Joy and Dancing Around the Room

This weekend has started fabulous for sock knitting. A pair of socks completed!

Yarn: ArtYarns Ultramerino 6
Pattern: Basket Weave from Sensational Knitted Socks modifed for Wendy's Toe-up Sportweight Gussett heel

And a new sock nearly halfway done.

Yarn: ArtYarns SuperMerino 129
Pattern: Inspired by Padded Footlets in Favorite Socks

What a joy this new sock has become! From inspiration to execution without the least bit of effort or struggle! I've had this experience before in designing jewelry but this has been the first for a knitting project. I'm giddy with delight!

Harry Potter slows knitting progress

Very little knitting has been accomplished this week. Harry Potter rightly deserves the blame. I just had to read the seventh book. A mostly satisfying finish to this wonderful epic.

I've finished the heel of the second basket weave sock and started the leg. It'll be a short leg like the first sock. That's how I prefer my socks. Sorry, no photo. Next post will have the finished pair with photo.

First Sock of Second Pair Done!

Knitting progress has slowed due to the need to re-read HP-HBP. Gotta be ready for HP-DH. I've got a copy reserved that I plan to pick up Saturday morning. Then there won't be any knitting getting done for 2 days or more. More because I'm likely gonna want to read it twice. First time in one big gulp. Second to savor.
So here's what I did get done. The first sock of Pair Number 2 is done.

And the second sock has a toe.


Plus, I also finished the SeaSilk Skinny Scarf. I had an urge to handle silk. Yum!

I also have an original design idea for the next pair of socks but so far no swatching done. Could be the design won't work at all. We shall see.

It's a Pair

Ta Da! My first PAIR of socks completed!

ArtYarns SuperMerino color 112 on US3 DPNs.
Used Wendy's Sportweight Toe-up Gusset Heel Sock modified for a 40 stitch circumference.

RRRIIIPPP

Nothing's perfect. Right? Especially me. And yet.... Apparantly I hold my creative side to a level of, well, not perfection, but it has to come close. That Ultramerino sock was no where near close. As tempted as I was to rip, rip, rip, I let it sit overnight to see if it would grow on me. The sun rose, I rose, the sock took a dive. I can't express how happy I was to transform that excessively flawed sock into a pile of crimped yarn, full of promise once again. One of the many problems with the sock was that it was big on my foot. I reduced the stitch count by four and started over. This time I did the basket stitch from Sensational Knitted Socks. And I'm loving the result.

I get that happy, warm feeling when I look at this sock progress. All is right and perfect in my little world again.

Never Go Back

I am completely spoiled now.
Beware, Beware. Never knit with ArtYarns 100% Merino yarn. Once you do, you will never be able to work with lowly, scratchy wool, ever again.

The blue stripy sock has been set aside, possibly for a very long time. This week I've been working only with ArtYarns yarns.

I've completed sock #1 of the Supermerino after much ripping and trying various heels.



Then started the toe of the second sock and realized that as much fun as this is to work on, it is quite brain free.

Swatching of ArtYarns Ultramerino commenced and continued for a while, trying something like 20 stitch patterns. None satisfied so decided to just work a toe anyway and wing it. Here's what resulted.

Summer of Socks Kick Off

First day of summer, Thursday, and I cast on for Summer of Socks after a long day at work wishing I weren't there but at home with needles in my hands. That evening I did cast on and began the short toes for the first sock, and disappointment set in. I wasn't loving the yarn. Steinbach Wolle, Aktiv Effekt. It's a sticky yarn but that's not the annoying part. It has a tendency to split. Paying close attention is neccesary. I continued working on the sock over the weekend and a lovely weekend it was too. Escaped the city to the family's country house on the water and just hung out on the screen porch, listening to birds, watching the birds, watching the neighbor's cat watch the birds, and knitting this sock.

On the way home I pass by an LYS, Knit Happens, and couldn't stop myself from stopping. Didn't take long for me to have superwash merino yarn in my hands, of both the ArtYarns and Lorna Laces variety. As soon as I got home I swatched the ArtYarns. Tonight I did a toe.

This time I chose to try the easy toe. The yarn is a little to heavy for short rows. I had to rip back the toe once. Ah, learning the hard way is a painful process. Above is the second try. Still not perfect but good enough, I'm thinking. Now, I've gotta do research to find toe-up heel flap methods.
Single Socks completed: 0
Socks in progress: 2