More socks

OFF MY NEEDLES:

Candy Shoppe socks  #OperationSockDrawer. February 14 - March 14.  This pair is for me.  I used Knit Picks Felici in the Candy Shoppe colorway, and they were knit on US 1 - 2.25mm needles.  The first sock was knit cuff-down with a German Shortrow Heel. I’m not a matchy-matchy person normally, but for some reason I wanted matching socks. I think it had something to do with the colors.  However when I started the second skein for the second sock, the colorway was running in reverse. So the second sock was knit toe-up.  That was actually kind of fun, and I might do that again (cuff-down & toe-up).  

Northern Lights and Northern Lights Redux are two pair of ankle socks which were a gift for a friend.  I used Knit Picks Stroll Handpainted in the Northern Lights colorway for both. The Redux pair also used Knit Picks Hawthorne kettle dyed in the Goddess colorway.  The start/finish dates were January 6-22 and February 22 - March 5, respectively.  They were both knit cuff-down with heel flap & gusset on US 1 - 2:25mm needles.

TYoSK 2018

2018 is The Year of Selfish Knitting for me.  Almost all the socks I previously made for myself have either given up the ghost entirely, or taken up seemingly  permanent residence in the darning box.   Replacements must be made.  WIPs must be finished. 

OFF MY NEEDLES: 

Goth Kitty socks

These were started on November 23, 2017 and finished December 26th. They are cuff-down (tubular cast on) with a German short row heel and knit in Knit Picks Felici in the Goth Kitty colorway.  

Punch Bug socks

Started Dec 25, finished Jan 30th.  The yarn is Knit Picks Felici in the Punch Bug colorway. They were knit toe-up with a German short row heel; one sock has a tubular bindoff, the other Icelandic.  I prefer the Icelandic - it's much easier to do, and I like the way it looks.  Icelandic will probably be my go-to bindoff for toe-up socks. 

Owl socks

Started November 2012, finished February 2018, and knit in Zen Yarn Garden's Harmony Semi-solid in the Tumeric colorway, these socks are based on a modified Owlie Socks pattern by Julie Elswick Suchomel.   I used Miyuki-6 MY-1427 Silver Lined Violet beads for the eyes.  

FO Parade Part II

Some more Finished Objects

OFF MY SPINDLES/WHEELS:

Top Left:  about 416 yds of a semi-worsted fractal spun 2ply, wheel spun and ply, 100% Targhee from Sheep Spot in the Ignite colorway.  Finished 5 Oct 2015. 

Top Right:  also a semi-worsted fractal 2ply of about 441 yds. Wheel spun and ply. Shetland fiber in the Gerbera colorway from Spunky Eclectic. Finished 23 Oct 2015. 

Bottom Left:   Moon Shadows colorway from Spirit Trail Fiberworks is a deep stash fiber. I bought it when I first started spinning but held off spinning until I was ready. Fiber is a 50/30/20 Merino/Silk/Angora blend. Wheel spun supported longdraw and chain plied into about 189 yds.  Finished 26 Dec 2015

Bottom Right:   A small sample skein I also spun on 26 Dec from a Jacob fleece I'm prepping.   Wheel spun supported longdraw from hand carded rolags for approximately 25yds of 2ply gradient. 

FO Parade

OFF MY NEEDLES:

Top Left: Whimsical Socks finished 17 Feb 2016. The Simple SKYP Socks pattern knit in Miss Bab's Cosmic base in Whimsical colorway. I used 2.25mm (US1) needles as I do for all my socks done in fingering weight yarn.

Top Right: Confetti socks finished 28 Jan 2016 are vanilla socks (my pattern) in Knit Picks Hawthorne in Confetti Speckle colorway. 

Bottom Left: Coffee Shop socks finished 2 Jan 2016 are my vanilla socks with a basic K3 P1 rib, and were knit in Knit Picks Stroll in the Coffee Shop colorway.

Bottom Right:  Glacier colorway from Knit Picks Felici self-striping yarn line was used for these vanilla socks finished on 20 Dec 2015.

I also knit fingerless mitts for myself in the Winding Way Mitts pattern by Cheryl Beckerich out of my Mother of Dragons colorway Handspun (Merino, cashmere, silk). I finished on 14 Jan 2016.

And I finished another block (#13) for the Log Cabin blanket.  This one was an experiment in using up small amounts of yarn leftovers from previous blocks. I call it the 4-in-1 block. It needs a little tweaking but overall I'm pleased. 

Spinzilla 2015

I went rogue again this year because I wasn't sure what I would be able to accomplish.  I did manage to spin every day but one - better than I thought. 

Clockwise from right:

The white yarn is mystery fleece I found last year. Prepped a couple of ounces just before Spinzilla started. Spun supported longdraw on wheel and got about 147 yds of 2ply. 

The yellow multicolor is the first of two bumps of Shetland fiber from Spunky Eclectic in the Gerbera colorway.  Wheel spun semi-worsted end-to-end for 437 yds of 2ply. 

The final little skein is all I could fit in of Polworth fiber from Crown Mountain Farms in their Finding Rainbows colorway. Spun worsted/semi-worsted for 41 yds of chain ply yarn. 

My total yardage for this year is 1,916.  

Reality Sets In

Sometimes the discrepancy between what I want to or think I can do and what I actually can do takes on the dimensions of a canyon.  

Take my Stash Dash plans to finish the stash-busting Log Cabin blanket and the Hexipuff Baby Blanket, as well as a couple of pairs of socks.  Great idea but totally unrealistic. 

Seems I've lost my sock knitting mojo so finishing the half dozen pairs I've started is like pulling a shark's teeth - a messy and painful endeavor. And never mind the other half dozen pairs I promised to make that I haven't started. 

All I've been in the mood to knit on is the Log Cabin blanket which I've decided will be a Queen/King size.  That's 120 blocks, 12 long & 10 wide.  And so far I've got a dozen made.  I'm guessing this project will take a year or more to finish. 

I'm supplementing the Palette yarn with my handspun stash that's approximately the same fingering weight.  And I will also supplement with some yarn from my stash that I've either hand dyed or overdyed.  

The first ten blocks are joined, and I really like how it looks. I think it's going to be a great blanket - however long it takes me. 

The Hexipuff Baby blanket on the other hand is languishing in a corner. It needs about 50+/- more puffs I think. And I also need to decide on a border or not.  I just can't seem to get interested in it again.  I think I'm going to have to set aside a week to work exclusively on it and just get it done.  Maybe next week. Or the week after.  Maybe. 

OFF MY SPINDLES/WHEELS:

I've finished some spinning:  

First up, about 332 yds of 2ply BFL in the Forever colorway from Miss Babs. This was spindle spun and wheel plied. 

Also spindle spun and wheel plied is this approximately 275-300 yds of chain ply Masham in the Verdigris colorway from Spunky Eclectic. 

July Summer fun

If it's Summer, it must be time for Stash Dash, and if it's July, it must be Tour de Fleece time!  

This year for the TdF I'm just spinning with no big goals or plans. I'm currently spindle spinning this Masham bump from Spunky Eclectic in the Verdigris colorway.  

 

And I've finished a few others too.  Like this one: BFL in the Gumball colorway that I started in Dec. I chain plied and got about 188 yds of DK weight yarn. 

I also finished this one, a Cheviot called Golden Fields from Spunky Eclectic. 

All three of these are included in my Stash Dash total, as is a pair of sock

My last two skeins of the Corriedale/Polypay fleece