I went to my first sheep and fiber festival yesterday. Not on the scale of Rhinebeck, but fun nonetheless. Saw many different breeds of sheep -- shetlands, babydolls (small brown sheep w ith heads shaped liked a bear's, Jacobs with two-to-four hours, and many others, the names of which I don't recall -- llamas, bunnies that looked like live "dust bunnies" with their long, fuzzy fur, and in the petting zoo, a pig, a turkey, a funky-looking chicken with a crown of black and white feathers that reminded me of Cruella DeVille. Unfortunately, my camera batteries ran out so I didn't get many pictures.



(Here's a picture of the babydoll, but it wouldn't turn around)



Lots of lovely yarns, especially from The Sanguine Gryphon. They had such gorgeous silks but I didn't buy any of that. I only bought sock yarn. This is Sea Sock, a blend of merino wool and sea silk; the color is "Maggie May."



This is Little Traveller, 100% merino wool that is sooo soft, in "Djibouti."



This is Woolie Bears Superwash from Woolbearers, a wool/nylon blend, in "Don't Leave."



And finally, this is Oasis Yarn Aussie Sock, a merino/nylon blend, in "Hot Pepper."



Now to find patterns for all of these. Off to Ravelry!

Progress Report: Knitting and Cross-stitch

I haven't been stitching or knitting too much over the past couple of months, but I have made some progress on some projects.

• Double moss stitch sock: One sock completed. Usually, I don't mind knitting second socks, but I'm a little bored with this one. I think I might start something else before I finish this pair. There are also several "design adjustments" (i.e., mistakes) in this one. But the variegated colorway is very forgiving.

Started: April, 2008
Yarn: Crystal Palace Panda Cotton in Roses

• Rivendell Sock (Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-Long III): Finished the leg on the first sock and have moved on to turning the heel. I think I've picked up too many stitches for the gusset. Following the directions, I knit the flap "to the depth of my heel." I think I've done something wrong, because I have twice as many picked up stitches (26) than the the directions mention. I need to rip out and try again.

Started: May, 2008
Yarn: Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Ultra in Toffee

• Village of Hawk Run Hollow: Still working on the first square, but it's coming along. Enjoying stitching this one.

Started: April, 2007
Fabric: Lakeside Linens 40 ct. Dune
Fibers: Needlepoint Silks

• Les Cerises (Bleu de Chine): Getting very close with this one.

Started: January, 2007
Fabric: 28 ct. Lambswool linen
Fibers: DMC

To Rivendell, Master Gamgee

Introducing Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-Long III -- the Rivendell Sock. Alison and I decided that we would step out of our comfort zone with this sock:

• it's knit with four needles, instead of the five needle variety that we both prefer
• we have to follow a chart
• the heel is made using a gusset and flap rather than short-rows

So far so good. It's knitting up pretty quickly now that I've gotten past the wraps at the top of the cuff. They aren't difficult; I just found them awkward to do. The 4-stitch wraps were a little easier to manage than the 7-stitch ones. For those, you have to slip three stitches from the end of one needle and four stitches from the beginning of the next needle onto another needle (like for a cable); then you wrap the yarn around all seven stitches and knit them. I felt like I was all thumbs doing this. Plus, I think I made the wraps too tight. The thread on Ravelry pointed out that the wraps should be loose. And there also seems to be issue with the size, that it tends to run small. I was a concerned about that even before reading the thread. That cuff looks awfully small to me.

Sock stats

Yarn: Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Ultra in Toffee

Needles: KnitPicks Harmony dpns, 2.25mm

Related posts: Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-Long I and II

Brooklyn Sock Knit-along III

Alison came by today and we've decided on Brooklyn Sock Knit-along III -- Rivendell Socks. How talented is the designer that these absolutely evoke Middle Earth's Rivendell. If I could live anywhere in Tolkein's world it would be there. (And, of course, Aragorn would be there, too. That pesky Arwen having sailed off into the West in my version of the story.)

We looked at different yarns and are both leaning toward Shelrdige Farms Soft Touch Ultra. Brooklyn Sock Knit-along I was in this yarn, as well as the Tidal Wave socks (below) I finished recently.

It's really lovely to work with and very soft and cushy to wear. There are so many gorgeous colors to choose from, but we think a lighter color will make the pattern stand out. I'm leaning towards either Pussy Willow or Toffee, which are quite neutral.

The Rivendell Socks will be a challenge for a few reasons: I'll have to follow a chart, and although I'm used to doing that for cross-stitch, I prefer following written knitting patterns; there's a twisted rib stitch that requires a cable needle, which I've never tried before; and the heel is a flap and gusset, which I attempted on a practice sock and didn't quite get the hang of it.

Even so, I'm looking forward to learning some new techniques and can't wait to get started. How do you resist a sock that's described as "the perfect sock for elvish knitters everywhere..."

Catching Up

New Project?
Not yet, but the current issue of Interweave Knits arrived today, and there are a couple of patterns I really like: the Ruched Shell and Henley Perfected. I may actually try the Ruched Shell. Although I like many sweater patterns, I'm put off right now by sleeves.

As an aside, I could have sworn that the model on the cover was Jennifer Garner. In some pics, the model is a deadringer for her, others, not so much.

Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-long II progress
Finished the first sock. I tried a picot bind-off but I'm not sure I really like it on this sock. It's also a little finicky because you have to knit into a stitch, move that stitch to the LH needle, knit into that stitch, etc. The yarn is a little split-y, too, so I had to redo stitches a few times because I wasn't knitting through the whole stitch. But I enjoyed using this yarn, and I really like the way the color variations came out. On to the second in the pair.

Related post: Second Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-Long -- MacGiver style

Oh, Canada!
Had a wonderful visit a few weeks ago with May. You know things are bad when you get to the airport 2 hours early and they've already delayed your flight. It just got worse from there. Thunderstorms and a deluge of rain was keeping everyone on the ground at LaGuardia. After about 7 hours, finally took off at midnight. We could have left sooner -- plane was there, had a crew, but ... no pilot. We had to wait for him to fly in from Chicago! Crazy. At least, the flight wasn't canceled.

The rest of the weekend was great, so it was worth it. Friday we spent the day shopping for cross-stitch and yarn. Saturday was knitting, stitching, munching -- much fun. Here's my stash enhancement report:

Cross-stitch:
Went to Gitta's, May's LNS. Nice shop, with a nice selection.

• Take Time to Stitch too (will embellishment pkg.) -- Jeannette Douglas Designs. Like many of her designs, but didn't want to spend too much. (Yeah, right.)
• Black and White tulip (#34940) -- Marjolein Bastin. There was a stitched model of a larger piece -- Black Tulips (#34840) -- that was amazing. The shading and detail made it so realistic. But decided to go for the smaller kit, which I think will be equally lovely.
• Cross-stitch booklets from Zweigart. I haven't seen these anywhere in the U.S., but outside the U.S. there are so many wonderful cross-stitch magazines and booklets with designs for making something -- placemats, a bag, potholders. The poppies and roses were my favorites.
  

Knitting:
First stop was Village Yarns. Great shop with many wonderful yarns to fondle and a great atmosphere. From the website:

We are about a 10 minute drive from Pearson International Airport and more than once an Airport Limousine has waited at our curb for a knitter to shop on the fly.

Worth it, if you can.

• Knitting Lace Triangles by Evelyn A. Clark -- The shopowner showed us a knitted sample from this book and it was beautiful. A must for the knitting library.
• Handmaiden Yarns Sea Silk -- It's a blend of silk and seacell. Don't know what that is, but it feels luscious. Had to have it and it's hand-dyed in Canada, so it's a souvenir. The color looks reddish purple in the photo, but it's really more bluish purple.
  

We went to another shop (can't remember the name), but I didn't buy anything there. It' s a huge shop and they have any standard yarn you could possibly want. Also lots of books, magazines and charts. It was sensory overload, by that point though.

The shop is on Queen Street West, where there is also a lovely Asian tearoom -- Red Tea Box
"for any Asian spin on afternoon tea.*" It's a great place for a light meal and tea. When you walk in, it's a little deceiving. There are only a few tables. But in the back through a small courtyard, there's another room which is delightful. The furniture is very eclectic, with mismatched chairs, tables and settees. We shared a pork sandwich and a bento box that had an assortment of small sandwiches and cakes, and a pot of Earl Grey tea. Everything was delicious. Interesting twist on the water they served. They put some slices of cantaloupe in it. Unusual, but not bad. They also let us sit there for quite some time while they were closing up.

*from the New York Times, requires free registration.

Socks: Finished and WIPs

Introducing....my first pair of knitted socks. These are the Eiffel Tower socks from the first Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-long, finished about 3 weeks ago. Yarn: Shelridge Farms Soft Touch 100% Wool Ultra Fingering Weight in Pumpkin Started: June
Finished: September
Loved knitting with this wool and the Eiffel Tower pattern was fun to work on.

Alison has finished one sock in her pair, which uses the same yarn but in Azure. While we were stitching, I often commented on her nice, even stitches. I seem to knit loosely, especially with yarnovers, so my Eiffel Towers aren't as well defined as hers, in my opinion.



















Second Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-long -- MacGiver style
We've also begun the second KAL. I chose the Elongated Corded Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. We're using Shibuiknits sock yarn. Mine are in Earth and Alison's are in Stone. It's quite soft and the colors are wonderful. I'm definitely going to use more of this.

We working toe-up with short row toes and heels. I considered turning the heel with a flap and gusset. But after trying the "class sock" in The Sensational Knitted Socks book, I decided against it. I understand the theory of picking up stitches for the gusset, but I couldn't execute it very well. I like short rows, so I'm sticking with that for now.

Now, why the MacGiver reference? Alison taught me a cast-on method using a crochet hook. When we got together to start this KAL, I couldn't find either of my crochet hooks. (I was going through a "can't find anything" phase; it's calmed down for now.) Ever resourceful, Alison suggested bending a paper clip into a hook and using that. Voila! It worked. I dubbed it MacGiver knitting since the problem was solved using an ordinary item. She also uncovered my crochet hooks; I had used them as bookmarks in the sock book.

Also on my needles...
I started another pair of socks using Crystal Palace Panda Bamboo Wool in Seascape. Another soft, delicious yarn to work with. The pattern is Slipped Stitch Rib, also from Sensational Knitted Socks. It's a very easy pattern.

Brooklyn Sock Knit-a-long Update

Completed the first sock of the sock knit-a-long with Alison. In my original post about this sock, I said:

This pattern has a bit of an unusual twist -- the sock can be worn knitted side out ... or inside out which reveals a completely different, very fun design. I'm going to keep the inside design a secret until I finish the first sock. So stay tuned.

It is now time to reveal the secret: when the sock is worn inside out, you'll see a pattern of tiny Eiffel Towers.



Another interesting detail is that the toe and heel are on the purl side.
















Even if you wear the sock right side out, you still have a nice pattern. But I'll be wearing these with the Eiffel Towers showing, of course.
I now have two knitted socks, but not a complete pair. The second sock for this pair is already on my needles with the toe done.


[These pictures don't show the actual colorway of the wool -- Pumpkin -- which is orange rather than this berry pink. I guess I have to play around with my camera setting to get a better result. ]

I Must Be Crazy

A couple of friends who know of my love of bees in cross-stitch, emailed me about the Bee Fields Shawl. I've been wanting to try my hand at lace knitting, and this design certainly is beautiful. So I clicked through to purchase the kit. I remember trying to decide between the Tupelo Gold or Buckwheat Honey colorways and thought I opted for Tupelo Gold. I remember adding it to the shopping cart and maybe even beginning to complete the transaction. But I could swear that I decided not to go ahead with the purchase. Or did I decide it wasn't that much money so I'd buy it. Seems I bought it because the kit arrived in the mail today -- in Buckwheat Honey.



My first attempt at lace knitting was last year with the Candle Flame Shawl. Although I started in the fall, I naively thought I would be able make it as a Christmas gift. What was I thinking?! I ripped the darn thing out dozens of times because I couldn't get past row 20 of the 36-row pattern repeat. Even when I was meticulously checking my stitches and thought I had completed rows correctly, had the correct number of stitches, I'd knit knit the next row and it'd be off. Worse yet, I couldn't figure out where I made the mistake. Fed up, I abandoned the project. Now here I am with 1900 yds. of laceweight merino wool and a xx pages of instructions for a quite complicated undertaking for my knitting skill level. But that's me, never start simple. Where's the challenge in that, right? I'm in no hurry to start this any time soon. I have socks and a scarf to finish -- not to mention several cross-stitch projects.

Brooklyn Socks and Village Progress

When my friend Alison and I got together a couple of weeks ago for some knitting, the subject of sock clubs and Socks that Rock came up. I was considering joining one, but Alison had a great idea -- we could have our own club. We'd decide on a pattern and yarn and have a sock knit-along. Since Alison had just been to Maryland Sheep and Wool ("Brief Report" post on May 7), she had some delicious yarns to choose from. And she had a pattern for us in mind. So off I went to buy some yarn. At Alison's suggestion, I choose the Soft Touch 100% Wool Ultra Fingering Weight from Shelridge Farms. With such beautiful colors, it was difficult to choose one. So I bought two -- Pumpkin and Clover Flower. Alison has Azure, I believe. We both like knitting toe-up socks with short-row toes and heels so we decided that's how we'd do the first pair.

As soon as Alison sent me the sock pattern, I got started using the Pumpkin. Over the last week, I was able to finish the toe and one and a half pattern repeats. Alison came over yesterday and started her sock, completing the toe shaping. Here's are progress so far. Alison's yarn is more blue than it appears in this photo, and mine isn't as red. By the way, I really don't have giant feet. It seems I'm loose, er, I mean "relaxed," with the knitting needles. My stitches aren't very even, either. Alison's are so neat and tidy. I'm using size 0 dpns ,and Alison is using size 1s.

This pattern has a bit of an unusual twist -- the sock can be worn knitted side out (as you see here) or inside out which reveals a completely different, very fun design. I'm going to keep the inside design a secret until I finish the first sock. So stay tuned.

Under Construction -- Village of Hawk Run Hollow
Itching to Stitch commented on my last post that I hadn't updated my progress on Village of Hawk Run Hollow recently. I'm still working on the church block, but I'm missing some NPS. Until I get them, progress will be a little stalled.

Make sure you check out Itching's blog. She does beautiful work. In addition to VofHRH, she's also tackling Chatelaine's St. Petersburg White Nights -- gorgeous.

Sock of Ages

Finally, a completed sock! My first ever. It has felt like I've been working on it forever. There were many frustrating moments -- false starts, yarn-stealing cats and problems with binding off -- but I love the way it turned out. Of course, this is a happy dance on only one foot. Now, I have to knit its twin. I extended my Memorial Day weekend to Tuesday, so I plan to get a lot of cross-stitching and knitting done.

Those are Jasper's legs in the photo. I gave up trying to get him to move.

Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words?

While flipping through my new copy of Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch, I was reminded of a recent Yarn Harlot post about charts vs. words. She prefers knitting from charts because she can more easily tell when she makes a mistake.

I taught myself to knit many years ago from a Learn to Knit book, which I no longer have. The book only had descriptions, some photos to illustrate stitches and definitions for stitch abbreviations. So I am used to reading patterns that uses those abbreviations, and never cared for charts. Word patterns appeals to the part of me that likes to do crossword puzzles. When I can make sense of the pattern, I feel like I've cracked a secret code. I've avoided patterns that are only charts. They seem much more confusing to me.

After seeing how charts are presented and explained in Sensational Socks, I see that it's not as difficult as I thought. Schurch's instructions for variations on basic sock construction appear to be very detailed. And she uses photos, words and charts to illustrate and describe the many pattern variations included. They all look really interesting and fun and I can't wait to try them.

When you knit, what do you prefer -- a chart or words?

I treated myself to the sock book and an Indian cookbook because I recently discovered a B&N gift card I forgot I had. I don't remember who gave it to me. I think it was from a Christmas exchange at work. I'm sure I properly thanked the person at the time. Even though I don't remember who you are, thanks again!

What I Did on My Spring Vacation

The joys of not working for a week and a half...I read a book, started another and made progress on new projects.

By the Sea
First up -- Seaside Cottage by Elizabeth's Designs. I decided to substitute fabric from my stash for the 32 ct. Confederate Gray called for. I chose an overdyed from the now defunct Blended Needle -- 32 ct. Storm Cloud. I think it works well for a sky and water effect.

This is working up quite fast and I expect to have it done in time since it is a gift. My manager is getting married at the end of August and is having the wedding at a cottage on Cape Cod. I'm planning on adding their names, the date and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to make this piece a nontraditional wedding sampler. I'm either going to have it framed or mounted in a Sudberry or Old Colonial box.


The Dark Side of the Moon I also started Lunar Harvest. This is on 32 ct. Navy linen. I'm glad that the moon is mostly in DMC 3047, light yellow-beige, rather than grays. It's more pleasant to look at. Stitching on dark fabric is always a challenge, but the weave on this linen is a bit loose which makes is easier to see the holes. My eyes are also getting adjusted so I'm not minding it too much. Again, this is working up quickly, and is a gift for my niece. I don't normally stitch gifts but I seem to be in a giving mood right now. ;-)




What's afoot
Socks are coming along nicely. I had turned the heel then realized I dropped a stitch. Annoying, but it didn't take long to rip out the heel, pick up the stitch and re-turn the heel.

The yarn-stealing cats managed to get into by bag at one point and lost one of the dpns. (Much to my dismay, I'm sure I'll find it one day when I step on the pointy end). I'm now working the sock with 4 needles instead of 5. It doesn't seem to be making a difference, but it is easier to knit with 5 needles.

Looking at this, I'm wondering if I've started the cuff ribbing too soon. I should look at one of my reference books before I go any further.

Book Bag
Indulged myself by buying some books during vacation:

My Life in France by Julia Child
Julia Child's memoir, written with her grand nephew, about how she began her career as a French cook, author and TV cooking show host. I enjoyed reading about her journey and love of French cooking. I'd like to get Mastering the Art of French Cooking and try some recipes.

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
Just started this and it grabbed me right away. Great opening: four horseman dressed as Knights Templar ride down Fifth Avenue to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the gala opening of a Vatican Treasures exhibit to wreak havoc and steal an ancient decoder device. Who hired them? What secrets will the device uncover? Can't wait to find out.

The Sign of the Cross by Chris Kuzneski
Another thriller with an ancient conspiracy theme.

Emperor (Time's Tapestry Book One) by Stephen Baxter
Seems to have elements I enjoy -- alternative history, generational saga, Roman and British empires. Only book one, so I'll have to see if it's a series I'll continue.

The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe
Picked this up in Michael's. It's always good to have a reference guide handy. It helped me figure out how to fix the dropped stitch in my sock.

Wish I had several more weeks to indulge my stitching, knitting and reading, but it's back to reality tomorrow.

New Beginnings

Sometimes, you buy charts that you don't plan to stitch immediately. This is not one of those times.

Yesterday Alison, Theresa and I went out to Tawny's. Alison and Theresa were having a couple of pieces framed, and I went along to hang out. I had only a short list of some fabric and blending filament I need for a design called Lunar Harvest. It's an old one by a designer I never heard of before, Danelle Marie Designs. My niece has a moon-and-stars-themed bedroom and I thought this would fit in nicely. I also have an ulterior motive here. Angela will be visiting soon for a week-and-a-half, and I'm hoping to get her to stitch a little bit. I doubt she will want to take up cross-stitching at this point in her life. But it never hurts to plant some seeds that may take root in the future.

The only design I had any intentions of buying on this trip was JBW's French Country Rooster. There weren't any left when the Metrostitcher's last visited Tawny's a couple of weeks ago. Famous last words.

While browsing through the basket of Carriage House Samplings charts, The Garden Glade caught my attention again. I had resisted this one on the last visit. Then I noticed The Gingham Dog and Calico Cat. The colors in both these designs really grabbed me. I was a goner, though, as soon as I saw this: The Village of Hawk Run Hollow. Not only houses, one of my favorite themes, but a village full of them. A church, city hall, blacksmith shop, grist mill, schoolhouse, cemetery (not a house, but it just added to the whole design.) The photo of the model is not the best, but there is so much detail in each block. I can only imagine how long it took to design.

Before I new it, I was buying the special cut of Lakeside Linen 40 count fabric (40 count, what was I thinking!) and the Needlepoint Silks for the church block. (Silks! 54 of them! Where was my resolve to only start projects I already had the majority of supplies for? Paving the road to hell with all those other good intentions, that's where.)

When I got home, I had some work I needed to do which I didn't finish until about 10 pm. Normally, I would never start stitching at that time. But this wasn't a normal day. Here's my progress so far:


I took a risk since Tawny was out of some of the NPS. As you can see, I had to skip the roof of the church. I counted and recounted, but it's 40 count linen (what was I thinking!) I'm a little concerned I already have made a mistake. I definitely need to get a pair of stronger magnifiers to work on this one.

So here I am with two new projects in the making -- and I still need to start Seaside Cottage, which I'm planning to give as a gift to my manager for her wedding this August. Happy stitching!

Other progress: Part of the reason I went along on this outing was to knit on my socks with Alison. She kept me on the straight and narrow, giving me advice about when to start turning the heel. Got that under way so I'm hoping to have a sock soon. It's a good thing I'm on vacation for the next week and a half. I can get in some good stitching and knitting time.

Happy Dance to Toe Dance

Here Comes Santa Claus is finished! It's my first finish of the year. I bought The Prairie Schooler Limited Edition kit on my birthday in August and have thoroughly enjoyed stitching it. This design encompasses two of my favorite themes -- Santa and houses. When I bought the chart, I mistakenly thought that the trees at the top were a cityscape, which I really liked. Oh well, in my mind, it still is. Don't look too close otherwise you might notice the "specialty" fibers donated by Jasper and Curry.


On My Toes
I've been making good progress on the sock. Whenever you want some elbow room on the subway, may I recommend knitting with five very pointy double-pointed needles. On the way home tonight, I'm sure some people chose not to sit next to me because of my dpns. I'm not exactly graceful using them so they looked quite lethal.

I felt pretty confident working the short rows for the toes and am happy that there aren't any holes at the joins, so far.


















Photo Ott

My Ott light is coming in handy for photo shoots. It's the best light in my living room and allows me to photograph projects without using a flash. I can adjust the exposure with my camera which also helps. By the way, JoAnn's is having a sale on Ott lights. I have the basic black floor task lamp, which I bought at Office Depot several years ago, but there are some really nice styles available now.

Digging in My Heels

My forays into sock knitting to date have been fraught with mishaps and miscalculations: Needles too large for the yarn, casting on too few stitches, needles and yarn too large that a sock for Bigfoot was emerging, yarn-stealing cats, tangled balls of yarn (see yarn-stealing cats), misplacing newly purchased smaller dpns.

All of that is about to change. I am determined to knit myself a pair of socks! Lost dpns found. (Check.) Unknit sock mistakes. (Check.) Untangle yarn and re-wrap into balls. (Check.) Knit swatch to check stitch count. (Check.) I said I was determined.
The plan is to knit a basic, toe-up sock with self-stripping yarn. No patterns, just ribbing. Keeping it simple. Once I have an honest-to-goodness pair of socks, I hope to move on to some of the lovely sock patterns I've been admiring.

So, let the sock knitting begin!