Mr. Loopy's (dead) socks & sock redesign

I finished the Sweet Georgia socks for Mr. Loopy a couple of weeks ago. However, he wore them three times and put holes in the heels. Not tiny, fixable holes. We're talking holes that have obliterated the majority of the sock. I don't have pictures yet, as I have been feeling under the weather and when the sun has been shining, I've been at work. Soon though. I can't believe the damage.

I'm working on replacement socks for Mom's 2006 Christmas socks - making them bigger so they'll actually fit. I'm using the Clementine's Baltic Socks pattern, and have added an extra 14 stitches to the stockingette side panels. I've measured and measured again, so I'm pretty sure they'll fit this time. It was my own fault I wasn't paying attention to the size. I'm lucky that I may not have to rip back the first pair - I think I have enough of the original yarn to make a second pair, but if I have to cannibalize the first pair of socks, so be it. :)

Not much new...

There's not much new on the knitting front. Still slogging away at Mr. Loopy's socks on the bus (why did I have to fall for a guy with size 13 feet???) and working on Sarah's second mitten. I need to start Mom's present soon for it to be done for Mother's Day. Maybe I'll paint her something at the Clay Cafe instead. I don't know.

I haven't done much of anything this week - busy and tired and feeling yucky. It's allergy season and I've been full of them. Argh.

SSSS = Sorta Second Sock Syndrome

This always happens - after the heel of the second sock, I always get bored and start itching to cast on a new, more complicated sock. This only really happens with plain socks - ribbed, stockingette, anything where I don't have to think really. Mr. Loopy has big feet. And it feels like miles and miles of boring knitting and I want to knit something more complicated. I'm torn between taking his socks off the needles and casting on for some lace socks for Mom (her Christmas gift) or continuing. I just don't know.

RIP Daisy Scarf

So I made the executive decision to frog the daisy scarf I have been knitting over the past year for my mother. I don't know if it's me (I've done simple lace before) where I can't knit lace or if it's the needles or the yarn weight (Misti Alpaca lace.) I had frogged this project so many times, that I decided this was its final frogging. Above is the sad, sad ball of yarn, that may be looking for a new home at the next Stash Swap. It may have a yellow sister that wants to go with it too.

I've got a back up idea for Mother's Day, but I can't talk about it yet. As my mother may visit this blog. :)

I finished a skein of yarn two weeks ago that I can't wait to knit into socks. I haven't taken its WPI yet, but it looks to be an average of sport weight with a light worsted. It's an Aurelia Top Knot. There's more in those little balls than you think there is!





Below is what' I've been working on the past couple of days.

This is the Eric's Glovelets pattern from Green Mountain Spinnery, turned into Sarah's Mittens. It needs a mate (started) and a thumb. Knitted from Handmaiden Cashmere in black. They look thin, but it's a baby cable rib, so they'll stretch. Next time I convert these into mittens, I'll knit the reverse stockingette all the way up the palm, instead of going back to the cabled rib.

Mr. Loopy's Black Orchid Sweet Georgia sock. It's almost finished, I just need to do the toe chimney (a la Lucy Neatby) and graft the toe and sew the ends in. I've just started the heel on the second sock for the second time. I was almost finished and realized it was a lot smaller than the heel on the first so it got frogged and re-started. Once you've picked up tiny sock stitches, picking up worsted ones seems like child's play.

A close of up of the garter stitch heel:

Hopefully I'll get one of these projects finished this weekend. I'm aching to get a new pair of socks on the needles. :)

Welcome to my knit blog!

So, I've been blogging for a time now, and I've decided that the time has come to split my knitting from my personal blog.

A little about me.... I'm 25 and have been knitting since I was 16. Only recently have I gotten into more advanced knitting, such as lace, double knitting and stranded knitting. By recently, I mean in the past couple of years. Soon after I graduated university in 2003, I discovered the joys of the LYS. I live in an urban centre, so thankfully I have three within 20 minutes of me, and another three within a one to two-hour drive. The best ones are honestly in the rural areas - they have more space and lots of stuff you don't see anywhere else.

One of my favourite things about the knitting world is how everyone works together. If one store doesn't have something, they'll point you towards someone who does. Recently, the store I frequent the most often, The Loop, had a 24-hour knit-a-thon for the homeless. It was fantastic, even if I couldn't stay over night. Next time, I know to make plans to do that. :)

I took up spinning about a year ago. I started on a drop spindle and by June I had a Louet wheel. I love it. I'm loving how everytime I do it, my yarn gets a little smoother and a little bit more even. I'm teaching myself as I go. I read blogs by spinners and I have a couple of books to refer to as well.

I love colour in both my spinning or knitting, plain black bores the heck out of me. It's hard to work with because it's so dark, that a lot of patterns don't show up. My opinion is that black is best used in small doses to accent colours. To make the colours pop more. Mind you, a lot of my wardrobe is black, but when it comes to knitting, I avoid it as much as I can. It's hard when one of your best friends loves black and your father loves black socks.

My favourite things to knit include mittens, fingerless gloves, socks, socks and more socks. I tend to get bored on sweaters, but since I've been losing weight (thus making the sweaters smaller to make) I might actually start enjoying them - especially since I'm going to try out some beautiful patterns from Interweave Knits. I haven't decided which ones yet though.

No photos right now, although I have a few that I'll probably post over this long weekend. Maybe you guys can start holding me accountable for the lace scarf I'm knitting my mom for Mother's Day. There's a long way to go. I better start knitting....