First Socks
Pattern: Fiber Trends Hellen’s Socks 3 / 1 Rib Cuff
Yarn: Zitron Trekking XXL #101
Needles: Size 2 aluminum DPNs

First socks ever! …and I love them! As you can see, I sped through the second one, and it is actually closer to the fit I want. The first sock was a little big, and I can only attribute this to becoming accustomed to the small DPNs. Nevertheless, they fit very well.

I finished the socks last night at my parents’ house… I did not have a darning needle with me to finish sew it all up. I loved working with this yarn, and as you can see, the colors stripes do not match up… but this does not bother me…

Frankly, I am not sure you could ever really match the stripes effectively with this yarn. It is not patterned uniformly, so as you pull the yarn out, you never know what color will be next!

The weekend was nice, and a great way to relax and have some fun before heading back to school this afternoon. On Saturday, I had plans to meet up with Becca, and go down to DC. I wanted to introduce her to one of my other knit girls, Jenna! It just so happened that this meeting coincided with a big sale at the DC yarn shop, Stitch DC on Capitol Hill.

We all found some good deals! Becca picked up two hanks of Blue Sky Alpaca Bulky to make the Newboy cap in SnBN. (I have yarn for this pattern too!) Jenna got a great deal on some Rowan to make Bonne Marie’s great new Cutaway cardi.

…and I cheated a little on my yarn diet… I got this:

Five hanks of Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool in #27 Periwinkle! Only $18 with tax! Can you blame me? with a deal like that?

After making out at Stitch DC, we headed to Chinatown for dinner, and then down to the Warehouse Cafe for some knitting time. Becca finally got her yarn from Knit Picks (she got Andean Silk in Sangria — I got the same yarn in Lettuce) and we both swatched for our Hourglass pullovers from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Miss Jenna started her second sock with this great handpainted yarn.

Sunday was great too. We went to see my parents for the afternoon. We watched Guess Who, which was pretty cute, and ate a great dinner. My parents are great cooks!

…and mom’s new dessert creation: the Napoleon!

…best of luck to all of our family and friends in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana… we are thinking about you…

It took me quite awhile to do, but I cast on for the Kidsilk Haze camisole. This yarn takes some getting used to… and it is a little awkward with the big needles, but each row that passes, it gets a little easier.

These two rows took me an hour to do. I cast on and worked the first lace pattern row. Finally got the hang of that, and then row two was very different. I have a feeling this is going to be a labor of love knit… it is going to take a good long while. That is okay though… I am in no hurry.

Thank you for all of your recommendations about sock patterns, books, and yarns. I added several of the books to my wishlist, and next time I go to the LYS (it has been awhile–I am on a yarn diet), I will scope out the lovely sock yarn section. I knit a few more rows, and I will be turning the heel on it very soon. My first sock went so much slower… looks like I am really getting the hang of it!

You wanna see something beautiful?

Morehouse Merino Lace weight that I purchased at Maryland Sheep and Wool in May. I arrived at the festival later in the day, and found many of the main colors were gone, but I dug around in the bin and found this variegated hank, and I have not looked back. The more I look at these colors, the more I love them!

I actually bought the triple skein, about 700 yards, to make this shawl: Bellini.

There are more pictures of the shawl on the Morehouse site. It is a triangle shawl, and the sample they had in their booth really caught my eye. I don't think I would wear it tied in front like this…

…probably more to the side (like Belladonna) or as a scarf (Lolly loves her some scarves!) I have heard great things about this yarn, and I am looking and lusting after many of their kits and colorways… my Knit Nite girls also bought this shawl kit: should we start a knitalong?

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The books are bought and the tuition is paid… the fall school semester starts on Monday. I am looking forward to my classes, but I am also a little nervous. This is going to be a hard semester. As you might remember, I am doing a dual masters with Library Science and History, and this semester, I am taking all history classes.The reason I am nervous? I had to buy 24 books for 2 classes. So, this means a lot of reading… and that means that I probably will not be able to knit and blog as often as I would like… we'll see how things shape up…

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… and I saw this little meme and thought it looked kind of fun…10 years ago… I was 14 and starting my freshmen year in high school. We lived in Roswell, New Mexico. We were just preparing to move into a new house that my dad built. I started high school, joined some clubs, and even had my first boyfriend…

5 years ago… I was 19 and getting ready to start my junior year of college in Baltimore, Maryland. I had just returned from my study abroad trip in Israel. Right before classes started, Kris and I went to New York City for a day trip.

1 year ago… I was working at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in their library, and was getting ready to start my first year of grad school in DC. I had lined up a job closer to DC (where I am now) but had not yet put in my notice at JHU…

Yesterday… I called my sister, Mimi, in Hawaii. She gave me some great ideas about things we can do when Kris and I visit in October. She told me about her auditions and how she got the leading role in South Pacific (She gets to sing "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair"!)

Today… Work in the archives, and then a nice evening at home with my Kris, knitting and reading. (Finished Devil in the White City–GREAT book!)

Weekend… I am planning to go to DC, and also over to my parents' house. I will also call my other sister, Sarah, and talk to her about her first week of college! She moved to North Carolina last weekend and started school this past week. Also planning to make some more progress on my sock, my KSH cami, and hopefully I will swatch for my Hourglass! (Becca has not received her yarn from Knitpicks yet!)

Morning

Noon

Night

I think it is confirmed… I am addicted to knitting socks. I cast on last night for Trekking sock 2 … worked straight through my TiVo tapings of Daily Show and History Detectives (anyone else watch that AWESOME show?) and then took this baby with me to work. Knitting in the car at 5:30 am, eating lunch with me and touring the Archives, and sitting and knitting after dinner… this sock, and her knitter, have had a long day!

Naturally, I am already thinking ahead to my next pair of socks…

I have a small sock yarn stash (plus some sport weight cotton that would make cute anklets gifted to me by some special girls.)

So, my question: what socks should I make? do you have a favorite pattern that you recommend? or is there a sock book that you can’t live without? what is your favorite sock yarn? please let me know!

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Remember that praying mantis egg pod that Kris bought on Ebay back in May? Well, today I saw one of those babies all grown up: big, healthy and GREEN!

I think she wanted inside because she could smell what Kris was cooking:

Homemade gnocchi with vodka sauce and garden-fresh zucchini!

Update Recipe is from Food Network : Gnocchi and Vodka Cream Sauce ENJOY!

Virtue Beret
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Tape in Glint (from sweet Kris!)
Pattern: It’s A Tape Thing (Rowan 2004)
Needles: Size 11 and size G crochet hook

This hat was easy and fun. It is mainly knit in reverse stockinette, with a band of crochet (4 rows) around the edge. I modified the pattern a little making the crochet band shorter and smaller gauge (it called for a J hook, and I used a G) and I got the fit I wanted–it was way too slouchy with the J hook. The only thing about it? This hat is hard to wear with bangs. It smushed my hair down and made my bangs go in my eyes, hence wearing it further back on my head in the above pictures.

The yarn was absolutely great, and I will definitely use it again. It is like knitting with shoelaces… but in a good way! The other pattern that I have had my eye on in this book is Angie. I will probably wait till next spring before I do that though…

I have not yet cast on for my Kidsilk Haze cami, and I am glad that I waited. I was going about it the wrong way! The directions in the book, Weekend Knitting, were very unclear about what to do with the DMC Cotton, and I just assumed that it was held with the KSH throughout the whole knit. Thanks to Terhi and Blossom, I now realize that the DMC is used for a crocheted edging around the neckline, sleeve holes, and hem.

I hate it when knitting directions are vague! (and the picture in the book did not help either…) Thanks girls… I sure would not have figured that out on my own!

Last night was a sad night over at the Lolly house. One of our all-time favorite shows, Six Feet Under, had its series finale. Gosh, I am going to miss it. I love those characters and the storylines so much… now Sunday nights just won’t be the same.

While watching the last episode, in its 75-minute glory, I finally finished Trekking sock #1, through my tears and sobs…

Yeah, yeah, it took me long enough. I still have a whole other sock to go. Maybe I will finish it by December. Well, sock 1 is a little big. I knew this was going to be the case… thank goodness it is not really big. It is still very wearable. So my first sock is officially finished… I am proud! (Why is that I am more nervous about putting my feet on the internet than I am about putting my face out there?)

A large part of my weekend was also spent on reading. I don’t get much time to read what I want anymore with grad school, but this two week break (now only 1 week left) has given me the chance to read for fun!

This book received rave reviews in 2003 when it came out. I bought it then, figuring I would be able to fit it in. Not until 2005 did I even open the cover. Wow, what a great story though! This book has been so engrossing. It is a non-fiction about the events surrounding the 1892-3 World’s Fair in Chicago. The author really did some great archival/library research for this one! … and you know how I love that!

Have a good one!

I picked up the DMC Pearl Cotton floss on Thursday night, and I couldn't stay away… I immediately started swatching for the Kidsilk Haze Cami and Cowl. It did take me a little while to get used to the cobweb nature of the KSH, but when held with the floss, it is heavier and easier to manage on the larger needles. I got gauge with 10.5 needles, so I am going to cast on for the cami very soon.

There were so many colors of floss at the store, and this was the closest match. It is a little darker (redder) but I think they look quite nice together.

It seems like so many people are planning for their fall knits (of course our friends in the southern hemisphere are excited about all of their summer knits!) and I am doing the same. In preparation for some of my knits, I joined two knitalongs:

Friend and fellow Harry Potter fanatic, Heather, and I planned to do a HP scarf swap for the Weasley along (we plan to finish them in time for the movie premiere!) I will make a Ravenclaw scarf for her, and she will make a Gryffindor one for me! The new knitalong is not just about the Weasley sweaters, but includes anything and everything Harry Potter. We have not purchased the yarn yet, but we will soon–probably a simple wool or wool blend yarn.

As for the Hourglass knitalong, I am waiting for my best friend Bec to receive her yarn from KnitPicks. She ordered it, and when it comes in, we will cast on together. This will be her first sweater!

I did a swap with Strikker Kris in Norway awhile back… and I got my package from her in the mail yesterday. Kris, thanks so much for sending so many lovely things!

The Norwegian alpaca is lovely, and I will have to think of something very special for it! If you have a suggestion, let me know.

…and this Cotton Tape is SO cool. Last year, I got the book It's a Tape Thing. I love so many of the patterns in it, but I never picked up any of the yarn. Thanks to Kris, I can now make one of the things I have admired for so long! Virtue, the Cotton Tape beret!

Sure, I had other projects waiting (Bolero v. 2.0, the Zigane scarf, the other Trekking sock, and the new KSH cami to cast on for) but this Cotton Tape was seriously screaming my name. I could not turn it down!

Knitting up so quickly (probably about an hour!) I came to some uncharted territory: the crochet rows! So, with very little crochet knowledge, I pulled out some of the books, and found some how-to websites, and I jumped right in. So far so good! I have been wanting to learn more about crochet for a long time, and this just confirmed it for me. I want to take a class at the LYS and learn the fancy stuff! Granny squares, here I come!

The hat will be done in no time… and then, I am gonna start that KSH cami, baby! So many great things ahead!

Have a happy weekend!