Tag Archive | socks

Knitting from stash

This is a never-ending topic for many of us knitters, isn’t it? “My stash is out of control, I’m going to knit from stash this year, I need to knit down my stash!”And now I’ve said stash so many times it’s lost all meaning and is just a noise. Anyway, for no apparent reason, I’ve been knitting random skeins from stash lately. I pull out a skein that’s calling my name and just go with it. I think I needed some quicker projects to balance out all my fingering weight shawls, so I’ve been working on worsted weight cowls. This one is the Zig Zag Cowl by Imagined Landscapes Designs, which I purchased on Payhip but now I can’t easily find the link. (It’s on Rav too, if you’re so inclined.) I love how it flares out, widening at the bottom, because my neck is always cold. It was a treat to do some lace with bigger yarn and needles, and it knit up so quickly — just 24 hours! And then I got done and realized my yarn was actually DK weight! Oh well, close enough, right?

The yarn is Souvenir DK from Destination Yarn and was a free gift from the yarn store in Eureka Springs, but it’s still a skein out of my stash. Depending on how I like it as I wear it, I might knit another one in a solid yarn to show off the pattern better, and maybe I’ll actually use worsted weight yarn. As soon as this one was done, I pulled out a skein of La Bien Aimee merino and cast on for another cowl, plus I’ve got a worsted weight hat going. And even with all that, I managed to finish a pair of socks today!

This is the Laurell memorial colorway from Hue Loco, such a gorgeous colorway for fall. Even though these aren’t my colors at all, I think this is beautiful yarn and I loved knitting with it … but I’m glad I can go back to my purples and pinks now! First my goal is to finish a pair of gift socks. These are for a non-binary loved one, knit in F*ck Your Binary from Dye Mad Yarns. They have small feet so surely I can get a foot done by the end of the weekend, right? Somehow it’s just so satisfying to cross off one more project before the end of the month.

Happy Saturday, friends.

FO Friday: It’s Socks

Jun18

Shocker, I know. Seems like that’s all the knitting that goes on around here, socks. These are my rainbow shortie socks made with the color Rainbows Run the World from Desert Vista Dyeworks. Much like Sarah over at Mildly Granola, I wish I’d done a contrast heel, but that also seems like a lot of bother for shortie socks. Instead I will take that knowledge with me when I knit a calf-length pair with this yarn. Also I did a garter stitch heel with these for the first time and they feel so squishy!

Someday I WILL have more to show you that is not socks because I’ve been working on my Kassiani shawl and loving every bit of it. Who knew that massive lace shawls would be happy knitting for me?

Hope you’re all staying cool, if you have the same hot hot hot weather we’re having. I do love summer but I have my limits!

Happy Friday, friends.

Sock It To Me Monday: a FO

Jun14

I’m back down to three pairs of socks on my needles! Even though I cast on a new sock last week, I managed to finish a lingering WIP over the weekend. I was watching the French Open so I needed mindless knitting, and I thought it was the best opportunity to work on a sock I didn’t love knitting. Lo and behold, I managed to get it done during the women’s final! And that night, I finished sock one of my rainbow socks!

It’s funny how such little things can make a person feel so accomplished! And I love how the striped socks feel on my feet — they’re kind of squishy but the yarn also feels sturdy. They’ll be very good fall socks. And now I can zoom along on my second rainbow sock without any guilt. Have you finished anything that made you feel productive lately?

Happy Monday, friends!

Sock It To Me Monday

Feb22

I’m starting to think ahead to March, when I’ll be casting on a Water shawl (Rav link) in a knit-along with Alissa and a few others here in Blogville. It’s a two-skein shawl that might have a trick or two up its sleeve, so to get it done by the end of March, I know I’ll need to focus on it quite a bit. Though I know I can’t finish all my WIPs before then, I decided I needed to at least finish the boy’s gray socks, which have been lingering for far too long. If I don’t finish them soon, I’m afraid they’ll get lost forever! After working on it most of the weekend, I got all the way past the heel turn.

That’s a very long leg, I’ll have you know! And the foot will be equally long, I believe, or very close. So this week I just need to watch some good TV and movies and zip through this foot. What about you, are you hoping to finish a WIP or two by the end of the month?

Here come the holidays

Nov21

Oh golly. 2020, amiright? Good news: we’re all feeling fine, the boy’s test was negative and my tests have been negative, and the two weeks since possible exposure are up Monday. Of course, we’re very lucky: someone else I know tested positive this week (though honestly, I’m not sure they’re very good about staying home/not socializing etc).

Bad news: the girl is not coming home for Thanksgiving. I know it’s the right decision but I hate it quite a lot, and today it’s hitting me hard as the husband plans the menu and I know it will just be the three of us. I am trying to remind myself to be thankful that everyone I love is still alive. And the three of us are going to be as careful as possible so that with any luck, she can be here for Christmas. (Just let me be optimistic about something, okay?)

My recent ennui has extended beyond this blog and into my knitting. I frogged that cowl and it was satisfying, but I don’t have a new pattern picked out for the yarn. Besides a third swatch for my Oxbow, which is drying now, all I’ve done is make two bobble hats.

My former boss has commissioned four of them for new lab members, which is the only reason I will consent to doing bobbles anymore. But now they’re on hold because I’m waiting for more brown yarn to arrive in the mail. (I wanted to say “post” there. I think I’ve been watching too much British TV. Can I just say, watching Diana on The Crown is quite sad. We’re not too far into the new season yet, but it just makes my heart ache a bit.)

Today, though, today I’m going to try to break through the wall with some Christmas knitting. I remembered I had a sock kit in my stash, plus my new self-striping from Two Sisters is here. Which one to knit first? Oh, and I also got some gorgeous new yarn from the Lemonade Shop the other day. So many yarns I want to play with!

I think today will be a couch/tea/knitting/movie marathon kind of day. And dogs. Always dogs. Here, have a photo of Duncan in his new pajamas. He’s quite dapper, I think.

Happy weekend, friends.

Sock It To Me Monday

Oct26

I’m wearing new socks today, freshly finished socks! I love that first wearing of new socks, don’t you? These are my Jimmy the Model socks from LolaBean Yarn Co.

I totally meant to use the purple/pink on the heel too, but I forgot on the first sock and I wanted them to match. I’m hoping I can eke out a pair of shortie socks with purple toes.

I was able to get some medicine for Jack this morning, thank goodness. He’s still in the cone and not too happy, but at least he’s not fighting it. I’m grateful for my vet for not making me drag him in again! Tonight, I have to try to get him in the bathtub for a bath. Have I mentioned he’s 85 pounds? Should be interesting!

Also, we’re getting our first snow of the season and I’m strangely happy about it! Maybe it’s because I know I don’t have to drive to work in it, and maybe because I’m eager for the Christmas season.

Happy Monday, friends.

Sock It To Me Monday

Oct12

Good tennis over the weekend meant I had good sock-knitting time, since I needed something low-maintenance. I’m maybe a third of the way through the foot of my first LolaBean Jimmy the Model sock.

I’m a little disappointed in myself, though, because I forgot to use the purple for the heel! I guess this pair will just have contrast cuffs and toes, and I won’t have to worry about running out of purple yarn.

I also blocked two finished projects this weekend, plus all three dogs got baths, which wore me out. Jack loves water and had a great time. Grace and Duncan hated it, so that was more of an adventure. But now they all smell nice and feel so soft and silky. This morning Grace found a frog in our back yard, but fortunately she thought it was weird enough that she didn’t eat it. I nudged it under the fence into the neighbor’s yard and rinsed out her mouth, since some frogs can be toxic to dogs, and she seems to be just fine. These dogs sure keep my on my toes!

Happy Monday, friends.

FO Friday: Socks

Sep18

My recent shawl-knitting obsession fell by the wayside the last week or so. I couldn’t resist casting on a new sock with some of my birthday yarn, and this sock practically flew off my needles! I mean, this is obviously a progress shot, but it’s done now. The yarn is Bootheel sock from Show Me Yarn in the color Sonny & Tubbs.

Once I finished the first one, I decided I needed to be good and finish a lingering pair of gift socks. I was partway through the leg of the second sock so I knew it wouldn’t take too long. But here’s the problem with making gift socks: they’re not as addictive if they’re not for me! Especially if I’m doing colors that don’t speak to me. So it’s possible that sock-knitting is primarily a selfish thing for me. Anyway, I finished the second sock and now have a pair ready to mail.

The eagle-eyed among you might notice the socks don’t match exactly. The main yarn is from a 50g skein of Happy Feet. I had two skeins but weighed the first after making the first sock and thought I’d have enough for the second. Well, not quite. I ran out with about 3/4″ left of the foot to knit. That wasn’t enough to make me want to add in the second skein and two more ends to weave in, so I just started the green early. The recipient won’t care a bit, I don’t think. It’s funny how I’m so much a perfectionist in every other area of my life, but in my knitting, it’s all just “Eh, that works!” Maybe that’s just one more benefit that knitting brings to my life!

Happy Friday, friends.

WIP Wednesday

Apr8

What did I do after finishing that pair of worsted weight socks? Immediately cast on another, of course! This one’s for the boy to wear with his Doc Martens. I didn’t have enough of the Mountain Meadow Tweed left, so I pulled some Cascade Eco Cloud from deep stash. It’s not superwash so they’ll definitely need to be handwashed but it’s fine, I’ll just throw them in when I wash my handknit socks. I am using the Mountain Meadow leftovers for accents though.

The toes will also be the darker brown. He says they’re “vibey”, which is apparently a good thing. However, now I am tired of brown so I need to switch back to something lighter and brighter! Also my new puzzles came today so I have something besides knitting to keep me occupied.

d853989f-3f37-4a9c-821c-4177ae1c3e35 Hope you’re all coping well today. I’m currently in the “this is never gonna end” state of mind, which hopefully will pass quickly. If not, there’s wine. Well, honestly, there’s wine either way.

Sock It To Me Monday

Mar16

Sock knitting is my comfort knitting, so it’s not too much of a surprise that I had to cast on another sock over the weekend. Yes, I still have one on the needles, but it’s a second sock and I’m past the gusset, so I needed one in reserves. Plus this yarn is pretty colors. It’s from Leading Men Fiber Arts yarn in a color called Complete Imagination.

98B2C932-B3A7-46B9-A7E2-208BCEC9F7DE The weekend was good for more than knitting too! I got all my handknit socks washed and hung to dry, and made some yummy pumpkin muffins.

Unfortunately, I started feeling some vertigo and nausea on Saturday afternoon, so I wasn’t 100% for the girl’s visit. We managed a few games of Scrabble and Bananas, but otherwise I spent a lot of time on the couch not moving around so my stomach wouldn’t get upset. I got brave and went to the MinuteClinic this morning because I was afraid it was an ear infection that would get worse if I ignored it, but found out it’s fluid in my inner ear probably caused by allergies. With any luck, the nose spray and motion sickness meds I got will help quickly. And yes, I washed my hands a lot and used hand sanitizer and avoided touching things as much as possible! So for now, the couch is my friend. The dogs are pretty happy with that.

30E4D272-484E-498F-BAF9-2989418C7400 Happy Monday, friends.