Sunday, January 18, 2015

Year of Projects 4: Stalagmite 02

KNIT. SOCK. LOVE. : BFF • Clandestine • Cusp • German Stockings • Gothic Spire • Hedera • In and Out • Lissajous • Marilinda • Mona • Monkey • Pointelle • Rhombus • Sake • Stalagmite • Stricken • Thelonious • Twisted Flower • Wedge

After 4+ weeks without a blog post you'd expect that I'd be further along on my first Stalagmite sock (a), but as soon as I reached the heel flap I put it aside to concentrate on Christmas knitting and other obligations. The good news is that the pattern is bold enough that it's not being overwhelmed by the variegation of the yarn. As soon as I clear the decks of everything else I'll get straight back to this!

b. A friend gifted me with three large bags full of yarn. Much of it I redistributed amongst the ladies of my knitting group and other friends, but there was a bag of Patons Chantal that was the perfect yarn for Susie Rogers' Reading Mitts. I made a pair for Linda, a pair for Lianne, another for Alexandra and one more set for Erin. That's been a very popular Christmas present!

c and d. I also promised Jane some fingerless gloves for Christmas however neither the yarn nor the pattern that I had made for others seemed suitable so I instead a made Colorblock Handwarmers from MadTosh Unicorn tails. The yarn is gorgeous - what stunning colours - but it's single ply so I hope they last! With the leftovers I made a few of these little hearts which actually worked up quite nicely and easily.

e. Actually before I made ^^ those ^^ mitts for Jane I made some Endpaper Mitts. I've had this pattern in my favourites forever it seems, so I decided to use up some leftover sock yarn and make a few pairs. After knitting a pair of these I'm not so keen on the pattern - I don't love the purl "seams" and the knitting was tedious in the extreme.

f and g. In a moment of complete madness I signed up for the Canadian Crazy Train - a sock knitting race that sees participants knit a sock, mail it and the remaining yarn to the next person down the line, then knit another sock to send to another person, and then receive two different single socks with yarn to knit their matches. I've knit and mailed two single socks and expect delivery of my first singleton early next week. The f sock is for Sandra in BC from the pattern "Off the Rails". The g sock is for Leslie in ON from the pattern "Kicking Horse Pass".

h. I also signed up for a Sock Sampler KAL. For January/February the designer is Hunter Hammersen so I've cast on and knit one Inlay sock. I don't know what kind of madness possessed me to choose this one ... I should have known that all those twisted stitches would make for another extremely tedious knit. Oh well, the socks will be beautiful when they're done!

i. And then there's the group I co-moderate on Ravelry... we have a C/KAL running through January and February to knit (or crochet) any of the multitude of versions of Baktus shawls. I cast on a Lacy Baktus yesterday using a DK wool/alpaca blend. As a co-mod I really thought I'd better get going with it! The pattern is extremely mindless and somewhat addictive so this may fly off the needles pretty quickly.

j. Last but not least, I'm trying to get all my WIPs done. Gavin bought me a subscription to the Cookie A sock club for 2015 for my birthday ... first yarn and pattern shipment expected in February! The plan is to finish the cat bed later today - it just needs sewing in of ends and felting.

Phew! Not much blogging but lots of knitting! And hopefully I have a quiet afternoon to catch up with everyone else in the blogosphere! Happy New Year!


12 comments:

Sam I Am...... said...

Wowee! amazing projects...where do I begin? I love the mitts and next year I'm thinking those will be on my list for presents. I love the socks and the name of The Canadian Crazy Train! LOL! I'm sure sometime in the future I'll want to make a pair of the Kickin' Horse socks just because of the name.
I need to make a cat bed...I'm so far behind, and it would be fun to join your C/KAL but I'm afraid I'm too late and too slow. You are so productive...send some my way...please! LOL! So glad to see you back you always get my motivation motor purring!

Wanderingcatstudio said...

You've certainly been busy! of that bunch, I think I like Endpaper the best!

Lucy Bowen said...

Wow, all those socks - you are so quick!! Love the idea of the crazy train. Think I love the colourblock mitts the best.

Leftycrafter said...

WOW! I got all tuckered out just reading all that you have done. You always have such beautiful socks and now I am envious of the mitts you have made. Can't wait to see what you get from the Cookie A club. I am sure it will be wonderful, though.

Samantha said...

You have done so much. They're all so pretty! I love the colorblock handwarmers. I've just added the pattern to my queue.

Stefanie said...

What a busy collage. Those Endpaper mitts are sharp. The Susie mitts are pretty. I could see those being worn on Downton. I like the color block mitts. I like how you had bold colors on top.

Anonymous said...

Inlay is AMAZING!

Anonymous said...

I'm exhausted just reading about all that! Glad the yarn is working out for A. I love Susies Reading mitts owning a pair myself they always seem to end up being my go to mittens although I do love the colour block in C. That sock train sounds like madness!, I like it :) Hope you can get all your wip's out of the way for your Cookie A club.

Gracey is not my name.... said...

Wow...you always astound me with your speed at projects.....so many gorgeous things....I was in the Cookie A club a couple years ago...didn't make a single sock, but it was also brand new to me...

Iris said...

Wow, all those projects! You have certainly been busy!!

Leyla - Silk and Wool said...

Lovely projects!I especially admire endpaper mitts!

Charne said...

My goodness! I was left breathless just reading your post! You got so much done and every single item is a beauty!!