New Socks,So I Have Content!

Sorry I've been blogless for a couple of weeks--it's nothing personal, but I really didn't have a lot of knitting to chit-chat about, and I have been really, really tired after work. Had a lot of eyestrain, too, which may have been why the knitting slowed down. However, a new set of glasses has helped with the eyestrain, and a bit more down time has enabled me to get some knitting to show you. Here are my retro glasses. I guess one will love them or hate them, but I think they are interesting, and I sure see better now!


So, I mentioned socks. I finished the secret Koi pair and hereby decree that following the directions correctly made a MUCH nicer sock. I may well re-do the first sock at some point. I wish I could show them to you, but they have to stay under wraps. I love the way the heel on them came out. It uses a linen stitch kind of pattern, and that really set off the Koi colorway well. I hope the sock pattern gets published soon so you can give the pattern a try!

I decided I had a real hankering to make something out of the Cookie A Sock Innovation book. So I just paged through it, realized that I liked nearly every pattern, and randomly picked out. I chose Vilai. Then I perused my (limited) selection of solid and semi-solid sock yarns (90% of what I have is of the multi-colored-and-doesn't-look-good-with-complex-patterns variety). I decided that my beautiful Tempted Hand Painted Glam Grrl yarn in Moonlight (a silvery gray) would be fun. This yarn has real silver in it, like the Dream in color Starry, and also some silk. I am down to the heel and this is how one side of it looks so far:

That is what will show on the sides of the legs. The pattern that goes in the front and back is a bit challenging to do (features a cable with stitches held in the front and back), but I think it is really pretty:

This pattern has a 28-row repeat, so I have to look at the graph all the time to do it. Of course my printer is messed up again, so I can't make a photocopy (and I worked from home all week, so can't even borrow the one at work yet!). For that reason, yesterday, I decided to start a simpler and more portable sock. I chose my newest acquisition, which is part of the Intention Yarn sock club (I forget its exact name). Lime and Violet make the yarn, though. This installment is called Simplicity, and I just loved the woodsy colors as soon as I saw it. The yarn reminds me of being deep in the woods, with lots of trees, plants and moss, but every once in a while a sudden glimpse of sky (there are random tiny blips of blue in the yarn).



I really, really like this yarn. It's that highly twisted merino base that I love so much. It feels so soft it's hard to believe it's 100% wool, but it is. I'll be keeping this in my bag for school bus and waiting in line knitting, but will work on the silvery one every chance I get. These are going to be really beautiful, elegant socks. The others I think I will rib the top of, and wear them all the time this winter. Nice, basic socks.

I am taking a wee break from finishing the Andromeda shawl, but figure I'll get back to it next week and finish that one right up.

I made it back to the yarn shop for the first time in a few weeks (I have had meetings, interviews, kid events and YOU NAME IT interrupting my prized knitting community time!), and people said the shawl was looking pretty good. I just hope it blocks out a bit bigger!

One more thing: I got that new reversible knitting book last night but haven't had enough of a chance to go over it yet to review it. At first glance it looks like there are some VERY interesting cables and double knitting techniques, and some really weird patterns, with a couple of very COOL patterns. I will try to write more about it later.

Hope you are all well. We have finally broken the drought pattern here, so there are a lot of cozy, rainy knitting opportunities and cooler weather that has let me break out my recently completed projects. All good!