Socks for a pirate

I finished Red Todd Kidd's socks. Twenty days ago. I'm totally lagging on the FO posting. I was mortified to discover that I was going to run out of the main color before completing the second sock but since my LYS was out of it and RTK didn't care I just finished it off with the grey. It makes me crazy but no one else cares so why should I? But I do care. Jebus help me, I care. I want that sock to match the first one and it galls me that it doesn't. Especially after having to rip out the tops with all the beautiful braiding and replace it with regular boring ribbing. Which is one of the reasons that I ran out of the MC yarn. Anywhoo... Pattern: St. Peter Port Stripes Socks from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. Yarn: Brown Sheep Company's "Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn" in Zane Grey (MC), Black Orchid (CC1), and Gunsmoke (CC2). Needles: Takumi Clover size 1 DPNs (went up a size from the pattern to make a larger sock). Adjustments: Well, I did the beautiful braid work at the top but couldn't get it loose enough to go ver RTK's foot so I had to tear it out and put some plain ribbing up there. Also I ran out of yarn, as I mentioned before, so if I did this again I'd get two balls of the MC. What I hated: I wasn't crazy about carrying the colors up the back of the work, I think I'd ratehr weave in ends to prevent puckering. I also loathed the heel on these things. I'm not a fan of grafting so doing it once at the heel and again at the toe just made me mad. The heel for these is just show-offy and I don't like it. A standard heel is good enough for me plus, no seam under the foot that way. What I loved: RTK likes them and has worn them several times, that makes me very happy. I do really like the yarn, many people find it splitty and I agree that the tweeded MC is, it also twists back on itself some which is annoying BUT I loved it anyway. Well worth it. And that's what I did on my summer vacation. Whoa, De ja vu.

And the camera is back!

All that lovely stuff is from Pam. She sends a fantabulous package doesn't she? Some of the stuff isn't even there, the kids had already high-tailed it with the candy bracelets and little pills that turn into animal shaped sponges when you put them in water. They could have died from the awesomeness, by the way. Both of them love stuff that turns into other stuff. Does anyone else remember how fast you could transform a Transformer as a kid only to grow up to totally suck at it? That's what I learned from Christmas: Mom can't figure out the Transformers for crap. Anyway, Pam sent me a ton of stuff including some Patons SWS (Soy Wool Stripes) which I've wanted to try, frou frou smelly vanilla stuff, bomb homemade hot chocolate mix and marshmallows (one of my son's favorite things), a spiffy new knitting bag, the aforementioned treats for the kids, and last but not least: my very own pair of knitting gloves! I was totally stoked to get them I've been thinking of cannibalizing and old sweater to make some mitts for my freezing fingers but now I don't have to. Truly an awesome gift that I was practically giddy over. They room in my knitting caddy so that I can pull them on when the temperature drops. I'm toying with the idea of moving one of the fingers over because I had no idea I used my right ring finger while I knit but I do. Though now that I'm working on something other than the socks for RTK, it's not as much of an issue. The naughts (size 0 DPNs for the uninitiated) really got tangled up but I think it's because there were so many as oposed to just the two size 7s I've got going now. Yeah, I've got a dead line for Veste Everest so the other sock can wait a bit. To tell the truth I'm still mad that I had to rip out that beautiful top to replace it with plain old boring ribbing. Okay, I didn't even rip it out, I had to cut it off and pray I didn't lose the whole damn thing. As you can see I didn't but I'm not in a huge hurry to start the next one. It's one of those projects you can't take with you since you carry the yarn through most of it you have three balls attatched to tangle up around each other.I've included a nice close up of the yarn here so you could see the pretty colors. I really do like them, so at least something worked out. Red Todd Kidd tried this one on and ended up wearing it the whole night, it was pretty funny. I mentioned the peg-leg to him but I don't think he's going to go for it. Of course one of you all pointed out that if he did have a peg leg I'd probably have to knit it a cozy. I fell off the ground last night. I was walking out to the car to put groceries away and just fell right off the walk into the grass. Yet, somehow I still managed to slam both my knees down on the concrete. That's the kind of thing that never happens when you're by yourself but when you have both your parents, little brother, best friend, and husband standing there... How was that for a non sequitor? Lastly, I'll leave you with the begginings of Veste Everest for my MIL. She likes red but rather than the darker tones I enjoy she likes the really bright reds. I'm using Patons Decor because it's soft, bright, and washable while still containing enough wool that it will block well. If this turns our well I'm going to use the same yarn in a white or off white for my mom's aran sweater if I ever get around to it. I've discovered that I do like cables. They don't vex me like lace work or color work. I've been having a fairly relaxing time knitting this up so far. Though, now that I've said it, I'm sure disaster looms just ahead, you know how that goes.

I wish I could show you what I've been up to...

...but I can't. I left my camera at my sister's house on New Year's and so I can't quite show you the sock I made for Red Todd Kidd. Yes only one, he has a peg leg as all good pirates do. Okay not really but after doing an 80 stitch sock that I ended up having to rip the beautifully braided top out of because it was too small to get over his heel, I'm not ready to cast on for the second one yet. What I can show you is the pattern picture from Folk Socks, so that's what I've done here. Look to the left and marvel at the socks that look remarkably unlike the one sock I have just completed. My version is in the yarn called for (Wildfoote, which is a little splitty but liveable) but in different colors. I've used Zane Grey ( a similarly tweeded looking yarn for the main color), Black Orchid (as called for), and Gunsmoke (instead of white). I also went up a needle size and I'm glad I did because there's no way these would have fit otherwise. I got to do a bit of colorwork with these, the braided pattern on the top is done by switching colors while purling which tangles the yarn like crazy but makes for a beautiful result that can cut off the circulation of any man's leg with little effort. It's something I'll definately try again for a sleeve detail or something but never for the top of a sock! Also, I hate the heel in these. Luckily RTK is fine with it and that's all that matters to me. These shall be his lucky socks. They will get him a fantabulous new job. I have decided it. Also in the works is Veste Everest from IK Fall 2005. I'm going to my LYS today to get the yarn for it. It's for my MIL for her birthday in February. I think I'll be able to do it since I'm pretty good with cables and it doesn't have sleeves. I'll be adding a bit of length to it as I don't think she'll be hot for wearing a belly shirt (oh, I wish you could view my mental picture of that). We'll see how I do. I've been actually knitting since October after being so patchy about it in the past year, I'm excited to see if I can finish some real projects this year.