FO: Canyon Flower Socks

Consider the subtitle to this post "Ode to Elizabeth Bishop." Or maybe just "One Art: Part 1." The hardest part about moving cross country is that there's always people and places left behind. Let's just say I was especially missing the splendid colors of a New Mexico sunset when I knit these socks for the TFA Holiday KAL.

Pattern: Fair Isle Flower Sock by Candice DeWitt

Yarn: TFA Blue Label OOAKs (Canyon & Blue Iris)

They've been finished for nearly two weeks now and even worn and laundered. Just took awhile to document them here. Slowed, no doubt, by my scramble to finish up a pair of KAL mitts by this Friday and some covert holiday knitting.

Don't get me wrong: Minnesota is home and always will be... Yet, January is sure to be good sock knitting weather and I have a pair of Maryland socks in mind. Albuquerque and Baltimore — two lovely cities.

FO: Second Socks for Izzy

Let the kiddo pick out her own sock yarn at Michaels — the right price-point for a growing teen with a tendency to be extra tough on her clothes. I'll give it to her: Izzy located a skein with cashmere in it.

Pattern: Yarn Harlot's Sock Recipe

Yarn: Loops & Threads Luxury Sock (Ocean)

These socks also mark a first: major surgery. When both pairs were done, Izzy tried them on...only to discover that I'd made the foot too short. So I snipped apart the toes, ripped back to the start of the toe decreases, added a good 1/2", and then finished them up again. Can't tell you how clever it made me feel.

FO: Primavera Socks

It's Friday night and I have a new FO — what better way to kick off the weekend?

No chance of my new love affair with socks waning after this pair. These are now hands-down (feet-down?) my new favorite socks. To start, there's the yarn — isn't it lovely? Not sure how she manages it, but that Tanis continues to outdo herself with each Etsy update.

Yarn: TFA Blue Label in Yellow Tartan (OOAK)

Pattern:  Primavera Socks by natalja 

Then, the pattern: Easy to memorize and with a six-row repeat, it's the definition of potato-chippy. (Just one more repeat...) I also really like the look of the heel flap with the 2-stitch garter edging; tidy and makes picking up stitches easy-peasy.

Since this is a knitting blog, guess I should mention the two mods I made: Changed the p3tog to Sl1, P2 tog, psso (much easier on my hands) and added slip stitches between the garter ridges to make the heel sturdier.

FO Parade: Blue Iris Rivercats

So that sock pattern that wasn't quite right for the If a Tree Falls colorway I got at Yarnover? It was perfect for this OOAK lovely from Tanis Fiber Arts.

Pattern: Rivercat Sock by Brenda Patipa

Yarn: TFA Blue Label (Blue Iris)

So success on that front, but I should have gone down a needle size. They're a bit big inside shoes, but they will keep my feet toasty at home. Or be great layered over another pair for January outings. As you can see, they're too pretty not to wear.

And this brings our FO Parade to a close. Hoping to keep up better in October.

FO Parade: Spiced Cotton Reels

Why, yes. You are correct. I did already knit another pair of fingerless mitts this year. But in my defense, I live in Minnesota.

Plus, I used fingering-weight scraps to create these. So I'm feeling all “virtuous” in a waste-not, want-not way. (What's that, you say? My fingers are in my ears, so no, I can't hear you laughing.)

Pattern: Cotton Reel Mittens by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: TFA Blue Label (Plum and Spice)

What do you do with your yarn scraps? I've got lots more itching to become something...

FO Parade: If a Nutkin Falls...

Nothing like washing away the taste of an FO Fail with a great pairing of yarn and pattern, is there?

I got this lovely skein at Yarnover last April. My first choice didn't work so well, but I knew to cut my losses early and frog before the heel flap. Love, love, LOVE how these turned out. The pattern is that perfect combination of interesting knitting but easy to memorize. Also, they're clearly too big for Izzy, who's modeling in the photos. Phew, that should keep them safe from sticky fingers.

Pattern: Nutkin by Beth LaPensee

Yarn: Vice Paradigm (If a Tree Falls)

My current favorite socks. Sure another pair of these is in my future...

FO Parade: Dishcloths & Dishtowels

In case it wasn't clear in my earlier Finishing Frenzy post, September was one INTENSE month at work. What’s a gal to do when comfort knitting is in order? Dishcloths, of course!

And nice ones at that, since I had lots of well-marinated cotton left over from baby projects for Izzy and a Log Cabin Blanket knit years ago for my sister and brother-in-law.

The only problem? Shrinkage even in tepid water. (Insert obligatory nod to George Costanza.) Never mind that, let's just revel in the before photos...

Patterns: Ballband Dishcloth by Pisgah Yarn
& Slip Stitch Dishtowels by Purl Soho

Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Cotton

As for the end result... Well, they served their stress-busting needs so there's that. Plus, there's no shortage of spills to wipe up at our house — big and tiny.

Onward.

FO Parade: Fall Fields

Last weekend, the Finishing Frenzy continued with blocking and photographs. Most even made it into Ravelry before I ran out of time. Oh, for more three-day weekends...

I'm going to queue up some blog posts now that the FOs are truly and completely finished — and before this weekend fades away, too.

A local yarn store closed its doors in August. Always a bitter-sweet event. Along with a half-priced sweater's worth of Malabrigo and all the Noro I need for the POP blanket I intend to knit after I get this current wave of sock knitting out of my system, I picked up a lone skein. With all my favorite colors intertwined, I just couldn't pass it by despite the high acrylic and rayon content. In fact, I was compelled to cast on that very day. And talk about a Pride & Prejudice moment: I love the result.

Pattern: Fields of Wheat by Varant Ekmekjian

Yarn: Berroco Boboli (Ginger Scone)

While fall seems to be a no-show this year in Minnesota, today's snowflakes up North are a clear sign this is about to get lots of use.

Finishing Frenzy

I've been busy knitting up a storm for the past two months, but not good about finishing and even worse about blogging. Gigantic work deadline got in the way. But now that the beta version of the site has finally launched, it's time to get back to business.

Saturday, I went a little crazy. I started by weaving in the ends of five dishcloths and one dishtowel that I knit in a stash- and stress-busting frenzy that started mid-September. That led to weaving in more ends (a shawl and two cowls). Then adding the thumbs on a pair of fingerless mitts that had been languishing for more than a month. I finished the finishing by ripping back and re-knitting the toes on too-big socks. Here's the pile I ended up with; now for the blocking...



And since I'm in catch-up mode, here are a pair of socks I finished in August and gifted to my mother.

Pattern: A Good, Plain Sock by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Yarn: Crazy Zauberball (Spring Is Here)

And here is a baby hat that got the quickest of photoshoots before going into the gift bag.

Pattern: Dinofied Wee Balaclava by by mama cerise

Yarn: Cascade 200 (Lichen) & Ella Rae Classic (Yellow-Lime Heather) 

Time for a break...aka, more knitting! ;-)

FO: Katniss Socks

I wanted to try socks with cables and this seemed the perfect gateway pattern — two simple braids running down the front and back centers. Just the toe of the second sock was left to knit when I packed them for the cabin. I finished them up that first night then blocked them the next day in the sun.

Yarn: TFA Blue Label (Spice)

Pattern: Katniss Socks by Rose Hiver

Izzy (who's a big Hunger Games fan) came up with the firepit backdrop, which I like even better than the kicked back lake shot we started with.

These were a really fun knit and I'm sure I'll revisit the pattern sometime soon. Who'd have ever thought at the beginning of 2013 that I'd have four finished sock pairs done by mid-summer?

FO: Maroo Mitts

Not only did our week at the cabin afford me time to knit to my heart's content, it also gave me a great backdrop to take pics of some FOs. These fingerless mitts were finished and blocked a few weeks before our trip but fell victim to rainy weekends when it came to photography.

Pattern: Maroo Mitts by Ambah O'Brien

Yarn: TFA Blue Label (Olive, Squash, & Olive Truffle)

These were a fun, easy knit, and I'd like to give a special shout-out to the designer, who offered up the pattern for free on her birthday. May her generosity return to her throughout the year!

The other blessing about the pattern was that it offered the chance to use some of my scraps. I especially love the Squash OOAK with its pinkish hits in the gold. And since I gifted the shawl I knit with it, this way I get to still enjoy the color and touch of cashmere.

Yarn + Pattern = Not-So-Much

Stubbornness will get you every time. I know this. I know this. And yet I was determined. I saw the Bavarian Socks pattern and thought, "Oooh, that would be stunning in that Fresh colorway I picked up at Yarnover!"

Once I had the vision, that was it. It didn't matter that the yarn was a tangled mess when I put it on the swift. Or that I ended up having to undo the cake I'd started and wind the entire thing by hand — a less-than-pleasant experience since the yarn, as lovely and saturated green as it was, didn't have a lot of spring. Or that the whole winding experience pushed me from A-OK on time to running late while packing to leave. Remember, I was stubborn determined.



Fast forward 24 hours to Day 1 at the cabin. In my haste to begin that morning, I misread row one of the chart and didn't realize my error until after I'd repeated it the 10 times for the ribbing. Trip 1 to the frog pond and a second cup of coffee. All was fine until the first set of long cables made me feel like I was wrestling an alligator. I dropped a stitch. I jiggered the cable together again. The first pattern repeat is always the hardest, right?

That night after a blissful day of lakeside lounging and grilling, I picked up the socks again...and found myself struggling just as badly. WTF? I'm a loose knitter on even the most stressful days. And I was relaxed.

I put the needles down in disgust and went to bed with a headache. As I lay there, I heard it emerge from the throbbing: This. Yarn. Does not want to be. This. Pattern.

Hmmm. Yarn with little give and complex cabling on size 1-1/2 needles? Yeah, not so much. My hands and sanity would not survive.

At least I had the common sense to pack more projects than I could complete. And I'm happy to report that this pile-o-knits all behaved themselves quite nicely.

FO: Color Affection 2

Another June, another Color Affection? I seem to be a creature of habit even more than I realize.

This time rather than purchasing yarn specifically for the project, I went digging in my stash. How glorious to find three TFA lovelies seemingly meant for each other. Made me feel (slightly) less guilty about the size of my hoard.

Love this yarn and love this pattern. Nothing else to say, so let's proceed to the glory shots...

Pattern: Color Affection by Veera Välimäki

Yarn: TFA Blue Label OOAKs (Cornucopia and Olive Truffle) and 75/25 Merino Silk OOAK (Sprout)

12 Candles

Wow. How did that happen? How did we go from this...



...to this in such a flash?!



Yesterday, Izzy celebrated her 12th in style. (Nice of the calendar to cooperate and give us a Saturday birthday.) She started the morning making the skirt she's wearing above at a class courtesy of Autie and Uncle. (Side note: The fabulous fabric at Crafty Planet now has me itching to start sewing again.) Then we headed to Target Field to watch the Twins beat Kansas City (Izzy's choice instead of a party this year).



Last night she declared it a great birthday. (Violet still holds the title of best birthday present ever — and I'm guessing will for many years to come.) What a great 12 years I've had being her mom!

FO: Gramps Cardigan and Hat

I've long admired this pattern and was thrilled to have the chance to make it for a good friend expecting her first baby. Nothing more satisfying than setting the needles to work for a fellow knitter, is there?

Pattern: Gramps by tin can knits

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Worsted Merino Superwash Solids (Caraway Heather and Cinnamon)

Not only is the pattern put together really well, it has a fantastic blog tutorial. Total win. Wish I was even half as pleased with the yarn. I liked the colors and springiness while knitting (nearly) enough to deal with how splitty it was.

But then the wet blocking almost. did. me. in. Not only did it grow to ginormous proportions, but a couple of carefully woven seams started to come apart. Thankfully, I was able to save it with a long timeout in the dryer. (I've never been so happy to be working with superwash.) But just look at this before shot to see how tidy the pocket seams/joins started out. Sigh...



Light at the end of the tunnel? Knowing that not a single person will be looking at the seams once it's keeping a cute little boy warm!

FO: Socks, Fully Groked

I went several decades without ever attempting a sock. In fact, in that time I don't think I even considered knitting socks for a combined five minutes. Beyond that irrational fear of turning a heel, I had one other reason: I'm very particular about how my socks fit.

Yes, re-read that last line as I smack my palm on my forehead. It was only after I'd finished two pairs and taken that Yarnover Grok the Sock class that the full stupidity of that statement sunk in. Well Golll-ly, you can customize them to fit your feet exactly.

Pattern: Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's recipe fully customized 

Yarn: Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball (Arroyo)

These are pretty spot-on (despite the twisted toe that came while trying to photograph my own feet).

What surprise insights has knitting brought your way?

An FO and a YO

I got a bit more adventurous with my second pair of socks, but not so adventurous that I couldn't get through them pretty fast. See, I had a goal with a nice, crunchy carrot dangling in front of me.

Pattern:Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku

Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Tonal (Blue Violet)

Turned out it was a perfectly timed carrot, as well: My first pair of socks was too small (and went to Izzy) and this second pair was too big (but not so big, thankfully, that they don't make good bed socks). In the quest for a "just right" pair, what better help could there be than the Yarn Harlot, herself?

Yesterday, I attended my first Yarnover, kicking off the morning with a Grok the Sock class taught by Ms. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. It's why I wanted at least two pairs of socks under my belt... Nothing motivates like potential humiliation.

My self-imposed deadlines and stress were definitely worth it. What a great class, and what a great teacher! Here's my in-progress baby sock in the foreground, with classmates' photo opp. in the background.

And here's the finished baby sock, which I Kitchenered last night. And what's that in the picture? Yep, it's the start of pair #3, fully informed and on its way to that "just right" fit.



I had more time than planned over lunch since my friend Susan got a nasty bug and couldn't attend at the last minute (no swapping of notes).  So for better or worse, I then took full advantage of the market. (A thank-you shoutout to my sister and brother-in-law for the birthday bucks that bought both sets of fabulous vintage buttons.)



I finished up the day with a Celtic Cables class by Melissa Leapman, where I managed to execute the following two swatches to my disbelief and pure joy. As you might guess from the book, I'm jazzed to bring on the cables in another project or two.

Except for the missing Susan part, a fantastic day. Already planning for next year.

Enough Already!

Last Friday, I awoke to this view outside my hotel window in San Antonio. Sure, I had to work all weekend, but it seemed a fair trade since it was spitting sleet and snow in Minnesota when we headed out to the National Science Teachers Association.



Much of that mess had melted by the time my plane touched back down on Sunday afternoon. And it continued to melt over the next few days. Since I like to think of this blog as family friendly, I'll skip sharing my initial outburst at awaking to this view today.



Two thing helped cheer me up...slightly. 1) I'd already arranged to work from home today. 2) Izzy gleefully grabbed three FOs to layer up for her walk to the bus.

That said, I'd like to make it loud and clear that as much as I appreciated Minnesota bringing the knitting weather this fall and winter, I'm ready for spring. Now. Enough already and (hopefully) enough said.

FO: Fiddlehead Mittens

The good news? I can check off Fair Isle and mittens from my 2013 Knitting goals. (And when you add in those first socks, I've hit everything on my list by early April.)

Pattern: Fiddlehead Mittens by Adrian Bizilia

Yarn: Mirasol Yarn Tupa (Tiger's Eye) and Plymouth Yarn Kudo (49: Green, Teal, Brown), lined with After the Sheep Panda (Butterscotch)

The bad news: They're too small — I clearly overcompensated when I frogged the too-big third of the first mitt. So guess who got lucky?



Yes, Izzy really was that excited to claim them as her own. There's that. And there's the fact that they coordinate with the too-small hat she also claimed.

So after a brief mourning period, I did what any good knitter would do: I ordered more yarn. And since I enjoyed this further foray into colorwork, I'm excited to cast on another pair.

FO: Easter Bonnet (MN-Style)

I was thrilled to have my four seasons back this year, waxing poetic about crisp fall days and snowy holidays. But now that it's nearly April, I'm more than ready for winter to be over.

This morning began with a gentle spring rain. You could see the anticipation and relief on the faces of people out walking their dogs and in the aisles at Target. But not so fast, apparently. They're calling for a return to 38° F (3° C) for Easter Sunday. So while this wasn't intended as a holiday gift, it seems the FO timing is just perfect. At least the color makes it feel like spring.

Pattern: Pressed Leaves by Alana Dakos

Yarn: TFA Yellow Label (Iris)

FO: First Socks

After the knitting-tweaking-reknitting cycle that was the first (keeper) sock, the second one seemed to fly off my needles. Throughout all that knitting, though, I was skeptical about the yarn. It had a slightly twine-like roughness, but thankfully became all fuzzy soft after a good soak.

Yarn: Opal Regenwald / Rainforest (Buffalo Bill) 

Pattern: Knitmore Girls Vanilla Sock

I've been admiring the pair on the sock blockers for at least a week now — a bit scared to actually step on all that hard work. Maybe another week and I'll give them a test run. Ever had a knit that you were afraid to wear? I'd love to hear about it!

FO: Lucky Penny Cowl

Like so many others, I was led down the Honey Cowl path by those Mason-Dixon pushers knitters. Not that I'm complaining. In fact, it was a great mindless/mindful knit and I suspect another one will grace my needles soon.

Pattern: Honey Cowl

Yarn: TFA Yellow Label (Lucky Penny)

And can I just say I'm completely in love with this new TFA color? Fighting the urge to order it in every base — but stash diving tonight so I can clear out some room...

FO: Dowager Escargot

Me: I do enjoy the look of a good hat — just not on my head.

The Other Violet: Don't be defeatist, dear. It's terribly middle class.

Me: Well, it is knit... What's the harm in trying it on?

The Other Violet: Oh, my dear, in my time I wore the crinoline, the bustle, and the leg-of-mutton sleeve. I'm not in a strong position to criticize.

Me: Um, yeah. Next time I'll skip the ill-conceived mods.

Pattern: Escargot by Veronica Parsons

Yarn: Knit Picks Chroma Worsted (Bittersweet Heather) and
TFA Green Label (Turquoise Water)