Knit Quest

Pay it Forward

I came across a very interesting post the other day. In that post Shannon talks about an idea she came across on Jacqui's blog and pledges to join in. Man I love the web. Anyway...Here it is:

"I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."
I can see you all crowding around--no pushing, just type fast if you really want to be one of my three!
(I promise it won't be just a continental knit dishcloth ;-)

How cool is that.  I'm always trying to teach my kids this lesson. You should do nice things just because it's the right thing to do, it feels good, and you never know where it might lead. So I'm putting my money where my mouth is and joining in. 

The first 3 people who comment on this post (and want to join) will receive a knit item made by yours truly. You must be willing to make the same promise on your blog and trust me with your address. In return you will receive your item from me before December 2008.  I promise you won't receive a coaster, or a lace shawl, but I will do my best to craft something you'll like and use. After all, who knows where it might lead?

Swappy Goodness

It's official I'm a swap floozy. I'm running around the Internet flashing pics of my stash and all my knitted goods and even suggesting people should be feeling up yarn just so I can send and receive wonderful yarny surprises in the mail. My first foray into the land of swap was Sockapalooza4 this summer and now I'm addicted. I love the anticipation of waiting for your partner assignment, checking out all the new blogs and projects of the other swappers, making some new friends and of course the giving and receiving of goodness. I think Hubby is planning a intervention.

But how can you not love it when this shows up in your mailbox

This is from the still mysterious R for the Ravelry Caffeine swap. Thanks R!!  Who ever you are you know how to shop. I love the yarn (dyeabolical in the "Black &" color series)

and always enjoy trying something new. The tea looks amazing and I'm sure tastes great but I haven't tried it yet because I didn't want to mess it up before it's photo shoot. And if that wasn't enough my package included chocolates, a great mug, a mix CD (forgot to put it in the photo because it's already in my player) and a real live hand knitted item. Way above and beyond the call of duty.

I totally embarrassed to admit I'm not sure what the patten on the cloth is though. I'm sure it's done well but I've always sucked at those hidden picture things and my curiosity has trumped my embarrassment and I just had to ask. At first I thought it might be an elephant.

Seemed a bit off theme though. My 4 year old decided it was a bug (she likes bugs). Hmm that seems unlikely.

Then while taking the picture I realized it's probably a cup and saucer which makes so much more sense and seems totally obvious while looking at the picture.  Now that you all know I'm a little slow and possibly need new glasses can someone please confirm my cup and saucer theory so I can stop all the second guessing (obsessive, who me?). Whatever the design is thank you R for taking the time to make me a handcrafted hot pad. It always makes me feel special when someone puts time and care into a gift. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated.

It is a hot pad, right?

If any future swap partners are out there reading this please send instructions with everything. Clearly I need all the help I can get.

I may never sleep again

Yesterday afternoon the doorbell rang and I hauled my sick and cranky body out of bed grumbling about people trying to sell you stuff or convert you in your own home all the way down the stairs. I opened the door ready to cough right on who ever dared to interrupt my one chance at a nap before the kids got back from the park and no one was there. What was there was a nice white box sitting on my door mat so I immediately switched to grumbling about husbands, amazon, and too many books and movies for one house to hold.  When I paused long enough to look at the box I realized it was addressed to me. Me? Really? No more grumbling.

The box was from my very lovely tea swap partner Karla and I love everything in it. It was like Christmas only better because it was a surprise and was exactly what I wanted. I think Karla may be a touch psychic. Take a look.

There is no way I could be more excited about the yarn. Artfibers! Cashmere and Silk!! It's even the perfect shade of green. I immediately started dreaming about what I could make with it. A scarf? Hand warmers? My hands are itching to cast on so I'll be breaking out the books soon. Here's a close up so you totally appreciate all the yarny goodness.

The tea was just as exciting. It's a black tea blended with a fruit infusion called blue eyes from Leland Tea Company in San Francisco and boy is it yummy. So yummy that I'm a little spazzy and may never sleep again. Totally worth it though. It even looks and smells so good it could be potpourri. Also included was a nice selection on Tazo teas to sample, a great mug (just the right shape), and lot's of Japanese treats to sample. Since the picture I've devoured most of the plum taffy and the little dude seems to like the hard candies.

They both thought taking pictures of a bunch of yarn and food was pretty funny stuff.

Thanks Karla for the wonderful package you really spoiled me! Now I get to return the favor.

Monkey Sock Swap

It was so much fun knitting Monkey's for Sockapalooza4 that I signed up for the Monkey Sock Swap 3. Although I'm a little disappointed with Sockapalooza 4 since I haven't received my socks yet and the pal I knit for never sent me a note or anything even though I know she received her socks. Anyway...I got distracted and forgot to publish the answers to the questionnaire so I can get my new pal. I'm nothing if not optimistic. So without further ado here are my answers.

The basics:
Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep?    

I've been knitting a long time but socks are pretty new to me. The pair I'm working on now is my 4th pair.

The measurements:

Shoe Size:   8
Foot circumference:  9"   

Foot length:  R foot is 9 1/4 and L foot is 9 3/4 (I'm a freak of nature)

Yarn Preferences:
What colors do you love?  I like pinks, greens, browns, and pretty much at least some variation of every other color except yellow.

Do you prefer solids or variegated? variegated

Do you prefer wool, cotton or acrylic yarn?  superwash wool

What colors would you never wear?  yellow, sherbet colors. Generally I try not to look like a desert of any kind.

What are your favorite brands of yarn? Socks that Rock and Fleece Artist for socks.

Are there any new brands you would like to try? I'm always up for trying something new

Cookie A. Patterns: 
Which of her patterns have you already knit? Monkey

Which pattern(s) would you like to knit and don’t already own? No idea, surprise me. Just nothing super complex. Socks are my purse projects so I hardly ever knit them when I can fully concentrate.

Other pertinent information:
Would you be willing to have an international Monkey Pal or do you prefer one in the US? Either is ok

Do you have any allergies? Angora 

Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? I have two Basenjis (dogs) but they aren't interested in yarn so no direct contact.

Are you on Ravelry yet? If you don’t mind having new friends, what is your Ravelry name? I love new friends. My Ravelry name is Samro

 

Now I just need my pal so I can find out if they like purple since I've already started a sock in STR Purple Rain. I gotta say I won't be crushed if my pal hates purple or Socks that Rock (not likely) because I'm totally in love with the sock and I'm not sure I can give it up. It would be nice if she likes yellow so I won't have to be concerned about crying at the post office when I mail out the package. Sign ups go to Aug.31st if you're interested in joining the fun.

I had to include a photo so I can claim my full experience points on KnitWars. Level 4 here I come!

Socks on the Beach

Here they are Secret Sock Pal your finished Monkeys.  Your socks have been to T-ball games, seen the Transformers movie, doctors offices, hair cuts, parks, parties, and even had a quick look around at Costco. They've visited Detroit Michigan, Cedar Point Ohio, Chelan Washington, and ended their journey with me in Long Beach Washington. We had a rocky start but in the end I think our relationship was a good one.  I hope you two have a long and happy life together. The itch to start a pair of my own has already begun so I can enjoy my own long term commitment instead of such a short but exciting affair.

Details:

     Cookie A's Monkey Sock

     Socks that Rock Lightweight in Farmhouse

     Size 2 needles using the magic loop method

     Started May 07 - Finished July 07

     Socks were washed and blocked after the photos were taken. (no sand or foot cooties)

Hump Day

My 1st Monkey is done. Yeah! Yippee! Hoary! Take a look.

Now if I only had a replicator. I got to enjoy a few hours of accomplishment last night and today I'd better cast on the second sock. Let's see it took me two months to finish the first and I have two weeks before the deadline, hmm I think some interim goals are in order. So my goal for today is cast on, cuff, and one repeat. Wish me luck and happy children.

Remember how I said no new projects until the socks are done. I'm sticking to it! Ok mostly sticking to it. I haven't started any new knitting projects but I did decide to clean out my office/craft room and organize my stash. Most certainly a project and one I was planning to tackle but not until fall when the kids are back in school. Well then Ravelry entered my life and I developed an urgent need to photograph my stash and post it. I need to know what yarns I can add to the project in my queue, have pictures to post to the stashers forum, and of course show off all my lovely yarn so everyone gets a chance to drool. I don't want to be selfish ya know.

Between sock knitting, stash organizing, and the new Harry Potter book you probably won't hear from me until Monday. Have a great weekend!

The Monkey and the frog?

Slow and steady goes the sock. I made a deal with myself to do one pattern repeat or instruction set per day (cuff, 6 repeats, heel) and I've been sticking with it . Well until Tuesday night when I was close to finishing the heel and thought it looked a little long to me.

The picture is not the best (you try putting your leg on a 38" table and balancing on one foot while taking a photo) but I think you can see the pattern repeat stops right at my ankle bone and the sock is about a 1/2" past my heel (3 1/8" from start of stockinette).  I've only repeated my 2 heel rows 13 out of the 15 times called for. After inspecting my sock closely and with a ruler I realized my gauge for stockinette is different from the pattern stitch. The instructions say they should be the same so I only checked in pattern.

Now what do I do? Should I just do fewer rows for the heel or frog it and knit it with smaller needles? If I switch needles when do I switch back or do I? Somebody please help me out so I can get back on track.

What do you wear your socks with?

As I was working on my sock yesterday I was imagining it in it's new home. Will my sock pal like the colors? I hope it fits well. This pattern is so cool, I hope she agrees. You get the idea. Then came the big question. What will she wear them with? What will I wear my socks with?

This was a bit of a stumper for me. I have never had my own pair of handknit socks and have only made socks for my 4 year old daughter who has her own style (she likes socks that don't match on the outside of her pants the more colors the better). What do you wear yours with?

I've seen pictures of socks with dresses. Really?

Knee-hi's with shorts?  Socks with heels? Lots of pictures of socks without shoes or any other visible clothing. Probably not so good for the life expectancy of the sock and everything but your feet will be cold. I don't wear dresses, shorts, or heels on a regular basis and I'm certainly not going anywhere naked.

Jeans maybe? There were a few pictures of socks sporting rolled up jeans but still no shoes.  Do you have to roll up your jeans? If not how does anyone ever see your super cool socks? Can I get away with wearing them with my sweatpants du jour?

I could wear them with my Birks.

I do live in the NW and own many pair of birks but still not really my style (at least not out of the house). Maybe I just need some new shoes. I'm sure that's the answer. New shoes are a good solution to almost any delemia.

These look good to me. I can get myself a mother's day gift can't I ?

Does the Jolly Green Giant need socks?

Thanks so much for the all the encouragement and comments yesterday. Every time I checked my mail (pretty much all day) and there was a new comment I did a little happy dance and ran out to tell my husband. No worries he already knows I'm a little crazy odd so he took it in stride plus I made him Fudgie Wudgie cookies which compensate for almost any amount of weirdness.

After I calmed down and thought about all the feedback I was able to make a few decisions. First decision was to eliminate the third yarn due to the felting possibilities.  Thanks for pointing that out Linda and Kat. Any ideas what else I could do with those two skeins?

Second decision was that I would start a sock in each of the other two choices and see what I liked best. I cast on for the Jaywalker in the red and did a few rows of the ribbing.

Can you see the problem? Maybe this will help.

Yup, that's both my legs. I'm making socks for the Jolly Green Giant. How did that happen? I checked the pattern. No problem there I had the correct number of stitches. What is going on! I'm certain you figured it out way before I did. Those are size 4 needles not size 1. Red wine, a movie (Eragon), and a new sock do not mix well.

I learned my lesson and pulled out the closest WIP (Lace Ribbon Poncho from Modular Knits)and worked on that for the rest of the movie.  Only one more square to go!

Anyway back to the sock saga. I woke up this morning and found one more comment, sb says "Are there any other options?" Hmm, other options. I checked out what yarns everyone else was talking about (STR) and looked up where I might find some. Low and behold Tricoter was listed among Blue Moon's retailers. Let's see.. physical therapy finishes at 11am, child 2 needs to be picked up at 12:45, I need to stop at the pharmacy and it's 20 to 30 minutes drive each way. I can do that. Right? Right! I even managed to get lunch, make two phone calls and be there five minutes early. Thank god for Starbucks.

I deserve some kind of award for getting in and out so quickly and only buying what I went in for. Here's the view when you walk in the  door.

Check out some of their Blue Moon Stash. So yummy.

I can't believe I haven't been there in 5 years. It certainly won't be that long before I go back.

Where's the new sock yarn you ask?

Whadda ya think? I think I need a bib. All three are all Blue Moon Socks that Rock Lightwieght and the colorways are Farmhouse (top), Purple Rain (right), and G-Rocks (left). Looks like everyone is getting socks for Christmas.

I'm partial to Farmhouse for my sockpal (that looks like jewel tones to me) and G-Rocks for me. Next step a pattern.

It's 70 degrees here, the kids are on a play date, the lasagna's ready to put in the oven and the laundry's done (ok not really but we have clean underwear so close enough). I'm going to sit in the yard listen to Stash and Burn and knit some swatches. I triple checked my needles so the Jolly Green Giant is just gonna have to find another knitter.

Virgin at the Stripclub

I'm way out of my comfort zone. I'm a new blogger and a first time sockapalooza participant. In fact sockapalooza4 is my very first knitalong or what ever I'm supposed to call it. I've been lurking for a few months and decided to go all the way so to speak. So here I am with my very on blog (walked into the club) and signed up for the sock knitting extravaganza (up on the stage) but now what?

The person knitting for me has been great (she says she's a virgin too but I think she's been taking pole dancing class) and seems to know what's going on but the person I'm knitting for hasn't responded to my comment or email and did not give a lot of details in her preferences. I need help deciding on the yarn and pattern (what do I wear and which song should I choose).

I have three candidates for yarn.

The one on the left is Mountain Colors Barefoot Sock Yarn in Elderberry. It's washable, super soft, should be warm, and has a gauge of 5-6sts per inch but I'm not sure the color is what she is looking for. Does that look like a jewel tone? The red is Basic Merino Socks by Fleece Artist. It's obviously bright enough, also soft and washable,with a gauge of 7 sts per inch listed. The last candidate is also Mountain Colors but it's weavers wool quarters in Meadow. It's the colors I imagine she would like best and is defiantly warm but it's not washable or as soft as the others. It's gauge is stated at 20sts per 3.5 inches. I was assured by the lys that people make socks out of it but it seems really thick to me.  I'm leaning toward the red but I just don't have a great feeling about any of them (does this make me look fat?). Any advice? Should I keep looking or go with one of these?

If that's not enough I have no idea what pattern to use. I've been knitting for a while but I've only made two pair of socks (I can tap dance but shaking my thing is new). I want something with a little interest but not so hard I can't finish it by August. I've never made anything for another knitter and have perfectionist tendencies so I'm having visions of knitting and ripping, knitting and ripping, knitting and ripping and never completing them.

I like Cookie A.'s Twinkle Toes from Knitty Gritty, Gumperina's Jaywalkers, and the Laburnum from Sensational Knitted Socks. Opinions? Can I knit any of those patterns with the yarn I have? I'm ready to get out there and join the party please someone take pity on me and help me put on a good show.