This week I've split my attention between Necker and a new pair of Vanilla socks.Necker first. Sometimes just casting on the second sock is significant progress I find, and I've cleared that hurdle now. I've knit the cuff and started the patterning on the leg so I'm well underway. If I can find knitting time here and there this week then I hope to finish this pair this week. It's a very easy pattern, and very easy to pick up and put down, so this should be do-able. If you have a minute, it's worth the time to click the pattern link and check out some of the projects worked in two colours. A pretty dramatic effect is creative. Right now I'm thinking about doing the pattern a second time in two colours, although probably with less dramatic contrast than some of the projects shown on Ravelry.
In keeping with my Year of Projects goal to knit alternate fancy patterns with vanilla patterns I cast on a pair of Pure Vanilla socks to use some problematic variegated yarn along with various solid and semi-solid grey scraps. I've worked about 4" of leg, but the stockinette is too inflexible to stretch over my heel so I'm ripping back to the cuff and starting over on larger needles. I'm really happy with how the alternating rounds of grey are quieting the variegated colourway though! The cream colour used in the cuff was amongst the yarn scraps I was given by a fellow Raveller. It's super soft but I'm not convinced there's nylon in it, so I think it's best saved for cuffs.
As for our cottage, thanks for all the great feedback and congratulations! It's not directly on the water - we're the third house back - which made it more affordable for us. The front deck has a clear view down the street to the Lake, so it's good enough for me. The big thing for us was how well done many of the recent renovations were. The cottage has been lifted onto concrete piers in the last several years so there are no dampness issues. The electrical was all professionally redone to 100amp service - the home inspector was very impressed that there were NO code violations whatsoever. The pump is new, the high efficiency gas furnace is quite new, the air conditioner is new, so we won't need to do anything for years. The roof and building structure are in good shape, in excess of code, and it's fully winterized, although the home inspector did say it'd benefit from more insulation in the attic and spray foam insulation in the crawl space around the concrete piers. I'll try to get more and better pictures this weekend for my next update.
19 comments:
Your socks are looking great. The cottage sounds so wonderful.
Congratulations on your cabin! It sounds perfect.
I can't wait to retire, either!
Your socks look great. And thanks for suggesting clicking through the links to see examples of how dramatic some can be. That pattern makes some truly amazing optical illusions. Yay for a house that doesn't need much done to it. It sounds like a great arrangement where it's located.
Necker are looking great and when you use two tones, it's a completely different feel to it. I like the two tone blue which is less dramatic than say the black and white, now they are awesome and yet classic in their contrastness. I do love also how your grey is toning down that variegated, I like the effect. Can't wait to see more of your lake house :)
Necker is amazing!
I took a look at the necker socks......wow, that is quite dramatic in more than one color. I do like themonotoneyou are doing. Plain vanilla socks are a great item for mindless work and seems to relieve stress. Like the colors onthemindless socks too.
Loving both pairs of socks and yes they look very striking using two colours. Will look forward to seeing how yours turn out if you go for two colours. I like how you have mixed it up with your colours in your vanilla socks too. Leah x
How lovely to own a cottage near the water. Glad it was in great condition. I love the fushia of the first sock. You are so right about getting over that hurdle of casting on the second sock. I like how this mix of grey yarns is coming out on the second pair of socks.
When you do your alternating colors, do you carry the other color down or cut it every round...My inclination would be to carry it down but then you'd have a bumpy seam thingie...meh, whatever.
I love the red yarn. I am starting some socks from Tour de Sock with a similar colour. It is one of my favourites.
I like the variegated look of your vanilla socks too.
those socks are looking awesome! And congrats on the cottage, not every cottage needs ot be right on the water. My in laws have a cottage that is on 14 acres but not on any water, and we love it there.
Love your necker, but the two tone are awesome. Your alternating vanilla are great too and the house sounds more and more amazing.
Really like your socks and yes they look very striking with two colours, if you decide to do two colours I will look forward to seeing what you create. I also like how you have mixed it up with the yarns in your second pair. Leah x
The socks are great. I really like the colors. A cottage on the lake sounds wonderful. It will be a nice place to knit.
Great socks. I shall follow the link and see if a novice knitter can do these.
Wow, those socks are super cool in two colors! I've only knit one pair of socks and it was hard lol I really need to work on knitting and improve my skills. Your work looks great. I took a class a long time ago for knitting sicks and they are still around here somewhere, still on the needles and I even started a second pair in a different colorway with both socks started at the same time (toe up) but I never did finish them. I'm so bad at staying focused on things like that. I've crocheted since I was a kid so I always tend to revert back to what I know better.
I am envious of all your gray sock yarn scraps. I have a weakness for gray yarns. That and white lace weight so am pretty monochromatic. Your plain vanilla socks look anything but. Just gorgeous.
Necker is GORGEOUS!
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