I have a good share of the cuff/ankle of the Spearfish Socks completed…
Model: Water Glass 
What do you think? Is it a pattern you’d like to make sometime? More importantly do you think my Sock Pal is going to like it? Does the central lace panel look like a waterfall to you??? Or do I need to rethink the name??
Hello SP4! I got my match over the weekend so I figured it was about time to share the questionaire once again.
I’m not sure my answers will have changed too much since last round, but I think they did change slightly, so I’ll fill out the questionaire again…
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high- a nd/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
I’m not a yarn snob in that I only like high-end yarns, though I prefer 100% natural fibers which limits Red Heart and Lion Brand. I do occassionally go for LB novelty yarns as an element to a design, but not too often.
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I want a spinning wheel. It’s on my ultimate wishlist. I have a drop spindle, but with some of my health issues I find it hard on me to actually spin with it long enough to get the rhythm down. I only crochet when required to edge a pattern. I tried to make snowflakes a couple years ago to use in place of bows on the holiday gifts that year, but I fail miserably at following the patterns. I haven’t tried it since…
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
I’m sensitive to perfumes and highly allergic to smoke and cats.
4. How long have you been knitting?
I’m about at the 1.5 year mark of solidly knitting. Though I had learned as a child and made some doll blankets and the bias garter square kitchen rags, but gave it up relatively quickly due to a lack of yarn selection in my hometown.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do indeed have an Amazon wishlist. I’m all about used items too.
6. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Citrus! Especially Lime or Grapefruit, preferrably pure without the addition of herb or other non-citrusy scents.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Yes 
I have a healhty (or not so healthy) sweet tooth. I’m trying to limit fat intake though so I’m having to stick with non or low fat treats like licrorice (Twizzlers) or Good ‘n Plenty. And, if I do chocolate I go for the dark variety as I’m also trying to limit dairy intake as much as possible too.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I do mixed media work and bookbinding.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like what is often called adult alternative - Jack Johnson, Train, Sister Hazel and many others. I also enjoy classic jazz (Ella, Benny Goodman, Dizzy, Duke, etc.) and bluegrass (Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Nickel Creek etc.). I have relatively wide ranging tastes, though new wave, funk, rap and most punk don’t really do anything for me. And, yes, my computer can play MP3s and I have a small MP3 player I use from time to time as well.
10. What’s your favorite color? Or-do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
Purples! And, anything that is rich and deep - jewel tones and autumnal colors are high on my list. I’m also very fond of sage and moss greens.
All hail the use of copious stitch markers and the occassional life line when knitting lace. Thanks to this ah-ha, I’ll soon have pics of the Spearfish socks to show you all. I’m a little past 4 inches in length on the ankle and I’m liking it!
Pics to come tomorrow, but I just had to share my excitement!
I had nearly completed the 12 row pattern repeat on sock one, then I messed it up again at some point. Again, due to not locking myself in a well light room all by myself to carefully count my YOs. So, on Wednesday evening I ripped it and started it again. The first 4 rows are just knit and purl so I could handle that while in the company of others.
Then, last night I decided to string a life line so that if I messed up I wouldn’t have to choose the lesser of two evils - backing up stitch by stich (which is tough with Sl1, K1, PSSO in the mix) or ripping it all out. Sure enough, the first round with YOs and such and I mess up. I end up with four sts that don’t fit into the pattern. I must have miscounted somewhere. So, ripped back to rnd 4 with the lifeline and decided that as I picked back up those sts to put place markers for each 12 st repeat. Hopefully that will keep me on track. I really want to get past this and see this sock come together. Not to mention that I’m down to roughly 6 weeks to complete essentially 2 sock-weight socks! Yikes!
In a slight tangent, as I finished reading before bed and returned my book and booklight to the nightstand, DH started talking in his sleep…
I get it!
It all makes perfect sense!
Ah, yes, yes, yes!
It is all perfectly clear! Yes!
I know why I run into scarves everywhere!
You drape the stupid thing across my head every night, all night long!
*giggle* Dare I ask him if he really wants his multi-directional scarf when I finish it??? Even though he was the one that looked at mine and said he wanted one just like it in more manly colors???
OMG! OMG! I’m soooo excited!
In today’s mail I had my advanced copy of Jan Bode Smiley’s The Art of Fabric Books. Why did I get an advanced copy? Because I have TWO books in the gallery section!!!!!! Wheeeee!
You’ll have to excuse my excitement. I’ve gotten used to having work in zines and magazines, but this is the first time I’ve had art published in a book and I find it a bit thrilling. 
I haven’t had a ton of time to check out the rest of the book as I’m under a bit of time pressure for work, but it look great if you enjoy bookbinding or altered books and would like to include fiber arts and fabric into those works. It’s coming out in February and is available for pre-order…
If you’d rather support an independent bookseller, it’s also available for pre-order from Powell’s. Though not an independent bookseller, you may also pre-order the book from Barnes & Noble if you prefer.
*Happy Dance!* *Happy Dance!*
I don’t suppose showing DH that I was published in a book would be a good birthday present for him, would it? LOL! But, it might give me some lee way in finishing his scarf I did get him a couple of other presents weeks ago. But, I feel sort of bad being so excited about this book thing on his birthday…
Just a friendly reminder that it’s Stitch ‘n Bitch night tonight! 6-8pm at Catalyst Coffee on the SE corner of Horsetooth and Shields, right next to McCoy’s Morning Glory.
There was a lovely turn out last week, though I don’t know if it was just the chocolate. But, we’re always open to meeting new people who enjoy knitting, spinning, crocheting and the like!
Not much knitting news I’m afraid. I fixed the error in the Spearfish Socks, but didn’t really get any farther than I had been before that. Then I got about 2 more triangles completed on the Multidirectional scarf. Nothing worth photographing I’m afraid. But, soon there will be sock pictures. Though tonight I think it’ll be scarf night because it’s easy knitting for visiting etc.
Yes, the Sockapalooza design has a name!
I was inspired by some of the photos I took of three gorgeous waterfalls in the Spearfish, SD area in 2003.
Click on the ones below for larger versions…
I was able to carefully knit about 8 rounds on the sock yesterday/last night during a bout of insomnia. Unfortunately I think I missed a YO two rounds back because I’m short one stitch. That’ll teach me to not count my stitches as I’m knitting the plain round but rather before I knit that round. Because it was nearing 5am I opted to not pull out just yet. But, it’s looking good.
The repeat at the top is 12 rounds though so I’m going to make you wait to see the sock for a bit…
When popping into Michael’s the other day in search of something I needed for class examples I saw this on the magazine rack. Since I’m not a member of TKGA I hadn’t seen one before and I’m not one to pass up the opportunity to check out a knitting rag.
However, I have a few bones to pick…
- What the heck was up with all the photographs of garments on the models backwards? (see cover photo above and shrug photo below)
- What happened to the Sizing Guidelines?? How is a finished garment bust measurement of 44 inches a 1X??? Okay, the low end of a 1X according to the Craft Yarn Council of America is 44 inches, but that is the actual bust measurement and the sweater in question (see image below) is not an “extremely close fitting” garment. I’d say it falls between the close fitting and oversize which should then have an ease of 2-4 inches. So, even if you go with the lowest possible actual chest measurement and smallest about of ease for a standard fit the 1X the sweater really should measure 46 inches across the bust, but really more like 47-48 to include the full span of 1X size. The size markings on that should be shifted down to be Xs-L! It won’t stop me from putting this pattern (or something inspired by it) on my to knit list because I really like the detailing at the neck and shoulders (though I’m not too fond of it on the shoulders, it makes it kind of miltary-like).
I wasn’t too impressed with most of the other patterns in there either. The socks are kind of nice and I might get around to them as some point. The men’s sweater I thought was nice, but DH wasn’t too impressed so I probably won’t be knitting that either. Besides the purple fuzzy shrug being modeled backwards, it’s fuzzy over a large body area so that is definitely not for me thank you very much - even though it is my fav color. I’ll pass on having bobbles around by head and I’ll also pass on that felted project with the felt flowers.
Perhaps I was expecting too much, but it seems to me that these patterns weren’t very fitting to what I think of when I think of guild members. Perhaps it is because they don’t publish submission guidelines other than colors and shapes of garments they are looking for? I’m pretty sure I won’t be picking up one of these again unless I know there is a specific pattern in there that I have to knit (which isn’t likely given their small sizes in the garments).
Verdict of the Dr yesterday was that I have tendonitis in my wrist. That’s a relief. Between all the photo editing and class writing I do I was a little scared it might have been the beginnings of carpal tunnel. So, no knitting for a little while longer, keep icing and taking ibuprofen and she gave me a bit heftier brace to wear. Hopefully I’ll have more exciting knitting content to share with you next week!
Also in my The Knitter.com order were these 4 skeins of Noro Silk Garden, No 47…
Which after many episodes of Millenium and a taco bar birthday party over the weekend became this…
Once again, I’m using a sz 8 (US) needle. It makes a nice soft fabric - not too stiff and not lacey.
DH made a special request for this particular pattern a few weeks ago. I had originally had other plans in mind, but when the man asks for something specific, that is what he gets because that way I know he’ll wear it. I’m feeling a tad bit of a crunch though because his birthday is the 25th. And, while I had gotten him other gifts and he chose the yarn and has seen me knitting the scarf I’d still like to be done by the 25th.
However, pacing is not in my vocabulary… It seems after feeling a crunch I’ve pushed a bit too hard. My wrist started aching last night. I thought it would be better this morning, but it’s not. So, I have the wrist brace on once again That’ll make Stitch ‘n Bitch interesting this evening. I’ll perhaps have to bring my laptop and my stitch books and work on my Sockapalooza sock design instead of actually knitting. We’ll see I guess.
Speaking of Stitch ‘n Bitch, there is a chocolate tasting that is overlapping into Stitch ‘n Bitch time tonight. Can it get any better than great coffee with great service, free chocolate and a bunch of knitting and bitching?? I think not!
Some of you out there reading this better make it this week, we’re very nearly a month into the new year and you aren’t meeting your resolution! You know who you are, so there is no need to name, names….
EDIT: Sorry, I hadn’t read your blog yet. You gotta make it soon, though!
I placed an order from The Knitter.com on Monday. The order arrived on Tuesday! I was floored. Granted, she is in Boulder, only about 1 hr away. But I was never expecting for it to ship the same day I placed my order. Plus, she has free shipping and there was 1 ball of yarn in my order that was back ordered. It’s often been my experience that places that offer free shippin wait until the entire order is ready to ship. But she didn’t wait and I’m quite happy.
Actually happy isn’t the right word. Ecstatic is more like it. You see, in the last month I’ve had not ONE single on-line ordering experience go well. I had Folk Socks from Amazon show up absolutely used even though I was buying a new copy (I have nothing against used books, in fact I love them, but this was a broken spine, a creased back cover and last 20 pages, the edges of the spine on both the front and back were totally worn of all printing and it was supposed to be a new copy - bad, bad, bad). Then I order the Love Socks shirt from CafePress only to get the wrong item in the wrong size with the wrong image on it. My sister had also ordered my Christmas present from B&N and I got the wrong format even though she had paid for the DVD version I got the VHS because their on-line catalog had the UPC for the VHS listed on teh DVD page. So, I really needed this spot of on-line ordering heaven to give me back my confidence.
In that order was the sock yarn I chose for the sockapalooza socks I’ll be knitting over the next two months (or less, I’m hoping). I haven’t chosen a pattern yet. I’m trying to decide if I want to design my own or use an actual pattern. And, I didn’t get a lot of info from my future sock recipient. She said to knit what I like. So, I chose the color based on her FOs from last year. I’m leaning towards a lacey sock. But, I’m not sure just yet…
More on my yarn order tomorrow…
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