Socks, Socks, Socks, Socks and Thermal

I haven’t finished the modified Artichoke socks yet.

I’ve been knitting as fast as my little fingers will knit to try and finish up a pair of socks for my sockapalooza pal that needed to be in the mail last week.

Oops.

The good news is that I washed them last night and they’ll be in the mail today. I used Socktopia’s Eleanor pattern, but added a slip stitch heel and lined up the gusset decreases to follow with the eyelet pattern. On the second sock, I knit the eyelet pattern going in the opposite direction for a little fun.

I wouldn’t feel so bad about getting my socks out a week late if my pal hadn’t been on time. I received my socks on Saturday.

They are the Undulating Rib Socks from Favorite Socks, knit by blogless Jodee. I have to say, she picked out the most beautiful yarn! Look at those lovely greens, blues and purples -

The yarn is hand-dyed by Sophie’s Toes in the Tapestry colorway. Simply stunning! And the socks fit wonderfully.

I’ve also been trying to knit up this ball of STR that is so bright. Insanely bright. But I LOVE the colors. I’m calling them my hippie Jaywakers. I think I’m the last person on the planet to knit these socks. Seriously. I’ve tried to knit this pattern before and struggled with the fit, but I’d never tried with STR. I’ve also tried several patters for this yarn and the pooling was unbearably fugly. It seems that the Jaywalker pattern and the striping nature of STR go together very well, making a pair of very happy hippie socks.

I’ve also been plugging away at a Thermal sleeve in Cocoa Gloss,

starting with a tubular cast on and a lot of thinking and tinkering to get the increases to line up the way I wanted them to. My fussiness gets worse with each project and I find myself modifying so many things - pretty much using the patterns as guidelines.

I’m going on a much needed vacation next week and am packing Thermal with me. I think it will be a perfect in-the-car project. And we’re going somewhere where the temperatures are lower than what I’m used to for mid-August - I don’t think I’ll mind a bit of wool in my lap. Just in case it’s warmer than I’m planning, the socks are coming with me too.

It looks like the shitty kitty is bored. I guess it’s time to go play. Mrawh!

Very Exciting

Some of you may remember the last time you saw Kiri . . . if you need a reminder, click here.  She has finally found a purpose since being attacked by the shittiest of all shitty kitties.

I did the unthinkable and took scissors to my knitting.  I chopped off the chewed up corner to test the lace as a background pressure print for my final project in the letterpress class I’m taking (for fun - there needs to be a break in all the science every now and then).  I’m making an edition of mini-books that contain the most basic of sock patterns written in a very casual manner, with all the type set by hand.  Because I am so excited, I’m going to give one of these little books away to a random commenter.

Here’s how I’m thinking of doing this, anyone who would like a little book, leave a comment to this post between now and Wednesday, August 1.  On August 2, I’ll do a little random number thing and send a book out with a little something nice.

And because I haven’t forgotten that this here is a knitting blog, here’s some sock love for ya’ll.