Silk Garden Lite Socks

Autumnal Equinox Socks

…and one Green Macaw Anklet…

How did you fare during Socktoberfest 2007?

Did you achieve a goal by learning a new technique or by stashbusting? I still have plenty of yarns to work through, but I am happy to have a few sock yarns out of the stash and onto my feet!

Please share your thoughts about this year’s Socktoberfest. Yes, it was much more “laid back” than previous years… did you like that? Did you find it a tad boring and uneventful? I can take some criticism – please let me know what you thought!

…enough of the kvetching! everyone has those kind of days (weeks)!

On to the socks!

Autumnal Equinox Socks
Yarn: Lang JaWoll Color
Source: All About Yarn
Needles: Size US 1 DPNs
Pattern: 68-stitch stockinette with Dutch heel

This weekend is quiet and perfect. I will wear my new socks and curl up in my cozy green chair, catch up on my reading, and nurse my cough with some yummy tea. I am about half-way through Diane Ackerman’s An Alchemy of Mind: The Marvel and Mystery of the Brain and it is just as beautiful as her other books (although my favorite is still A Natural History of the Senses – the first one I read by her) … and I just got a copy of one of the new knitting books on the market, and from initial observations, it may be the best informational knitting book out there. Stay tuned to find out more about that!

Possible color combination for Laila’s Socks (I love Terhi’s)

The yarn was originally slated for Hilja’s Mittens, but after an unfortunate accident with a passive-aggressive black lab mix with a yen for destruction (Kris’s words: “You shouldn’t have left it out for her to get to!”), the mitten was ripped and no permanent damage was done… I considered the mittens again, but the gauge was a little wonky anyway, so I may go with some socks – like the Snickets. Isel’s lovely pair convinced me that I needed some too, and into the queue they went. As for the other colors – I was thinking about some Charades?

This lovely Koigu really caught my eye. I loved the speckles in the yarn. I have no idea what to do with it. Of course, there are no shortage or patterns out there, maybe you have a suggestion? After seeing Theresa’s little wristlets this weekend in the same colorway (or one very close) I could easily be swayed in that direction!

…speaking of the weekend: Theresa, Eunny, and I had a great Saturday! We went to see the Pittsburgh Penguins/Washington Capitals hockey game. We had a minor scare by a security officer who wouldn’t allow our knitting needles into the arena, but once we explained that we were friendly folk who meant no harm, he let us go… if he hadn’t this (unfocused) photo would not have been possible.

Yeah, we are quite blurry (thanks stranger girl…) but we all have socks in hand! Knitting socks at a hockey game – the perfect way to celebrate Socktoberfest! (and the Penguins won 2-1! yea!) More photos from our fun night are here.

After you spend the time to make a fancy pair of handknit socks, how do you actually wear them? Do you show them off with a special pair of shoes? do you only wear them around your home? Are they you own little secret – tucked away for only you?

Some of my socks that I have made are perfect for wearing with a cute pair of shoes – others are the comfy house socks that chase the chill on the winter mornings.

I would love to see how you wear your socks – past and present! Please feel free to contribute your sock photographs to the Socktoberfest Flickr Group or the Socktoberfest Ravelry Group. If you decide to make a blog post about it, please leave a comment so I can look at your post! (and for some more socks + shoes entertainment, you have to see Sandra’s Flickr group: Handknit Socks + Shoes = Happiness Forever – it is a great group with lots of cute ideas!)

Wishing you a lovely weekend ~ I have some plans with some cool friends… tapas, hockey, and sock knitting…

Stripey Silk Garden Lite Socks
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Lite, colorway 2015 (2 skeins)
Source: Yarns on First, Napa, California
Needles: Size US 4 / 3.5mm DPNs
Pattern: Basic sport weight stockinette, ribbed cuff

I am just pleased as punch that the stripes actually matched up! I did a little manipulating to make this work, but sometimes Noro can be a craps shoot. Thankfully it worked out for me this time! The only difference is that the first skein had slightly shorter color repeats, so there is a small pink stripe on the top of the left sock, and the toe is fading into the yellow color. I am happy that it matched up around the heel and the gusset. That is the hardest part to ensure.

The yarn is typical Noro, which means you either love it or hate it. There is a lot of “vegetable matter” in the yarn, just like Silk Garden and Kuryeon, but if that doesn’t bother you, it is great yarn. There is no arguing with the amazing colors of Noro, and the striping fades into the next band so beautifully. The yarn is not itchy on the foot, and with wear and a nice soak, I am sure they will be even softer. The larger gauge makes them a little tricky to wear with some shoes – but they will be a nice fit for boots, sneakers, and house slippers. I will be wearing these a lot this winter.

…more of my trip to North Carolina tomorrow…

~A collection of Socktoberfest socks from Flickr~

1. Say it Loud !, 2. Waving Lace Socks, 3. 9″ cuff, 4. log cabin socks, 5. matchy, 6. Double Spiraling Tall Tibetan Flame Socks, 7. Happy Socktoberfest!, 8. 8 and almost 9 of 31

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I do hope you have a lovely weekend! Make some time to spend outdoors (with or without your socks!) Kris and I are traveling to North Carolina to visit my sisters, so we will come back on Monday with a slew of new photographs, stories, and hopefully a finished pair of socks.

Green Macaw anklets

At first, I was a little shocked at just how bright these socks were knitting up. The yarn is the beautiful Woolarina Handpaint that I purchased at last year’s Crafty Bastards fair. I loved the deep azure and emerald green. Once I got the yarn wound and started on the needles, I began to wonder if it was a little too garish – of course, what I was forgetting is that you can get away with garish socks much easier than any other garment or accessory. Additionally, like the name implies, I think they look like a green macaw parrot. That reminds me of the Amazon, and in turn, that makes me happy. (We did see quite a few macaws while in the Peruvian Amazon, and they are quite noisy birds with their squawking…)

Silk Garden Lite Socks

I could not ignore the siren song of Noro. When I bought this yarn in Napa, California last November, I planned to try my some Silk Garden Lite socks. Noro is not a common sock yarn, but I thought they would be warm and cute with the color changes. When I saw Good To Be Girl’s Silk Garden Socks last winter, it solidified the deal. Hers turned out so well, and I am hoping these do too. I am loving the colors, and there seems to be enough yarn in this ball for some pretty tall socks too. The colorway is #2015, and I am using US 4 (3.5mm) needles.

Socktoberfest can be about finishing up your single socks, working on holiday knitting, challenging yourself with a new technique or pattern or even about finding new ways to wear the socks you have already made. This year, I felt that my Socktoberfest would be based on the simplest of terms: ENJOY KNITTING SOCKS. (Terhi seemed to have the same feelings…) I have cast on for several pairs, all simple and plain patterns, and I don’t feel a shred of guilt over it. I am loving the colors, the yarns, and the process. I am loving every minute of it!

How is your Socktoberfest progressing?

My socks do get some wear, so I am always impressed when I can get a nice strong fabric. Sock two will be on the needles very soon. These socks will be frequently worn… probably with my cute new shoes… and those will just have to wait until the finished pair shot

Thanks to Jennifer at Blue Lace Fiesta, we now have some pretty Socktoberfest buttons too – you can download them on this Flickr page.

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I had a very nice weekend hanging out in DC. I went to the Crafty Bastards festival (third year in a row!) with Bec and Karen, who was up from Durham, North Carolina. Before going to the festival, we stopped by Hoopla, a small eco-boutique store in Adams Morgan. Funny story: remember the Adams Morgan Day Festival a few weeks ago? well, I entered a little contest while I was there, and I actually won! I got a call from the people at the shop telling me to come in and redeem my $100 gift card. I was thrilled, and jumped at the chance. Karen and Bec helped me choose some things:

…and the festival itself was great fun too!

Lolly and Karen with Woolarina purchases (no yarn for me!)

Bec lusts after the purses from Rebound Designs

…and while we can’t all be knitting socks at the original OCTOBERFEST, we can create the buzz and excitement of the festival and the community spirit (and drink the beer too…) So, please consider joining the Socktoberfest Flickr group, and encouraging your fellow knitters and crocheters – there are some great discussions going on there, and at the new Socktoberfest Ravelry group.

A HAPPY SOCKTOBERFEST to you, my friends!

(Psst… you like the new design?)

For the last few weeks, my mind has been swirling and whirling with sweater knitting ideas. Many designs have caught my eye, and I have plenty of yarn in my stash to fill those whims. My queue is jam-packed with sweaters. Of course, I still love knitting socks – but they haven’t caught my fancy this year, as they have in year’s past. It is a natural progression, I suppose.

Of course, once I open up a Nancy Bush book, or peer into my sock yarn box, a bit of inspiration does come back. With my stashbusting mentality, I am considering using this Socktoberfest to use some of the yarns that have been waiting in the box. That was the case with the Autumnal Equinox socks… the yarn is beautiful and knits up in a wonderful strong fabric – which also happens to be quite pleasing to the eye as well. I am doing the toe decreases on sock one, and moving to sock two very soon.

With this sock well on its way, I decided to turn to the sock yarn box for some inspiration… and immediately, two yarns just jumped right out at me. Both are strong candidates: both have service backgrounds, and are well-known among the constituency. Both have strong moral character and will not back down from a challenge.

Candidate A – running on the Blue Moon ticket

“Highway 30″ hails from the prominent and well-known “Socks that Rock” heritage, born in the pristine Pacific Northwest. “Highway 30″ has enjoyed a long run as “media darling”, and has become quite popular with many of the knitting community.

“Highway 30″ has made many promises; if elected, it promises to behave well in a simple lace pattern – no pooling or flashing, and be very comfortable on the foot. It also promises to wear well and wash well. Having never worked with this yarn, this knitter can not testify to the validity of the promises… but they sure sound nice. This knitter is thinking about the Tropicana pattern – basing it on the previous success of Everyday Autumn’s trial run with the same pattern and yarn.

Candidate B – running on the Woolarina ticket

Truly a grassroots candidate, Woolarina has great appeal. Being a local, I have seen this candidate grow into the strong contender that it is today. Not to be outdone by it’s competitors, Woolarina also makes some big promises:

“Every time you look at me, you will smile” and the heftier “I will make your life more complete”. Big words for a little yarn from Maryland. However, I think it may be on to something… This knitter thinks that this yarn would be best suited in a simple ribbed pattern, showcasing its colorful talents.

…and since this knitter sees the flaws in a two-party system, here are some of the other candidates… all viewed as “dark horse” candidates by the majority of the constituency… but they are all very viable…

Is it possible to have a split ticket? Two candidates coming together? or even a co-reign during the month of Socktoberfest?

…Stay tuned…

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What are your plans for Socktoberfest?