Close, but no cigar

As Monica said to Bill! {snarf}

Progress on the second Snake Skin Sock (or the SSSS or S^4)

So, I didn't manage to finish a pair of socks during Socktober - never mind! I've really enjoyed looking through all of the photos posted to the Flickr group. However, I did manage to acquire some sock yarn though!

Kiwi tonal and Evergreen tonal from Socks that Fit.

These are for a sock pattern that's been bouncing around in my head for about a year! They'll be destined for my mum, at some point.

I've made progress on the Mystery Shawl border (although I've managed to make a mistake in the stitch counts I did to show myself that I was making progress. Never mind, it should all work out eventually!

Well, I'm now going to sit in the dark and pretend I'm not home in the hope that this silly Trick or Treat nonsense will go away if I close my eyes and wish hard ehough! (I'm a fun person to be around, I really am!)

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting;

Ritalin in the drinking water

I'm not an advocate of mass medication (far from it) but in my next-door neighbour's case I could make a great big exception. I'll leave it at that since I'm googleable (is that a word? Well, it is now!) but to say that I'm a knat's whisker from going medieval on their posteriors wouldn't be far from the truth.

Knitting? You want knitting?

Well, I can't give you much in the way of knitting or crafting because at the moment my default (or 0) position is taking care of my mum. She's having a very rough time of it at the moment (actually the past couple of years have been rough, so this is like a storm force 10 out at sea with only a pair of arm bands for support) so all my spare energy is going into looking after her. However, that doesn't stop me using PayPal!

Fabric from Cheap Fabrics.:

The shiny stuff at the top will be put to use as a long-sleeved jacket (view A from Simplicity Threads design 4238) and the other stuff is for stuff I can't tell you about!
I also got a copy of Yarn Forward magazine. I'd give you a link, but Kerrie's server went kappootski Everything seems fine, so here's the link (my pattern should be up there soon, I hope). The patterns are good - certainly much more my kind of thing than the other UK magazines are offering - but some of the pictures are very strangely formated. If it's a style thing, I don't like it, but if its not, they need to sort that out for the next issue!

Mystery Shawl

Progress on the applied border - something I've never done before! The red circle marks the center point - gulp!

Stitch Markers

I also made some more stitch markers (this time with glass leaves):

I don't need any more stitch markers, so I'll probably pull my finger out, make some more and put them up on etsy soon-ish.
Hopefully, the next post won't take me over a week and a half, but no promises!
Hugs and whatnot!

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting;

Shawltoberfest?

Given that I've felt like death warmed-up for the past week I haven't done an amazing amount of crafting. I'm very aware of the irony surrounding my current situation; I am finally well enough to go into my local town center and ... I catch something. I'm not laughing, universe. Anyway, I was involved in another Craftster swap and if you're vaguely interested the relevant posts are here (my parcel to her) and here (her parcel to me). I've also signed up for another one, this time a Discworld Hogswatch/Hogfather one!

Is it Shawltoberfest?

I have managed to make (significant?) progress on the Mystery shawl:

Mystery Shawl 2 progress as of the 14th of October

Comparing it to the last progress shot, and bearing in mind that I'm increasing four stitches every other row, I'm very pleased with the rate I'm going.

Ah, Socktoberfest

When I picked up my mum's sock on Thursday evening, I realised that I hadn't worked on it in over a week! Great way to celebrate the month of Socks!

Progress on the second sock:

Luckily, these seem to fit her (although she could just be lying). I'm dissapointed with the cast off though. It's no where near as stretchy as the (same) cast off I used on my Dimple Socks. Curious.

Well, I'm off to make wholewheat, handmade pizza and listen to England losing yet another cricket match ...

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting; Socktoberfest

T and U are for ...

Needing to be energy-frugal at the moment I'm combining ABC Along entries.

T is for Towels:

Would knitters be able to survive without towels? They are (in my humble opinion) an essential piece of kit for blocking/drying of any item of knitwear. My personal best-find-ever-in-the-whole-of-today* was the blue microfibre towel. A fiver from Avon - how excellent was that?! My favourite towel (although it's only hand-towel sized) is the yellow one with the frog on it. I love frogs. I may have mentioned that.

U is for ...

Urea.

The molecular structure of urea.

Urea (and the natural substance which contains it, urine) have been used in cloth production for hundreds of years. It was used to soften the fibres, and generally was thought best if stale. Yum!

*A very geeky bonus point if you can tell me where that quote is from.

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Technorati tags: ABC Along;

Everything you ever wanted to know about my socks

but were too wise to ask.

Well, tough luck! You're getting it anyway! Here's the Socktoberfest questionaire:

* When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
Shortly after I learnt to knit (not sure of the time-frame) and I taught myself the hard way!
* What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
See image below. Made from Sirdar Sorrento, I hardly ever wear them because they are cotton/acrylic. My feet don't like cotton/acrylic socks. I now use them as bed socks/boot liners/emergency dusters.

* What would you have done differently?

Erm, picked a decent wool-containing yarn? My second pair (for my mum this time) were equally disasterous, but bless her, she wears them!
* What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

Regia Silk ggghhhhhhhhmmmmm {wipes drool from yarn. Screen. Needles.}
* Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

I've seen crocheted socks, but I kind of assumed that they'd be all lumpy? I started out with aluminium double points, then moved on to aluminium circulars (for 2 socks on 2 circs mostly), and then back to dpns of the bamboo/birch variety.
* Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

Different strokes heels for different folks socks. I prefer the short row heel because I can do it without thinking (too much) but I've recently discovered a wonderful toe-up heel tutorial that seems to work for me. [EDIT: April quite rightly pointed out that it linked to the wrong page. I've now up dated the link and flogged myself with some circular needles!)
* How many pairs have you made?

Erm...give me a second. One ... two ... excluding slippers and the like, about 10 pairs. Including slippers and whatnot about 14 pairs.

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting; socktoberfest;

Happy Socktoberfest!

Just like Oktoberfest, but with less beer. Well, maybe with a tad less beer. Well, with more sock knitting, anyway! I'm officially signed up and I've even downloaded a button, I've just forgotten to add it to the blog or indeed do any sock knitting in this month (so far)! For inspiration, just check out the Socktoberfest Flickr group.

Socks:

I'm ready to cast off the first Snake Skin Sock. For toe-up socks I've found that grafting the knit and purl stitches of a 1/1 rib works really well. It looks fluted off the leg (like my Dimple sock), but it's perfect in terms of stretch.

Non-sock stuff:

This is a mock-up of the sleeve for the tunic-length shirt. It's supposed to have a dart (keeping) and some pleats (not keeping). I realised that the pleats wouldn't work for me, at least not permanant ones. I tend to layer because of my poor temperature control and poofed-up sleeves just wouldn't cut it. I had a brain wave and wondered whether rouching (rooching, ruching?) would work. Hence the mock-up at the bottom of the picture. Me likey!

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Technorati tags: yarn; knitting; sewing; socktober