Socks Galore!

Let me start with some photos of my personally completed socks. The modeled socks are my personal pair of the Rockin' Sock Club's Solstice Sock and the draped version are the pair that should be arriving any day for my sockapalooza pal (after a couple of test try-ons, I always wash the pair before sending them out but I don't block...just in case...don;t want to stretch them too far is all I'm saying).



Then I also have the sock that is presently on my needles (size Zero Addis again)...the I Love Ganseys Socks, the August 2007 pattern from the Six Socks group. As soon as I saw this pattern I knew that I had to cast on as soon as possible (well after finishing the two Solstice Socks). I am using Natural Dye Studio's BFL in Enchanted Forest. This is my first time working with BFL and I absolutely adore it!



I had a great day for two reasons...first when I checked my gmail this morning I learned that I had won the weekly link contest at Summer of Socks. Thanks for picking me, Jessica! I submitted a link on how to take better photos of your yarn and knitting and create your own light box. The link is from the show notes over at Knitters Uncensored podcast...go check it out. Not only do you get exposed to new yarn, but you learn about being an expat in Germany. Love it! So I got to choose from a fantastic assortment of stitch markers...I'll post when they arrive.

Second reason for a quality day...I received my socks from my sockapalooza pal, Deborah. Not sure of the pattern, but I do know the yarn...STR Silkie in Luna Sea and they fit perfectly! She also included a skein of Spunky Eclectic (can't wait to try as this is my first skein), a cute, handmade craft bag and a pop-up swing card of a monkey. Thanks for making my day Deborah!

Sock Pal, Who Art Thou?

Look at these wonderful socks that arrived from either my sock pal or sock savior (as I didn't receive a pair in Sockapalooza 3)!



Only problem is that I have the person's last name and know they are from College Park, MD but no idea who they are. Come out, come out who ever you are so I can properly THANK YOU on a global scale! The socks fit like a glove and they are in my favorite color combo...pink and brown. YEAH! And adore the chocolate stitch markers...check out the cordials that have bites taken out of them (and not from our dog)!

Could have used some Belgian Chocolate

So as I watched the replay of Stage 2 last night on Versus, the cable station that used to be OLN, I knit on Mystery Stole 3 from row 93 to row 100 (keeping up with the other knitters in the Tour de France KAL). I would have gone further except I noticed a perplexing mystery...I was missing 3 of the beads that I had previously placed on the outer edge of the left side of the stole (and I just looked and they are missing in the pic from yesterday's post as well...Yikes!). Hmmm...tonight will be tasked with putting them back where they belong. And back to speaking of the Tour, the first week is always notorious for crashes and stage 2 in Belgium with a finish in Ghent held true to form. Twenty riders went down with less than 3K to go. It was scary I tell you!




And whatever stress relief I had from my vacation evaporated very quickly yesterday being back at work on my first day (par for the course when you are a spin doctor for a living). But when I got home what was waiting for me? It was my Knitflix runner up prize from Jennifer. THANKS for stash diving! I got 2 skeins of Claudia's Handpainted in Donna's Favorite. Love it and unfortunately so do the boys so we might have to draw straws for a pair of socks to be made of these lovelies. Jenn...thanks for turning around my otherwise miserable day!

I Name Thee Hydrangea

So here are some more shots of the Bloomin' Feet socks for my pal. I have some goodies all together but I'm also creating a special bag to put the socks in and I haven't quite found the material that I want to use. Maybe I can stop on the way home at the fabric store. Photo shoot location is a little park area near the house that was created as part of a neighborhood kid's Eagle Scout project and is literally across the street from our house. I've always thought the statue was very Savannah'ish and heavily on my mind as I re-read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."



Pattern: Rock the Stars from Scout's December 2006 Indie Swag Club
Yarn: So as I said earlier, I used Black Bunny Fiber in a colorway that Carol didn't name so I dubbed her "Hydrangea."
Needles: 2 size # 1 Knitpicks circular needles. First socks using 2 circs...I'm a convert!
Modifications: I only knit 7" for the leg rather than 8", also Eye of the Patridge rather than the Knit 3, Purl 2 rib. Love this pattern by Stefanie Japel! I also got her "Fitted Knits" over the weekend!



More later on my weekend knitting gathering and my almost finished Poppy (2 more rows on the back, 3-needle bind off for the shoulders, attach the sleeves and crochet the edging and she will finally be DONE!

Bloomin' Feet DONE

Real quick post to say that I'm done with the Rock the Stars socks for my Bloomin' Feet Pal and here's the photo. More details to come with better shots. I'm intrigued to watch the new Drive show on Fox.

Bloomin' Feet Update and another FO

Have to say that I had a blast Saturday afternoon knitting with Christine again and meeting up with Alyson. How can you not when you get together with like-minded people and knit and squee when you see new yarn and new colorways! I even learned about the destash blog! (how did I not know about this...I usually troll ebay!)

Got a lot of knitting done this weekend...including the first Rock the Stars sock for my Bloomin' Feet 2 Pal! I'm hoping that next week this time there will be a totally completed pair! And then I can concentrate on the other goodies that will be going into the package.




And also completed the Karaoke Cable Scarf for E., but it still needs a good Soak! and then pinned out. She knows it is coming and at least it will be to Colorado faster than last year. It only used one skein of Velvet Grapes Malabrigo and so I'm thinking that a swap pal will be getting the other skein I purchased.

Sockapalooza 4 is coming!

It's almost here...the sock swap at Alison's The Blue Blog! This will be my third swap...only missed the first one.

And in other news...I finished the Springtime in Paris socks in time to post my completed pair for Six Socks. Not the best photo to capture the Eiffel Tower pattern. However, I'm excited that I finished my first toe-up socks (one using Magic Loop with size zero addi's and the other with 2 circs and KnitPicks size zero).




The pattern for April/May is the Horcrux socks...apropos with excitement building for Charmed Knits and the release of the last Harry Potter book and the 5th movie this summer. Still trying to figure out what sock yarn I will use. Hmmm...decisions.

And I have about 40 inches completed of the Karaoke Cable Scarf knit for my step-daughter. Once that's done I will finish my Bloomin' Socks!

Bloomin' Feet II Update

Gosh...I hadn't realized that it had been so long since my last post. Bad blooger!

So Bloomin' Feet II Update...when last I wrote I had plans to knit the Iris Garden Socks, which is an ole Six Sock pattern. Well Magic Loop was a snap to pick up and I already have done my fair share of stranded knitting. I just didn't like to color combo so after 3 froggs I ditched the pattern but decided to keep the Black Bunny Fiber yarn. The search began for a new pattern and Eurecka (since I really wanted to knit up something unique for my Bloomin' Feet pal) I chose the Rock the Stars pattern that was created by Glampyre Knits exclusively for Scout's Indie Swag club. The pattern is super easy to memorize and I'm cruising along...considering I only started yesterday afternoon (I was able to sneak in the knitting with the very sharp Knit Options needles to an Arena football game last nite). It is also my first sock knitting on 2 circulars...love it!




Note: I adore the Go Knit bag...I've had it since last month and I first used it to bring to the game. NO DROP BALL OF YARN! Gonna have to get the middle and large sizes as soon as they are back in Scout's shop!

Swapping Along

Just as Knit Mitt Swap Kit finished, I'm now about to embark on my Bloomin' Feet 2 journey. I wanted to first share a view of my KMSK from Janice in Canada...a really awesome felted tote bag that had a Fleece Artist thrum mitten kit packed within (always wanted to try my hand at this although it will be a pair of mittens probably gifted to my niece in N. Andover...doesn't usually get cold enough to wear heavy mittens in Tampa although tonite it is supposed to get down into the high 30s!) and some double-pointed needles and yarn needles.



Now I have become a woman obsessed with my match for BF2...good thing she doesn't know who she is because I feel like I'm stalking herblog...trying to find out interesting tidbits to add to the package. I knew exactly what I would knit for BF2 , which would be in keeping with the title...Iris Garden Socks (pattern from Six Socks from October 2006). I just joined this KAL and looking forward to the new pattern that is named "Springtime in Paris"! But I fell in love with the Iris Garden Socks...I'll be jumping in to my first toe-ups and using Magic Loop and
doing an afterthought heel (good thing I already learned stranded last year).

Nothing like expanding my horizons for 2007! I went in search of the colorway that I had envisioned to go along with the almost solid that I had on hand (Lorna's Laces in Manzanita). I also wanted to use yarn from an Indie designer that my pal had never used before...looked at everything on etsy and every time I found one I liked...sold out when I went back! My top choice was Deep Carnival from Brooklyn Handspun.

Then I thought...I have an indie colorway at home that has more than enough yardage for both the Maude shawl that I purchased it for as well as a pair of socks...a purple iris colorway from Carol at Black Bunny Fibers and lo and behold I had some Trekking in a subtle orange that I could use as it's compliment (the Manzanita just didn't have the punch I was looking for).




I already got some handmade soap from Milagros in Tampa for
the package and know exactly all of the other various sundries that I will include for my BF partner.

Hopefully I will have some more content tomorrow with FO photos!