Last month, I shared some of my photos from my “Year in Photos” (YIP) project.  Today is Day 44 of the year, and I am still on track!  I am happy that I have been able to stick with it this long – more than 12% of the way through!

This week, I decided to do something new and fun – I declared it my “Week of Old Knits” and dug around for knits that were at least 1.5 years old.  Re-photograph and review how they are wearing and what the yarn looks like after the time has passed.  It’s been a fun project so far, and something I think that more people should do.  What happens a few years later?  How are they holding up?  Are they ever worn?

I would love to see and hear more about your own knits – we spend time on them when we knit and purl – so tell the rest of their story too!  It’s only fair, right?

Street Smart Hoodie

Finished: December 2007
Yarn Review: Doesn’t look a day older. This yarn, Cottage Craft wool, is one of those lovely rustic wools that will just keep ticking.  It was a joy to work with back then, and I would use it again in a minute.  Perfect for cables, textured pieces, and for colorwork.  I bought it at Stitches East in 2006 from the producers, and since then, they have made a nice website where you can see and shop for their wools and patterns online.
Wear Review: Until last winter, this knit didn’t get much wear… it was so pretty, but just sat in the closet. Last December, I pulled it down and wore it a lot over the winter. With the cold temperatures right back in Maryland now, I have already worn it several times this fall. No pilling, no stretching – it looks brand new.
Verdict: Love love. Would knit it all over again. This garment makes me want more hoodies in my wardrobe!

Twiggy Bobble Hat

Finished: January 2008
Yarn Review: Lovely natural alpaca from Kraemer Yarns; however, like most alpacas I have worked with, this yarn stretches.  It lacks the elasticity factor of wool, but it is almost forgivable because of the lovely halo!  It’s a tad scratchy right against the skin of my forehead.  It is very warm and toasty though, so perfect for the cold days of winter.
Wear Review: For a hat this lack of elasticity is fine, but a sweater in this yarn would be an issue… it would sag too much and just not fit.  The hat just gets some more slouch.  The pattern’s bobbles have not worn as well over time, and many of them get inverted and look more like dimples.  It’s not unattractive, it’s just the way it is.  If I had the real inclination, I would go back and stitch up the back of the bobbles… or if I ever made this again, I would do so after knitting each one – one or two stitches would do the trick.
Verdict: It gets a lot of wear because of the warmth. Plus, I love the chocolate brown and the general fit of it. A few things I would do differently next time, but still a nice knit.

Koigu Indigo Anklets

Finished: January 2006
Yarn Review: Koigu is still a hot topic and a well-loved yarn. The colors and the saturation was what drew me to this yarn in the first place, and they haven’t faded a bit since I made them. They have pilled with wear, and the bottom sole is kind of “felted”, but there are no thin spots or areas where a hole might form. The yarn has eased quite a bit, and they are a little baggy on the top of the foot.
Wear Review: These get a lot of wear – as around the house socks or slip on with tennis shoes socks. Considering this, they have held up well.
Verdict: Great color saturation and color fastness, decent socks. I don’t think I would make any more Koigu socks, but I would be happy to use the yarn for something like a shawl or scarf – something that wouldn’t be so likely to pill and lose shape.

I have completed 5 Days in the *Week of Old Knits* series along with reviews (although the ones written here are much more comprehensive than what is on Flickr) and I am planning another sweater and another pair of socks to finish out the week.  Stay tuned…

My mother’s Christmas dinner table – silver birds and amaryllis lily

Christmas came and went so quickly this year – but during the actual celebration, it was quite lovely to look up and see the faces of my loved ones all around me.  It was a nice holiday.  I hope you had a great holiday too!

Up until Christmas Eve, I was finishing up the knitting project that kept me busy for the last few weeks… Backstory: I got a phone call from my sister’s new mother-in-law (remember her wedding in October?) after Thanksgiving about the possibility of knitting my sister (the newest member of their family) a stocking to match the family’s handknit stockings – ca. 1980s.  I agreed.  She gave me a model – Andrew’s stocking – to follow for style, dimensions and colors, and I was off to figure it out.  I stopped by the LYS to check out the yarn selection.  I came across a stocking kit with a generic colorwork pattern that was similar style, so I decided to take the plunge…

The template stocking had duplicate stitch colorwork on it, and I decided to do traditional stranding for Sarah’s stocking.  So, it was not the same exact style, but definitely inspired by the template…

"Christmas Miracle Stocking"

…and on Christmas Eve, I bound off, embroidered her name on the cuff, and added a braided hanger for the mantle… just in time for her mother-in-law to pick it up and take it away.  (It was still a little damp from the blocking!)  If I had had more time, I would have done a second blocking because some of the stranded areas – particularly on the instep of the foot – were still puckering slightly.  However, I am sure that once the stocking was filled with candies and goodies, the puckering would be the last thing on anyone’s mind!  Sarah’s stocking came out slightly longer than Andrew’s.  Andrew just laughed when I showed it to him on Christmas Eve and said that he was happy that Sarah’s was a little bigger – maybe so he could steal some of the candy from hers?

Andrew + Stockings

The Brown Sheep Lambs’ Pride yarn was true to its nature as a hardy and sturdy yarn.  I liked working with it.  To add a little something special, I also picked up a skein of Berroco Metallic FX in silver to hold with the white wool and to add sparkle to the cuff, heel, and toe of the stocking.  It created a little more bulk with the two yarns held together, and gave me an easy canvas to embroider Sarah’s name on it.

Since the stocking was a surprise for Sarah, she did not see it until Christmas morning when she celebrated with her in-laws.  She called me on Christmas morning and was excited to tell me that she had received it and that it was great.  I was just so happy that I was able to finish it – and that I was able to find a way to follow a template, yet still have some fun and add a little of my own style into it as well! 

“Breezeway” Noro Socks
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock, colorway S269
Pattern: Classic Socks in Folk Socks, by Nancy Bush
Needles: Size US 2 / 2.75mm

Started for the Project Spectrum AIR element back in June, I finally finished these socks in Socktoberfest. I have never met a Noro yarn that I did not like – but I am not wholly convinced that this yarn is suitable for small gauge sock projects. The yarn broke on me several times, all while doing k2tog decreases (and I don’t knit particularly tight) for the gusset, heel, and toes. The yarn would be much better suited for a project on bigger needles with looser tension: shawls, scarves, and garments. The yarn created a thick and warm fabric with the size 2 double pointed needles.  The yarn does have some thick and thin spots – another factor that led me to think that this yarn would be better suited for a different kind of project.  I will definitely wear these socks – their thickness relegates them to boots more so than my regular work shoes.  They would also be perfect house socks, but that feels a touch indulgent, considering they are silk, and they would just end up with dust bunnies and dog hair all over them  

Completing these socks, and my Laila’s from the last post means that I actually met my goal for this year’s Socktoberfest!  I finished both of the single socks on the needles.  With a few days to spare even… in the meantime, I am already planning ahead for plenty of warm sweaters and scarves, and even another pair of socks too…

You may recall a day back in April of this year… I had an idea to pair two sock yarns from the ol’ stash and to cast on for some stranded colorwork socks en route to the Big Apple.  Like so many of my socks, the Laila’s were inspired by Terhi at Mustaa Villaa, who made a lovely blue/white version last year.  (Sidenote:  Terhi cast on for her for her first socks ever during Socktoberfest a few years ago and now she is well-known for her amazing collection of sock creations!)  The socks have taken me many many months to complete – I set them down for most of the summer as I lost the “sock mojo” as it is often called – and returned to them during Socktoberfest this month.  Now they are complete!

Laila’s Socks
Pattern: Folk Knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill (Loden), Louet Gems (Mustard)
Needles: Size US 1 / 2.25mm

The stranded colorwork was a lot of fun.  The pattern was easy to remember, and the colorwork is ideal for a beginner.  The heel was fun to make – combining short rows and a heel flap, with a little padded cushion of slipped stitches at the bottom of the foot.  I chose to make a solid heel to match the toe – the pattern calls for single row stripes of the two colors.  (You can see all the others that people have made on the Ravelry Project Pages.)

 Once I got rolling on the second sock, I had it finished pretty quickly (for me).  It wasn’t until after my sister’s wedding reception that I realized that the sock was the same color as my bridesmaid dress… of course, I would not have worn them for the ceremony (strappy brown heels with folk socks, anyone?) but it definitely would have made for some fun photos if I had finished it up a little earlier   By the way,  thanks to everyone for your kind comments about the wedding photographs – my sister and Andrew read my blog, so once they return from the honeymoon, they will be thrilled to see so many well wishes from all of you! 

These are my seventh pair of socks for my long-term Nancy Bush Compendium Project (you can see all of the completed socks for this project in my Gallery), and the second pair from this book, Folk Knitting in Estonia.  The book includes some beautiful mittens and gloves, as well as socks.  With so many charted colorwork (and some lace) patterns, I could easily use the mitten charts to make socks too… The book has a great history section at the beginning too.  If you have read my blog for awhile, you know that I love Nancy Bush’s work.  I was even honored to interview her for the 2006 Socktoberfest (you can read the transcript and listen to that here!) Her new book on Estonian lace looks beautiful – and someday when I have the courage to do lace like that, I will definitely turn to this book   …In the meantime, I have four other Nancy books to keep me busy!  I am planning to focus on Folk Knitting in Estonia and Folk Socks for my next few sock projects – there are some great patterns in both that really jive with my newfound love of stranded colorwork! 

The Ravelry Socktoberfest group remains a busy discussion area for all things SOCKS, and a great place to show off your finished socks and your works-in-progress.  The Socktoberfest group on Flickr is also brimming with new activity.  Add yours to the pool!

Now that the weather is actually turning, I am feeling a greater need to get these socks off the needles and onto my feet.  Second socks are truly one of my downfalls.  I just don’t understand – perhaps I never will – how I can finish a sweater in a matter of weeks…  BUT SOCKS - Socks take me months!

Whatever the reason, I decided to be proactive in my approach – multilateral and disciplined. I cast on for both of my outstanding socks at the same time. No more excuses. Once I knit a few rows on each, there was no turning back.

The “Breezeway” Socks that I started during Project Spectrum’s AIR element – finally making their way back to the needles.  This is a wonderful and simple pattern (the Classic Sock pattern from Nancy Bush’s Folk Socks) and perfect for all the TV shows I have been watching lately… Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn has the same quality as the regular light worsted SG.  If you like working with that, you would like this one too.

Laila’s Socks from Folk Knitting in Estonia.  A simple and fun pattern that is perfect for beginner stranded colorwork.  I love looking at all of the different color variations that people have used on Ravelry – each pair is so beautiful and unique!  I am using Cherry Tree Hill in Lichen (green) and Louet Gems in Mustard (yellow).  I commented on Flickr about the way that these 2-ply yarns twist so much as I knit, and I picked up a good hint from Amber on how to fix it:

There is a method of putting a giant slip knot around your ball with the tail end of your yarn – you then hold the ball up by the tail of the slip knot and the ball spins to let out the twist. I learned this technique in Beth Brown Reinsel’s Estonian twisted knitting class. It works great.

I will be trying it tonight!  Thanks A!

I am so inspired by all of the Socktoberfest spirit around – specifically on Ravelry and Flickr.  Please add your socks (and socks-in-progress!) to the pool.  I would love to see!