lame! Time to start putting these yarns and patterns to use!

I did modify the pattern a bit, as I will have to do for ALL of the socks in this book. I can't make it work with the tiny needles she recommends. I used a US 2 for these socks, and modified them down to 60 stitches, as I am not a gentleman and do not need 80+ stitches for my socks. They came out very nice and I will wear them, but boy are they ugly.

I've got some other projects in the works, and will try to post about them soon. The problem I have is finding the opportunity to take pictures. I'm definitely knitting...can't stop knitting...if the house were on fire I'd be all, "coming! Just let me finish this row!" But it's tough to blog about it for some reason. Just busy these days, I guess.

Things are going pretty well with the kids and stuff, though, so I'm slowly, slowly easing back into some normal life activities. I'm hoping blogging will come along as well.

4 comments:

Shari said...

Guilty as charged for never usng my pattern books:) But they are fun to collect and drool over, even if you never knit them. It is all about the possibilities.

And the socks aren't fugly, they are......... interesting!

Liz said...

I'm trying to teach myself to knit, but I haven't really gotten very far. I cast on about 20 stitches. That's it. I'm sure I'm just trying too hard, since I'm a crocheter. :)

Unknown said...

I'm a big fan of your socks. I think the pond scum colorway is kind of nice.

Ruth said...

I made those Gentleman's Lozenge Socks for my dad ... in black. Almost did me in.

They're really nice socks, though (and I don't hate the color on yours at all).