looking lovely and I owe it all to the road trip knitting on the way to Oregon last week. I may even have them complete for the August Sock Summit!
the holiday weekend I was able to sit & knit on the back deck, trying to stay cool in the shade. Sipping ice tea, knitting, on vacation and being surrounded by my lovely tower gardens. Life is good!
however the yarn is like string. Not really as soft and tactile as I like to knit with, so I am not magnetized to keep working on these socks so I can continue to feel the soft and luscious yarn. After talking with my friend from kindergarten, Deb, she said, "Just keep knitting on them" and she's just finished a beautiful pair of tofutsie socks as well... so I'm going to keep knitting on them, and perhaps I have them done by Sock Summit in August....but, no guarantees.....
was having trouble with the wrap & turn of the heel, as the pattern wasn't written clearly. On our lunch break, we went outside to the picnic table, under the sun umbrella and she knit while I read the directions. It was a great break, as really felt like we were getting out of the office and into a relaxing place. Ms M figured it out immediately, as she is incredibly bright in all these ways, including figuring out knitting techniques (I wished I had taken a video of how she knit the wee heel turn as it was something great to watch). I pondered heel turns for the rest of the work day, and pulled out my Tofutsies when I arrived home. I figured out that I stopped at the beginning of the gusset, so I pulled out my dearly loved Queen Kahuna book and started the gusset...
Knitters are talking about Socktober this month ~ a designated month in the knitter's year dedicated to the knitting of socks. I was pleased to hear on Stash & Burn that even Nicole is knitting socks this month. If you have not listened to that podcast, please do, as Jenny & Nicole have lots of inspiration and motivation for all of us. So much that I need to show you the wee bit I have knit on my "socks in progress" in the past weeks. Although no "victory" yet, the blog title was the genius of my sweetie, so I am using it with his permission. The picture shows (right to left) my blue/green tofutsies, my jewel tone jitterbugs and my yellow alpaca bliss socks...... How are you doing on your sock knitting?
The summer of 2007 was the summer of sock knitting. My knitting projects for camping weekends were beautiful socks. I finished several pair of delightful socks, including my first Jitterbugs. I finished a few pair in the winter too, but was not as productive as those long wonderful days knitting in the river. Last winter 'sale' sock yarn was a temptation, knowing that I would knit more socks this summer. I accumulated a treasure trove of amazingly beautiful and luscious sock yarn, but did not finish any socks this summer. Now it is Labor Day weekend, and my Tofutsies and Jitterbugs remain on my needles. I am pondering why the big slowdown in my sock knitting ~ perhaps because I have yet to knit a pair that I can wear with my every day shoes. Those wonderful finished socks of mine fit only in my hiking boots....which is why I am knitting the Tofutsies on size #1 needles to see if they will fit with shoes. We'll see... This picture is my treasure trove of amazing sock yarn ~ the glorious colors of Jitterbug, Lorna's Laces, Cherry Hill and Urban Gypze are stunning. I look at each and want to cast on all of them ~ so tempting are the colors and textures. Perhaps, I will work on the Tofutsies and Jitterbug tomorrow.
I've mentioned that I started a pair of socks on size #1 needles. These are the first pair on such small needles, as my smallest before were size #2. Probably not much difference, other than in my head (and more stitches going around, of course). I'm using Tofutsies yarn which I'd found on Ebay awhile back, and I thought it was time to try a "Size #1 Needle Experience" so here they are. My goal is that these socks will be able to be worn in my every day shoes. My other socks have all turned out to be too snug, so they are worn with my winter boots or my camping hiking boots I wear while camping.... but I'd really like some socks for every day wearing. I'll keep you posted on my progress. The yarn is thin but seems to be working well - beautiful greens and yellows, and my Addi Lace Turbos are the perfect needle for such thin yarn and itty bitty stitches. Of course I'm using the Queen Kahuna pattern for the beginning, and I'm thinking about several pattern options for when I arrive at the cuff..... More success later! I do love the Happy Birthday bag as a knitting bag, as every day knitting feels like a birthday gift!!!!
