Blue Hornet Socks (January KAL)

The January pattern is up.  Here is a link so that you can see what it looks like but as this is a purchased pattern you can't actually get the pattern unless you paid for it or were lucky enough to get them all free for a short period in December.  I haven't picked out my yarn for these yet. (I didn't put my yarns in bags like many of the other participants.)

The pattern designer stated "Whether you are a comic book fan or just like hanging out at The Hornet on Broadway in Denver, these socks are a quick knit will subtle texture" and I am neither.  However, I did earn my Master’s in Library Science Degree from Emporia State University in Kansas and their mascot is The Hornet. An auspicious beginning to this KAL!

The color I'd originally chosen didn't work.  The sock was also too big, but then the designer offered  it in small and that looked like it would work much better.  I frogged what I had and began again in a different color making the small sized version.  Here's a photo of the yarn.  The colorway is Kingfinger and it's from Lola Doodles on Etsy.

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Winter Solstice Socks

 Another pair of socks, the last one this year, for the Addicted to Sock Knitting Holiday KAL.  I didn't finish all the Holiday KAL socks I'd hoped to make.  Perhaps next year!

Yarn: Superwash merino from January Yarns on Etsy (Colorway: Black Forest)
Needles: Size 2.25 (1) dpns
Pattern:  Merrily by Irishgirlieknits on Ravelry

Just Can't Wait!

I finished the Winter Solstice socks, but it's too dark to take a photo. What irony! I will post tomorrow with a photo and all particulars.

I thought I'd just take a break for a day and wait for the Knit from Stash Sock KAL to start on December 31st, but I just couldn't do it.  I decided to start a simple sock pattern, using one of my self-striping yarns. I dug around in my yarn bin and pulled out Blue Moon by Stray Cat Yarns.  A plain vanilla pattern is just too boring, but I found a nice variation on Ravelry--on the first round of each color change, slip every third stitch.

That just didn't work for me. Plain vanilla it is.

As I cast on I thought wouldn't it fun to listen to Blue Moon by The Marcels as I knit?  I found it on YouTube, here.

  

Knit from Stash Sock KAL 2015

I joined the Addicted to Socks Knitting group on Facebook and have been participating in their Holiday KAL.   I'm not going to be able to finish all the socks I wanted to knit (see November/December socks to knit), but I'm ready to turn the heel on the second of my Winter Solstice sock and hope to finish them before the December 31st deadline.

I've also joined the the Knit from Stash Sock KAL.  I have signed up for the patterns.  They cost $60.00 but were offered free until December 18th.  They can be bought now for $25.00. The first pattern will be released late on December 31st. I'll be ready!  I'll have the last Holiday KAL socks finished and my needles will be empty.

I'm going to pick the yarns I feel is the best for each pattern, so no bags of yarn with the months written on them for me. I may also modify some patterns (making it cuff down instead of toe up, using dpns instead of magic loop, etc.) to suit myself.  I may also do a repeat of a pattern if I want to knit more than one pair per month or if I just don't like one month's pattern. 

Someone suggested the idea of keeping a notebook so I'm going to do that too.  I found this "bird" notebook I'm going to use as my paper notebook and I'll put the same kind of information in this blog as well.  I'll include photos of the yarn, photos of progress as well as one of the finished pair of socks, and a diary of my progress.  In this blog I can put in hyperlinks.  In the paper notebook I can include small scraps of the yarns I'm using along with their tags/labels.  What fun!

Christmas!

Sock yarn and project bags!

Happy Hanukkah Socks

Needles: Size 2.25mm
Yarn: 75% Superwash Merino/ 25% Nylon  in colorway Hanukkah from Mintrain on Etsy
Stitch pattern:
Rnd 1: k2, p1
Rnd 2: K1, p2

St. Nicholas' Day Socks

Pattern: Lace-rib socks (free pattern on Ravelry)
Needles: Size 0 (2.0) dpns

Yarn:  50% Merino and 50% silk in Sunflower colorway from RamblingRose Yarns on Etsy

Poinsettia Socks

Yarn:  Red/green self-stripping yarn from Crazy Dog Yarns (on Etsy)
Needles:  2.25mm (size 1) dpns
Pattern: Simple Skyp (free on Ravelry)

Yarn Enhancement

I've been buying a fair amount of sock yarn in the past few weeks,but haven't posted photos.  These three skeins are from StrayCatYarns on Etsy which is based in New Zealand.

They are (from left to right) Silver Star, Blue Moon, and Seuss Juice

They're going have to wait, however,as I am busily knitting socks for the Addicted to Socks Facebook group Holiday KAL and the #grinchalong.

I'm using this wool from WanderingWool on Etsy for Christmas Lace socks in the Girly-Girl sock pattern.

This wool, from SpinningFates on Etsy, is destined to become You're a Mean One, Mr Grinch socks.

Happy Hanukkah socks from yarn by Mintrain on Etsy.

Pointsettia socks from yarn by CrazyDog Yarns on Etsy.

A blend of merino wool and silk from Rambling Rose Yarns on Etsy to make St. Nicholas Day socks.

And finally, yarn from SpinningFates on Etsy for Winter Solstice socks.

So I'm going to be busy during the next six weeks if I want to finish all these socks by the end of the year!

Merry, Merry Christmas! Socks

Needles: Size 1 (2.25mm) dpns
Yarn: Self-striping twisted sisters yarn in Holiday Cheery Meister from Spinningfates on Etsy
Pattern: Plain stockinette

Hard Candy Christmas Socks

Needles: Size 1 dpn
Yarn: Anchorage Autumn colorway from Fireweed Dyeworks on Etsy. 
Pattern: Plain stockinette

Thanksgiving is Coming! Socks

Needles: Size 1(2.25mm) dpn
Yarn: Biscotte & Cie Felix self-striping yarn.  Colorway: Knit Me All Night Long
Pattern: Plain stockinette

Ladybug Socks Finished!

Needles: Size 1 (2.25 mm) dpn
Yarn:  Biscotte & Cie, Felix Striping Sock: Coccinelle
Pattern: Simple stockinette

Ladybug Socks

One done and the second one started!

Black and Blue Socks

Yarn:  Kaiju from Undead Yarn on Etsy
Needles: Size 1 dpn
Pattern: Sock Recipe: A Good, Plain Sock by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Freeway Sock Knitting

No, I wasn't knitting as I drove.  I let my husband deal with the freeway traffic.  We left early this morning to see our beautiful almost six-month old granddaughter, Isabella, who lives with her parents about 100 miles north of us.  I thought this would be a great time to do a little plain vanilla sock knitting.  I only managed a few inches, however, because we got stuck in traffic caused by people trying to get to a football game and I dropped a stitch.  I didn't want to try to get to fix itand risk messing it up further so I just put it away until we were home again.

I'm going to finish up some charity knitting projects I began this summer- hats and mittens for The Maine Mitten Project-- as well as 100 Preemie Hats for Doernbecher Children's Hospital (I'm on hat #66 now) before going full swing into sock knitting again.  You can see more about these projects on another of my blogs, Knitting for Peace.  

 Oh, and I also want to knit this adorable little tunic, Merridy,  for granddaughter Violet who'll be two years old in only a few more weeks. Violet is also getting a sibling in the Spring so I'll  have some more sweet little baby knits to work on over the winter. Yay for grandchildren!

Sock knitting, then, will have to be limited to plain vanilla socks made from self-striping yarn for the next few months. Not that I mind that. I don't like plain stockinette knitting all that much, but self-striping yarn helps keep me amused.

This sock yarn is from Undead Yarn on Etsy and it was 20% off!  Awesome!  I use size 1 dpns and a plain vanilla sock knitting pattern over 64 stitches.   

Sock Knitting Weather!

Well, maybe not just yet.  It's perfect today--in the mid 70's-- which is much more pleasant than the highs in the 90s we've been having, but it is still summer.  And I suspect the weather will probably stay nice for the  next few weeks; if we're lucky, into mid-October.   But I can see the leaves are  just starting to turn color.  Autumn is coming.

I've started knitting socks again today after a summer of knitting preemie hats as well as hats and mittens for The Maine Mitten Project. I need to put tags on all those hats and mittens.  And I'm on hat #66 of my 100 preemie hats for Doernbecher Children's Hospital.   I want to send everything in by the end of September.  (See one of my other blogs, Knitting for Peace, for updates on those projects.)

I finished two sweaters for Violet  and have the pattern and yarn for a little dress, Merridy, for her.  This winter I want to knit a few things for Isabella and, of course, some sweet little newborn sweaters for Violet's sibling who'll be arriving in the spring.

But socks.  Yes!  It's been a long time.  I found a couple of skeins of Paton Kroy Stripes sock yarn in Mulberry in my stash so I'm starting with those.    Nope. I didn't like how it looked and put it aside.  I've also ordered a few more skeins of sock yarn.   Not that I'm out.  Still, it's always fun to start with something brand new. And I couldn't wait for it to arrive even though it'll just be a few days.

Happy knitting!