Sunday, October 11, 2015

Year of Projects 5: Week 15

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

COOKIE A SOCK CLUB: June #1 • June #2 • August #1 • August #2 • October #1 • October #2 • December #1 • December #2

VANILLA SOCKS FOR CHARITY: July • August • September • October • November • December • January • February • March • April • May • June

Wait... what? Where'd that pair of Vanilla Socks come from?!

Well ..... the other day I was designing a custom t-shirt for my brother-in-law and discussing with Gavin the size of the blank t-shirt I should buy. Gavin inspected the design, decided he wanted one too, so he said I should buy TWO blank t-shirts, size large.

No, I responded, I have a 50% off coupon for ONE regularly priced item; I will be buying ONE t-shirt.

However, at Michael's I find that the t-shirts are BOGO, so two t-shirts it is, but what to do with the 50% off coupon?

A few minutes later, I'm in the sock yarn aisle with a ball of Kroy Grey-Brown Marl (166 yds) in my hand imagining it paired with a single orphan ball of Kroy 4ply (203 yds) in my stash to make a single pair of socks.

And voilà, a pair of somewhat striped vanilla socks were the result... as well as a t-shirt for my brother-in-law and a matching t-shirt for Gavin. Win, win, win.

Aside from those vanilla socks, I've also made a bit of progress on Mystik Spiral Socks. Sock one is almost done. If I follow the pattern as written it's half a dozen more rounds on the leg and then a cuff. Hmmm, won't that be a bit short? Right now I'm thinking about making the leg a stripe or two longer and then making the cuff a bit deeper than written. The colour scheme of these socks is pretty crazy, but I'm kinda loving the result. For my next pair - and I'm pretty sure there will be a next pair - I think I'll reel off smaller balls of scraps for narrower stripes. I think the spiralling will look even crazier with more stripes.

Clandestine Sock Two has been largely ignored. Maybe next week? Probably next week! I'm house-sitting for my sister from Tuesday to Thursday, and likely commuting back and forth to work on transit, so I expect to have lots of time to knit.

In other news the yarn for the October shipment of the Cookie A Sock club has arrived. The yarn is gorgeous, but I'm not too sure about making socks from it. It's Paulie from Shalimar Yarns - a fingering weight blend of merino, silk, cashmere and camel. Will it be durable enough for socks? Won't the socks be too warm? How well will those fibers wash and wear? My inclination at the moment is to trade or sell it for something more suitable for socks. What do you think?

The club patterns come out tomorrow. I have a terrible nagging fear that the pattern will be for bed socks. Fingers crossed that I'm wrong.

11 comments:

Ruth said...

Love the vanilla socks, I just love those colours and I can't wait to see more of those spiral socks.

Becki said...

I love your impromptu vanilla socks. And great score on two T-shirts for the price of one. Leaving that coupon you had to use on some more yarn. Woot!

Lucy Bowen said...

The mystic spiral socks are gorgeous, what a wonderful colour combination. Also love the impromptu stripey socks, a bargain as well!

Stefanie said...

I love those Michael coupons. One time I paid two separate transactions so my daughters could utilize one for some cotton, dishcloth yarn. I love the spiral socks. They are fantastic. The colors are bold, eye candy! That new yarn looks interesting. I like its content. You wouldn't make a shawl from that?

Renee Anne said...

I got my skein the other day, too, and I had the same thoughts. But, I think I can go for a little shawlette or something instead. Maybe combine it with another skein of Shalimar and making something with stripes. Who knows.

Wanderingcatstudio said...

Love the vanilla socks

I wouldn't recommend that other yarn for socks...they probably won't wear well and in addition will most likely stretch out of shape. That blend is much more suited to a shawl or something that requires drape.

Anonymous said...

I love your Kroy match-up. Very pretty (or maybe handsome is a better desciption).

The Cookie A. yarn is nice too.

WildflowerWool said...

I recognized that Kroy striped yarn right away, lol! Great use of one ball.

Iris said...

Love the vanilla socks, makes me want to start a pair myself... (which I WON'T do, because with the to-do list I have before Christmas that way lies trouble, but still, one can dream...)

Alittlebitsheepish said...

The socks were obviously meant to be :)

Lovely red stripes and I think you may well be right about the bedsocks. The yarn sounds gorgeous though, but one for a shawl or cowl perhaps?

Kim said...

Win, win, win for sure. The vanilla socks look wonderful--such a pretty palette. I still want to find some sock knitting mojo but as of right now it is doing a good job eluding me!
xoxoxo