I can't want to make the socks

  



Priscilla Gibson Roberts' Dream Socks in variegated and solid Koigu and cashmere boucle from School Products

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Look, new socks! And I didn't even have to make them. The very talented Sandi knitted these for me and they're perfect!

While I like bright colors and fun stripes on my sweaters, when it comes to my socks, I'm rather a plain Jane. So I'm so proud of Sandi for restraining herself from making anything too fun. I know it must have been hard. But they're exactly what I would have wished for: they're blue - 'natch; and they have this lovely cabled detail on the sides which is both beautiful and understated. And they fit perfectly, of course. Thanks Sandi! What a good gift giver.

"I love my socks, my socks and me. I'm so happy when they're on my feet. I love my socks, yeah, my socks and me. I love my socks, yeah, my socks and me...." (channelling Boots the Monkey in one of the boys' favorite Dora episodes)

Hubby, no reading this post! Hee, hee.

everyone except hubby, click to peek

Socks for my man. He's in for a treat this time with super-soft Morehouse Merino yarn for these socks. I picked out this yarn during my approximately 4 hour visit to their store while in Rhinebeck. Unfortunately, I just can't possibly knit these in time for Christmas. So there will be balls of yarn under the tree for hubby this year. That's not all though.

hubby, still no clicking!

Picked these up at Rhinebeck too. Alpaca socks. Ooooh boy are these soft. And the little alpaca on them is sooooo cute. There was no way I could resist these and there was no way I was going to knit up fine gauged alpaca into socks (sorry dear!). So he gets happy feet and I keep my happy hands - it's all good.

And the elves get the day off!

Shhh... the second pair of Koigu socks are done. Please don't wake the elves on your way to the post office.

There's still sewing to be done on these mini-weasleys and one more left to make.

And the last pair of socks only has one heel so far.

Two days until they've all got to go in the mail. Let's go people!

The boys don't yet understand that you're supposed to read from left to right. And they're still a little vague on "smile for mommy."

they're smiling at each other

You may be shocked to hear that we here in Boston have no IKEA. Until this year we had to either rent a van and drive to New Jersey to get our hip, affordable home goods or - gasp - go without. But now there's an IKEA less than three hours away! And what could be more fun than a family day trip to IKEA?

Our trip was inspired primarily by my sudden and acute need for yarn storage. All I want for Christmas is a yarn cabinet! My most generous and patient husband chaperoned the kiddos around the store while I searched for the perfect storage system. (Unfortunately, the kiddos aren't "completely" potty trained so no IKEA Smaland for them. Boo hoo. But there were several fun little playspaces hidden in the main showroom as well as plenty of cool sofas to climb on and neat tables crawl under. And they had a blast taking turns playing with this chair in the Children's Furniture area.)

A few hours, one cabinet, a couple of cinnamon buns and loads of other goodies later, we packed ourselves back in the car and drove home. I knitted. Santa hubby says he'll try to put the cabinet together next week. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

Sock knitting crunch time! The elves managed to finish another pair of socks.

click to peek, unless you're expecting socks from a secret pal ;0)

Yes, the cashmere socks are done. They are so soft and featherlight. And this pair fits! But there's no time for celebration and no rest for the weary elves. On the needles now is the last pair of Koigu socks.

This is the solid pair, for the more reserved sister of my Crazy Great Aunt Mary, who's getting the crazy swirly Koigu socks that I finished last week. I've got to send these off next week so they'll be sure to get there in time. The elves have a December 15th deadline. Faster, elves, knit, knit!

Another peek into Santa's knitting factory. Mom, you'll have to sit this one out again!

again, if you're NOT mom, click on the present for a peek

The elves here are dying to tell you about the fabulous cashmere they've been using to make a scarf for mom. Mom picked out the yarn at Habu a while back, but the yarn gave no gauge suggestions, and the pattern was left open. The elves started out with moss stitch on US7's, but that proved to be too textural and prevented the softness of the cashmere from coming out. Stockinette on US8's was much yummier to the touch, but curled way too much for a scarf. At knitting group, the elves spotted the awesome scarf that Colleen was wearing. It was simple garter stitch, but it had flattened out so nicely that it looked more like the extended garter stitch at the top of the Klaralund sleeves. Very pretty. So, the elves decided to go up one more needle size and use the extended garter stitch for the scarf. And now it's perfect. The single garter stitch row repeated every four rows provides just enough of a horizontal line to keep the scarf from completely curling up, and it also leaves just enough stockinette that the feel of the cashmere isn't lost. If only you could touch it.

And that's not the only cashmere the elves are working on in the present factory.

more cashmere socks!

The elves will definitely be asking Santa for more cashmere this Christmas.

In all my seaming excitement, I almost forgot the socks!

Koigu pair number one is done. I'm still not a fan of the swirly pooling, but I think the recipient will find them fun. The next pair are in a solid color (looooove the solid Koigu), so I should be happier making them.

In the meantime, mini weasley fever has broken out! Here are four more sweaters waiting for (you guessed it) seaming and duplicate stitching.

Remember my cashmere sock yarn? It was supposed to get me excited about socks again after my first failed attempts at the "dream socks". Well...

The yarn is the most fabulous cashmere/nylon boucle that I picked up at School Products on my last trip to NYC. It's wonderfully soft and light as a feather. It looks like it could be fingering weight, but when I asked the saleswoman at the store what needle to use, she suggested US4's. Um, okay. So I swatched, and having seen how their samples had bloomed with washing, I decided on US3's and started the sock. It seemed a bit small, I ripped, cast on more stitches, and after a few inches, I could tell it was too big. Don't you hate when that happens?! I ripped again, adjusted my stitch count and away I went.

am I blue?

It's a beautiful sock (the dream socks are easy on the eyes, that's for sure) and it's divine to touch. But notice how it looks a little big? Yup, it's big, like Texas big. This cashmere yarn has absolutely no stretch. It lies perfectly flat, even in ribbing, and did not tighten up or bloom as I had expected with washing. Wierd thing though has happened as I've tried the sock on over and over again. I started trying it on in hopes that it had somehow shrunk and fit perfectly now. No luck there. But now I keep trying it on because it just feels so damn good. It's like having a cozy little shawl draped over my ankle. It's the perfect slouchy sock.

sock, I think I love you

Me likey. This wasn't even supposed to be for me. Hell, it didn't even come out the right size. And now it's my little treasure. Someday, when I'm finished with all the gift socks, I'll have to knit myself another giant sock to go with it.

And I've fallen in love with another sock yarn. (Regular sock knitters, please excuse me, but I've ignored sock yarn for years, having hated knitting them so. Heh, heh.) A couple of my sock class students were using a new sock yarn from Idena called Crazy. It's self striping, like the Regia, but I like the colors and the uniformity of the stripes much better. Plus, it's DK weight. Yes! I've resisted buying some - when am I ever going to get around to knitting socks for myself, um, except making the partner to the sock above - and so have left the last two skeins at the store for two weeks. How 'bout if they're there next time I'm at the store, they're mine? Do you all approve?

No holiday from holiday knitting. Got to make those socks!

Here's koigu sock number two, flying off my needles. Somehow my gauge has tightened up and despite my thinking "looser, looser" I can't loosen back up. It'll still fit just fine, particularly because of the ribbing, but I hope my gauge stays consistent after this, because I've got two more skeins of Koigu for socks for my other great Aunt. I don't want to end up with baby socks by the time I get to the last one!

Question: I'm going to have some leftovers from each skein of Koigu. So what do you do with your Koigu remnants? No way it's enough to make socks for the boys. But I really want to use it again. It's such a pleasure to knit with. So koigu-lovers, what do you suggest?

Thank goodness it worked! I made it though the Koigu sock. Woo hoo!

I made the changes and I love it: the heel (both sides), the toe and everything. Yes, I love it. I enjoyed making it. It wasn't torture. I'm actually looking forward to making another. There, I've said it. Thanks for not saying "I told you so."

Since it's the season for giving thanks, I just want to say thank you to all of you who stop by my little corner of the web and leave nice comments, lots of encouragement and loads of helpful tips. Thanks for helping me through this sock. Thanks for sharing your experiences and projects. And thanks for inspiring me to keep knitting and blogging.

And here's a Thanksgiving story for you. After watching the "Blue's Clues" Thanksgiving special on NickJr. the other morning, I asked the boys what they were thankful for. B said "nope." It's is favorite word of late. But S looked at me and said "I thankful for my blankie." Now that's what I call a Happy Thanksgiving.

Have a happy one everybody!

I hate this sock.

Correction, I hated this sock. I dealt with the pooling. I dealt with the unmatched short rows on the heel. But the foot was coming out way too big. It wouldn't fit and it just looked silly. So I ripped it at Knitsmiths yesterday.

I ripped back to the beginning of the heel so I can re-do it correctly (with the ssp's as slip, slip, purl through the back loop - thanks Melanie!) and I'm going to deal with the size issue by continuing the ribbing over the instep and down the top of the foot (like Michelle does in her favorite pattern). If it doesn't work out this time, it might really have to be red sox for everyone this year.

We just got digital cable and I finally have access to the DiY network. TiVo is now dutifully recording episodes of Knitty Gritty for me. Haven't seen it? Here are some descriptions: knittygritty.com; the Austin Chronicle; interview with the host at BewitchedBy.com.

So let me first say that I do like the show. Really. I love the fact that there is a knitting show. The host is good. They get great guests and do an excellent job showing techniques step by step. (In stark contrast to DiY's earlier show Knit One Purl Two, which was both boring and impossible to follow). I'm watching every episode and I'm definitely learning some things. But that doesn't mean I can't make fun of a couple of silly parts of it. Like the "knitsters," who appear to sit uselessly in the background and knit during the show. The only purpose they seem to serve on screen besides saying at the end of the show that everything was fabulous and occassionally asking a prepared question is to reveal how long it actually takes to film a 15 minute tv show. I see how much they've knitted and can only look down dissapointedly at the five measley rows I managed in the time it took me to watch the show. (I do believe that the knitsters are awesome knitters and have much more to do, but in terms of watching the show, they are little more than set dressing. Is it okay that I still kinda want to be one?)

Almost as frivolous as the "knitsters" are the unbelieveably short segments called "knit bits". Here's my impersonation of a knitty gritty knit bit.

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Doot-doot, doot. Beep, boop, doot.

Hip jazzy music.

Cool graphic.

Beep, boop, zip, zoom.

"Does sock knitting frustrate you?"

"No problem."

"Try a gorgeous cashmere sock yarn to lure you back to the needles."

Doot-doot, doot. Beep, boop, doot.

Cool graphic.

More jazzy music.

Boop, boop. Zip, zoom.

- - - - - - - - -

Heh, heh. Some of the knitbits really are informative, but still they are so brief, I'm always shocked when the music kicks in again. I hadn't even looked up from my knitting yet! They do look pretty fun to make though. Check out the host's collection of behind the scenes photos here.

Silly as some parts of the show may be (let's not get started on the knitty cam 'kay), I still look forward to each new episode. And DiY's Knitty Gritty website is FULL of great info from video clips to technique instruction and patterns. If you can't get the show, or can't stand watching the show, do check out their site!

Okay, I picked up the swirly pooling sock again and made it through that "perfect" short row heel. And I'm not liking how the stitches look.

okay, this side looks alright

 
but I sure don't like this side

So people, what am I doing wrong? Am I slipping the stitches the wrong way or doing the crazy backwards yarnover incorrectly or is this how it's supposed to look?? I promise to get over it and keep knitting if you tell me that all short row heels just look like this.

Lovely in the hank, but I start knitting the "dream socks" and it's a ridiculous circular pooling nightmare.

I've tried switching needles and gauge, but it's determined to pool. Ugh! Thank god these aren't for me.

These were to be my travel knitting on my trip down to NYC this afternoon, but I may have to sneak something more satisfying into the knitting bag for the ride. I'll be knitting at KnitNY Saturday afternoon for anyone curious to see if the swirling sock and I can knit and make up. Come join me!

Wouldn't it be great if the last week had all been a dream? Bobby could step out of the shower and things would all be the way they were before. I would not be knitting socks.

Here I am just casting on for the first of four pairs. I'm using some beautiful variegated Koigu and Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' Dream Socks pattern for perfect short-rowed socks (printed in Interweave Knits Fall 2000 issue and available online to subscribers here). I've never tried this pattern before, but others have lauded it, so here goes.

Heather recently asked in the comments what my favorite sock pattern is. Since I don't really like knitting socks, I don't have a collection of patterns that I've bought or picked out. There are some neat socks in the latest IK mag. But I tend not to wear fancy socks myself, so I've usually stuck to plain old stockinette socks following a trusty old multi-gauge Yankee Knitter pattern or the pattern in Ann Budd's Knitters' Handy Book of Patterns. For hubby I like to make 3x1 ribs along the leg and top of the foot. That's it.

Maybe the dream socks will change everything. Maybe I'll wake up.

Getting ready for the first two pair of socks to be. Variegated and solid Koigu to become socks for my great aunts (yes, the recipients of the now infamous hotties). I don't really like knitting socks, but somehow I've managed to put four pairs down on my christmas knitting list (they do make good gifts). I'm hoping to get a good start on my pair-a-week plan this weekend on my next NYC knit trip. I can't seem to stay away long. This weekend's gonna be all about hanging with my nyc knitbuds.

Jenn, Jackie, and Cari at Rhinebeck

And knitting socks, of course.