Tour de Sock Round 2

Unfortunately this round was kind of a failure. There is an air of mystery surrounding the challenge because we (as the knitters) have no idea what the pattern is going to look like. We get an estimated yardage count and how many extras we have to have and then it's a waiting game until it's released.

Our mystery this stage was these amazing colorwork socks Kanteletar! Here's the down-low, I am not a color work knitter nor am I a chart knitter. Written instructions just work so much better for my brain function, but compete I did. Until I realized that I missed repeating a chart...in the cuff.

I was going to complete the sock in our allotted nine days, until I measured the sock against its mate to see if I could start the foot chart and realized the leg was short. I ripped back half the freakin sock!

So I've committed to working on the colorwork sock when I complete each stage early so that they will be done by the end of the competition. If I don't do this I'm not sure that they will get completed, but I really want some new Christmas socks! We got round 4 Monday night so I've been knitting my fingers off! Also, look at the cute new bag I made!

Cozy Memories

Sock yarn is my all-time favorite weight of yarn to work with. Be that as it may, I have a lot of remnants from socks and other fingering weight projects, mostly shawls. I first started with a Beekeepers quilt and quickly realized that it would be too hot for California AND I had to seam all the pieces together....That was a no-go for me.

I started my sock yarn scrap blanket (cozy memory) is April of 2015. I'm using a US 3 nameless metal double points and casting on/picking up 16 stitches per each side. My squares are pretty tiny but they don't take much time to make.

I'm not really following any specific pattern, I K2TOG in the middle and K2TOG through the back loop after the stitch marker. I really like the way they come together down the middle. The size that I'm shooting for is a little bit larger than a twin size bed. I want to be able to tuck it under my feet and up over my shoulders without having to stretch it. Going for that size, I'm about half way done.

I haven't been specific about the yarn that is going into the blanket other than it needs to be fingering weight. I also haven't been specific about the placement of the colors for my squares. They are a jumble of colors and I absolutely love it! I work on this when I feel like it but I will be knitting more when I get back to the States. The sock yarn swappers group is doing #summerofsquares2016 KAL so I'll be slowly updating my blanket as I participate.

Try and stay cool! - Sierra

WIP's Wednesday

Thought I would do an update on the projects that I'm currently working on. I've finished a lot of projects recently but still have a few languishing WIP's and a couple new ones.

I'm working on another baby gift set for a co-worker, it's a boy! She works at the quilting storefront of my job and this is her second grandson, Skylar. Went with my usual bib, baby size garter squish, and I'm about halfway through the hat.

I also have a semi-new sock WIP. I started these as social knitting for a women's conference I was attending at my church. These are luxury socks for me because the content of the yarn is superwash merino, alpaca, silk, and nylon. I can't wait to get these on my feet!

Along with this sock wip I'm still working on the socks mentioned in this post...second sock syndrome strikes. Thankfully Tracie and Jodi from Grocery Girls Podcast are doing a second sock KAL this summer that I plan to join #singlesocksummerkal

I haven't started another shawl, but I did start a scarf wrap hybrid. I've knit about 5 inches of it but I've decided to knit on it while I'm in Germany so it's going to sit for a bit.

One of my good friends that I work with just moved into a new apartment! So excited for her! Claire is amazing and makes me laugh multiple times a day so I decided she did a little hand made for her new place. She is a wonderful quilter and a fledgling knitter, but her best talent is her cooking and baking. She's a genius, so I knit her some wash/dish cloths in her favorite color. I only need to weave in the ends and sew a button on. (I have a third washcloth but I can't find it...)

Fun knitting times in the life of Sierra. I'm trying to clear some projects out because I leave in 6 days!

WIP's Wednesday

As most knitters I have at least 4-10 projects going at a time. One hard, one simple, socks, shawl, sweater, long term, baby knit; the list goes on. I'm always impressed by monogamous knitters. I don't have the restraint or the attention span.

For the last month I have been knitting down my WIP's so I don't feel the pressure when I cast on something new. There is no actual pressure to finish everything, but mentally too many projects gets overwhelming. I also was sick of seeing that WIP box on Ravelry, the FO box is much nicer. (Though the ones without pictures mock me.)
   

I currently have six projects cast on in various stages of being worked. I have one longer term WIP which is my sock yarn scrap blanket. This was cast on in April of 2015, this is my longest standing project on the needles right now.

I'm working on three pieces of neckwear, the Kumara Cowl, ImagiKnit Scarf, and Castra. The Kumara cowl is my concentration project with charted two-color color work in the round. ImagiKnit and Castra are both fairly easy. These will all get their own post when completed. Some of them may be waiting a while.

As always, I also have a pair of socks on the needles. This is the same pair I talked about in my post about Park City. Still chugging along on these, they go fairly quickly if I am able to focus on them for a time. The last project currently on the needles is another baby set. One of the women who works at the quilt shop portion of my job is having another grand baby. I'm knitting practically the same gift as Baby Halley but in boy colors. Pretty lengthly list but slowly and surely being worked on.

Building Blocks

The shop I work at is hosting a skill building class based on the book Building Blocks by Michelle Hunter. This is a beginners class designed to build basic knitting skills and confidence. Half of knitting is having the confidence to try something new, stretch your skills and be willing frog when needed.

While I am not taking the class, I am participating with the shop and knitting my block of the month. I chose six colors that look great together and will do two blocks of each color.

I chose to start with green (Color 058, Lucky Green) (my favorite color) for the first block. The yarn we are using as a shop is Simpliworsted by HiKoo which is a wool/acrylic/nylon blend. It is deliciously soft and springy yarn while also being easy care, can't get better than that! The pattern isn't particularly difficult, none of them are, but is a nice soothing easy knit. The pattern does keep it interesting enough that I'm not bored either, something I can appreciate.

While taking my photos our outside cat Koby decided to come for a visit and beg for food. He just wanted to stop in and say hi while sticking his feet in my photos. He is the most laid back cat in the world, our stoner cat.

I'll update on how my blocks are going each month! I'm lagging behind, my mom and some of my knit night ladies have already finished their blocks! I've done about 3 repeats...better work on that soon.

Finishes & Starts in Park City

My family and I visited Park City, Utah in the last week of March. It took us much longer driving from Cali to Park City than it took going back, I definitely blame the snow storm that followed us across the states.

Anyway, we were in Park City for four days without internet so a lot of knitting commenced. And reading The Friday Night Knitting Club, which I'm really enjoying! I was able to finish what I call my Disney Socks, Disney Socks because the pattern is Anastasia Socks and the yarn is Little Mermaid color way by Schaefer.

 

I felt a little sacrilegious combining the two disney aspects together...but not really. I really enjoyed this pattern though I opted not to do the toe in the pattern just using my regular Judy's Magic Cast-On. 

I really like that the swirl pattern was opposite on each sock, made it feel like it wasn't the exact same pattern. I would consider the yarn more of a sport weight than a sock, it weighed 140 grams for 405 yards, though I stayed with my usual US 1.5 needle. They are so soft and squishy! I didn't really love the color of the yarn until I started the socks, it definitely grew on me. Because the yarn is so squishy I had considered a shawl but these are not my colors. 

All in all I really enjoyed working with this yarn, too bad it's discontinued! I finished these on our last night in Park City so I cast on another pair with some of my favorite sock yarn. Knit Picks Felici, in Tea Party (can you see my color mood here?); In my knitting bag Spring has arrived! 

I cast on Nemesis by Susan Dittrich, I don't usually pair self-striping yarns and complicated patterns because you can't really see them, why put all that work in if you can't show off the pattern? Tea Party is so pastel that the pattern stands out! 

This is a charted pattern which started out a bit difficult for me, I much prefer a written to charted pattern. But after completing two full repeats I'm not having any difficulty with the pattern. I'm struggling a little with the fact that I do have to make a second one... they will get done. 

I'm keeping up with my goal of at least one pair per month for the year. I'll keep you updated!