FO and yarn totals so far.

Here's Ashes to Ashes, my latest socks that I finished last night:

Pattern: Rudy Got Sole
Yarn: Knit Picks Risata, color Ash
Needles: 2.5 mm
Started August 25, 2012, finished Sept 12, 2012
Grams: 76.4

That brings my 2012 total to 1118.6 grams, and my 2 kg stash-down total to 227.6.

I've also just restarted the argyles again, due to changing what needle size I'm using, and crocheted 2 more squares on the Sunny Ferns blanket. Hopefully now I can get some real progress done on these argyles, and get them done by the end of the month.

What blanket?

Well, I knew it had to happen, I got distracted from the blanket by a wily sock. But this was kind of planned, because by the time I start block 5 of the blanket, I'm going to need a longer needle. So I ordered a 5.5 mm 60" ChiaoGoo needle, and am waiting for it to show up before I get really working on the blanket again, though I will take it to the in-laws (common-law in-laws, but easier to type), to finish block 4 over the Christmas holiday.

The wily sock is almost finished the gusset, which for me is pretty darn quick, since I started it last Friday, the 16th. It's a blatant rip-off of a friend's sock, momo. I just fell in love with hers and it wouldn't get out of my head. I'm using Regia 4-ply Color 5030, silt, in 2-row stripes with plain white. I hope to finish the sock over the weekend as well, and possibly have a pair before the end of the year. If it does go over, it'll certainly be done by the week after.

I think I've finally figured out a formula for my socks. On 2 mm needles like this one, I need 80 stitches, in Regia 4-ply I'm getting 10.5 stitches to the inch. My feet are 9" around, so it should work. For each needle size up or down from 2 mm, I'll add or subtract 4 stitches. I hope to knit a few pairs over the next couple of months to see how this works out. Standard flap heel, though I may try the sweet tomato heel as well.

Socks and shawl

Here's finally a picture of the two sets of socks I'm working on. The upper sock is Dicentra Designs colorway Kingsfoil knit on 2 mm needles, and the lower sock is Opal Handpainted #21 (half price at the LYS when I was there) on 2.25 mm needles.

Since that picture, however, I decided that since I only have one skein of either yarn, I frogged the upper sock, and plan to frog the bottom one, and do toe-up socks, so I can match the length of the socks and use up the whole skeins, or close to it. I've gotten the first Dicentra sock toe started, about 4-6 rows from starting the foot. The Opal will get going eventually, although I think I'm going to wait and do those on 2 mm as well, as I feel the 2.25mm isn't making as thick a fabric as I would like. I also want the 2.25 needles for the Kroy Socks yarn I have, so I can try Knitty's Falling Leaves socks. The yarn is Muslin at the moment, but I'll be dying them some shade of green after the socks are knit.

On the Peacock Feathers front, I've gotten to row 92, I believe, in the third or fourth chart. I'm not sure, because I can't find the pattern! I went to PEI with a couple friends a few weeks ago, and took the pattern and shawl with me to show friends, but after I got home, I remember dumping a bunch of stuff in one spot. Then when I went to look for the pattern and shawl a few days ago, I found the shawl and needles no problem, but the pattern is missing. I've yet to do an exhaustive search, but am emailing the lady who's place we stayed at, to see if I may have forgotten it there.

Anyways, there's a picture I got of it before that trip, at my friend's again, stretched out to see half the pattern. I have at least 4 YO mistakes in there, where I've forgotten to YO, then fudged it on the next row, but they're thankfully not that visible. I just hope I find the pattern so I can keep going on this, as I was having fun with it, and still want to do at least one more in a different color. I've yet to decide which color.

Yay for pictures!

New life...

Well, let's breathe some new life into this blog, shall we?

This was the first blog I tried out, as evidenced by my first 3 posts from just over a year ago. I've since gotten into LiveJournal, and have been posting there since February.

However, last week I decided to learn to knit socks, and have discovered a whole world out there involving socks. I've decided that LJ just wasn't a suitable method for talking about my knitting, as it's going to take over my life for the next several months, I feel. So that will be for the rest of my adventures, and this will be for pretty much knitting, spinning that turns into knitting, and maybe some crocheting if I get around to doing much.

I saw a lady on the 9th at a Salvation Army kettle at the store knitting socks, and for some reason, this really grabbed me, although I've looked at socks before and thought them too complicated. But I've slowly been increasing my skill in knitting, learning increases and decreases last year, and felt I wanted to learn socks now.

I bought yarn and needles (my first time on DPNs) on the 10th, started my first sock around 6pm, and 24 hours later was ready to turn the heel. Helped that work's been really slow this last week, so I got a couple hours done Monday at work. Took me 4 times to turn the heel with a friend's help, and finished the toe Tuesday at work, and got the second sock finished Wed evening. It was on 4 mm needles, in Patons Classic Wool, dark grey. I used Canadian Living's Amazing Feets pattern, size large. I hope to get pictures up sooner or later; I don't have a digital camera yet :(

Then I started some socks in Bernat Cool Crochet, a cotton/nylon blend, on 3.25 mm needles. They're my Ice Cream socks, as I used Neopolitan with the ribbing, heel and toe in Chocolate. I decided to make this pattern up, basing it on gauge and my measurements. It was my first time using 2 colors, and learning the short row heel.

I have the first halfway done, then realized how soon Xmas is coming up, so started knitty.com's Fetching pattern in Bernat Satin Sapphire on the 4mm needles. I got the left hand finished Saturday, then started what I thought was the right hand, but realized later that night that it was another left hand; I'd turned the cables the wrong direction. So after thinking about it for a while, I put that glove on another set of needles to hold it, and started the right-hand glove from the other end of the yarn. Got that finished yesterday (Sunday) after about 5 hours of knitting. They go to my father's wife for Xmas.

I gave myself and my needles 5 minutes of a break while I got water, then cast on another sock in the Classic Wool for my sister's fiance. 4mm needles, 48 stitches. Started that about 6:30 last night, using dark blue for the ribbing, heel and toe and light grey for the body. I'm about to turn the heel now. I'm using a short row heel for this one, as I prefer it to the flap. It looks like another day without any work, so I get paid to knit! Gotta love it. I hope the week turns out this way.

I still have a pair of anklets to make for my sister after this, so here's hoping I have time here at work to get those done.

Nothing like jumping in with both feet (hah!) eh?