Sock Progress, and Stashbuster Progress

This month my sock knitting is not progressing as smoothly as I would like.


First I had to frog the Madder Ribbed Sock (from Knitting Vintage Socks) because it was just too tight on my size 7 1/2 wide foot. So I started over with 66 stitches instead of 60 and am happy with the leg fit and sure the foot fit will be better. By the way I'm using Tess' Designer Super Sock yarn and a 2.5mm circular needle. This is the sock knitting I take to knitting groups and in the car because, once established, the pattern is easy to follow. Also on my needles is the first Canal du Midi sock of a pair (from Knitting On The Road). The heel of the sock has been a struggle and I'm on the third try. The first two times I tried two versions of the Square Heel, per the pattern, Neither one fit my foot. Now I'm back to using the Round Heel which I know works for me. The lesson learned - keep good, permanent notes on socks knitted. I knit this pattern back in August 2006, and now recall trying the Square Heel , froggin it, and using the Round Heel. From now on I will not be hesitant to write in my books, and will keep a notebook as well of modifications of patterns used. No need to make the same mistake twice and waste valuable knitting time!

Snowflake Medallion and Klaralund

Happy New Year to all my knitting friends!

All of November's work on the Snowflake Medallion Sweater is for naught. This is the first sweater I've knit for myself in a long time and there are just too many problems with the sizing - body too short, sleeves too narrow. I am determined to use this yarn for this sweater, but the next time around I am going to measure much more carefully, using a current favorite sweater as a measuring tool. A friend's niddy noddy is in position so I can reskein, soak, and rewind the yarn, and start over. The Reynolds Lopi Lite yarn is delightful to work with, and is special to me because I bought it at the Far North Yarn Company in Anchorage, so it doesn't deserve to be stashed away.

In the meantime I've knit a much simpler pattern that I could take to knitting afternoons at Caribou Coffee and work on while watching UNC basketball games. I've admired my friend Beth's Klaralund sweater and she was kind enough to loan me the book from which the pattern came - very straight forward knitting, no fit issues. So the sweater is off the needles and blocked. Hopefully this week in some quiet moments I'll begin the sewing together of the pieces. By the way, the yarn is Visions by Moda Dea in the Forest colorway. There are some interesting striping effects, especially on one sleeve.

The blocking board is ingeneous, and an idea from my friend Virginia in the Vienna Knitters. Simply take a sewing cutting board, the cardboard fold-up type, and cover it with a clear vinyl inexpensive shower curtain. You get the grid of the board, and protect it from the moisture in the knitted pieces with the vinyl. I already has the cutting board and spent all of $3 on the shower curtain. And it all stores away neatly and compactly.

Children in Common socks

This December I knit five pair of small children sized socks for the Children in Common group that sends wooly socks to orphanages in Russia and eastern Europe. Four pair were knit in honor of my two sisters Nancy and Peggy and I sent them cards and photos in their Christmas boxes (this year was the year we selected gifts for each other that begin with the letter C and the "C" connection for the socks was that they went to a Charity named Children in Common). Then while my Dad was visiting I made the green pair from bamboo wool left over from the tea cozy I made for daughter Kate. I mailed the socks to the collector on Thursday and hope, in their small way, the socks will keep some little toesies warm this winter. These socks knit up so quickly and are a great way to use up leftover wool yarn.

Tea Cozy for Kate

Our younger daughter Kate, a graduate student in geography at East Carolina University, has recently begun drinking tea, and had a tea pot on her wish list. Well ... I couldn't give her just the tea pot, so I found the pattern for the tea cozy in "One Skein Wonders" and some Moda Dea Bamboo Wool in her favorite color - green. The cozy was fun, and quick, to knit, and she loves it! The double layers will definitely keep the tea pot warm. I may have to make one for myself.

Earthy Socks and Broken Needles

Earthy socks are finished. The pattern is Lichen Ribbed Socks from "Knitting Vintage Socks" by Nancy Bush. The yarn is a Regia 4-ply designed by Kaffe Fassett, and the colors look to me like the land forms on earth look from space, hence the name.

Most of the knitting was done on a circular needle using the Magic Loop method, my favorite. But when doing the toes I switched to dpns because of the stitch count for the star toe. My 2.25mm Brittany dpns must have dried out since three of the five needles snapped while completing the toes, and I did have to finish using the circular needle.

Monday and Tuesday I had to attend a tax refresher course to maintain my CPA license, even though I am "retired" at this point in time. So I had lots of good knitting time - completed these socks, started another pair, and finished the back panel of the Klaralund sweater.

Arrival in Anchorage

On December 1st our son-in-law Jason returned to Anchorage from a fourteen month deployment to Iraq. He and Rebecca look so happy now!

Declared Top Ten "Stash Buster" Projects

I just joined the "Top 10 Stash Project Knit A Long." The idea of the KAL is to knit from stash during December-March and complete works in progress. This is a great idea, akin to what we do in my quilt guild for quilting projects! Here are my Top 10 Stash Buster Projects:

1. Snowflake Medallion Sweater - Reynolds Lopi Lite - knitting completed, needs seaming
2. Earthy Socks - Regia Kaffe Kassett - in progress
3. Bayerische socks - Meilenweit blue - yarn in stash for 3 years
4. Sea Mist Gansey pullover - soft green Harrisville Orchid
5. Multidirection short row scarf - Red Heart yarn - to try a new technique
6. Canal du Midi socks - orange Tess' super sock
7. I Love Gansey socks - brown Tess' super sock
8. Baby Blanket - using yarn purchased in Damascus,Syria in 1986
9. First toe-up socks - Fortissima 6 ply
10. Amble socks - mossy green Tess' super sock.

I reserve the right to change this list, but will stay with stash yarn throughout the ten projects!