Halfway Down the Stairs

Really, really closely!  Can you tell I've just figured out how to use the macro feature on my camera?  I am such a dork.

For once - the color in one of my photos is actually very true to the real thing.  At least on my monitor!

Pattern:   Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku  Yarn:  Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Mediumweight  Color:  Bella Coola  Needles:  US 1 - 2.25 mm  Started:  November 1, 2010  Completed:  January 21, 2011

Note: I started these socks just before I started on the Sockhead Hat Binge before Christmas, and they never really got going until after the holidays.  As much as I love the colors in STR, I really do not like knitting with the Mediumweight yarn.  The socks that result are often too heavy for most of my footwear.  I will say that this pattern was fantastic for the pooling that usually occurs with STR.  I may even be able to find a boy to wear these.

So - I'm sitting here listening to Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline because I'm feeling some retro country today.  

At the end of last year, I kept clicking onto Plucky's updates just a few minutes or a couple hours too late.  I really just wanted to try one skein of her sock yarn, but was having no luck whatsoever.  (She's actually got a few odds and ends up today for sale!)  Finally, I lucked upon a three month sock yarn club membership.  These three skeins arrived in my mailbox so fast and furiously that I never got around to showing them off.  So up above we have Sisters, the red is Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland) and ROUS.  Sisters is named for Rosemary Clooney & Vera-Ellen as the sister act in White Christmas and ROUS is ROUS (Princess Bride).  They are three different bases - but they are all wonderful.  Merino Lite, Primo and Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend, respectively.

Oh, and in case you were wondering - the inspiration for Sisters is pretty darn clear:

Pattern:   Brambles Beret by Amanda Muscha from Knitty  Yarn:  Brooklyn Tweed Shelter   Color:  Wool Socks  Needles:  US 5  Started:  January 6, 2011  Completed:  January 12, 2011

Note:  Well, I was very curious about this yarn, pictures I had seen showed a gorgeous range of colors.  Let's say I was not disappointed in the two skeins I ordered.  I would say the amount of vegetable matter is comparable to that of most Noro yarns (not my favorite, either vegetable matter or Noro).  Let's just say I'm not sure I would pay the price for a sweater's worth of this yarn, although I should never say never.  Also, 5 may have been a bit small for knitting with this yarn.  I've got to say that the  hat did block out beautifully.

I saw a shipment of Hazel Knits Sock Club* back in November and I really wanted the Coleus/Meadow shipment.  I joined for the minimum amount of time.  My December shipment was really quite breathtaking.  However, Collegeboy nabbed one of the skeins for his Sockhead hat as soon as I had it out of the package.  The little sheepie bag is delightful and I would like about a dozen of them.  Some day I hope to have a picture of the finished Sockhead hat I made for CB.  I won't be seeing him until April though, so it may be a while.

There are a couple things on the needles and I managed to collect a few, not great, pictures!

Yes, I know.  Not a great picture.  This is the beginning of Flint.   That is a Ravelry link.  Back in Novemver, I joined the Sweater For All Seasons pattern club, I plan on using these patterns to meet my goal of 4 sweaters this year!  I bought the yarn for this one (using the club discount), from Blue Moon.  The plan is to use stash for the remaining three patterns.   Progress has actually been made to 1/2 of the first sleeve.

 

This is a second sock.  A very boring second sock.  Simple Skyp Socks.  I may have overdosed on socks last year.  Luckily, my goal is only to knit one pair/month for 2011.  I think I can handle that.  Also, that is Mini-Chef on my iPod.  It's a free app and it takes minimal attention and I can play and knit at the same time.

The boys are off boarding in Michigan for the weekend so the dogs and I get to take care of my volunteer association's year-end books.  Yuk.  

Pattern:  Sybaritic by Hunter Hammersen  Yarn:  Lisa Souza Blue Faced Leicester DK  Color:  Valentine  Needles:  US 1 1/2 - 2.5 mm  Started:  November 1, 2010  Completed:  December 18, 2010

Note:  I started these as part of a November KAL, however I got sidetracked by half a dozen Sockhead hats for Christmas gifts.  This was the final pair of 2010!

Please accept my apologies.  In the meantime, the family Christmas looked like this:

 

I know, it looks crazy doesn't it?  Two are mine, three are my sisters and SIX are my brothers (three are only temporary).  The age range is 2 1/2 to 19!  You can see the evidence of my knitting on several of these young people, and they were quite happy to receive.  At the end of the day, I had requests for two more Sockhead hats.  One hat is finished and living in Vancouver already.

2010 Knitting Roundup

Kmkat posted a spreadsheet about her 2010 knitting mileage.  Well, that's just a personal challenge in my little brain, so I pulled some numbers from my Ravelry page.

I used a total of 16,988 yards of yarn or the equivalent of 9.65 miles of yarn! Many of the socks went into my sock gift basket and very few remained after Thanksgiving.  I picked out one pair to keep and the rest will be donated.  With the exception of most of the Sockhead hats, I also donated most of the hats.

My goal this year is to continue to use up my stash yarn - I hope to knit at least three hats in January. I  am participating in Samantha' Roshak's sweater KAL this year, so I plan to finish at least 4 sweaters and I hope to complete 12+ pair of socks.  Flint is the first sweater in this KAL and I am just about ready to start on the sleeves.  Hopefully, things will settle down a little so I can get some photos taken and share some WIP and an FO!  I barely got photos of most of the finished Sockhead Hats - believe it or not!

Well, the sun is shining, so I think I am off to take some photos!