Knitting Potpourri - The Monkey Socks Pattern are finished

So Benne's weather finally hit VT. Thanks, Benne. ;-} Murphy & I walked at 6:30 this morning and I don't expect we'll venture out again til dark.

I saw a TV commercial saying that the new Harry Potter flick opens July 11, a mere 2 weeks away! Thankfully, I am working down the foot of Horcrux sock #1 so I'm sure the pair will be ready for the Big Day. I had been thinking of a companion gift to go with the socks and wondered how the Svetlana-inspired a/k/a Anthropology-inspired capelet might work in fingering wt yarn. Maybe doubled. Wish Lorna's offered some non-wools.

Did you see that Knitpicks launched a new sock yarn, called Risatta?
Content: 42% Cotton, 39% Superwash Merino Wool, 13% Polyamide, 6% Elite Elastic
Weight: Fingering Weight
Gauge: 7 sts=1" on #2 needles, 6 sts=1" on #4 needles
Amount: 196 yards/50 gram ball
Care: Machine Washable/Tumble Dry Low
$4.99/ball. Only the usual drab Knitpicks' colorways are available but the yarn looks intriguing to me since I am deep in the throes of sockmania.

The Monkey Socks pattern are finished. So why haven't I delivered them to the giftee yet? I guess I feel dopey gifting a pair of merino socks when it's 97F outside. It's supposed to be cooler by the weekend. They also seem huge to me. The foot measures 10" which Charlene Schurch says is a size 9.
Here's the leg detail which doesn't show the lacey holes that line each side of each triangle pattern:

These a pics show how the color pooled on each side of the sock in the gusset; at least it's symmetrical. I did have enough yarn to cut out the pooled parts but wasn't sure as I was knitting. Is it too ghastly?

Have you Elann Shawl-alongers seen Amanda's completed Elann Cuzco wrap shawl? For some reason (shyness, I think), she hasn't posted her photos to the KAL blog so go take a peek here: Amanda's Blog. She used Jayne's yarn in my favorite colorway, Green Tea. Bravo Amanda for completing your first shawl!

One of my favorite blogs in my Elann blog crawl is the hysterically funny Minnie's. You must go check out her adventures in dating, post-divorce. Minnie could write for one of the late night talk shows. Minnie's Blog.

Finally, today, something interesting in the Phil Spector trial: a defense expert.
I wiggled out of cat duty. My neighbors (now in Cape Cod for the week) found another friend, a cat lover and cat owner, to tend to their cat issues. I am handling mail and newspapers. Whew.
Jean's sister and BIL are in Corfu, Greece this week for a yoga retreat. Doesn't that sound like the perfect place to be right now?

Simple pattern for pair socks

I choose the name Arizona for this pair of socks as they remind me of the colors of the Painted Desert near Winslow, Arizona. The yarn is Fleece Marino hand painted superwash in colorway Mermaid. It was purchased from Simply Sock Yarn. By the way She provides great customer service and super fast shipping. 2 days from order to arrival! Thanks.... I am please with this yarn no splitting and no pooling. Want to see the results?

 
The ribbing pattern is a simple 2x2 rib for 2 rows followed by 2 rows of knit and repeat. Of course these were knit from the toe up. What do you think of the heel turn? Isn't it pretty. Just a simple short row turn. It's easy to execute and fun to do.

This pair of socks will also be a contender for "Guess Which Socks" contest. It's a silly name but that's the best I can do. I'm not very clever or witty. I'll leave that up to TBC. If you can come up with a better name for the contest please let me know. I can use all the help I can get!

My naked needles are calling me and the only way to silence them is to feed them yarn! Off to knit!

Beautiful soft yarn for socks project - knit and crochet

Oops! I meant Project Spectrum! But it looks like this has turned into a sock-a-thon of knitted gifts. Eight pairs to be exact and one shrug. Each person has a specific color request so it fits perfectly with color exploration. Note: that brilliant blue yarn is really a lavender colorway. Why the camera thinks its blue is beyond me. Attempts to adjust it has failed miserably. Such as life again.

 

This will also be an opportunity to exercise my budding camera skills. I think I'll try to find subjects that feature the color of the month.

My needles will remain bare until Wednesdays kick off for Project Spectrum. Both of my wrists ache and need a rest. I have not knitted since Thursday and the itch to knit is almost overwhelming but I'm resisting the compulsion for now! If I should become cranky TBC will strongly recommend that I should knit something even if its only a swatch. Now I have to find something else to do - I really need help!

Shock Wave knit pattern

Our beloved enabler Sherri, is encouraging sock knitters to shake things up and knit either a Frank or a Martha type of sock. I took that to heart and found some yarn in a color that's not really me. I'm more of a fire-engine red kind of gal, who drives a '79 Black Stingray Corvette with glass T-Tops, if you know what I mean. Yes, I really have one.

I do have a problem with this idea. I just can't decide whether I'm a Frank or a Martha in my socks. I'm very conservative in my lifestyle, thoughts and wardrobe with the exception of my vehicle of choice and my socks, though I'm really a Frank in my personality. So is this a Frank sock for the Martha in me? Or are they a Martha sock for the Frank in me? Somebody help me. I'm so confused:D  What I do know is that I knit these for me. Meet Shock Wave.

Please don't email me asking for the pattern because I'm going to give you the seriously abbreviated version. I don't have the patience to write a proper pattern. This is what I call a Burger King pattern - cause you can "Have it your way". Are you ready?

Yarn of your choice and needles to suit your yarn. Aim for 8 stitches per inch - stockinette stitch knit in the round. The pattern creates a bias fabric and is rather stretchy. Be aware!

This is sized for a small or medium sock. If you desire a larger sock add 8 stitches and adjust the pattern accordingly.

Cast on 56 shock wave stitches and knit either a 1x1 rib or a 2x2 rib till it's as long as you like, or until you are sick of it. Whichever comes first. Remember, these are your socks!

Commence stitch pattern.

Row 1: Knit

Row 2:  *K3, K2TG, K3, M1 repeat

Row 3: Knit

Row 4:  *K3, K2TG, K3, M1 repeat

Rows 5: Knit

Row 6:  *K3, K2TG, K3, M1 repeat

Row 7: Knit

Row 8:  *M1, K3, K2TG, K3, repeat

Row 9: Knit

Row 10:  *M1, K3, K2TG, K3, repeat

Row 11: Knit

Row 12:  *M1, K3, K2TG, K3, repeat

Repeat rows 1-12 for as long as you like. Ending on a knit row.

Make sure the pattern is evenly centered over the instep. Knit the heel flap of your choice - stockinette, reinforced, or Eye of Partridge. Knit the heel flap over 28 stitches and end when you have 14 slipped stitches on either side of the flap.

Turn the heel, with whatever heel turn suits you.

For the gusset: Pick up 14 stitches on either side of the heel flap.

Decrease all those annoying gusset stitches until you have 56 stitches again. Keeping "in pattern" on the instep with a minor adjustment to the stitch pattern instep as follows:

Rows 2, 4, 6 *K3, K2TG, K3, M1 repeat. You will end with Knit 4

Rows, 8, 10, 12 *M1, K3, K2TG, K3, repeat. You will end with Knit 2, K2TG

Knit the instep to your desired length. End on a knit row.

Start toe decreases.Knit the toe decreases until you have 16 stitches left. Break yarn and graft the remaining stitches. Weave in all tails. Make another sock.

If your smart you will cast on the for the first sock and knit the cuff then put it down and cast on for the second sock. This will prevent the dreaded SSS, aka The accursed Second Sock Syndrome.

Now off you go and bend some color.

Knitting on the road ...^^

This morning TBC choose to skip church. Yes, I know we are truly wicked. Instead he suggested a road trip to Prescott. It has a decent mall that has a very large book store that lures us in occasionally. Today was that day. It takes two hours of driving time to get there and my resolve to let my wrists rest crumbled. What else are you suppose to do on a long drive. So I brought my yarn and kit with me. One the way I up I knit the first toe and on the way back the second one was born.

I perused the knitting section for quite a long time but found nothing that shouted out "Buy Me". Hoping my luck would improve I went to the magazine rack and picked up the latest Interweave Knits! Next stop for me was a craft store and I found a nice little box for knitting notions. This would be perfect for any future road trips and vacations. Yeah! I also found a crochet sock booklet for a co-worker. She loves the hook and I thought she might like to give socks a go!

RB asked if we could go to WAL-MART. He feels the need to visit every one we can find. Don't ask. It's beyond me. So off we went and as we were leaving I spied this. Good thing I had a camera!

And for those of you who always wanted to know what Arizona really looks like, this ones for you.

Hope your weekend was as fun as mine:)

Sock Knitting Patterns - Violet soft yarn

 

Look at what the wonderful post man brought last week. This is the Happy Trails Sock Yarn. The color way is Violet. And there's enough for two pairs of socks. Lucky me and my sock pal. This yarn is so soft and a pleasure to work with. Not a split in sight. I only hope they wear and wash well.

Thursday I spent time finding the gauge and deciding on a subtle rib pattern. By Friday morning the socks were started, using my ballerina toe up method. Saturday we went to the Valley (Phoenix) for some shopping and took the kids to the Salt River for a nice walk about. So there was minimal knitting for me. The roads are too twisty for Photo_112705_001_2knitting in the car. But today I’ve turned both heels. I should have these beauties done by Saturday at the latest. I’ve decided on the name for them. But you will have to wait until their finished!

It’s been a great Holiday weekend here. I hope that all of you have had the same. P.S A big thank you to my Beloved Commander for the use of his palm pilot and lap top.