Looking Forward to 2011

I am not going to be as ambitious with sock knitting next year. Instead of trying to knit six pairs of socks a month (four pairs of adult socks and two pairs of baby socks) which is what I tried to do this year and then burned out at the end, I'll try instead to knit two pairs of adults socks and one pair of baby socks a month. If I can manage more, great, but knitting is supposed to fun, not a chore.

I am spending some time fondling my yarn and putting together "kits" of yarns and patterns in quart-sized ziploc bags so I'm better prepared. I'm also making lists. Oh, yes! I am a very prolific list maker. My friend Margaret, who is also a librarian, shared with me that she makes little boxes next to each item on her lists so that she can check each item off as it's completed. I've begun doing that too, but I have to admit I still scratch it off. That is so satisfying!

Baby Bunny Baby Socks

Needles: 2.0mm dpn
Yarn: Unknown; from stash
Pattern: My Favorite Sock Pattern (free)

I wanted to knit this pattern again in a solid yarn so I could more clearly see the pattern.

I apologize for the poor quality of the photograph. It's 3:30 pm and we're having another storm. It's hail and rain and sometimes snowflakes, but the snow isn't sticking to the ground. At least not yet. Still, it's gray and dark outside so I had to take this photo using a flash.

I'm Knitting as Fast as I Can!

I'm trying to finish up the samples I'm making for the classes I'll be teaching January through March. Unfortunately, there are no socks among them. The shop already has someone who's teaching a basic sock class. I'd love to teach a workshop on how to design socks, but the shop owner doesn't think that will fly. As I teach my classes, though, I'll talk to the students I have and see if I can drum up some interest.

I am also knitting socks! Yes, they are baby socks, but they are socks! I have one finished and I'm almost to the heel of the second. I will try to get them done by the end of the year and post a photo. I'll also update my blog sidebar. Stay tuned!

Where are the Socks??!!

I've been distracted by other things and other knitting the past few weeks and my sock knitting has temporarily been put aside.

The breast-biopsy-with-pathology-reports-with-various-opinions problem has finally been resolved. There was never a question that the biopsy showed cancer, but rather that I had a something (atypia) which indicated that the biopsy, which is only a sample, had missed picking up cancer. The usual way of dealing with that is surgery--sometimes called an excisional biopsy and sometimes a lumpectomy. I didn't want to have surgery unnecessarily and researched this topic extensively. Some researchers insisted that it was always necessary to have surgery and others, more and more of them in papers published in 2010, said if the biopsy had removed all of the microcalcifications (which mine had) close follow up would be all right. I wasn't thrilled about having diagnostic mammograms every six months for two to three years either. Two things helped resolve the problem. The first and most important was yet another pathology opinion, this one from Dr. David L. Page, a breast pathologist at Vanderbilt, who is considered to be one of the world's expert on the subject. His report said there was no atypia and that "routine mammographic surveillance is appropriate". I also had a diagnostic mammogram and the radiologist report came back "Benign. Recommend routine mammographic follow up". So that's over. Yay for that!

Now to knitting. I taught a class at my local yarn shop --Fiber Nooks and Crannys-- earlier this month. It was on learning how to knit cables by knitting a cable hat. I had four students and it was a lot of fun. Now, of course, I want to teach more classes--one making lace and cable fingerless mitts, one making a lace cowl, one making a hat with lace and cables which look like hearts, and another on mittens with bobbles. I am busily making models for these and writing a description of the classes for the shop owner.

Add to that working two days a week at the library and going to the gym three times a week plus reading, quilting (not much, but a little), and just living my life and the upcoming holidays, plus my birthday and wedding anniversary, and my days are full.

Yes, I will go back to sock knitting. I just don't know quite when that'll be. My best guess is the end of December.

Sweet Dreams (baby socks)

Needles: 2.0mm dpn
Yarn: Koigu KKPM 2235 (solid) and Koigu KKPM 102 (multi-color)
Pattern: Plain stockinette

Socks for Afghanistan

Needles: 4.25 dpn
Yarn: Lambs Pride Worsted, 85% wool and 15% mohair. Colorway: M-75 Blue Heirloom
Pattern: My Basic Socks (free)

These socks were made for afghans for Afghans This pair knit up in less than two hours.

Leftover Sock Yarn

So, you may be wondering. Just what does one do with leftover sock yarn? Well, one answer is make baby socks and that's what I do. Yet I still have sock yarn left over. In fact, I have a LOT of sock yarn left over!



One idea is to make more socks, striping several different yarns and/or stitches and I like that idea. I'll begin, however, with making a pair of baby socks that way; it's on the schedule for this month. I have other ideas too and will work on these from now until the end of the year.

And all those tiny little snips of yarn? I save those in a glass jar. In the spring I'll put them out for the birds to use to decorate their nests.

Distracted a Bit

I've been distracted with knitting socks for afghans for Afghans.

They are knit, as requested, of worsted weight wool. I am using Lamb's Pride. Photos and pattern will be posted in the next few days.

This is from the e-mail they sent recently sent to me:

Another 300 pairs of our wool socks were distributed to girls at a school in Kabul. Our same Afghan hero -- who previously distributed our socks to a shelter for women and kids -- was terrific again in making this happen so quickly. We hope to get permission to post some of the photos on our website. In the meantime, we know you want to hear that the girls got their socks. We've got another set of 310 socks waiting in Kabul for distribution. We'll keep you posted as always.

We'll keep accepting socks for the next several weeks as we await confirmation of the next campaign, which is likely to include socks. We're not worried about having too many socks, and we will get them to Afghanistan.

Here are the guidelines for the socks campaign --
http://www.afghansforafghans.org/sockscampaign2010.html

General guidelines and mail address are here --
http://www.afghansforafghans.org/blanket.html

And ... we will also welcome *wool mittens*. Sizes should be from 7 years through teens. Nothing smaller or bigger, please. We'll include these mittens with a socks shipment or save them for the next campaign. Mittens won't take up much space in our very limited storage/work space at AFSC.

Between now and October 18 is just the right amount of time to whip up a pair of socks or mittens and pop in an envelope to us. Be sure to please tie together.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

** What's Ahead **

We've almost finalized plans for a new campaign for youth. We have started a new relationship with an experienced non-governmental organization that operates schools, serves internally displaced people, and provides other social services in Afghanistan. Their container transit is reliably orchestrated and financed by a US-based, long-established organization here. Their students are in need of our wool knitwear. We just have to conclude a few more details before being 100% certain, but feel confident enough to let you know where we are heading in the hopes that you will start planning. The age group is probably 7 - 16 years, and the kids will probably need sweaters, vests, hats, mittens, and, of course, socks.

Autumn Leaves Socks

Needles: 2.0mm dpn
Yarn: Farmhouse Yarns Fannie's Fingering, 80% merino, 20% nylon. Colorway: Chocolate from The Loopey Ewe
Pattern: My Favorite Sock Pattern (free)

I really like this pattern, but the variegated yarn made it hard to see. I'm using this pattern to make Baby Bunny baby socks using a soft, solid gray yarn.

Next Month

I have almost finished knitting the second Autumn Leaves sock, the last pair for September, and will post details and a photo tomorrow.

I've made a list of socks I want to knit in October or, as it's better known among sock knitters, Socktoberfest! This year is the sixth year. The Ravelry link is here. There's also a Flickr page here.

October is also Oregon Archives Month and as I spend the majority of my work time at the Oregon State University Archives (Go Beavs!), October will be a busy month for me.

Let October sock knitting begin!

Bébé (baby socks)

Needles: Needles: 2.25 mm dpn
Yarn: 100% merino wool fingering weight from WoolCandy on Etsy in Candy Floss colorway
Pattern:
Rnd 1 and all odd rnds: K
Rnd 2, 4 and 6: *yo, k2tog*
Rnd 8, 10, and 12: *ssk, yo*

Blue Moon Socks

Needles: 2.0 mm dpn
Yarn: Farmhouse Yarns Fannie's Fingering 80% merino, 20% nylon from Purl Soho. Colorway: Teal
Pattern: Reims from Sock Club: Join the Knitting Adventure by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott, page 56-57

Little Green Apples Socks

Needles: 2.0mm dpn
Yarn: Farmhouse Yarns Fannie's Fingering. Colorway: Avocado from Coveted Yarn
Pattern: Daydreamer from Sock Club by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott

More Stash Enhancement

Caramel, Golden Pear, and Harvest

Three more skeins of Fannie's Fingering from Farmhouse Yarns. I bought these mail order from Connecticut Yarn and Wool Company. The colors weren't quite what I expected. The Caramel has more red in it than brown and the Golden Pear is more green than gold. I still like them though.