A journey of a thousand miles begins with one square.

The first prototype of the mitered squares for my manos afghan project. I think I want the squares to be bigger, maybe 8"x8". This one only came out to be about 7"x7". And I may try stockinette instead of garter stitch, just cause I love it so much more!

So how many of these should I need to make a good sized blanket to cover someone on a couch??

Now that the sock pal matches have been made, hubby's plotted out the paths that all the socks will take in three months when we're all done knitting. How awesome is that?!

click for the BIG map

Everyone should have received their sock pal email by now. (Check your spam filters too!) Just to clarify, you were sent the name, email, blog, and preferences of the person you will be knitting for. You will be sent their full mailing address shortly before the May 2nd deadline. This gives those folks who are moving a chance to update their addresses and everyone else a chance to double and triple check their addresses in the system. In addition to your sock pal's info, you have also been sent the name, email, and blog of your sock sister. The (fabulous!) sock sisters are gals who offered to help me keep tabs on everyone's progress. (Because there is just no way I can watch 600 blogs!!) Please send updates of your progress to your sock sister. They will compile a list of updates every week and send them to me and I'll add them to the Tuesday update post.

The final list of participants will be posted in the next couple of days. Be patient, the tech guys are tired! Speaking of the tech guys, aren't they awesome?! Well deserving of their now finally finished techguy socks. (Psst.... you can get the pattern at Magknits.com.)

hubby likes retro video games

master webmaster, Jason, is an Apple guy

and who doen't like the happy mac?

I had so much fun making these socks. Although I still don't think that they are enough to repay all the hard work they have put into making the sockapaloozas run smoothly. Thanks guys!

PS - The tech guys have even managed to get that Google map from Tuesday's post to stop crashing in Internet Explorer. Go check it out IE'ers!

And it's all the in the yarn! I can't say enough good things about the Louisa Harding Kimono Angora. Really lovely colors, wonderfully soft - it just makes this simple little baby set so special.

Originally I had intened to make the angora booties from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, but it turns out that the kimono angora isn't quite fuzzy enough to hide the things I don't like about the booties (like the rectanglar duck foot shape, the pinched look in back where the three-needle bind off begins, the holes at the corners where the cuff begins, and the ladders on the sides from the double knitting technique). With super fuzzy angora, it's all good, but without the halo, it's no angel.

I searched through my patterns and it turns out that I already had the perfect bootie pattern, Fiber Trends CH36 "Baby Basics". Not only did it match the hat perfectly with stockinette stitch and cute little i-cord ties and everything, but the pattern is perfectly written. I don't think I'm ever using any other bootie pattern! And they're so sweet too.

Then there's the hat. I absolutely adore the hat. It's the Children's Cotton Hat from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

Because it's from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, you know it's stylish, clever, and - yes, you know what's coming - it has an error in it. Oh yeah, an error and there's no correction for it on the errata page. In the middle and large sizes, there are an uneven number of holes to pull the i-cord through. An uneven number of holes means that one end will be outside and one end will be inside. And that no workie.

Here's the simple fix:

Cast on and follow pattern as written until eyelet rnd.
Work eyelet rnd as follows: K4 (6, 8), *yo, K2tog, K2; repeat from* to end.
Follow pattern as written to end.

Still, it makes a gol'darned beautiful hat. What are you gonna do?

(Again, I've got to say that I love this book. Most of the errors, like the eyelet round error above, are something that an intermediate to advanced knitter can work out for themselves once they are aware of the problem. It's beginners who I really worry about. The patterns are so simple, it seems to me that this book should be a great book for beginners. But sadly, with all the errors, I can't really recommend it for new knitters.)

Hey HP fanatics, go check out the fabulous Gryffindor sweater Anmyriam designed for her daughter. Awesome job!

We've had a new wave of HP fans join the knitalong madness, including:
Cat, who is making a weasley in Wool Ease
Emma, who is a hard core fan (that's a good thing!) and has finished the back of her weasley already
Kammy, who has just cast on for a weasley
and Patty too!

Ready for a blast from the HP past? The first movie will be on ABC tonight. Fellow sockapalOOOzer, Jenny, reminded me that she put up the very first HP scarf pattern on the web. Ahhhh, the early days of HP obsession. Can you even remember what it was like before we talked about weasleys and magic knitting needles and spent hours on the internet hunting down Harry Potter patterns and new sources for hand-painted sock yarn in Hogwarts house colors?

I finished my Neapolitan socks!

wanna see B's picture?

I had been knitting these a little at a time when I was taking a break from projects for others. I was in no rush. They were a delight to knit, so why speed through it and miss all the enjoyment? Then I received this box from my old sockapal2za sock pal, Carola.

I sent her a drill and she sent me a radio!

Inside were all sort of fun treats from Iceland, including some Lopi ("it's scratchy," she writes), some Icelandic candy ("there is always something surprising inside...you have been warned"), and this Regia Nation sock yarn.

Go, Krauts!

I had admired these socks on Carola's blog last summer and desperately wanted to get some of the yarn to make socks for the upcoming World Cup, which is in Germany this time. And Carola sent me the yarn. Hooray!

But the needles I needed were in the Neapolitans. So I rushed.

Back to the cork sweater. I get two sleeves into plan b (let's review: plan a, the lace leaf pullover, was knit and rejected, then plan b, the cowl sweater from Stitch n Bitch, was begun), right so I'm two sleeves into plan b...

...and I decide, this isn't going to work either. I like the sleeves - isn't the shape cool?! - but it's just not going to look that good on me. I can tell. Too tight in the areas where I'm not too tight anymore, if you know what I mean. So I went back to the drawing board. This time, instead of asking what pattern I really, really want to knit, I thought, what pattern will really, really look good on me. I wore my sooty mango a few days later and had my answer. Introducing plan c, a mango sweater (it's actually a tank pattern from the all seasons cotton book) with sleeves and maybe a different neckline. I put the cowl sleeves aside (that's the plan b sweater, are you keeping up?) and started knitting the new back (plan c) from the old lower body portion of the lace leaf sweater (plan a, ahh remember the heady days of plan a?).

The cork may be jinxed, but I have to say that it's been very forgiving of my ripping and reknitting. I haven't had to reskein it or wash it and it's knitting up just as nicely as the first time around. At least there's that.

Finally, the big list of all 606 sockapalooozers is up! Everyone is listed with their sock sister (so there's no forgetting who to send your updates to).

Speaking of updates. We've got a few for you. Nope, no finished socks yet. But...

Sock momma, Alison (hey, that's me!) has picked yarn for her - er, my - pal. Pattern is still to be determined.

beautiful greens with a hint of pale blue and golden yellow

Agnes is considering some bold red Lorna's Laces for her pal.
Alicia has started blueberry waffle socks.
Amanda is halfway done with her pal's first sock! She's trying to finish before Lent, so she can concentrate on charity knitting then.
Amy has started Falling Leaves socks. (You have got to check out the super bowl cake her husband made!)
No idea what kind of socks Angela is making, but look at the cake on her blog!
Anna has started some socks that are CRAZY cool. Seriously, you gotta see them!
Anne will not be outdone in the cake department: check out the rocket ship cake her son had for his birthday!
Annie wants to make some Sensational Knitted Socks with Fleece Artist merino.
Ann-Marie will be using Koigu for the first time for her pal.
Beth started some gorgeous socks during the Super Bowl (in Scout's Super Bowl Challenge).
Betsy made a Boston sockapalOOOza map.

Sock sister, Ashley, is using Mountain Colors Bearfoot in. . . Betta-root Rainbow?
Bfmomma is looking for advice on yarn and needles. Stop by and let her know what works for you!
Carrie's got the (pretty blue) yarn, but needs pattern suggestions!
Carol S got some Koigu for her lucky pal, but is still pondering pattern options.
ChiaLea ran to the LYS to pick up some Lorna's Laces in Mixed Berries.
Christy needs help deciding which Socks that Rock colorway to use.
Colleen's socks are all Boston, all the time!
Cori has picked out a self-patterning Regia.
Cyndi is looking for suggestions for a heavier-than-sock-weight yarn that will make nice socks.
Cynthia will be knitting Elfine socks, as soon as she decides which yarn to use.
Dana has ordered some yummy Cherry Tree Hill.

Sock sister, Cathy, reports:
Jessica has started her socks in beautiful blue Brown Sheep Wildefoot yarn, using Sockbug's Crooked Cable pattern.
JJ started her socks and finished a whole foot already(!), then frogged after discovering that it was too big for her pal's foot!
Illanna has started her pal's socks from her own amazing hand-dyed yarn.

Sock sister, Donna, reports:
Kat has Lorna's Laces ready to go - help her choose between two beautiful patterns!
Katherine is ready to cast on one of two mystery patterns in luscious Socks That Rock!
KC has already frogged the leg of sock #1 - the colors were beautiful, but not quite perfect.
Kerrie is getting an early start for big sockpal feet with hand-dyed self-striping yarn (which she dyed herself!).

Sock sister, Erin, has ordered yarn for her pal, which has arrived. Now she just needs to choose a pattern.
Leandra has started a pair of Falling leaves for her sockpal.
Lesley cannot wait to start dyeing her pal's sock yarn, but she has not decided on a color. She has set up a poll. Go help her out.
Linz has picked out some beautiful Koigufor a pair of Jaywalkers.
Lori has decided on a stretchy one by one rib out of some pretty Trekking XXL for her sockpal.
Mai has not announced plans, but has an entry about refootable socks.
Malle has not announced sockpal plans yet, but take a look at her very cool Jaywalkers!
MamaSnooze has picked out some sportweight superwash merino that she intends to hand paint for her sockpal.
Manda is contemplating some Jaywalkers for her pal.

Sock sister, Ina reports:
Melissa has red Koigu and a sock monkey and is considering either Falling Leaves or Jaywalker
Michelle is knitting a "practice" pair of Jaywalkers in red Koigu
Michelle has one sock blocking and has started the second using Knit Picks Landscape
Mindy Allen is Jaywalking with Lorna's Laces Black Purl
Miss_M has selected Socka Color and beaded rib
Nathalie has selected Jocelyn's Fiber Farms mohair and wool and Vine Lace socks
Nicole has selected Socks That Rock Beryl
Nomad has bought sock yarn and taken up oil painting
Petra is considering Sock Bug's Crooked Cable

Sock sister, Jenipurr, reports that:
Sherry has selected yarn and pattern.
Sally picked her yarn.
Samantha picked her yarn (Fortissima) and her pattern (Straight Laced socks from Knitty)

Sock sister, Lisa, has cast on her for her pal’s socks with some bright green superwash fingering weight yarn. Looks like it might be something from the last issue of Interweave knits but can’t be sure yet…let’s stay tuned.
Dani has narrowed down her choices to 2 or 3 possible patterns for her sock pal who asked for something simple but sporty. She’ll be making her final pattern choice by Sunday night so she can buy her yarn and get started. She can’t wait!
Kristina dropped me a line this week to let me know she started her socks. She had narrowed her choices down to two IK faves—Retro Rib or Diagonal Rib (free pattern online) but after swatching, went with the RR. She’s using some very yummy Cherry Tree Hill in the “Green Mountain Madness” coulourway (a gift from her husband). Check out the pics!

Sock sister, Mary, reports on the beginners:
Kim sent in the picture of the start of her sock. She's using an organic cotton.
Spinsterbat has been buying up some very nice sock yarns, although we don't know yet which one is for Sockapaloooza.

---------------------------

A huge shout-out to my sock sisters who are doing an amazing job. Thank you so much! Don't forget to send in those updates when you have them to your sock sister by the weekend, so you can appear in the weekly wrap-up.

The placket neck sweater from LMKG all finished and wrapped up for a long trip to its new home.

I used some scrap Manos Cotton Stria for the embroidered initial and found a button in the very same pink for that single buttonhole that I added. The embroidered initial was a great suggestion that knitbuddy, Shannon, made when I was looking for a way to girl-up the sweater. And once she mentioned it, I remembered the template for initials given in this child's sweater pattern in Hollywood Knits Style. (And now I'm remembering how super cute that Suss pattern is - I just may have to make it for the next baby on my list!)

I really enjoyed knitting this little sweater. I think it only really took me two nights to knit it and one more evening to weave in ends and do the embroidery. It's a sweet design, doesn't require much yarn, and looks so adorable on tiny babies. And, finally, with that corrected pattern, it's all I'd hoped a Last Minute Knitted Gifts pattern would be!

Do you notice anything wrong with my Regia German nation socks?

hint: check out the picture on the ball band

Hubby did. I was so tickled by how the striping was coming out and how good it looked, that I held it up to show him and asked, all giggly, 'what do you think?' He said, 'it's very nice, except it's upside-down.' Aaaaaahhhh! It seems that they wound the yarn so that you need to knit from the center to get the stripes to go down the sock in the same order as in the flag. And I didn't.

So I ripped it all out and started over. In the right direction.

hubby approved stripes

As the Germans say, aller Anfang ist schwer.* Yeah, yeah.

* - every beginning is difficult

I've been waiting since just after Thanksgiving for one more ball of black Noro cash iroha to finish the turtleneck shrug. (Don't remember the turtleneck shrug? You're not alone. When they handed me the Noro at the store yesterday, I almost couldn't remember what it was for!) This was meant to be a Christmas gift for a friend - luckily, I hadn't really told her that I was making it. Two months and a few weeks later and even more luckily, I remembered where I stashed the almost-finished shrug.

Just three more inches of turtleneck and she'll finally be done. Just in the nick of time for, ahhhh, ummmm, President's Day?

Remember this radio box that Carola sent me recently? Well it's on its way to another knitblogger full of socky goodness.

wanna peek at what's inside?
(psst...it's Harvest sock yarn from Sunshine Yarns!)

This was all Amanda's idea. She received the drill box that I sent to Carola with her sockapal2za socks in it in a little swap they did. She was just as tickled by the idea of the drill box carrying yarn as Carola and I were and cooked up this idea to do a sock yarn secret pal thing with each of us sending yarn to our pal in the drill box. After a couple dozen people signed up, it seemed a bit much to ask that that one drill box make 20 trips to varying places around the globe, so I offered up the radio box from Carola for half the group. You gotta check out the map of all the cities the two boxes will be visiting!

where will it go next??

A little bit of cardboard and tape reinforcement from hubby, some padding inside, twine and packing paper outside and the radio box is off!

Icelandic radio box: sending yarn with a smile since January 2006

My boys are just starting to understand about days and weeks and months and how long it takes until holidays and birthdays come around. As soon as we hung up the new 2006 calendar (a SpongeBob calendar, of course), they asked the all-important question: how long until Christmas comes again. Conclusion: "it's a loooong way from Christmas."

So I guess that means it's time to send the holiday gift knitalong to the archives.

holiday gift knitalong
(who wouldn't love a handknitted gift?!)

November 2005 - January 2006

And I can now say that my holiday knitting is really and truly all finished! Yeah, I finished my 12 of 12 gifties back in December, but I had to take the Scarf Style turtleneck shrug out of the count, since I was waiting for more yarn to arrive. Well, the yarn arrived just in the nick of time for nothing on February 9th and the finished shrug finally went out to the recipient this weekend.

picture by B

picture by S

and as a scarf

The cash iroha feels so warm and snuggly on. And the style is really fun. I just know it's going to look great on the person I knit it for. Still, it's a long way from Christmas.

(I hope you caught some of the other late but great knitgifts, like Angela's man sweater, Orli's daughter's sweater, and Anne's Spectacular patterned sweater!)

I'm going to Germany!

Really, in a couple of days I'll be in Germany. Usually the in-laws visit us in the spring, but they can't make it this year, so I thought, what the heck, I'll fly over there with the kids. Hubby's stuck at home working, so it'll just be me, the boys, and the in-laws. And my knitting, of course. I'm filling hubby's suitcase with knitting projects.

How perfect was it that Carola sent me this Regia German nation sock yarn just a couple of weeks before I leave?! I knit my fingers off to get them done in time for the trip! But I got such a kick out of the flag stripes that it was really a blast to knit them (even with my little falschrum flag flub). I used my patent-pending method of cutting out color sequeces to get the entire heel to be a solid color and keep the striping in tact across the ankle (first used on my Gryffindor socks). And my foot was just long enough to end the sock in the yellow, the color at the bottom of the flag. (Oh, did I mention that these socks are for me? I had planned to make them for hubby but when I asked him if he wanted a pair of Germany socks, he sort of paused, not wanting to disappoint me. I interrupted the silence with a 'woo hoo, I can make them for myself!' and everyone was happy.)

So, any good knitting stores in the Frankfurt/Cologne area I should know about?

Our first finished socks!

Michelle finished her Bonkers Handpaints socks last week. Check them out and congratulate our first finisher!
And just last night, TrevorKane finished her socks! Here was the progress as of Monday morning. Pattern: Knitty's Broadripple, Yarn: Socks that Rock in Mesa. She loves these so much, she’s making a second pair for herself.

I thought the knitting olympics would slow things down a bit, but there's a ton of updates this week! I hope you can take the time to follow some of the links and say hi to a few of your fellow sockapalooozers. Even if you don't get to visit everyone's page, you should be able to get some good ideas about great sock yarns and sock patterns by reading through. Enjoy!

Sock momma Alison will be bringing her sock pal yarn with her to Germany.
Abigail finished some lovely lacy "Cotton Candy" socks, but she's not saying if they're her sock pal socks or not! She's working on another lacy pair now in red.
Agnes will be making Fancy Silk Socks by Nancy Bush for her pal.
Alliesw wants to make Old Shale Two Yarn socks for her pal in Baby Cashmere and Kid Merino. Wow, those are going to be soooo soft!
Alynda is considering Marnie McLean's Wyvern pattern for her pal.
Amy keeps her sock by the bed for a few minutes of bedtime knitting each night. Check out her progress!
Amysue has chosen Gryfindor variegated yarn from Sunshine Yarns for her pal. Can't wait to see how that knits up!
Amy plans to dye her sock pal's yarn herself and knit Nancy Bush's Rib and Cable socks.
Angela has chosen to make Old Shale Two Yarn socks for her pal. Look at the beautiful blue socks she just finished for her sister!
Angela is browsing through Barbara Walkers Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns for the perfect cable pattern for her pal's socks.
You have got to see the unique red patterned socks that Angela has started for her pal. (Scroll down to February 12 - it's worth it!).
and another Angela (the last one in this update, I promise!) is making the prettiest Jaywalkers I've ever seen in Lorna's Laces "Happy Valley" color 24.
Ann's first cable and lace sock is coming out beautifully!
Annette has ordered some gorgeous Socks that Rock yarn (Fire on the Mountain colorway - love that colorway!) and is planning to knit Broadripple socks from Knitty.com.
After a false start, Bethieee is knitting Nancy Bush's Fancy Silk Socks in Mountain Colors Bearfoot "Wildflower".
Beth has been knitting through the East Coast snowstorm and has the leg of her first feather and fan sock finished already.
Bethro would like to know what sort of heel might be easier for a first timer, a short-row heel or an afterthought heel? Any suggestions for her?

Sock sister Ashley writes:
Brie has her yarn; now she'd love input on the right pattern.
Carrie has some scrummy-looking purple yarn picked out for her pal.
Carol S. is "swatching" for her pal's Koigu socks by making a pair for herself!
Chloe has some gorgeous pink and brown yarn, and is also taking pattern suggestions.
Despite some intensive Olympic prep, Christine has actually started knitting her Vintage Socks! (She's the first starter in the Bf-Da group!)
Dana found some lovely blue Dalegaarn for her pal, and is trying to decide between two patterns.
Dana W. is going with Jaywalkers—but is still waiting for her yarn to arrive.
The mailman just brought Danielle some green Dalegaarn for her pal.
Danielle found some definitively non-pastel yarn for her pal during a trip to Webs.

Sock sister Carry, has yarn and pattern, will be waiting until after the Olympics to get started.
Debi found some Twinkeltoes sock yarn in the perfect color for her pal in her stash!
Designated_Knitter has started on the toes.
For Diane, peacock blue and December 15 are the perfect combination.
Donna is going with Lang Jawoll sock yarn for her pal.
Emily ordered some custom yarn from TwoWaters.
Erica has the toe of the first sock completed!
Gracie has started Embossed Leaves socks in a lovely purple shade of Wildfoote.
Grauwal picked out a pretty pink/red Regia yarn and is leaning toward something from Nancy Bush.
Looks like we can expect another new pattern from Jaywalker designer, Grumperina! She's chosen yarn for her pal and is still contemplating a pattern, which will most likely be something new, but simple.
Heather will also be making up her own pattern. She started a baby-sized sock to test drive her idea – so far so good!

Sock sister Cathy reports:
JamKnitter has chosen Mountain Colors sock yarn for some great cabled socks.
Jayme is working on a pair of fancy silk socks (Knitting Vintage socks) with yummy blue Fleece Artist yarn
Jenn has purchased some rainbowy Ellyn Cooper's Yarn Sonnets yarn.
Jennifer has chosen the Not Cable Socks from Sock bug
Jennifer has started her Pomotamus socks from Knitty, in Lorna's Laces sock in Aslan which is NOT purple!
Jenny has red Wildfoote from Brown Sheep at the ready for her pal's socks.
JennyRaye is busy competing in the Knitting Olympics but has picked out yarn and a pattern for her sock pal.
Jessica is working on a very springy looking pair of Jaywalker socks, go tell her they're not too pastel-y at all!
Jessica is making good progress on two socks at once on two circulars!
Jill has ordered Socks that Rock in Beryl! Pretty greens!
JoShell has ordered yarn from Hand Jive and is pretty much decided on making the child's French Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks
Judy has chosen some very soft and cozy yarn for her pal's socks.
Julie reports that thanks to the blizzard, she was able to complete the first sock and cast on the second this weekend! She is using a twisted rib pattern in Cotton Candy Twinkletoes for a sock pal who likes pink.
Julia is making good progress on her Mata Hari socks.

Sock sister Donna reports:
Katherine's lucky sock pal is getting Yukon Leaves socks in Socks That Rock - it does indeed look yummy!
New blogger Kelly is working on some fabulous Pomatomous socks in lovely purple Koigu.
Kerrie has finished her first sock! The crowd goes wild for the stripes!
Kit's working on some gorgeous Lace Scallop Socks in Lorna's Lace's Shepherd Sock Bittersweet - they're lacey and lovely!
Kitty's lucky pal will be Jaywalking through a sock garden - she's up to heel flap number 1!
Kristen's knitting beautiful socks with Wildfoote and playing with "wild" cats and dogs - wish her luck on her interview for veterinary school today!

Sock sister Erin has decided to make Sockbug's River Rapid socks.
Laura has chosen some Cherry Tree Hill yarn in Wild Cherry for her pal. Now she just needs to decide on the pattern.
Lavendarsheep is opting for "Spring Fever" socks from the Socks Socks Socks book.
Lily has chosen yarn and a sock pattern. Go check her progress.
Lindsey has decided to try to make her pal two pairs of socks. What a lucky Sockpal!
Lisa P. has decided on some Knitpicks Sock Memories yarn, and she is going with the falling leaves pattern from Knitty.
Liz has chosen her sockpal's yarn. Isn't it pretty?
Lori has started a blog and has chosen the Pippi Kneestockings from the first S n B book for her pal. Although she is going to have to order the yarn for them.
Lorraine has dyed her sockpal's yarn. Go read of the sock's latest adventure.
They aren't sockpal socks, but check out the socks Lucia has made.
Lyme has picked a pattern and ordered some yarn off ebay.
Lynn is thinking about making "Ribbed Cycling or Golf Stockings with Fancy Cuff in Trellis Pattern" from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks for her sock pal.
Mai is making gorgeous fair-isle socks for her pal. You gotta see them!
Malle has chosen some bright Regia for her sockpal, and wonders (since the yarn line is called Nation Color) what countries flag colors would be represented in this yarn. Also check out her Jaywalker progress!
Mama-E has decided on falling leaves for her pattern and has been caught red-handed, (sorry, I just couldn't resist) dyeing some sock yarn for it.
MamaSnooze has painted, skeined, wound, and swatched her sockpal socks. She has chosen a twisted cable pattern from Hello Yarn. Aren't they going to be beautiful?
Margene has chosen some very pretty red yarn to make "Child's first sock" from Nancy Bush's book, Knitting Vintage Socks.
Maria Isabel is debating between a few yarns and patterns, but appears to be leaning towards some Cherry Tree Hill yarn, now she just needs to decide on her pattern. She is looking at a few here.
Mariehas chosen her pattern and yarn, and plans to start them after the Olympics. (Mmm...koigu...)
Marie has been struggling with her shapely tank, but has since worked things out and has some serious sock yarn bootie to show. Her sockpal yarn is in there somewhere...
Mary Alice drops a hint about her socks. Pink, Cashmere, and Lace.
Mary C. has chosen some Artyarns Ultramerino4 (Color 122) and has chosen to make embossed leaves for her pal.

Sock sister Ina reports:
Megan has selected Falling Leaves and is waiting for payday to order yarn.
Melissa has selected Knit Picks Flower Power and Sock Bug's Lava Flow pattern.
Meredith has selected purple Koigu and New England from Knitting on the Road.
Mia is studying for professional re-certification and pondering colors of Socks That Rock.
Miss.Sarah has selected Fleece Artist yarn.
MommyknitsJen is combining Sockapaloooza and Knitting Olympics, and is avoiding Second Sock Syndrome.
Morgan has two great Lorna's Laces colorways for Jaywalkers.
Nathalie is test-swatching Vine Lace and has received beauteous cabled Sockapaltwoza socks.
Neva has ordered two Valentine's Day pretty colorways of Lorna's Laces and has a two-color pattern to show them off.
Olga is seeking opinions on which colorway of Hill Country Yarn to use and also has a fabby FO.
Parikha has selected Embossed Leaves and Jaeger Matchmaker and is perfecting a "ragtop".
Patty has selected Koigu and Anklet Coronets, without beads.
Penny has selected yellow Rowan 4 Ply Soft but is completing a baby blanket first.
PinkHebe has selected purple Opal and Falling Leaves.

Like most everyone else, sock sister Jenipurr is too distracted with the Knitting Olympics right now to make sock decisions.
PumpkinMamma is knitting Mermaid Socks out of her very own hand dyed self-striping sock yarn.
Rachel reports that she has started her socks.
Regenia is making the Peony Garden Socks for her sock pal.
Rocketbride will be making Falling Leaves socks, in a colourway of DGB Confetti that reminds her of pumpkin soup.
Ruth has chosenTrampoline Stretch yarn and is trying to pick a pattern.
Sally has been working on the first Lacy Mock Cable socks in KnitPick's Essentials sock yarn, in Grass.
Sara is making Socks with a Cable and Moss Stitch pattern, in turquoise Wildefoote, and has decided to make them her Olympic Knitting challenge.
Sarah is making a pair of Pretty Comfy socks in pastel varigated Cascade Fixation.
Sarah has started her socks and is almost through the leg on the first one.
Scout is done polling and has decided to make Web Socks for her pal.
Sheri has selected Watermelon Patch Sunshine Yarn and is trying to decide between Friday Harbor socks or Traveler's Socks from Knitting on the Road.
Sherry is making Embossed Leaves Socks in a deep red yarn.
Sheryl has selected some lovely brown self-patterning Trekking XXL and will be making Chevron socks, from Sensational Knitted Socks.
Sigga_Sif has started her first sock for her sock pal, using the Japanese Feather pattern in a gorgeous aquamarine color.
Stephanie is ordering several different sock yarns to pick which one she likes the best.
Strangelittlemamma has decided to make Peak Experience socks to try to give her sock pal a feel of the beautiful landscape where she lives.

Sock sister Lisa writes:
Sabine is having a hard time getting started as she’s mesmerized by the Berlin Film Festival and admits that only movies can stop her from knitting. She has posted pictures of her yarn and the pattern. Look closely, she blogs in English.
Sue has purchased Cherry Tree Hill “Wild Cherry” and has ordered another colourway to see which one she likes best (for herself or her pal? Hmmm). She’s planning on lace but hasn’t settled on a pattern yet.
Theresa (who I was lucky enough to meet a couple of weeks ago at Knitsmiths) has picked the yarn for her sock pal. Check out the Feb 10 post. For now, it appears that she will be concentrating on her Olympic dreams.
Thistlerain has started planning her socks. Patterns and yarns are being reviewed and investigated.
This is Tuullia’s first time in an international KAL but she is no stranger to socks (she made 8 pairs in January). She’s a Finnish expat now living in sunny San Diego. She’s narrowing down the pattern choices but the yarn will be 100 % Finnish lamb wool she is going to dye herself in her sock pal’s favorite colors—WoW. She’s finnish-ing up a couple of other KALs, and exchanges as well as the Olympics so she’ll be starting in a couple of weeks.
Weeza has found the yarn for her sock pal…Lorna’s Laces in the “Get Knitted!” exclusive colourway you can only get in the UK. She’s still mulling over patterns worthy of this exquisite yarn. Check out the pic.
Wendy sent a link to the beyooootiful yarn she’s using for her sock pal. She’s already cast on and has about 3 inches knit.
Trina ordered knitpicks merino sock yarn over the weekend and is browsing sock patterns. She’s hoping to have a pattern picked out by the time the yarn lands on her doorstep.
Angelle just started a new job so not much knitting to report. Her sock pal requested something lightweight, so she was going to use the pattern for Alison's ankle socks, but is having a little trouble with the short heel backward yarnover. She loves the pattern but if she can’t get the hang of it, she’s going to change patterns.
Amy dropped me a line to let me know that she’s picked out her yarn…those are my colors!!
Bertha’s going to use the Magic Loop. Her sock pal doesn’t like variegated yarns, so she’s using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in a solid sage green color. She hasn’t quite decided on a pattern yet, but is pretty sure it will be from "Sensational knitted socks”. She’s participating in the Knitting Olympics and is knitting her first pair of socks. Her sockpal will be the lucky recipient of her 2nd pair of socks which she will begin right after the closing ceremonies.
Carrie now has a blog! She won’t be starting until after the Olympics but she’s pretty sure she’s going to use Socks That Rock. (provided that January One hasn’t bought up all the yarn like she did at Rhinebeck. ;0) )
No stranger to socks, it seems, Christine has bought her yarn and posted a pic. It’s Knit Picks Sock Garden in Zinnia. Now for a pattern.... hmmmmmm....
Deidre is using the two circular method, and while she had to rip out twice (she kept knitting with the needle she was supposed to drop), patience prevailed.
Desirée won't be starting until after the Olympics but she’s taking this very seriously and carefully considering her yarn and pattern options.

Sock sister Mary reports:
Jill has been having fun choosing her sock yarn.
Lara has bought her yarn but has been having some problems with her cast on.
Leigha has started her socks. She's doing them for her Knitting Olympics project.
Keli is knitting lace knee highs for her pal. Go and give her some encouragement as she's having a few problems with the chart!
Johanna has been having fun getting to grips with short rows for her pal's sock.

And remember, the sockapalOOOza is a marathon, not a sprint, so no worries if you're doing the knitting olympics. Knit for the gold and then start those sock pal socks in March! If you do make progress, though, remember to let your sock sister know. I'll be posting while I'm in Germany, so keep those updates coming!

I told you hubby's suitcase was filled with yarn!

Germany socks ready for boarding.

Boys-eye view of blue soap at the airport bathroom. B is spinning.

Jetlag.

The boys' favorite time of the day: when the baker comes.

Wow, these German Playmobil figures sure do like ice cream.

Well, yesterday, at least. And I don't like a one of them.

I'm trying to choose the right mitered square technique so I can start this afghan. I've got the size I want finally, but am still not sure of a few things:

1. I personally prefer the look of stockinette squares, especially stockinette squares that are seamed together. But I think I may just like the mitres in the garter stitch better.
2. I love the idea of the mitered square with a full "X" in it (with four sets of mitre decreases) but I'm not satisfied with the way the seam looks in either garter or stockinette stitch.
3. My old dislike of variegated yarns is creeping back. I don't like how the variegated yarn looks in stockinette at all and furthermore, I can't decide how to incorporate the variegated squares into the whole. I'm tempted to nix the variegated all together or maybe just use it for an edging.
4. I haven't quite convinced myself that simple solid squares are okay. Every now and then, I think that I should do stripes. I don't want a pattern that looks busy though. And I don't want to have to plan every square ahead of time.

What does all that add up to? Little progress, much frustration. Time to stop knitting and do something else.

Roar.

Both sleeves of the LMKG man's zip raglan are in, the ribbing matches up (hooray for math!), and I'm working my way through the raglan decreases on the yoke. Boy, there's a lot of them! In fact, doesn't the whole sweater look crazy skinny and long with all that ribbing cinched in?

Now I know why the pattern says "with ribbing lightly blocked". Maybe not too lightly, huh?

who can resist a silly hat?

Fasching (carneval) fashion.

England vs. Brazil

WM (World Cup) practice with Lego soccer and official t-shirts.

Here I am working on hubby's LMKG zip raglan on his parents' couch. Yes, the couch that should be home to a new Manos afghan come Christmas. See the curtains I have to deal with? (They're a little more pink than in the picture - you can see the pink in one of the pictures from yesterday.) Okay, but look at the old blanket next to the sweater. Variegated or not, garter stitch or stockinette, stripes or solid, the new afghan will definitely be better than that!

And it will be. I worked through all my issues and I've finally decided that the afghan will be garter stitch with standard mitre shaping (one set of mitered decreases as given here), without stripes, but with variegated squares.

And now I'm flying on these!

So much for German punctuality! I stayed up a little too late last night preparing this update and overslept this morning. I just needed to add updates from one sock sister and a few links to pictures this morning, but the German train system waits for no-one, so I had to postpone it until now. Ich bitte um Entschuldigung.

Here it is, week three and we've got a total of four finished pairs of socks so far! (Two of them from Ina's group. I don't know what she has promised her knitters if they finish early, but they are just a bunch of over-achievers aren't they? Tee hee.)

Ina reports that after frogging a few times, Morgan has finished her fraternal Jaywalkers!
And Donna says Kerrie has finished her socks filled with stripey goodness! Huzzah!

And here's your update-a-looza...

Sock momma Alison hasn't knit a stitch on her sock pal's sock while on vacation.
Abigail has finished another pair of lacy socks and again she won't tell us if they are for her pal or not. She's sly, that one!
Agnes has one red cabled sock finished and will now concentrate on socks for hubby for a while.
Alynda found some gorgeous Fleece Artist sock yarn for her pal and has cast on for toe-up, two at a time, Wyvern socks (from Marnie McLean).
Amy has turned the heel on her first sock and is working her way up the leg.
Anastacia hasn't made any knitting progress, but she did open an etsy store - check it out!
Andrea will be using Bearfoot Yellowstone yarn and making Bob's Meadowlark Socks (MC pattern).
Angel is thinking of Rib & Cable socks in KnitPicks yarn, but needs to do some swatching first.
Angela has finished her first Jaywalker.
Anna has also turned a heel and is ready to start the foot of her first bright rainbow sock. She's also just raving over some new sock yarn she's just received from this seller. You gotta see the colors Anna got!
Astrid has chosen Opal sock yarn and will make Jaywalkers. She's half-way done with her Olympic Jaywalkers already!
Betty is also working on Olympic projects right now, but she did receive yarn for her sock pal's socks. Look at the gorgeous close-up!
Beverly found a very pretty yarn called "Chlorophyll" from this etsy store for her sock pal's socks.

Sock sister Ashley writes in:
Brenda is making some Sockbug Lava Flow socks, and just has to decide which Cherry Tree Hill colorway to use.
Brigid just got her yarn: Lorna's Laces in Forest.
Carina just got a whole whack of sock yarn in the mail, in gorgeous colors! She's thinking orange for her pal—but which pattern should she use?
Carla has started some Stitches of Violet Basketweave Ribbing socks, using Claudia's Handpainted.
Carola has started her socks—Pomatomi, no less!
Chawne's pal requested anklets—she's got some underway, but is already planning a second pair for her lucky pal!
Christine picked up some yummy olive-green Koigu KPM for her pal.
Crissy picked out some blue yarn, and is pondering patterns.

Sock sister Carry reports:
Debbie is up to the foot decreases on the rainbow ripple sock she's started for her sock pal in lorna's laces purple iris.
Dene has answered her sockpal's questions and has picked out yarn for her pal's socks.
Dorothee has gotten a shipment of yarn, will her pal be lucky enough to receive 2 pairs of socks???
Elise started over with a new pattern, Waving Lace. What a great color/pattern match!
Elise is waiting to hear back from Sunshine Yarns about her pal's yarn.
Elspeth has picked up some nice KnitPicks sock yarn and will be doing the Pomatomus pattern.
Erica has gotten about 6" away from the tip of the toe, she is using a beautiful green color in Dale of Norway.
Fayme is working hard on figuring out the heel for the larger size. Check out the picture of her progress here.
Flan has found some Trekking XXL and is thinking of using the Jaywalker pattern.
Grauwal's pal's yarn has arrived, she's just waiting for the needles to be freed.

Sock sister Cathy reports:
Jenny has picked some yummy alpaca and is looking at patterns.
Jen has picked out yarn and is planning to use the Yukon Leaves pattern.
Holly Jo has done a totally tubular cast on to start her socks!
Julie is halfway through her second sock using Lorna's Laces in Yellowstone and the Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer pattern. And check out the beautiful desert sky on her blog!
Joyce has been distracted by the Knitting Olympics (me too!) but has picked up some Fleece Artist sock yarn for her pal.
Jessica has started a lacy pair of socks in some very springy colored Lorna's Laces yarn.
Jess has bought 3 (!) different yarns for her sock pal, she's still mulling over patterns.
Judy has finished the leg of the first sock. Check out the beautiful ribs and cables.
Jessimuhka is still deciding on a pattern for her Sockapaloooza pal, but go be inspired by her green retro rib socks!

Sock sister Donna writes:
Karen's showing off one finished Jaywalker - it's beautiful in Schaefer Anne yarn.
Kat has three inches of pretty, pretty sock on the needles.
Kat's lucky sockpal is getting pink yarn that's verrry cute!
Katherine has finished her first Sock That Rocks with purple needles that match!
Kathy's got a great start on some bright red Aran socks - she'll have a lot of people hoping she's their pal!
Kim found the perfect inspiration for her socks when she took a class with Lucy Neatby (who looks so cool in Kim's pics!).
Kirsty has a lovely start on the Gentleman's Sock in Lozenge Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks.

Sock sister Erin writes:
Laura would appreciate some suggestions for her sockpal.
Laura has just finished dyeing yarn for her pal's socks and is now swatching in pattern. In the meantime, check out her Jaywalkers.
Lelah has chosen some Koigu (yum) and Anna's Nautilus socks.
Lesley has had a bit of a setback, but is now back on track.
Lindsey has chosen Lorna's Laces in Purple Iris for her pal. Now she just needs to decide between 3 patterns in the meantime: Mirabella, Elfine's socks, or Leaf Lace Socks.
They aren't sockpal socks, but check out Lisa's "long" socks.
Lisa C in TN has chose her yarn and pattern, (Embossed Leaves in Regia 4 ply denim) and hopes to start those next month.
Tragedy has struck Lorraine. Her socks were coming out too small, and has decided to rethink things.
Mai is knitting some very pretty fair-isle socks for her pal.
Malle is moving along on some very cute footlets.
Maria has chosen her yarn, Cherry Tree Hill Superwash, and pattern, Angel's Rest from Fiber Trends.

Sock sister Ina reports:
Melanie is going for a personal best in Olympic sock knitting and is pondering adapting Fair Isle Jazz from Scarf Style.
Melissa has cast on Falling Leaves in red Koigu in her copious spare time (not) and wants to learn Magic Loop.
Melissa visisted Chicago during a spell of -20 F (-29 C) weather and knitted with her daughter in the hotel.
After starting and frogging, Meredith is knitting Embossed Leaves in purple Koigu.
Mia got her re-certification (woo-hoo!) and is going to test drive Falling Leaves.
Michelle is off to Stitches West for some inspiration.
Mindy has some blue Koigu and is pondering the pattern short list.
MommyknitsJen is working the lace repeats on her Olympic Sockapaloooza socks.
Mozemen has yarn and big travel plans, pix to follow.
Nannette has selected Socks That Rock Spinel.
Nathalie is making an Olympic effort and knitting through the pain.
Opportunityknits posted some guidance for her sock pal.
Pam is starting socks in Magic Stripes and is preparing to be the mother of the bride.
Pam-M. has some periwinkle wool and Tencel yarn and is pondering wonderful patterns, including Metropolis and Italian Diamond Rib.
Patrice is using Opal Petticoat and Jaywalker.
Patti has done lots of blogging, also knitting and frogging in Cherry Tree Hill.
Patty has some gorgeous blue Dani yarn, a new digicam, an Olympics project, and a vacation coming up.
Pip_and_Tom has selected lovely green Nature's Palette yarn and Whitby from Knitting on the Road.

Sock sister Jenipurr reports:
Polly has picked her yarn and pattern and is getting ready to start.
Rachel has finished the first of her Canada socks (from Knitting on the Road).
Renata will be making Pomatomus socks out of some Socks that Rock in Cobalt Bloom.
Roberto will be making Pomatomus socks with some lovely aquamarine Sockotta yarn.
Rocketbride has made it halfway up the foot of the first sock.
Ruth is making Sockbug's Lava Flow socks.
Samantha is starting over, this time making ribbed socks.
Sandra will be using some lovely hand-dyed yarn in shades of purple and blue.
Sara has a picture of her socks in progress and they're turning out gorgeous.
Sarah is making Lacy Scallops socks in Regia Cotton Surf, and has already finished the first one.
Sarah G received her yarn and has started knitting the socks.
Sarah has picked her yarn and pattern
Sharon is making lacy beaded socks.
Spring is still trying to make up her mind on yarn and pattern.

Sock sister Lisa (are you reading Lisa's updates? They're hilarious!) writes:
OK, my turn. So I’m knitting along on Embossed Leaves, which is eating yarn faster than a swarm of moths at a Weird Al Yankovic concert. Lo and behold, I find myself at the end of the first of two—Yes, only TWO balls of yarn, just shy of the toe decreases…Criminy! No worries, I should be able to retrace my steps to figure out where I bought the yarn. I mean, in the past month, I’ve only been to: A Good Yarn, Circles, Black Sheep Knitting, Wild and Wooly in Lexington, Knitting Central, Yarn Barn, Yarn LLC, Knotty Girl in Fairfield, Ewe’ll Love it, Grace Robinson, and Halcyon. Nope, none of them carry this yarn. Hey, there’s a price tag on the yarn. I don’t go to yarn stores that have price tags on their yarn…and then it hits me….Freakin’ Fabric Place. What the hell was I doing there? So I headed out to Fabric Place in Framingham to get the other ball I asked them to hold for me. And as I’m driving past the court house, guess who is being ushered in, flanked by his attorney’s and security no doubt? Neil Entwistle…Enough said!
Susanne is knitting a pair of Opal Feather & Fan socks. No pictures of her socks yet, though she professes she’s past the heel.
Suzanne has emailed her sock pal a few times to nail down what she wants (no variegation!) and has picked a pattern (cables) but no yarn yet. Check out her “skank” of yarn from the “unloved sock yarn swap” though.
Teresa’s Lorna’s Laces is in the mail and she’s leaning towards the Sock Bugs Lava Flow pattern. Holy color-work Batman, check out her Olympic project.
Thistlerain is trying to find just the right color yarn for her pal. She started a pair in a lovely yarn and then decided it was too pale. So this week she will be looking for something a little brighter and keep working on the other pair for herself. She’s trying to decide whether to do a lace pattern or clocks or both? What the heck are clocks?
Tracy admits that she cannot knit while watching scary movies—she’s already broken her third Brittany needles finishing the first sock. (Editorial Sidebar from Lisa: OK, can we all agree that while we love Brittany needles, you cannot use their size 0, 1, or 2’s without breaking them?) She’s using a yarn called Love Hearts from a small English company that uses only historical plant dyes. Wow, check out her Kidsilk Stole as well as the fabulous fair isle object she’s using as the back drop for her socks.
Trina received her Knit Picks Sock Garden yarn and cast-on for the Embossed Leaves. I warned her too about watching her gauge. Don’t want to start a panic but let’s just say that my pair will be perfect for those days when you’re retaining water.
Hmm…seems like we have a lot of Embossed Leaves and Sock Bugs this Sockapaloooza.
Trish has decided on a tweedy purple Fortissima but is still up in the air on which pattern to use. It’s no wonder, with the Olympic dreams swirling around in her head. Entrelac, it’s the new…yeah, I’ve got nothing—it’s a lot of ends to weave in.
Ulond’s daughter Meghan emailed me with an update on her mom’s socks. She's got a lovely bubble-gum pink superwash Norwegian wool all picked out to start on her pal's knee-socks. KNEE SOCKS…I DIDN’T KNOW WE COULD REQUEST KNEE SOCKS, HELL, I’D HAVE ASKED FOR THIGH HIGHS! She'll be using a version of the "Mock Islelet" pattern from an old issue of Spin Off. She'll be casting on this week.
Weeza has narrowed it down to two patterns: Sockbug’s Lava Flow (right) and a mistake rib (left) both toe-up with Mary Lycan’s mitred toe and heel. She told me she was having trouble with her encroachments (which she was treating with ointment) and I had to google it because the only definition I knew of did not seem like it could be related to the human condition or anatomy. Help me out Weeza! Are you suffering from an invasion of tourists? Can you treat that with ointment?
1. invasion: any entry into an area not previously occupied; "an invasion of tourists"; "an invasion of locusts"
2. trespass: entry to another's property without right or permission
3. impingement: influencing strongly; "they resented the impingement of American values on European culture"
4. A property improvement or obstruction that physically intrudes upon the property of another.
5. A building or some portion of it, or a wall or fence that extends beyond the land of the owner and illegally intrudes upon land of an adjoining owner, a street or an alley.
Wooliedi’s on the road (“Knitting on the Road” that is) and has chosen The New England Socks in a dark red, to please her sock pal.
Zina’s chosen Sisu sock yarn in a lime green and she’s decideing between Sock Bug's Crooked Cable or Embossed Leaves from Winter 2005 Interweave Knits. I told her I was using the same yarn for my pal with the Embossed Leaves and that there is a gauge challenge because that pattern really was written for Koigu. Let’s wait and see what she decides.
Yarnsticks just posted an update on her blog. She’s defending her position with friends on why she is even knitting socks at all, much less knitting socks for someone she doesn’t even know…We’re a crazy bunch! I love the pooling…is that Retro Rib?
Andamay reports that she’s had a false start and had to begin again…she got so bored with the first pattern (in a faux fair isle) that she found herself sleepwalking over the jaywalker pattern on Grumperina’s site. So far so good with Trekking XXL and 1.5 needles.
Carol checked in this week from “slow-poke mountain” and asked for some help with metric conversions. I helped her make the conversions…poor thing, her sock pal’s foot is 3’ 6” long….wait, do you think I made a mistake?
Deidre has switched from the two circular method to dpns and is thanking her lucky stars that her pal has small feet. If you remember from last week, she kept knitting with the needle she was supposed to drop, or something like that…I swear it’s harder than the magic loop…and you have to buy twice as many needles (go figure). She also went to a beadmaking class at Snow Farm, which I have never heard of but I expect I will be visiting soon (thanks for clueing us in on another expensive hobby). I have a vague recollection that Julia from Moth Heaven had a bead problem about a year ago. Wonder how that is going?

Sock sister Mary writes:
Nic has picked some gorgeous Lorna's Laces for her socks and has made a start.
Helen has started a great pair of Jaywalkers for her pal.
Jen has finished one sock in Trekking XXL and is starting to see why sock knitters love handknitted socks so much!
Jill has chosen some 'Hot Socks' yarn for her pal and now has to pick a pattern.
Johanna has finished her first sock - luckily she can use her little brother as a foot model!
Lara is down to the heel of her first sock. She had a few problems but is following Ann Budd's sock pattern and all seems OK for now.
Lisa saw a pair of lace socks in the new IK that will be perfect for her pal but now she's thinking about another very cool pattern.
Peacock has found her yarn and now has to do some gauge swatches and pattern planning.
Melissa has settled on a pattern for her socks and has got started.
Laura is using some Lorna's Laces in Motherlode, although she'd really rather be using Opal self striping!
Krista's yarn has arrived. She loves it and hopes her sock pal does too.

Way to go everyone (sock sisters, sockapaloooza knitters, anyone who made it this far down the page!)! I'll be traveling back next Tuesday and will probably be jetlagged for a few days, so rather than keep you all in suspense while I try to catch up on my sleep, how 'bout we skip the update next week? Those of you working on Olympic projects should have plenty of time to attend medal ceremonies, rest up a bit and still be able to cast on for your sock pal socks in time for the next update. Maybe I'll have even cast on by then too! Maybe.

No more knitting progress on the LMKG zip raglan to report. Instead of knitting, I've been shopping the last two days. But I haven't been neglecting hubby's sweater entirely; I was on the hunt for the perfect zipper. I really, really, really wanted a zipper just like in the pattern with a big ring in a nice contrasting color. But I couldn't find any like that around home, so I thought I'd check in Germany.

und fündig!

It's nowhere near as cool as the original, still, it'll do. The zipper might not be much to look at but hey, look at the view from the department store cafe!

It may be a no-name, small town department store, but it has one hell of a view. And sock yarn.

oh wie schön is Canada

This is my new favorite sock yarn. It's called Canadian Color and it's from Regia so you can machine wash it and it's got that crazy 10-year guarantee and everything. And this style makes the coolest stripes! As you may know, I have a little difficulty with the whole variegated yarn thing, but I really dig stripes.

Just so you don't get the wrong idea, it's not all this lovely out here in the Hinterlands. An aunt tipped us off that there was Regia sock yarn on sale for 20% off at the local SparKauf, so we went to check it out.

the "SaveBuy"

They did indeed have Regia on sale, but not in any colorways that I really liked. (Note: Havanah Color is variegated, Canadian Color stripes.) Pssst, if you're looking for FunFur, I know where you can get some cheap! German knitters are waaaay into FunFur.

Still, we didn't come home empty-handed. My father-in-law picked up orange reflective vests that the Germans are required to have in their car in case of an emergency. Woo hoo. Well, he was excited to find them so cheap. And I found these little lovely boxes of sewing notions by Prym. (Have you looked at the Inox needles in your LYS recently? They're all called Prym now.) They were just soooo cute, I couldn't resist!

apparently the Prym people were big in the snap business

Amazing what you find when you go looking for a zipper. Stay tuned tomorrow for another shopping adventure!

"meet" me now - get it?
those Germans are so funny!

What a fun shopping day I had yesterday! Kerrie flew down from London to meet up for a three-hour shopping tour in Frankfurt! What a gal, just flying over like that to see me. All I can say is, she is fabulous! Of course, I didn't manage to take a picture of her, but I did take a picture of some of the incredible hand-dyed yarn she brought me from her online (and soon to be brick & mortar) yarn store, HipKnits.

ooooh, silk and cashmere, yuuuuum

The yarn was so yummy I had it spread all over the table where we sat down to eat. The Kellner was little verblüfft when he brought our drinks over and saw the yarn in the middle of the table. Yes, we're crazy english-speakers who travel hours to scope out a few yarn stores in a foreign city, but still choose to eat lunch at Pizza Hut. We spent so long chatting and eating (pizza, not yarn) that we didn't end up having that much time for the shopping. But I have a feeling that each of us probably has enough yarn already anyway.

Wolle Rödel in Tönesgasse

Still we did our best to find a couple of the shops that Beate told me about. The first yarn shop we visited was Wolle Rödel. They make their own yarns and they are all really lovely. They have variegated and self-patterning sock yarns, soft merinos, delightful cottons and interesting blends. If I lived in Frankfurt (or Munich - they have another shop there that I've visited several times), I would definitely be using a lot of their yarns to make sweaters. They've done a really good job reproducing the styles, gauges, and content of brand name yarns like Lana Grossa and Regia. And their colors are to die for.

Wolle Rödel is for yarnheads!

The second store we found was a beautiful little gem of a yarn store, called Lana.

Lana in Fressgasse

It was so tiny, but we could see from outside that it had all sorts of exquisite yarns like Noro. Unfortunately, Kerrie and I only got to see the store from the outside, because the owner had to close for her lunch hour. And then Kerrie had to ride back to the airport. I couldn't find the third shop that was supposed to be near the main shopping area, so I went shopping for other things (Legos, I bought tons and tons of Legos!) and then rode home and knitted in the train (Regia Canadian Color #4732).

kipping in the Deutsche Bahn

When I got back to my in-laws I found that the boys had spent the whole day building. They'd put together an entire Lego space station with little space vehicles and a rocket ship.

And hiding houses with dining chairs and blankets.

S. is also smiling for the picture in the house

So a good day was had by all. Maybe I should go away more often!

The weather's been gray and rainy and snowy for the first half of our stay here in Germany. It is winter, after all. And it is Germany. So I say, when the weather gives you gray days, make gray squares!

That'll cheer you up! And so will this: In the solid color Manos, I'm getting three full squares out of one skein. (Only two and a half from the variegated skein, for whatever reason.) That means that I should be able to get a decent sized afghan with about 20 skeins of Manos. That's not soooooo so bad. It could have been much worse.

And if you're a 4 1/2 year-old boy, nothing will cheer you up on a gray day like an electric train set!

Bring it on, German weather! We are prepared.

Finally a sunny day, so we decided take a trip up to the local mountain for some sledding. There's no snow on the ground here anymore, but doesn't everyone have a mountain for sledding and skiing a short drive away? Well, they do around here.

Berg ready

wheeeeeeeee!

Actually, it was soooo cold and windy on the mountain that the boys started crying to go home after just one trip down the hill. They enjoyed the ride back to the car at least.

check out that old-timey wooden sled

And where does one go after a trip to the Hausberg? To the HausMcDonalds, of course!

I spent several weeks one summer in Berlin many years ago and there was a street musician who would sing everyday by the Gedächtniskirche with a guitar, a drum on his back that he would bang by stomping his feet, and a harmonica on a holder on his shoulder. He would always sing the Lemon Tree song by Fool's Garden. I don't know why, but I really liked that song.

I used to say the word lemony a lot just because it felt good in my mouth.

And my son B's love of yellow is legendary.

So I guess it's no surprise that I love these yellow squares for the manos afghan.

Well, first of all, only Omis knit in Germany (the big knitting trend really hasn't hit here like it has in America, although crochet is pretty popular among the young hip girls), so I look a little old-fashioned knitting on the train. Then there's the whole how-the-hell-are-you-knitting thing that I get when I'm knitting in public (you know where everyone sort of cocks their head to the side when they don't get something just like a puppy does when he doesn't understand what you're saying). You see, even though most people don't knit, they've definitely got an aunt or a grandma who does and she don't knit English-style, I can tell you that. On the other hand, almost everyone is wearing Regia socks (knit by said aunt or oma), so that mitigates the whole weirdo thing I've got going on a bit.

And since everyone understands the joys of handknit socks, I feel much more comfortable wearing my newly finished socks all over town.

Regia Canadian Color #4732 "Toronto"
folks from Toronto, do these colors remind you of your homeland??

I finished these Canadian Color socks lickety-split (thanks to modern technology and a hubby who knows how to use it, I could knit late into the night while watching my favorite US shows like The Office and Dancing with the Stars!). And lookie, lookie, I even got the colors to match up on the heels and toes.

These are the best-fitting socks I think I've ever made. And I absolutely adore the striping and am now hopelessly addicted to this Canadian Color yarn. (Pair number two is already underway!)

So all in all, knitting in Germany isn't all that different here than at home. I'm just as much of a freak here when I take a picture of a yarn store or buy up all the Canadian Color sock yarn as I would be at home. A knitting geek is a knitting geek wherever she goes.