Sunday, July 19, 2015

Year of Projects 5 Week 3

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

I'm pleased to report that I've got the first pair of socks for the Cookie A Sock Club June Shipment completed. And more than a little relieved.

The pattern is Apollonia, and I can't say I  enjoyed it much - entirely too much purling, too many YO eyelets, a pattern that ends partway on the instep and ends with plain stockinette foot and toe, and a shortish leg with no simple way to lengthen it - nope, not really my thing. It's a nice enough result but the knitting felt very tedious.

 The yarn is "Purple Rain" from Knitting Notions, and I can't say that I enjoyed that much either. The purple is so dark and so intense that it is actually blinding. "Loud" is what Gavin calls the colour. The pattern barely shows up unless you really peer at it, and you might want to get some sunglasses before you attempt that. Knitting at night or in low light was impossible. And it's a light fingering - quite thin - with no nylon so I'm not confident about how well these socks will wear.

Fortunately a coworker paused at my desk to admire the sock pattern and yarns so the finished socks have already found a new home.

With those socks off the needles it was time to cast on the second pair of socks for the Cookie A Sock Club June Shipment. This pattern is Revolution. So far the knitting is more interesting than the other pattern, although those six K3togs every fourth round are painful. Thank goodness those are carbon fibre needles, or I'd have snapped 'em by now! This pattern still has too many YO eyelets for my taste but we'll see what it looks like once it's knitted a little further. The yarn is Socky Talky from The Dye Guy who is a local dyer. The colourway is "Scottish Heather" ... still purple but I like this purple way more! A friend picked out the yarn asking that I knit a pair of socks for her Mom's caregiver, so these will be given away too!

My Vanilla Bean Striping socks for my July Charity Socks list are a bit further along too. The first tube is knitted and awaits its afterthought heel. The second sock hasn't been started yet. No love for Rhombus this week, but I hope to turn my attention to them as soon as I've got Revolution socks off the needles.

It's swelteringly hot here in Toronto. Is it wrong to have Freezies for lunch? Hope you're having a great weekend and see you next week!

11 comments:

Lucy Bowen said...

Your first socks are lovely, but that is strange about the pattern. Your latest ones look fabulous though - and love the colour.

Anonymous said...

On my computer, the purple looks very nice. The pattern is pretty too, but I agree...too much purine is too much.

Mona said...

The first socks look like they turned out pretty well. I don't think I managed to figure what the second sock pattern was.

Unknown said...

I'm not a huge fan of yo eyelets in socks either. They seem to make the socks too cold. Love the color of your second pair. The name is spot on.
Ann

Ruth said...

I'm sorry Apollina were such a disappointment in both pattern and yarn and I hope the next pair which look a lot nicer in both colour and pattern. How are those Karbonz to knit with? I've been looking at them for some time in the dpns and wondering if they'd be good for sock knitting or mitten knitting as I do all that in the round on dpns, any thoughts you have on them would be welcome.

Becki said...

Interesting that a color can be both dark and blinding. I can see it now that you described it that way. I do think it's pretty, but I realize what I'm seeing on my computer screen may not be exactly what you see.

I will say the Scottish Heather color looks wonderful!

WildflowerWool said...

Freezies are totally acceptable. I've been eating tons of ice cream in this heat. Summer seems to have finally arrived.

Leftycrafter said...

Your socks are one of the reasons I keep knitting socks. Yours always inspire me to try different things in the sock realm. Keep it up so I can keep it up!

Caffeine Girl said...

I admire you for finishing Apollina when they weren't much fun. I probably would have frogged. That Scottish Heather yarn is to die for! I hope this pattern continues to be more fun.

Stefanie said...

Sorry Apollina wasn't much of a fun knit for you. That loud purple is almost neon like of the 80's! Cringed at your mention of K3togs. But the final outcome looks really neat with the winding stitches that look almost like dropped ones. 86 degress F here but big breeze which helps.

Wanderingcatstudio said...

I agree - the second purple is much nicer!