knitting in the dark

So I’ve just joined the Sock-A-Month Knit-Along 3. The goal is, perhaps obviously, to knit (at least) a pair of socks every month starting in February and going through July (why anyone feels the need to knit socks in July I will never know). I’ve been knitting at least one pair of fully-grown-human-sized socks per month since this past August, but baby socks count… which brings me to ==>

I’ve just started a pair of little wee baby sockies for my newest cousin Jacob - but there seems to be a lot of conflicting information on the internets about the best size for such an item. The little one is about five weeks old right now - it’ll probably take me almost a week to finish and mail the items and maybe a couple days to get there - but I guess that means they should fit a two-month old.

Thank goodness these little socks knit up really quickly (I would guess it’ll be about 4 or 5 hours at most) because I’m sure he’ll grow out of them even faster. We’re going to have matching socks (not that he’ll ever know).

Self-striping German sock yarn (Froehlich Wolle Blauband) - he’ll be the hippest little boy in Ellensburg, WA! I don’t have enough left over to match the stripes on his pair, but they might actually be cooler that way…

pattern: Cookie A.’s Hedera Socks from Knitty Spring ‘06

yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot in “rosehip” (yarn from Santa!)

started: 17 January 2007

completed: 28 January 2007

mods: I made the heel flap about half as long as directed - apparently my row gauge didn’t match the pattern’s (I wouldn’t know as I don’t usually swatch for socks) and it seemed long enough at the halfway point so I just tried the darned thing on and went with the flow.

The following pictures have more accurate color (it’s really a beautiful colorway) - the top of the first picture looks pink, which these socks are not.

I started the first sock on my new Blue Sky Alpacas dpns, but they were splitting so badly at the points that I just couldn’t continue… I contacted the kind people at Blue Sky and they asked me to mail the needles to them. I did and they quickly mailed me replacements (total turnaround was less than a week via USPS) which are still untested, but I will let you know. They said that they’ve “had a couple customers run into this problem, and [they’re] working with [their] manufacturer and–good news– the quality has improved greatly.” I was at least happy about the prompt response to my complaint as those needles were NOT cheap.

Knitting these socks in public got me more compliments on my knitting than any other project (I think) ever. I received one comment on the “beautiful craftsmanship,” which I usually take to mean that they think the project is ugly but at least I’m doing it well. And one morning on the subway I had my headphones on while knitting and an older (and very well dressed) lady tapped my shoulder to tell me what an “exquisite knitter” I was… she made my day even if I can’t tell exactly what that’s supposed to mean!

I’ve started saving to buy an apartment (it’ll take me a while, like maybe four or five years - I live in NYC) but I sure was glad that I’m still a renter when the ceiling in my kitchen started falling down a few mornings ago…

I put a bucket under the leak and called my super. In approximately four hours there were 6 inches of water in the bucket!!!

Like the curtains? Oh, thanks - I made them myself (actually, that’s not true, my mother helped while on a visit). But anyway, the Polish guy that does all the handy-work in our building came to patch the ceiling this morning and arrived only half an hour after the agreed-upon time, which I think is really very reasonable and I work from home (ah, the joys of freelancing) so it’s not like I was trying to leave or anything. I think he probably won’t ever show up again to paint the patch, but that’s okay with me because when my lease is up at the end of July my roommate and I are moving out and moving on.

I don’t know why I didn’t realize this earlier - like in June when my aunt revealed that she was pregnant with her second child! But I have a new cousin who was born in December…

And baby socks are just the thing to use up all those sock yarn leftovers that I have laying lying around and can’t bear to throw away…

I know that it won’t be appreciated the way I enjoy my own hand-knits, but I would like to do more knitting for someone other than myself (well, and my father’s annual Christmas socks). And I can envision little baby socks flying off the needles in just a few subway rides!

pattern: Cookie A.’s Pomatomus Socks from Knitty Winter ‘05 (duh - I’m the last one to the party on this one)

yarn: Yarn Pirate’s 50/50 Merino/Tencel in “storm” (I sure talk about Yarn Pirate enough - I think I have a yarn/blog crush)

cast-on: 15 December 2006

bound-off (well, grafted): 14 January 2006 (I finished grafting the toe of the first sock with one minute left to spare in 2006)

modifications: As you can see, I knit the second sock in reverse-Pomatomus so the scales would mirror each other - I followed the guidelines laid out here.

So, even with minimal pooling I don’t think I like varigated yarns. I thought so before I tried (this was my first attempt knitting one) and my suspicions have been confirmed.

However, I did like the tencel yarn - there’s very little stretch to it, so I’m glad I used a stretchy lace pattern, but I like that it’s shiny and would definitely purchase it again in a somewhat-closer-to-solid colorway (like the new BFL line: hint hint). Also, it’s VERY soft and comfortable to wear…

And I learned about twisted stiches - I LOVE twisted 1×1 rib!!! I’m addicted because it looks SO much neater than the un-twisted version.

It’s not a lot right now, but maybe it will stick and we can have a real winter for a little while…

Do you like the slightly ghostly streetlight photo?

Not like in Seattle, where my parents live - they’ve had plenty of snow:

Enough that my mother made some snowmen (which her dogs tried to eat):

One of whom got chased off by some neon alien finger puppets (my mother is hilarious, or at least I think so):

Then she sent me an email, subject: SnowBodies - The Exhibition:

“Celebrate the wonder of the snowform. A phenomenal look at the phenomena we call The Snowman.”

I wonder how many other young ladies similar to my age are such close friends with their mothers… it’s a very different friendship than those I have with other young ladies my own age, but my mother and I talk on the phone nearly every day. She gave up on “mothering” me a long time ago. And our senses of humor are nearly identical and shared with very few other people…

I scored big off the sale racks at Anthropologie this week. Last fall or early winter there was a black corduroy dress that I believe was called the Madeline jumper and I wanted it A LOT, but it was way out of my price range because I am cheap careful about how I spend my hard-earned money (I am a freelance theatrical designer in NYC, after all). One of my mother’s friends from highschool has a brilliant shopping motto: “Put it down and walk away.” I’m really very good about forgetting about these things usually… but I sort of regretted not buying this dress. And this week I found it on sale for about 25% of the original price! The zipper needs replacing, so the kind person at the cash-wrap gave me another 15% off! And I found a beautiful red all wool sweater with a fantastic collar for 1/2 price but it was missing buttons (therefore another 15% off). I don’t think I’ve ever been happier about spending $80 than I am with these two purchases. I’m slowly trying to transition my wardrobe away from t-shirts and GAP jeans and every little baby step counts…

I think I may have put these on for a portion of every single day since I finished them; they are THAT comfortable and they really make a huge difference in taking the chill out of a cool room. I happen to like the fact that the seam opposite the thumb gusset rotates up onto the back of my hand and runs from my ring finger down to my wrist. AND my friends and co-workers think they’re REALLY COOL which is always so satisfying to hear about a hand-made accessory or garment. Can you spot the colorwork pattern mistake? It happened quite close to the beginning of the first mitt since I thought I had the pattern all figured out and really should have paid closer attention for a few more rows - oops!

pattern: Eunny Jang’s Endpaper Mitts

yarn: KPM - colors: uh, navy and grey?

started: 24 November 2006

finished: 15 December 2006

modifications: I shortened them slightly on the finger end so to have better range of motion for my fingers while knitting with these on.

And the Koigu, which I had never worked with before? DELICIOUS. I’m so excited I received more from Santa!

Someone go buy this beautiful yarn from Yarn Pirate’s etsy shop before I do. I have plenty of yarn and I shouldn’t spend money on anything other than necessities right now… I love yarn, but I don’t know that I consider more of it NECESSARY in my life right now - I’m starting to have a stash. I’ve never had a stash before. I’m not sure I want said stash… I’m quite happy buying yarn when I have a project in mind.

I think my list of knitted objects for this past year is dismal - I wish I had more time to pursue hobbies and spent less time worrying about work:

1. ex-boyfriend’s Christmas 2005 socks

2. blue stripey socks for myself

3. ex-boyfriend’s birthday mitts from WEEKEND KNITTING by Melanie Falick

4. Rachel’s birthday socks

5. Arielle’s birthday socks

6. current beau’s birthday socks

7. dad’s Christmas socks

8. red stripey socks for myself

9. Endpaper Mitts for myself (picture forthcoming)

10. my little brother’s girlfriend’s Christmas stocking:

11. one single Pomatomus Sock for myself (picture forthcoming)

WOW - a whole 10.5 finished objects… pathetic!