Firebird Socks

I just finished the June socks from the Rockin Sock club. I worked them top-down according to pattern except for the toe, which I did as normal stockinette instead of short-rowed garter stitch. It should keep them from being too bulky around my toes.

I've photographed them out in the garden as it's quite a lovely sunny day out there:

More of the Shawl Mystery

Clue three was released this week and I spent much of the afternoon working on it. I finished just in time to get a photo in the waning afternoon sunlight.



It's definitely looking like "something" but I can't for the life of me think what the theme might be. Obviously the faggoting is making very clear points. Not sure if that has a meaning or not. Hum. Oh, and to answer Jessica's question from last week since I don't have a great way to respond to comments--The beads are indeed red.

In other knitting news, a couple weeks ago I finished the knee socks I was making with the April yarn from the rockin sock club. This was the "silkie" wool/silk blend and it feels diving. I have to use straps as garters to keep them up though. I might thread in some elastic instead.

My apologies for the poor photo. There wasn't any good light and I haven't persuaded brent to take another photo on a better day.

A bad blogging spell

I've been on a bit of a bad blogging spell, and truly bad knitting too. I haven't knit much, though I've purchased more yarn (who can help it?). I did eventually rip out the grasshopper sock I was working on before, and reknit it. I'm nearly finished with sock number 1:



I'm using the over the knee socks pattern from Handknit Holidays, but made mine just knee socks instead of over-the-knee. The detail on the back is a bit lost in the striping of the yarn, but that's OK--it keeps me interested in the pattern at least.

In addition, I happened to win a contest on the STR Rockin Sock Club blog! I got a prize of a lightweight STR skein of Lunasea:

Sock Club Time!

The BMFA Rockin Sock club kit for april has arrived! The yarn is a new wool/silk blend that has a lovely barber-pole effect due to the different dyeing properties. I don't have any great pictures of the colorway, but here's what I do have:

"Walking on the Wild Tide" colorway, and Grasshopper sock pattern


Of course I couldn't handle waiting to cast on, so here's my progress thus far. I've just finished the heel and am starting on the leg part. It's still yet to be determined whether I'll do the knee highs or normal sock length. I think I'd like to do the knee highs, but the pattern is a little boring so I'm not sure.

Inside Out Socks

With the big shawl done, I had a chance to finish up my February Sock kit socks from the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin Socks Club. The pattern was interesting. I hadn't ever worked reversible cables before. They're not identical on each side, but are equally attractive.



The one on the top is "right side" out, while the lower one is "inside out". They're made with Socks that Rock Mediumweight at a very tight gauge. I used up very nearly the entire hank.

Anyway, I like trying the patterns with the yarns they sent, but seriously this isn't a great match. The colorway is entirely too busy for the cabling and doesn't look very good. It would work much better on a solid or near solid.

Now I think I'll finish up a pair of socks that's been sitting around nearly done for 6 months or so. They're bright and cheerful, in a red/yellow colorway from Artyarns I think.

A lesson learned

I bound off on the first STR sock today. Though I had tried it on a few rows into the leg pattern, I didn't realize how the fit would be affected by finishing the rest of the leg. I can hardly get it on. The cables on the leg have reduced the stretch to almost nothing.

I also have a lovely example of how gauge affects patterning of hand-painted yarns:

The foot is done on size 0 needles, and a little ways up the leg, I switched to size 1. Very clearly, the 0's pool, and the 1's stripe. I prefer the stripes, but the pooly parts are going to be in my shoes anyway, and the fit is nice and snug, so I wouldn't want to go up a needle size there.

I've set the poor sock aside for now, but when I'm feeling fortified, I'll rip it back to the start of the leg and rework it on size 2's so I can actually get them on and off. No idea what the yarn will do on size 2's yet :)

Off to work on the Clover Shawl for a bit instead.

In progress

I've been working along on the "Three Cornered Shawl in a Clover Leaf Pattern" from Victorian Lace Today. Here's my progress so far, at the end of the first repeat of chart C. I'm hoping I'll have enough yarn. Too soon to tell as I'm not finished with the first ball yet.



And here's my progress on the STR Monsoon colorway sock from the Rockin Sock club. Well, I think we all know what it looks like.

Rockin Sock Club

I happened to get my bonus at work this year just in time to use some of it to subscribe to the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin Socks club. I get a skein of yarn and a sock pattern every 2 months. I got my first one a couple days ago, and just started the sock last night. I have a toe done.

The color is called "Monsoon" and is a nice blend of greens, browns, and blue-grays. I like the feel of the yarn a lot too.

I've also been stalking the messageboards for the sock club. Oh Lordy, people there are insane! They're going nuts when they get their packages, etc. I was excited to get mine, but not to the point of stalking the postman. Sheesh. I'm beginning to think this is a crazy cult.