You socksie thang!

Yarn: Sunset Stitched Super Sock
Colourway: Grindylow (From DADA yarn club)
Pattern: Temptation Top- Down Socks!

I want the rapid weather to cease! Now! Right now!

I miss sock weather. The socks in these pictures are some of my favorite pairs of socks!
You have a favorite pair of socks? What is wrong with you?

Let me explain.

KNITTING SOCKS IS A BIG DEAL!!

My sock primer
1. Choosing a yarn!

• There are all sorts of sock yarns out there. Not all sock yarns are created equal. For me there are some beautiful  but not practical for your feet. Some come apart very quickly. So as much as I love some of them, I will use them for shawls and other lovely things.  I love independent dyers who make lovely hand dyed yarns. I love superwash yarns with maybe some nylon in them. I admit my sock yarn stash is vast and I do plan to eventually work through most of it.

2. Choosing a pattern!

• There are a million patterns out there. So I go to Ravelry and look. I start with my queue of socks that I have. To me I need to look at the yarn I'm planning to use. I am not for using loud, short colour changes on some patterned socks. You lose the pattern if you do. There are some patterns that are great for pooling of yarn.
• There are also issues about knitting your sock from the toe up or the cuff down. I am ambisockstrous.* So I knit whatever I'm in the mood to!

Yarn: Nerd Girl Yarn's Bounce and Stomp
Colourway: Earth Death (from Who's your Doctor?) yarn club
Pattern: Aquaphobia socks

3. Actually knitting the things!

• So when you knit anything you need to use needles that match the size of the yarn. Which means that socks are knit on some of the smallest needles on the planet. It takes a significant amount of time to make a pair of socks. When I make a pair on a slow cycle, it takes me 10 days to knit a pair. That's 10 days of primarily knitting and not much else going on in the world. Hours of time. I'm am considered a relatively fast sock knitter. I have been in competitions where people finish a pair in 24 hours. The best I've done is a pair in 5 days. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!!!!!

A friend of mine says you can feel the energy off of things that have been crafted. To me socks are the ultimate in good vibe crafting. They are like hugs for your feet. I don't quite get why my feet get  energy from wearing my handmade socks. But no matter what, I always feel great. 

I am very selfish in my sock knitting. It's not personal, its just that the time it takes me to make them. The only other person I actually enjoy knitting socks for is my Mum, she has truly embraced the hand knit sock and it is a frequent request for gifts. She even inherited a pair that didn't fit me.


In closing, I will say that all my socks are my favorites! If I've made them and they are on my feet, they are amazing!

Yarn: Supernatural Yarn Mermaid Sock
Colourway: Cunning
Pattern: Hat Heel

I could go on and on about socks but I think I'll stop here today.

Sock on Dude!

*Ambisocktrous- A word I created to say I do both toe up and cuff down.

Fine art of creating and trying to fix yarn barf!

Hello all!

I want to talk to you about yarn barf!

This lovely yarn arrived in the mail on Friday:

Blue Box exploding in w00t
A lovely hand painted lace yarn from Nerd Girl Yarns!

I couldn't get to a swift* this weekend. But was eager to wind it.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

Welcome yarn barf:

Yarn wound without swift! OOPS!

Normally, I would freak out and cry. But not this time. Here may be a few reasons:

1. I have another skein so I can start working on that one while I fix this. Lesson learned: I can have patience in fixing my mistakes when there is something else to distract me.
2. I probably won't need this for a month. Lesson learned: I can be calm and rational when I do stupid things. But always remember to take my time. Patience is good!
3. I have made a tennis ball sized ball and a golf ball sized yarn. It is slow but if I give it enough time, that all will work itself out. Lesson learned: even a small amount of work is progress and that if I keep at it, I will succeed.

I have given myself a whole month before I begin to panic. But it will get fixed and it will be part of a beautiful project already in progress.

I will show you my progress when some more has been made!



*Swift = a device that helps yarn be wound when using a ball winder!