Tag: socks

Wednesday WIPs: Pink Moons and Birthday Skeins

Posted on Posted in dyeing, gardening, knitting, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged , , , 15 Comments

This week I’ve continued to focus on the Ocean Moon shawl, which is finished and blocking. I’ll post pics of that on Friday.

I also recast on Bob’s socks. I found the flips a little slippery, so I’m back to my Lykke Driftwood and magic loop method.

I’ve been practicing my dyeing. These skeins are inspired by an artists’ trading card I made years ago. They are 50/50 cotton and wool dyed with low impact acid dyes. The cotton content creates a heathery effect, as the wool takes up the dye but the cotton doesn’t. The three skeins shown came out as expected and are now listed in the shop.

Two skeins came out muted due to a less consistent dyebath temperature. I decided to try overdyeing them, inspired by the full lunar eclipse. (Image of lunar eclipse on right by friend Miriam Climenhaga.) I was hoping for a complex black with pops of red. Because of the cotton content in the yarn, there is no way I could get a true black with acid dyes. They are more gray, but a nice memento of seeing the Flower Moon eclipse in the sky on my birthday.

I don’t know whether to call it Flower Moon or Blood Moon. I guess it was a Full Flower Super Total Blood Moon Eclipse! It was quite a sight centered over the trees behind our house. I’m still singing “Pink Moon” to myself.

I’ve also been practicing with procion dyes for the Volunteer Sunflowers yarn mystery box, but won’t share images as they are a mystery! I’ve got a pretty good handle on procion dyes for cellulose fibers and acid dyes for protein fibers. It’s the blends I’m practicing to see if I can improve techniques there. I also want to make sure I know how to get the most vibrant colors possible for nonsuperwash yarns, as colors tend to be less vibrant than on superwash wool yarns. I’m experimenting with that, and ways to ensure the colors are well set and lightfast —all while trying to exhaust the dye baths and impact our watershed as little as possible.

I had a lovely birthday and received heartwarming cards and gifts. This is a small sample of knitting related gifts from friends. I can’t wait to start reading the Knitstrips comic book!

I also finished weeding and planting the garden. I planted less this year in hopes it won’t be such a jungle.

Today I hope to get some sewing done! What are you working on this week?

S is for Sunday, Socks, Spinning, and Sewing

Posted on Posted in finished objects, knitting, sewing, socks, spinning, Year of ProjectsTagged , , , , 20 Comments

Knitting

I finished my Gourd Party socks! I love them.

Spinning

I made yarn! Okay, it’s thick and thin novelty yarn. It’s fine. I think I may dye it and knit a hat with it. It’s “wool top” that came with the wheel. I’m not ready to practice on my Coopworth fleece or pretty dyed roving. But I might try Shetland next.

Plying by Firelight

Our power went out today so I made use of the time by finishing up spinning a bobbin, and then plying my two full bobbins. By firelight. Because I have all the power that is necessary. Also I assembled my lazy kate.

Sewing

Before our power went out, I was sewing on my shacket. The inside of this fabric is almost as pretty as the outside. So much so, I debated which side to use for a minute. All I have left is the collar, the hemming, and to sew the snaps on!

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can find out more about the group here (Rav link) or here: Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list. You can read my updated list of projects here.

DIY Fall Advent: #1

Posted on Posted in holidays, inspiration, socks, yarnTagged , , , , 20 Comments

Last year I realized I got so excited about fall and Halloween yarns and knitting patterns, I decided to make my own fall advent with yarns from my stash. The goal was to keep me from going overboard buying yarn this fall. I paired the skeins with patterns (some I had, some I purchased, most were free) and stitch markers from my collection. Then I sewed fabric bags and tagged them with the date I should open them.

This is the contents of the first bag. I love it! I don’t have any socks on the needles, so I may cast these on. This colorway is Fall Sangria from Cornbread and Honey. I have two weeks until the next advent bag!

Wednesday WIPs

Posted on Posted in knitting, shawls and haps, socks, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged , , , , , 12 Comments

I’ve finished Clue 1 on my mystery knit along. I love how this yarn sometimes looks blue, sometimes looks purple, sometimes looks gray. I’m really enjoying this knit. Lots of repetitive lacework. Yes, please!

I’ve also finally picked my beads. I love the matte finish, and this color is perfect for this yarn. I think these beads have just enough glimmer to show up.

I also ordered two little glass mermaid beads, and made a stitch marker and a progress keeper to use with my shawl. I’m not very good at beading, but I think I’ve made it work with some zinc coated copper wire and parts from old stitch markers.

I’m ready to turn the heel on Bob’s second Pride sock. Maybe I’ll have a Friday finished object this week?

Sock It To Me Monday

Posted on Posted in art, finished objects, knitting, socks, The Just CraftTagged , , , 16 Comments

I finished my springy socks! We have an Iris blooming in the yard, and my socks match. Recipe based on Hermione’s Everyday Socks. Yarn from Bone and Birch. I do love plain sock knitting. Next up, I’ll try some Rose City Rollers (Ravelry link).

I have so many sweaters I want to knit, but I keep queuing cables and colorwork patterns. Then I balk because my brain is not up for that. I guess I’m still decompressing from the pandemic year. So I’ve decided to make a Milkshake Cardigan (Ravelry link). It’s the most basic cardigan ever, which I need to replace my thrift store cardigan that had started unraveling. Now I need to decide which DK yarn in my stash to knit it with. I’m leaning toward the Tunis yarn, because it’s so yummy. This is my first Joji Locatelli pattern to knit, though I’ve been following her patterns for sometime and have heard good things. I also purchased her new Straw cardigan pattern. It’s beautiful, but has cables on the shoulder seams. Nope. Not right now, anyway.

Part 2 of A Visit to Tarheelbilly Farm is live on The Just Craft. I had some sound issues, which I did not expect since recording in the fields — which I expected to be problematic — turned out fine. But recording on the porch of the house was much more complicated. It has me questioning my ability to make a good podcast, but I am going to try to think of it as a learning experience. I did the best I could with the sound in Audacity, reducing the noise and amplifying Charis’s voice. I felt that what she was saying was so important I had to do my best to get the episode out. She is very candid about her thoughts and feelings on racism in the knitting and fiber arts community (and the events of 2020 in general) and even though I struggled with the sound, I’m proud of this episode. I think I’ll take a break before I start the next one, though.

I’ve been steadily working on my felt art for the gallery show in September. Some pieces I really love, some not so much. Some get stitching, some don’t. It’s intuitive but I am finding that I tend to stitch on cultivated landscapes and don’t on wild ones. So there’s a method, even if it wasn’t conscious at the outset.

Oh, I forgot to mention I joined Kate Davies’ Bluestockings Club! Again, I think the first pattern may be a little more than I want to undertake at this time. But it’s lovely and I’m sure I’ll get around to it eventually.

NOFOs from Stockinette City

Posted on Posted in knitting, socks, sweaters, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged , , , 8 Comments
PSL sock

Remember when all I wanted to knit was stockinette and I couldn’t handle anything else? Welp what can I say…

Arachne Sweater

I’m starting to see Arachne with short sleeves. Maybe I won’t order more yarn. And the PSL socks were supposed to be completed for TWT Sock Sprint today and I didn’t even finish one! Oh well. It’s just knitting.

You know what I did do? Applied for a grant for work.

I also had kind of a rough week with digestive issues. I guess I’ve developed another allergy, this time to chickpeas. Which is sad, because no more hummus. But I’ve been running regularly, which is pretty exciting.

Blogville Knitters Virtual Knit is this Sunday at 1PM EDT. I hope to see you there. If you are new please DM your Skype user ID to me on Ravelry or Instagram. You can join our group on Ravelry if you want but it’s not required.

Am I Becoming a Sock Knitter?

Posted on Posted in finished objects, knitting, socks, yarnTagged , , , , , 20 Comments
Pride Socks in TurtlePurl What Does It Mean

Yesterday, The Woolly Thistle started their Sock Sprint KAL. In the spirit of thank you sir may I have another I hurried to finish my Pride socks so I could cast on another pair!

Not a perfectly matching pair, but I don’t mind.

I was thinking about making some Pumpkin Spice Latte socks (just the same recipe with a different cuff) from this West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-Ply in Nutmeg.

Spicy

Am I becoming a sock knitter? The thought of not having a pair of socks on the needles has me feeling off-kilter. But the Sock Sprint is only two weeks, and I don’t know that I’ll be able to finish a pair in that amount of time. But if I don’t, it’s really no big deal. Right? So maybe I’ll throw caution to the wind and cast on.

This weekend’s movie theme is Joker. First we’ll watch The Dark Knight for Heath Ledger’s interpretation then Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in Joker. I think they were both equally good, but I absolutely loved the film Joker.

Our Blogville Knitters virtual knit is tomorrow at 1PM EDT! If you’re not already in the Skype group, please message your Skype ID to me on Instagram or Ravelry. Hope to see you tomorrow!

Friday Eve No FO

Posted on Posted in knitting, socks, Works in Progress (WIPs)Tagged , , , 14 Comments
Ready to start the toe shaping!

I wanted to have a finished object (FO) today — even if it was going to be one sock (does one sock count?) Alas, I have not finished even the one. My toe will be solid blue like the heel flap. I hope sock number two works out this way!

I am enjoying my blog title verbiage “no fo”. I’ve been working on grants for work this week, and a notice of funding opportunity is called a “nofo”.

Since I can’t share an FO with you, instead I would like to share with you the cutest podcast in the world. You know I’m a sucker for a Scottish accent.

Check out the Wee Sew n Sew Knitting Podcast here.