Mmmyello

Greetings!

I've been a busy bee of late! I knit two pairs of socks (see "frankensocks" from previous post, plus a newer, better second pair of the same pattern, pictured below)



The socks above were sent away in the mail for a raffle to raise money for my old summer camp. I hope they find a good home! I really wanted to knit a pair of these for the raffle. They would have been perfect. But I've never knit intarsia before, and there wasn't really time to learn. But mark my words, I'm gonna do it. And soon.

Knitting my first two pairs of socks also necessitated having a pair of sock blockers. Since we're in a recession (and I broke the bank on Euroflax!), I decided I'd better make my own. I googled "DIY sock blockers" and came across a simple pattern using vinyl placemats; it was cheap, fast, and effective. I bought a few placemats, so I can make blockers in various sizes now.

I've been hacking away at my Eyelet Chemise. Things are going well, considering I'm usually at crisis this point along in a sweater pattern. I'm truly intrigued by Euroflax and cannot wait to be done, so I can see how it looks washed and dried. The swatch I did is incredibly soft and drapey.



I have to say, though, the Euroflax is tough on the hands. I actually have callouses in certain areas of my fingers from this yarn. I guess this is what happens when I baby my hands for so long with kid silk haze!!

I'm also working on some recessionista-type projects around the house. I bought this sad little bookshelf at a junk shop in Salem, and am busy transforming it into a wall shelf to display my teacup collection. It don't look like much now, but prepare to be dazzled.

Frankensocks

I have dubbed my first completed pair of socks "Franken-socks". You can't really tell from this photo, but they are kind of baggy and droopy, which I think is party a function of the softness of the yarn (K1C2 "Ambrosia"). The yarn is some of the softest I've ever knit with, and seems geared towards bed-socks, rather than "regular" socks.

This whole heel thing is really killing me. I started work on a second pair of these socks (same yarn) for a charity raffle, and I'm going to have spend an hour today frogging out the heel section. GAH!!

Patches keeps the sock thing pretty simple. Just plain white:

Ummmmm.... not perfect.

Well, I finished one sock yesterday, and noticed a pretty big mistake.

So I think I'm going to have to back-pedal a little here about how great I am and how easy it is to make socks.....

It IS easy, but there are still some pitfalls, such as, picking up the stitches for the toe and the heel evenly, and making sure you keep the pattern correct when you redistribute the stitches onto several needles after finishing the heel.

I had intended these socks to be for a charity raffle, but with these mistakes, I think it will have to be my practice pair.

ummmm.... wow

I think I am starting to get the whole sock thing. I tried the "two-circular" method, which bored me to tears, and seemed very slow. Now, knitting "toe-up" on double-pointeds, as awkward as it is, I am amazed at how fast this is knitting up.

Multi-tasking, again.

No sooner than I get the Eyelet Chemise under way, than I find myself agreeing to knit something for a raffle. PRESSURE, people! Deadlines!

I wanted to make these, but decided instead I'd better do something a little more my speed, especially since I've never done that kind of two color knitting!

Instead, I'm trying out some more knitting in the round with a pair of Lacy Summer Socks, from Lingerie Style