Year of Project 5: Week 21

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

Yeah, I'm late with this post. Feels like I've been running a bit late for the last couple of weeks. But I'm happy to report that things are getting done and by next week I expect to be mostly caught up. At least that's the plan for now!

I've finished the second pattern for the Cookie A Sock Club October shipment - Love Me Tender. It's a pretty typical cuff down cabled sock with "lace" columns tucked between the cables. The cable is worked across 9 sts, accomplished by cabling six in one round, and then cabling another six a couple of rounds later. It's a pretty dramatic cable, that's for sure! As for the lace pattern, I worked the YOs through the back loop to close up the holes, so for me these lace columns are more a pattern of travelling stitches.

It's a nice enough pattern, although I don't much like the stockinette bands at the beginning and end of the instep stitches. And it was a fairly tedious knit. Still, it's a very nice pair of finished socks... although I wouldn't voluntarily shell out USD $6.50 for the pattern. Never mind my whining; just one more shipment and two patterns left in the Club year.

The yarn is Twisted by Studio June and it's fabulous to work with. The colour way is one of my faves - Turquoise - and the subtle tonal variegation plays very nicely with the pattern. If you're looking for some stash enhancement, check out the Black Friday Sale at Studio June Yarns ... 40% with coupon code BLACKFRIDAY40. If your willpower is at low ebb, then DON'T LOOK!!!!

The plan for the rest of this week is to finish Gavin's socks - pictures in the next post -  and make some progress on Clandestine sock two. We had snow on the weekend and I woke to icy roads and sidewalks this morning so it's been an abrupt shift from our week in Florida. Time to plan the next getaway!!

Year of Projects 5: Week 20

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

This blog post is actually mislabelled. Absolutely nothing has been done about my Year of Projects list in the last two weeks; not more than a handful of stitches. Oh well.

Gavin and I spent most of last week in Cocoa Beach, Florida. It was unseasonably warm with hot sunny days in the eighties and nineties - which suited Gavin just fine - and we stayed at a Motel that was right at the ocean - which suited both of us just fine. It was a great week!

The highlight of the week was meeting Dee of Tangled Up in Sticks and Strings on Wednesday. Dee's mascot Flo had some influence in choosing my gifts, I'd guess! There's a beautiful skein of Lorna's Laces in a "Flamingo Stripe" colourway along with a Florida flamingo-themed mini Starbucks cup ornament. Too cute! And so appropriate too, because if you follow Dee's blog you'll know about Flo the Flamingo and you'll know that Dee likes her 'Bucks!

While visiting with Dee we visited Knit N Stitch in Cocoa Village - where I came away with more yarny goodness - and lunched at Pub Americana. It was all fantastic. As a vegetarian I'm very appreciative of a pub where you can pick your own protein! I had a Portobello burger, if you were wondering. Gavin and I also each enjoyed a pint of Oatmeal Stout craft beer from the Cocoa Beach Brewing Company. That was fantastic too... so good in fact that it prompted a visit to the Cocoa Beach Brewing Company tasting room later in the week for more!

If you had asked me yesterday I'd have told you that I was considering the Vanilla Latte pattern for that skein of Lorna's Laces. But today I'm feeling more inclined towards Mystik Spirals. I love the last pair of Mystik Spirals that I knit from scraps, but I think I'd love the pattern even more in self-striping yarn. Fun!

While at Knit N Stitch the staff directed me to a selection of locally dyed yarn by The Fiber Seed. I picked out a short-striping "Hollyhock" colourway. No pattern in mind yet, but suggestions are welcome!

I had another skein from The Fiber Seed in my hands, but when Gavin pointed out this ball of Fame Trend I went with that. It doesn't look or feel like sock yarn - it's very soft, seems underspun and has a very fuzzy halo - but it's very similar to Katia Darling from which I knit one of my very favourite pairs of sock ever, so I'm optimistic. I picked up a set of bamboo needles - which made it through airport security screening without any trouble - and cast on a pair of simple ribbed socks. I can't wait to get these socks on my feet!!!

Looks like there won't be any progress on my Year of Projects list this week either!

Year of Projects 5: Week 18

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

For most of the past week I've been knitting baby sweaters. I bought three balls of baby yarn, which is enough for 9 sweaters (3 pink + 3 blue + 3 grey) so that's the plan. No point in having leftover yarn. These little sweaters knit up so quickly that it hasn't even started to become tedious yet, even though four are done and a fifth has been started. My cousin's husband leaves for England at the end of November so I've got just over three weeks to complete and deliver them. Shouldn't be a problem.

Aside from baby cardigans the remainder of my knitting time has been devoted to the second pattern for October from the Cookie A sock club - "Love Me Tender".  I turned the heel and started on the foot last week at work. I'm hoping to finish sock one today so that the coworker for whom this pair is intended, can try one on. I'm not entirely sure of her shoe size so I'm not sure how long to knit the foot. I'm knitting this pattern pretty much as written other than I'm working the YOs through the back loops to close up the holes. It'd be lovely to get these off the needles and gifted before my vacation week after next, but that might be overly ambitious. We'll see.

And with baby cardis and Love Me Tender socks taking priority it looks like Clandestine will remain on the back burner for another few weeks. No deadline to complete them though, so I'll pick them back up once I've cleared the decks again. And I'd better start thinking about a vanilla sock for charity for November as well. Right now I'm leaning towards Vanilla Latte Socks in a self-striping yarn or Betula Socks in a solid colour.

It's been a lovely mild morning so far and it looks like a beautiful fall day is on the way, so I'll be outside enjoying it! Have a great day!