sockapalooza socks

My sockapalooza socks are here! These came from blogless Carrie Anne.

They are lovely and soft and fit just right. The yarn is Mountain Colors Bearfoot, which Carrie Anne correctly guessed that I would like, though I had not yet knit with it. Apparently, Carrie Anne is persistent -- she said that she tried a few different patterns before deciding that the colors would look best in a stockinette sock.

The colors are fabulous, and exactly what I would have picked for myself! I can see myself wearing these often this winter, especially when curled up indoors and studying on a chilly weekend afternoon.

But the most fitting part? The name of the colorway.

sockapalooza

I just got an update from my sockpal that my socks are on the way. Woo hoo! A new sweater on the needles (one sleeve is done, one to go, and then another six inches on the body) and new woolies for the feet. Bring on the cool weather!

checking in

Yo. I'm still alive.

SCHOOL:
I finished class and turned in the paper. (For those of you who inquired about the results of the survey ... not surprisingly, alumni who were satisfied with their college experience are more likely to give money to their alma maters. It took us 5 weeks and many hours, but we have now "proved" that what seems like common sense is indeed true.) Also, Turtle won the blog contest. I'm still putting together her prize, but I promise to send it soon!

FRIENDS:
My best friend from college is here for a visit. We've shopped, visited our alma mater, shopped, eaten, shopped, watched TV via Netflix, shopped, and tomorrow night, we're going to see baby Liam. Oh yeah, and we even went yarn shopping at Windsor Button. (4 skeins of Baby Cashmerino, for another new baby, in case you were wondering.) And, in further proof that I pick friends with good taste: Rosie knows nothing about yarn, and immediately walked towards the Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn and fondled it.

KNITTING:
Yep. Still doing some of that. Socks. Picture the same but longer.

SOCKAPALOOZA:
Still need to ship mine out. They've been done forever, but I can't seem to get my shit together to get them mailed out with pressies. I heard from my pal, and mine are still being worked on. It makes me feel better that I don't yet have mine, or I would feel really bad about not having mailed the ones to my pal yet!! (P.S. -- Pal, no hurry to finish mine! You kindly offered to send a little gift with the socks. Really, I'm very easy to please, so I'm sure anything you want would be great. Of course, knitting and sewing doo-dads are always fun. I also love little food gifts. Local foods, different types of jams, gourmet goodies like what they sell here, etc.!)

PHOTO:
And, because no blog post is complete without a photo, here's a cute one of my niece Jane that was published in her local newspaper (some library event thing, I think).

a little help, please?

1) Have you knit a Clapotis? (Who hasn't? Oh wait, I haven't!) I have 500+ yards of Heritage Handpaint yarn, a rayon/silk blend, and I'd like to make a Clapotis with it. I think I need to downsize the pattern a bit. Anyone want to tell me how to do this? I know there are about a gazillion people who've done this, but I haven't quite wrapped my head around the pattern yet. Tips?

2) Sockapalooza: Last time around, my pal totally spoiled me with lots of little extras. I'd like to send a few things off to my pal, but I can't think of too many good ideas. She seems pretty private, and only posts knitting stuff on her blog (nothing too personal), , although she does eat chocolate and drink tea, so that's a start! What kind of little gifties have you received that you've enjoyed?

socks on blockers

A couple of days ago, I blocked my Saucy sockapalooza socks.

This photo shows off the yarn, and the beautiful subtle variegations. The socks look a little slouchy in the photo, but only because I was in a rush to leave the house, and didn't "pose" them very well!

You can see the tops of my new sock blockers in the photo. Here's a full-on shot:


These came as a gift from Becky at Leggy Creations. I nominated my good buddy the Mafia for a prize in a contest on Becky's blog, and she won! But, Becky was so super nice, she mailed us not one, but TWO pairs of sock blockers -- one for the Mafia and one for me. Wow!!

Becky sells beautiful handmade sock blockers. The quality is wonderful -- each has a unique design and is made of smooth, high-quality wood, with a substantial clear protective finish. I threaded some yarn loops through the holes on top, and I hang them up on a shower curtain rod or a door frame, on a plastic hanger with lingerie hooks, in order for the socks to dry. I can't wait to keep using these!

Edited to add: I really want to buy this. But I have so much in the stash and such a limited amount of time. Yes, I know it falls under the "sock yarn" exception to "Knit From Your Stash". But I don't need it, I just waaaant it. And I have other stuff that I need to spend money on ... But it's beautiful, semisolid (I'm really getting away from sock yarns that are multicolored). And handdyed="won't be produced again". Argh!!!

Saucy socks

Saucy socks
Originally uploaded by aswiminknits

My sockapalooza socks are done!
(Click the photo for a bigger version.)

Project specs:
Pattern: Saucy, by Cider Moon
Yarn: Nature's Palette, zinfandel colorway
Needles: Knitpicks DPNs -- size 2 for leg, size 1 for heel and foot
Gauge: 8ish sts/in
Pattern mods: none!
Posted to Ravelry

These were a fun knit, and the first I've ever done with a slipped stitch toe to match the Eye of Partridge heel.

The yarn is tough to take a good photo of -- this is w/o flash, on a pretty overcast afternoon, outside, and the colors still look a little washed out to me.

Perhaps these will be arriving in your mailbox next month?

Sock-a-pal-progress

Saucy sock
Originally uploaded by aswiminknits

I'm knitting a pair of Saucy socks for my Sockapalooza pal. She was pretty open to almost anything, with a request that the socks not be too loud, too lacy, or in faux fair isle yarns.

I picked this yarn for its subtle variegations and machine washability. The color is "zinfandel" and the yarn is Hand Jive from Nature's Palette. I'm really enjoying knitting with it -- soft, not too splitty, and the color is yummy. I've got two socks complete through the gussets, so I'm getting close to the end!

The pattern is a fun one -- just enough lace and a cable every 2 rows so that I don't get bored, but not so complex as to require a chart. The EOP heel flap looks great with the subtle shadings, and the toe looks like it will be a new one for me!

I hope my pal likes these as much as I do :)

the good and the bad

The good:

My sockapalooza pal :)
Question from Pal: Would you rather have a yarn you've looked at and/or used and liked, or something I don't think you've mentioned that I think you would really like?--Your Sock Pal
Answer from Me: Oooh, something new would be fun! I'm up for anything...

Internet. We now have a connection at home :)

The bad:

Comcast. Two and a half hours to hook up my internet. All because they brought a bad modem with them. Of course, they had removed and replaced all the cable wiring in the house before they figured this out.

Grad school. Started class on Wednesday. By the time I went to bed on Friday night early Saturday morning, I had read an entire book and a case study, written a five page response to the case study, did some research and met with a group of 4 people to prepare a presentation due on Wednesday. The blogging will be sporadic for the next 10 weeks.

It's a slippery slope, folks

On Sunday, I drove up to NHS&W with the Mafia and her Little Man, and a large green kid-wrangling wagon. When we got there, we hooked up with the (sadly-blogless but newly flickr-ized) Pi Grrrl.

My shopping list looked like this:

• sock blockers
• sock yarn for my Sockapalooza 4 pal
• yarn to make felted clogs for Thom
• yarn for a baby sweater for my expectant childhood best friend

Did I mention that Pi Grrrl is a spinner? As we wandered about, strolling through the Grafton Fibers booth, I may have pet a few lumps of fiber in luscious purples and blues.

Despite my cries of "I'll consider learning how to spin after I finish grad school," Pi Grrrl may have dragged me kicking and screaming gently nudged me towards a wheel. You know, just to try it out...


See that sign in the back? Yeah, that says "The Merlin Tree".*

At lunch, I may have sat down next to Cheryl and Kristen and Kellee and Teresa. Maybe.

At which point, Kristen may have engaged me in a conversation about Lyle the Louet.

After which, I may have deviated from the shopping list.



Yep, Kristen offered to let Lyle the Louet come live with me for a little while. We'll arrange a pickup at a later date, as the two of us and Lyle are currently located in three different states.

When I got home and told Thom this story, the first thing he said was "is it a travelling wheel or a regular one?" Huh? How does he even know to ask this? (The follow up commentary was "I just want to know how much space this thing will take up.")

It's a slippery slope, folks...

*********
* Dave knew I was a goner before I even sat down at the wheel, as I may have mentioned that I was reading The Age of Homespun by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. (In my defense, I was a history major, and one of my mentors was a colonial American historian ... it's not THAT far-fetched that I might just happen to read a book where spinning wheels are the main characters!)