Year of Projects: I have no real idea what week it is

It should be either week 51 or 52. But apparently I can't really keep track of the weeks since I have more than 10 entries for 40-49...anywho, back to the knitting.

I really didn't knit much this week. Last week I had planned to finish the sleeve of the Shapely Boyfriend cardigan...I worked on it a bit on Tuesday during knitting circle. But I spent most of the time showing somone how to knit socks (she's starting with the Monkey socks by Cookie A.) I decided in going to do a KAL with her but since she's only doing the cuff before we meet again, I decided I needed something else.

ENTER LONG CAR RIDE...I decided that the Socks on a Plane would be perfect for the long drive. I casted on the toe with the Turkish cast on, finished the toe and started the foot pattern, based on an cable pattern I found online. I was trying to figure out why it wasn't looking like the picture I remembered. Turns out the symbols on the chart are not made in the common way. I know how to read it now so I unravelled the entire thing and started again. I'm still only at the toe.

Long way to go...

Year of Projects: Week 48

I actually started to frog another project; not any sock projects but the Annisette Cardi from almost 2 years ago. I still have no idea what I'm going to do with the yarn. It's KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in the colourway Hyacinth. Lovely colour but not it doesn't feel soft at all to me.

I mostly worked on my Stitch Surfer socks. I tried the Fish Lips Kiss Heel...guess what?

I really like it! It actually looks quite pretty and it's pretty easy to do once you do it.

And it's World Cup time. I have always wanted to watch the series from beginning to end. I was looking for a World Cup project to work on; perhaps a shawl of some sort. I knew which one I was going to work on too. I went looking for my 4US circular needles. I knew I had one in a project but I was certain that I had one in the package. Much to my dismay, it was actually from my interchangeable set. I put them back to where they were supposed to be. Instead of starting a shawl, I picked up my Shapely Boyfriend cardigan. 

I think it's about time I work on finishing it. I only have a few more rows of ribbing in the bottom. Next it's the sleeves and button flaps.

Year of Projects: Week 47

It seems like I have rediscovered my Instagram in the past week.  Before I check my Facebook, I'm checking Instagram.  Forget my Tumlr that I apparently have and my Twitter account that has pretty much been dormant for I don't even know how long.  It is amazing to find other knitters (and crocheters even though I don't crochet)  and see what they're making.  #operationsockdrawer has been a great inspiration to me as well, since I do remember saying something about have a drawer full of hand knit socks last year (behind the scenes truth: I was trying to find a way to link the hashtag but apparently the ability to find the link is evading me).  If you have the opportunity and you have a love of hand knit socks, check it out on Instagram.

AND if you want to follow me: @rome_raven.  Now back to the actual essence of this update.

Last week, I showed my Rick socks with the inadvertant boo-boo (now called an unexpected enhancement).  By Sunday night, I finished the first sock.  At some point during the day, I noticed another "unexpected enhancement".  Where I was supposed to be doing an k2t, I was doing an ssk.  It actually reminds me of the beach right after the tide has receded and I like it. By Monday morning, I started the second sock.  Everything was going well until a 2US DPN needle broke on me.  

I couldn't even fathom where I have another set but apparently I do since it came in my KnitPicks DPN set.  I am not a fan of working with only 4 DPNs so packed everything up into a small pouch, threw it into the back of my bookcase with the other WIPs in progress and decided I'm not going to even look at it until I get a replacement set.

With all of that, I started another pair of socks.  This time, I got the inspiration from a "new to me" videopodcast called "Must Stash".  For half of May and all of June, they're doing a KAL of the Stitch Surfer socks.  I know I have done these before but as Diane from "Knitabulls" said they are addictive.  And besides, my last pair didn't fit after I washed them, much to my dismay.

Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll in the colourway Dusk and Knitpicks Stroll Multi in the colourway City Lights (which is apparently no longer available)
Needles: 1US circular from Hiya Hiya (which I am currently loving)

I'm going to try the Fish Lips Kiss heel on this pair and see if I can do it and if I'll like it.

On a last note, I realized that today (as in this Sunday) is National Knit in Public...guess what I'm going to be doing?  Working...not knitting :(  But if anyone in the Toronto area can make it, there is a meetup in High Park.  Maybe next year I'll be able to go.

Year of Projects: Week 46

I don't know if I'd consider this a "booboo" or an "unexpected enhancement". After I frogged the Slide socks last week, I had planned to cast on again with a different yarn. Somehow or another I managed to cast on for a totally different pair of socks called Rick by Cookie A. that I had a history with.

quick summary: I started knitting them a long time ago and was doing well until I was halfway down the foot an saw the foot was twisting. I couldn't figure out how to fix it so I frogged the entire thing. Over a year later, I was flipping through the book and discovered there was a separate foot chart...duh!)

So this time, I did well. I got the foot chart photocopied and went to work. I worked down be leg and by Saturday night, I did the heel flap and the turn heel. I made sure I had he foot chart in front of me and I went to work. It was looking great! I could really see the design coming together and I thought that zig looked cool...until I looked at the pictures of he sock and doubled checked which foot I was doing...there was no zig or even a zag, just a slanted look. Suffice it to say, I did the leg for the right leg, and the foot for the left foot.

I just hope I remember to to mess up the other foot too!

Year of Projects: Week 45

Hi everyone :) I'm not exactly sure if you'd call my week knitting productive but last week was definitely a good week.

I cast on my next pair of "travelling" socks; you know, something easy that doesn't require much concentration that you'll only knit at times such as bus rides. I am abysmal at knitting socks that way. I just knit what I feel like knitting when I have the time to knit and this time, it's the Slide socks by Cookie A. from her sock club in 2011, I think.  I wasn't apart of it then but the pattern intrigued me.

Yarn: Sweet Georgia CashLuxe

Colourway: Blood Orange

I don't know if I like the way this is turning out and I'm contemplating ripping it all put and doing it with a different yarn. The cashmere feels fabulous but I don't know what is up with my tension around he increases and decreases used to create the diagonal pattern. I may just redo everything with my Zen Yarns in the colourway Flamenco (another lovely reddish colour) that is merino and nylon only. Yeah...just decided all that while writing this update.

The Tree of Life socks are still sitting in their project bag, with no decernable change other than perhaps a find layer of dust.

On a more personal note, I got accepted into college (yay me!) for September. I just waiting to see how be financing goes. If well, for the next 3 years, minimum, I'll be a student...fun times...

Year of Projects: Week 47

I HAVE AN FO!!

These are almost my most quickly done socks. That last sentence doesn't sound grammatically correct but it took just over 2 weeks and the Newtons socks from last year took 10 days.

The pattern is from Cookie A. and it's called Kai-Mei. The yarn is from Wollmeise. It's twin in a WD colour I can't remember but it sure is pretty.

I haven't fully decided what socks I'm going to do next but I'm leaning to the Selkie socks by Janel Laidman in the MissBabs Cosmic in the colourway Inkwell from the Cookie A. sock club from last year.

Year of Projects: Week 46

I am actually very pleasantly surprised with my week this week. I just finished 1 sock of the pair I had cast on last week.

They are the Kai-Mei socks by Cookie A. I really like them even though I had to suffer through the 6.5" of 3x3 ribbing for the leg. The panel on the foot more than made up for it challenge-wise. I hope to start the next sock very soon, like later in today, before the 2nd sock syndrome has a chance to kick in.

That's it for this week.

Year of Projects: Week 45

I have apparently reached the point of my knitting life that it no longer bothers me to frog a project and start again.  Remember that free form project I had started last week? I was working on the gusset before I tried it on. Let's just say 72sts on a 1US needle where most of the pattern is stockinette is WAY too big.

So it was either keep it and have it too big after the cuff or rip it out and start again. I ended up opening up a sock knitting book, trying to figure out how to free form a pattern and coming up with the gauge. I ended up starting a pair of socks that I have wanted since I first saw them in the Sock Innovation book by Cookie A. Right now, it's a lot of ribbing...and more ribbing til 6.5". I think this will be an excellent time to catch up on tv watching.

I worked a bit on the Tree of Life socks and this time, I got the colour order right and I am loving them.

Yesterday (Saturday) was the 1st year anniversary of one of my LYS's, Handknit Yarn Studio. I did a quick setup to celebrate with this today after lunch and I took a couple of my cousins with me. I made sure to pick up a button they had made for the occasion and I added it to my knittin bag.

Year of Projects: Week 44

Guess what? I can use this again:

 ...although I doubt I'll come anywhere near this total.  I finished my Mint Twist socks on Sunday afternoon. I washed them on Tuesday and wore them to work by Wednesday. I barely gave them a chance to let the sit in the drawer.

I still want to make changes for the lower foot part of the pattern but I ADORE the Manos del Uraguay yarn to the point I will always be willing to add it to my stash.

I had to frog my Tree of Life socks this week. They did not fit. They did fit when half of the chart was finished but when the chart was finished, it couldn't make it past my heel. I had 2 options: try to turn them into gloves or frog it. 

After 15 minutes of admiring my work, I frogged it and I was surprised at how little yarn of each colour I had actually used. Two days later, I picked up the needles and started again on a larger sized needle.

I got my Standard Grab Bag for Rohrspatz & Wollmeise on Wednesday. Just getting the package makes it feel like it's your birthday. All I knew was that it would be 2 skeins of Twin (80% Merino/20% Polyamid) and one would be relatively solid.

I got home really late after work on Wednesday and saw the package on the table. Picking it up, I went to my room to go see what was in it. To extend the anticipation, I got changed for bed before I opened the package. I took out the little pack of gummy bears that's always sent (they are the best gummy bears I have ever had) and the went to look at the yarn.

 

They're both WD skeins, meaning that they didn't meet the exact colour that Wollmeise was trying to attain. The top one was intended to be Allergria and the bottom was supposed to be Sabrina. I think they both look awesome and are a wonderful addition to my stash.

Somehow on Thursday, I admired the new yarn do much, that I actually caked the Allegria WD and decided to free form a basic sock since the colourwork of the Tree of Life socks really isn't that basic.

I finished the 2x2 rib cuff and I am loving the colour pooling. Half the sock is hot pink and red and the other half is a yellowish orange. Absolutely cool.

Year of Projects: Week 42 & 43

It is right but it still doesn't look like what it's supposed to be. Welcome to the first picture of my Tree of Life socks. I love the colour combination. I love the knitting process. I even love my mistake of forgetting to what was colour A and what was coulour B thus turning sock 1 into an inversion of itself. It still looks beautiful! You just can't make out that it's a tree, over there on the right hand side of the sock. I know I have to wait until I finish the leg, or make it to about 2/3 of the way up the chart before it really makes it's appearance.

I spent most of this week however, working on my Mint Twist socks and as I'm typing this up, I am working on the toe. 

I am anxious to have them done so I can wear them.

I finally got my bag from Sew for Ewe and it's very much loved by me.

Everyone who sees it tells me "Cool lunch bag!" Not a lunch bag but a unique knitting bag.

This week I'm waiting for an order from Wollmeise which I believe will be my last order for awhile despite my wonderful stash growth.

Year of Projects: Week 41

It was really not much of a knitting week this week. I worked hard on the second sock for the Mint Twist and I'm about 15 rows from the heel flap.

I have sort of planned ahead for my next sock project. 

The new Manos del Uraguay from last week and the Springtree Road will be the colours I am using for the Tree of Life socks; the same socks I have been talking about doing since I first saw the pattern. I'm hoping to cast on tomorrow for an important event.

And I'm spending it with me, myself and my knitting. I am looking forward to my quiet time :) with intermittent breaks to do laundry.

PS: I saw "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" for my birthday with my brother and his girlfriend and I enjoyed it tremendously.

Year of Projects: Week 40

It has been an excellent knitting related week. I randomly decided to pick up my Mint Twist socks from December and finished the first sock.

The stockinette foot was dead boring to do. I made it through it. I still want to make these socks again however, I found another sock that is pretty plain and toe up called Lothlorien by Janel Laidman. I love the design on the toe and I think it could go well with the Mint Twist. I even counted out the stockinette rows I did for the first sock and it can fit before the toe begins.

Onto other knitting related news: I had ordered another skein from Wollmeise in Twin in the "colourway" of Natur. It just arrived this past Wednesday...and I was having a nap when the mailman came. It took 2 days to get to the post office to get it back. It is lovely and I'm not going to dye it. I'm planning on using it for a colourwork sock or knee highs.

After working with the Manos del Uraguay yarn for the Mint Twist, I had to get another skein. I tried for closer LYS's to where I live but none of them seemed to carry it so I ended up in my other LYS in Hamilton, Handknit Yarn Studios. I didn't really have any colour in mind other than not yellow or red or blue. Believe me, I have quite a bit of that. So this skein (A8720) has pale blue, pale yellow, soft gold and a hint of a light green instead :)

And as a bonus, I got this artistic looking shot on the concrete stoop at the side of my church while waiting for someone to open the door.

Last thing! I bought a new knitting bag. This time I ordered it from Sew for Ewe on Friday and I love the design on it. It's a medium sized wedge bag with Star Wars comics all over it! I'll save the picture of it when I get it, instead of copying it from the shop.

Year of Projects: Week 38 & 39

I have an FO! And not just a half FO 😄

My first Stitch Surfers are done, with just the ends to be woven in. I really do like them. 

I started another pair which are more like a variant. I'm liking the idea of it but I think I'll be more appreciative of it when I finish the first sock.

Remember I made my youngest brother a scarf for his birthday but I forgot to take a picture of it? Well he ran up to me, with a big grin on his face to show me he was wearing it. 

He looks so happy, doesn't he?

I decided to pick up another pair of socks on the needles that I had left over from the Cookie A sock club last year. I missed working on the Mint Twist socks. I also really miss working with the yarn. I believe it's Manos del Uraguay. It's definitely going on the growin list of "yarns that must be in my stash".

Last thing! Response for a comment from a couple of weeks ago, the sweater is called Folded by Veera Valimaki (there are some accents on the name but I couldn't get it on my phone).

Year of Projects: Week 37

What wonderful progress I have made on my Stitch Surfer socks. I didn't finish the second sock like I wanted but that's okay with me. 

I'm pretty sure I can finish the sock quite quickly. I already have the yarn to make another pair.

I finally got my second bag from KnittersBag. Took a bit longer to get to my house this time but that's okay. I'm think I'm alright for bags for now. I think my future purchasing will be for stash building.

Isn't amazing when you find out how doable a project really is? There has been this fingering weight sweater I have been wanting to do since last summer and I have been putting off even thinking about it since it was going to be a lot of yarn and I didn't have the requirements.  I was reading something about Elizabeth Zimmerman's book, Knitting Without Tears, which led into her revolutionizing how locked into a pattern you have to be. It made me think about this sweater. I looked up the yardage requirement for the sweater and much to my surprise, I can get it done within 3 skeins; leaving me with enough yarn to make a pair of socks with the remains. For less than $80, including shipping directly from the dyer, I can make the sweater I want plus a pair of socks. I think I might have finalized my summer project.

Year of Projects: Week 36

I've been working on only one project for the past week; my Stitch Surfer socks. I finished one foot and casted on for the second foot.

Yup, I'm going for a mismatched pair. I pulled out my leftover yarn from my first skein of MissBabs Cosmic Handpainted in the colourway Inkwell. I was doing well until I was getting ready to start surfing right, and my wrap and turns started to split.  I did a bit of Frankenstein-ing. Good thing this part goes on the bottom of the sock. I may be able to finish the sock this week.

Year of Projects: Week 34 & 35

So I'm a little bit late with my update...like a week late however these have been excellent weeks for me as a knitter. I finally finished the test knit. I'm half way through the mitten KAL, started another project and I discovered a new yarn shop.

Let's start with the yarn shop.  It's called EweKnits, found on Markham St in Toronto just behind Honest Ed's.  It's almost easy to miss but luckily for me, I was given that warning when I was looking up directions and I realized just about every shop around them has been converted from a house and sometimes, it still looks like a house.

Let me just say, I wanted to squish and feel everything in the store!  The plan was just to look around and get a feel as to what it's like there and what the sell.  First thing I noticed when I walked to the building is the class list.  I am very interested in signing up for the sweater class, especially since it's on week day and they don't mind if you come in with yarn from somewhere else (I have a hankering for a sweater knit out of Tanis yarn in the colourway Chris Grey and Tanis is only at 2 shops - Purple Purl and a shop in Montreal - or online).  I also noticed their project bags.  Let me tell you they are beautiful and I would like to buy one...just have to put it on the list and wait.  I can't go completely broke due to knitting and knitting accessories.  What I like about the bags is the story behind them.

While there for browsing I ended up finding the 3rd colour for my Barndom Shawl, which has not been picked up for the past couple of weeks.

Zen Yarn Garden - Squooshy in the Flamenco colourway

It's actually a bit darker in person but I do like it and I think it would be the perfect colour addition to the shawl. I just have to get back to working on it.

I finished the one sock required for the test knit and I love it! The pattern is called  Zig Zag Ripple Socks by Econnerd aka: Karen Buhr.

I'll eventually get to the second sock. I haven't cast it on since I was kind of eager to cast on a trial sock which will be mentioned later.

I'm half way done with the Mitten KAL. I'm doing the Warm Woolen Mittens. They feel so squishy and soft and the colours look great together! Only problem is that I made them exactly to the size in the patterns and while it is wide enough, it's not long enough :( I could have made it longer by repeating a pattern but it would have been too big so I may gift it to someone who's hands and smaller than mine which is hard to do.

I have got a week to start and finish the other hand.

I've mentioned before about a KAL for the Stitch Surfer socks. My impatience reared it's head and I cast it on. I ended up not using any suggestions provided to me and pulled out yarn that I hadn't even photographed.

The top colour/left colour is from Three Ewes in the Cleopatra colourway (which I have never seen anywhere else). The bottom/right colour is from KnitPicks Stroll in the Golden Glow colourway. I am loving these socks as well...seems like I love all the socks I make. I'm actually more than half way done the first foot. It's going to be a mismatched pair with the second sock being in the Cleopatra colour way and the MissBabs Cosmic Handpainted in the Inkwell colourway. It's a left over yarn from my Earth & Sky shawl I made last year.

Quick little snip it in regards to my brothers around Valentine's Day...

I have got some of the coolest brothers in the world and suffice it to say, I'm always proud of them. One brother is actually old enough to have a girlfriend and the responsibilities of having one. He made sure to get my advice as to what exactly to get for his girlfriend for V-Day. He got her a lovely charm bracelet and hid it in my room so she wouldn't see it before it's time. I was told that she loves it!

The middle brother is something else (he's the only one that has any pictures on my blog). He and the youngest had asked me to breed some Pokemon on my game for them. Did it and he forgot his system so the trading couldn't be done. However, he took it upon himself to give some excellent suggestions as to how to improve my game.  I think he may know more about it than me. I think the grasshopper has surpassed his sensei.

The youngest went out of his way to find me this weekend just to give me a big hug and to tell me he missed me.

I wouldn't trade any of them for the world!