skein

Picnic Blanket progress

Six more squares of Picnic blanket are done.  This means I have completed strip 7 (of 9).

I've already knitted the first 3 squares on strips 7-9, which means I now have 12 squares and the border and then it's done! 

I've joined the seventh strip to the rest of the blanket. One thing I hadn't realised, when I put this away for my Summer of Socks, is that I hadn't sewn any ends in!  So that was yesterday's job.

Here's Chris modelling the blanket.

Sideways

Lengthwise

and diagonally-ish

It's big!

Chris, you can click on the photos to enlarge them (not that we can see more than your hat!)

I've spent today doing nothing!  I didn't want to work on Picnic, my October SolidSocks and SKA can't be started until 1st October,  so I thought I'd spend time starting a few new projects.

I bought a couple of packs of yarn at Yarnhouse the other weekend.  I couldn't decide on a pattern for the Felted Tweed, despite browsing ravelry and my bookcase.  And the Rialto dk book is missing from the bookcase!  I've even tidied it up a bit.

So I've stash dived, and found a couple of skeins of Manos silk blend and will cast on tonight for this  pattern.  Can I rustle up a quick scarf in 3 evenings?

Twisted Flower Socks

These socks are very difficult to photograph!  If it's not the vibrant orange dazzling my camera, it's the textured knitting.   I finished these on Tuesday evening, but had to wait until last night to take photos.  Except last night it was too dark and my flash kept going off, obscuring the pattern.  So I tried no flash, and all I could see were fluourescent orange socks.  I've brought them (and the sock blockers) into work today, and have been trying since 8am to take photos, waiting for the right mixture of sunshine and shadow.  It doesn't seem to matter much, though, I'm still having problems with capturing both the colour and the pattern.  I give in!

So here we have finished socks.
The indoors shot:

Pattern:  Cookie A's Twisted Flower socks.
Yarn: Wollmeise merino sock yarn, shade SOS (that's a very appropriate shade name!)
Needles: 2.25mm circulars.
Started: 12th September
Finished: 23rd September  (I had a break in between; I knitted the second sock in three evenings and one afternoon)
Modifications:  none!  I added extra repeats to the foot, this is ok, it's a five row repeat after the last lot of travelling stitches.  Anyone knitting this who wants a longer leg,  please note that the pattern for the leg is a 32 row repeat, and every 32 rows the start of round changes, so you'd have to be aware of this when starting the heel, so the pattern flows into the heel.  I did reduce down to the small size after gusset shaping (68 instead of 72).

More photos
These two show off the pattern and colour well.  I've not blocked these at all, so they're a little lumpy and bumpy in these shots.

These next ones are disastrous, but they show how this colour confused my camera!
Here's the best shot of the heel - see, it's the flower pattern worked down the back of the heel.

And here's a bright one!  Pattern is completely obscured by the colour!

I've already had stick about how bright they are from a work colleague (who is wearing a bright cerise shirt!).  Cheeky beggar!

These were knitted as part of the September challenge for SKA and SolidSocks on ravelry, and I've thoroughly enjoyed knitting them.  I've five days left of September and just 2 Picnic squares to go.  Now that means I'll either do more Picnic squares (only another 12 left) or start something new.  I shouldn't, but my garment yarn stash has enhanced somewhat and needs attention!

Mystery Blanket

July, August and September squares are done.  We have four more squares and the border due in our next package.  I've also attached the two strips to the other strips, and sewn in all ends except on the live edges (I find it easier to join if I don't sew these side ends in until after I've seamed).

I've managed to swap around the strips though, so this isn't the actual layout of the strips!

I think I may have knitted one of the flowers the wrong way around, I knew that we'd had an email about a flower chart been incorrect, but I wasn't sure if it was the enclosed photo or the chart which was wrong.  I don't mind anyway, it's still pretty.

Now that I've seen it spread out, I'm considering using the odd balls to knit two extra strips, so it's not a 7x7 square blanket, but a 9x7 rectangular blanket.  It means knitting an extra 14 squares, and I don't know what the border will be like, yet.  So this is just a thought, rather than a plan.  It might mean that I don't finish the blanket next month, though, and I'm ready to get this and Picnic off the needles.  I am definitely signing up for next year's mystery blanket, but a two month break would be grand.

I've cast on the second orange Twisted Flower sock, working my way down the leg, slowly, with the help of BT Vision Dr Who Season 2 repeats!   I've decided not to knit a second pair of socks this month, as the joining of two strips ate into knitting time.  I'd rather get a move on with Picnic.

SKA and Solidsocks knitalongs

I've had such a great time knitting socks that I'm participating in two new ravelry groups!  Both are year long challenges, and as September is the starting month for both groups, it's not too late to join.

SolidSocks, where we plan to knit in a designated colour each month.  September's colour is orange.

SKA (Sock Knitters Anonymous), which has a monthly technique and designer, as well as a bi monthly mystery socks knitalong, using that month's technique. September is either orange (as that's a challenging colour), or Cookie A, or mystery sock in orange. 

My first  pair of socks (will I have time for another pair, I wonder) fit very nicely into both groups.

May I present Cookie A's Twisted Flower, knitted in Wollmeise's SOS sock merino.  Sunglasses on, please!

At this stage I didn't like the pattern.  I'm into travelling/twisted stitches at the moment... but as soon as I reached that part of the sock, I was smitten!

The pattern is carried down the back of the heel (has anyone else noticed that there's an increase in this sort of pattern, where the heel is not plain old heel stitch?)
That was my progress to Sunday afternoon.

Now it's Thursday, and I'll be knitting the toe at Iknit tonight. So anyone going will see just how orange this sock is!

Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket

July and August squares are done. Two more of my 10 knitting goals completed.
I'll be starting August squares tomorrow.   They are added to the left strip (3 squares) and right strip (2 squares) and these will complete those strips, so they can be sewn onto the rest of the blanket.

it will only leave 4 squares, on the central strip!  Once these are done, the blanket can be sewn up in preparation for the border.  I think we might get instructions for this in October as well, which will be the end of this knitalong. Never mind, another one starts next year!

I've started some bright orange socks, and am slowly working my way down the gusset. I'm aiming to finish the foot of sock #1 tonight and then there'll be progress photos. 
My Wollmeise arrived as well (for the sock club) but I won't post photos for a few weeks in case some people haven't received their parcels yet!

Summer of socks 2008

How I've enjoyed this!  It started on 21st June, and ended on 1st September - not quite the whole summer, but I think 10 weeks is just the right length of time.

It gave me an opportunity to get out the sock stash and choose which yarns I might like to knit with for the KAL.  Here, here, here, here and here.  I selected 30 skeins, just in case I managed to knit 3 pairs per week (as if!).  I ended up knitting just 13, but I'm pleased with the final number. Although several pairs were just plain ribbed sock, the majority were patterned socks, either patterns which I had already in stash, or online patterns.  I've managed to up my queue with quite a lot of patterns, thanks to the marvelous FOs on the ravelry boards.  My goals were to try to use yarn which I'd not tried before, or use a pattern. 

Fleece Artist merino sock yarn (used before but I have a lot in stash).

Pattern: Sivia Harding's Cherry Blossom.

Regia Kaffe Fassett Design Lines

Pattern: plain old 3x1 ribbing

Posh Yarn's sock yarn (not sure which type, it's been in my stash for years)

Pattern: Dublin Bay (this is a pdf link)

Cherry Tree Hill Louet Gems (fingering weight)

Pattern: Yarnissima's The Firestarter

Shibuiknits sock

Pattern: Twining Leaves Lace socks

Trekking DK

Pattern: another 3x1 ribbing

Indie Dyer Sock yarn

Pattern: Spring Forward

Knitwitches Sock yarn

Pattern: Cookie A's Trystero

Colinette's Jitterbug

Pattern: Speedway socks

 

Wollmeise sock yarn

Pattern: La Digitessa

 

Regia Short Color

Pattern: Switchback Socks

 

Artyarns Ultramerino 4

Pattern: Jaywalkers

 

Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn

Pattern: Francie

I've thoroughly enjoyed stepping outside of my usual plain or ribbed socks, and there's a couple of patterns here which I may well knit again in the future.  All lovely yarns tooo.

Phew! this is my fourth attempt at posting.  I accidently restarted Firefox before saving, then I accidently clicked 'delete post' instead of 'save post'. And then typepad started inserting underlines and links, and my photos stopped lining up! 

Horcrux socks

The socks which didn't make SOS08.

Pattern: Horcrux socks
Yarn: Yarn Yard's Bonnie sock yarn, from one of the monthly club offerings.
Needles: 2.25mm circlar
Started: 25th August
Finished: 4th September
Modifications: I worked a longer leg after the zig zag lace pattern, and a short row heel, so that the striping wouldn't be broken down.

A nice knit!
My first September goal finished.
Onto those Mystery blanket squares now ...

A very special day

Yesterday I went to IKL's I Knit Day 2008 - it was wonderful.  Not just the knitting people, old and new friends, but the marvellous atmosphere.  And the opportunity to buy more yarn, of course.  The weather today is dismal, overcast and drizzly,  not the best day to take photos! As there's a few photos, I've made them smaller, but they're clickable!

Namaste bag from Purlescence.
 

Lexie Barnes circular needle holder from Loop.

Laceweight and self striping sock yarn from Fyberspates

Sushi Sock rolls from Easyknits

Alpaca socks and 4ply merino from Coldharbour Mill.

Cashmere lace and cashmere/silk from Knitwitches

Alpaca,cashmere and silk sock yarn from The Natural Dye Studio

 

Sheepy cups, badges and keyrings from Herdy

 

and finally, a silent auction on the Knitting & Crochet Guild stand.

But another special and more exciting thing happened yesterday.  I am  now a great aunt!

Baby E, taken from a mobile phone!
And here she is with the new grandad (my brother) and one of her new uncles.

Ahhhh!
She's the first of the next generation - everyone's shifted up a level!  My parents are now great grandparents and my siblings are now great aunt and great uncle. I can't believe my brother is a grandad now. It seems like just yesterday when his daughter was born.  In fact, every time I think of her I'm seeing her newborn face, with a punk rocker hairstyle. Must dig out her photos to compare!

September goals

How strange, starting monthly goals again after a three month hiatus.  This month I'm including some non knitting goals, which involve stash organisation.

1) Finish Horcrux socks.

2) Start and finish a pair of SKA socks for September.  I'm planning on knitting a Cookie A pattern in my bright orange Wollmeise yarn. I'm a little concerned that the very brightness of the yarn will obscure the pattern!  These will also count as my September socks for SolidSocks.

3) Start and finish a pair of orange socks using my Yarn Yard orange yarn.  I'm thinking (just thinking, depends how they look when I start knitting) of knitting Marigold socks (ravelry link here) which look like an easy knit. 

4) Knit July's Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket 

5) Knit August's Mystery Blanket

6) Knit September's Mystery Blanket

7) Knit 6 Picnic squares (leaving just 12 to go!) 

That's a busy knitting month!  But I also plan to so some sock stash reorganising, so I've a further three things.

8) Put away sock yarns not used in SOS (I was a little optimistic about how many socks I'd knit!) and stash the new socks yarns I've bought since the start of SOS08 (dozens)

9) Update my flickr stash photos to load the new acquisitions and remove the knitted skeins.

10) Sort out the year's sock yarns for SKA and SolidSocks. This is what I did for SOS - went through the stash and kept out a huge back of yarn, sometimes just the ball and sometimes with a pattern in a sock pack.  It's going to be fairly easy to allocate yarn for Solidsocks, according to the colour,  but it might not work so well with SKA, as I haven't decided on what I'm knitting yet. That's taking sock knitting planning a little too far!

A steep September.  Just what I like, a challenge. 5 socks, 15 mystery blanket squares, 6 Picnic squares (they're bigger) and lots of socks stash tidying up!

The sock that didn't make SOS08

I decided on Monday morning that it would be impossible to knit the second sock in time for the end of SOS08. 
Sock #1 was finished on Sunday evening.

It's the Horcrux sock, a simple 3x2 ribbing with lightening zig zags at the top, though because this sock isn't pressed (I usually give finished socks a once over with the steam iron aftern knitting them, purely for the blog of course, they never see an iron after this!) so the pattern isn't showing much.  The pattern is available free if you are a member of the Six Socks Knitalong on Yahoo Groups (linked above).
The yarn is Yarn Yard's Bonnie (I think it's the usual sock wool, it's a past club offering).  I tried knitting this yarn several times before this but didn't like the pooling. I finally worked out that it would stripe nicely if I knitted 64 sts using 2.5mm or 68 sts using 2.25mm.  This pattern is 70 sts using 2.25mm.  I think the yarn would look lovely with the colours all mixed up, as in the skein, but my specific pooling problem was patches of colour. This photo was taken at 7am today, look how dark it looks! Dreadful rainy weather.  I'm going to have to take photos at weekends soon, urgh.

I've enjoyed SOS08 and am sad to see it finish. I'm hoping, weather and light permitting, to do a overview on my SOS, with totals and pictures.  That will be this month, but maybe in a few weeks.

I'm not quite done with knitting socks, though!  I've joined another two challenges, both on ravelry. Both start this month, and continue for a year, so you have plenty of time to join!

SKA (Sock knitters anonymous). 
Each month there's a technique and designer.  Every other month you have a third option of a mystery sock knitalong using that month's technique.  September's challenge is either orange socks (in any pattern), a Cookie A pattern (in any colour) or a Mystery sock in orange by Jeanniefanihi (ravelry link).  OK, so orange isn't a technique, but it's a challenging colour for most people! 
SolidSocks has just one rule - knit a pair of socks in that month's colour.  September's colour is orange, to coincide with SKA's colour. 

I've decided to knit two pairs of socks this month with my orange yarn.

There's the Yarn Yard's orange mix yarn (sadly one of the one-off August colours and now gone)

Something about taking photos this morning!  This isn't as bright as this photo at all!  It's lighter and softer.   The next photo is wollmeise's new SOS which is bright, but not as bright as this photo!

I wound these last night, but decided to spend a few hours knitting on my Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket instead. Knitting with wool cotton after 10 weeks of sock yarn is amazing, it was just like knitting with chunky! 

I'm going to go back to monthly lists again, I just need a day to ruminate over my choices.  Doubtless it's going to be socks and squares, I'm determined to finish my blankets this year!