Reinforcement at the ready

Well, the trip to Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins in Boulder was a success, as you can see. Lots of good colors of reinforcing thread, so I got a bunch. Most of them are only one sock's worth on a card, so I had to get two of each color. And a fat skein of Sockotta cotton for a certain someone who thinks wool socks would be too hot but might just wear cotton ones. I would try to make it a surprise, but measuring someone's feet isn't something you can really do on the sly.

The Koigu socks are coming along. The brown and orange ones, too. I'm looking forward to a block of knitting time at Saturday's Stitch 'n' Pitch game. (Though I suspect it will be a lot more socializing than knitting.)

Another test ...

... this time of the emailed blog post. Bear with me while I'm exploring all these options! If I had a camera phone, I could even send photos from it to the blog. Cool!

On a knitting note, I'll be visiting Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins tomorrow in Boulder. I need sock reinforcing thread in funky colors, and I'm told they'll have it. I'm also told to hang on to my wallet!

(Edit: OK, formatting wasn't perfect that way -- I fixed it -- but it gets the job done. I added the photo of flowers from my sweetheart. As you may have gathered from my sock yarn stash, such as these Koigus, the colors are perfect. The purply purple one is dye code P805. The purple/yellow/green one is dye code P800. It's lovely stuff to knit with, very soft and smooth and doesn't readily split.)

Testing, testing

I just downloaded the Google toolbar for the PC the beau built for me (he's so thoughtful!) and noticed the Blogger icon on it. So I thought I'd test it. Voila: a new post with a link to Kitt's Knits. Neat!

I want to do this one, too

When I finished my first scarf and went looking for a sweater to do, this is what I picked. Then we found something simpler, but I bought this pattern anyway. I'm glad I didn't do it then, because I can tell this pattern will require more confidence, and more even tension throughout. It would have made me cry. A lot.

Maybe it still will, but I'm up to it, now! And besides, I can start with the tank, and see how it goes. No sleeves!

Stash grows

I forgot to mention that on Friday night I visited the newly opened Posh: A Yarn Boutique. Cute little store! (But I have to gripe about the website's claim that it's "Colorado's favorite yarn shop." C'mon, the place is brand-new!)

It didn't yet have in stock the things I needed just then (reinforcing thread, more dpns) but did have something I wanted, namely, more sock yarn: Skacel Trampoline Stretch No. 238. It's brighter and more jewel-like than this photo shows.

Looking ahead

Today I'm wearing the first socks I ever made, and that makes me happy. (Though it's a little crazy that it's cold enough in July to need them!) And I have two different socks on needles, including the Magic Loop ones that I frogged and started over on.

Since I don't have a camera available right now, I'll talk about another project I have in mind: a cabled sleeveless turtleneck called "Lisa" from Debbie Bliss Book 7. I bought the yarn first (discontinued! half-price!) – Rowan Cork in Ivy No. 43 (I think that's the right color; I'm going from memory) – then found the pattern. I will make it longer than this photo, since I'm not a fan of the bare midriff (and I have a long waist). More like this interpretation, which looks nice.

A yen for yarn

Sock yarn is so tempting. Just two skeins is all you need! (And sometimes one, if it's big.) So it's easy to succumb, even if early on you vowed (OK, I vowed) not to buy yarn ahead of time. One project at a time, was my plan. Key word: was.

Someone with a large stash might laugh at this puny collection. But this is just the sock yarn. (Note how I couldn't resist starting on that bruise-y Koigu on the upper right.) I also have a bag full of 10 skeins of Rowan Cork (95 percent merino, 5 percent nylon; feels like cotton) in a sage-y green that was half-price. Such a deal! Such a steal! Who could say no? Plus a whoooole bunch of books and patterns.

And ... I have Aunt Susie's Stash of Novelty Yarns. More about this later.

Blue socks complete!

I tell ya, that second sock was a bear. Lots of practice un-knitting or ripping out and picking up again. And I screwed up on the reinforcing thread for one toe, which really tempts me to rip that out and redo it. But I. Won't.

Knitting is really hard if you're a perfectionist. Good thing I'm not.

Onward to starting over on that Magic Mess of a brown-and-orange sock below, on dpns.

And I couldn't resist winding up a skein of Koigu into a center-pull ball (thanks to the "Stitch 'n' Bitch" book, which taught me how). It's purple and yellow and green, which sounds vomitous but is really lovely. It might just end up on needles too.

Dipping a toe into design

Way back when I was working on my scarf and then my sweater, I was exceedingly gung-ho. I had this idea that I could create a really cool knitting bag by yes, knitting it. I didn't want to felt it, either.

I found some yarn I really liked, Rowan Chunky Print in "Girlie Pink." Which is not all pink, but many colors. It's a thick and thin yarn. I got as far as making a prototype, but the framework baffled me. The prototype has a base of artboard, with wire-hanger handles. I meant to line the purse with a stiff fabric, but forgot to in my rush to sew it up. It's kind of a mess, and not really usable as it is.

But that's why we make prototypes, right? I have some ideas for making this work, but it's not a priority right now.

Some day!

Calling all spinners (Or, Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full!)

This is Sophie. She hates the camera, but I keep torturing her with it anyway, to show you what we're dealing with.

Hair. Lots of hair.

My little alpaca.

You see, poodles don't shed, because they don't have fur. They have hair. Just like people and sheep, they have to get haircuts. About ten years ago, Sophie got her first haircut, at the age of 1. Lovely, long, puppy hair. I've been hauling it around with me ever since. Kept thinking I'd find a spinner to give it to, since I didn't knit.

Now I knit. And it occurred to me too late that the perfect use of Sophie yarn would be a dog sweater for Sophie. But really, she grows her own sweater every winter. And for the last two, seeing as how she's an ollllllld dog who gets cold easily, I've let her hair get extra long. And saved the resulting spring clip.

A co-worker who does occasional spinning says it's wonderful stuff and spinners would kill to get their hands on it. In the photo below, you can see the puppy fur on top and the salt-and-pepper old-dog fur on the bottom. Loooong fibers. (Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

I told my co-worker I was looking into one of the companies I've seen online that spin dog hair and she said no no no! Let someone local do it! But I haven't gotten around to finding anyone yet.

Some day!

Second sock, almost there

I knitted the toe of the second sock and tried it on. Too short! Oh, forgot to do a regular round in between each decreasing round. (The result of my chatting on the phone while knitting.)

And ... oops, forgot the reinforcing thread. Rrrrrrrrrip. The first sock was such a breeze. This one has been a series of ripping-out exercises.

But the toe is done (again) now and Kitchenered. And the cast-on row has been taken out and the cuff is back on needles. Just have to figure out how to make the pattern match as I knit upward. Photo later.