the Akamai Knitter

I’ve got four days. Four days until I leave for Pennsylvania to visit with BFF Shelly.

I’ve got nine days. Nine days until we leave for the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.*

To put this in perspective, I haven’t been to the mainland in over ten years. Ten years! I’m a ball of nerves. Sticky taut nerves. I’m so excited I can barely sleep. I’m so terrified I can barely eat.

So what do I do to relieve the stress? I knit.

Pattern: Twisted Flowers Socks by Cookie A

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Pine

Needles: Size 1US / 2.25mm

Started: April 12, 2008

Finished: April 23, 2008

No modifications

These socks were so much fun to knit! I loved the traveling stitches and the flowing leaves. I love challenging sock patterns. The concentration it takes to follow the pattern excludes all other thoughts from my little brain. There is no room for stress over the upcoming trip or for how pathetic I am when I’m sick. And just when I start getting bored with the pattern, I’m done!

There was a hiccup as I started these socks when I was in the throes of the big bag flu and I failed to read through the pattern. So I did not rotate the beginning of the second pattern round.

Of course I didn’t realize my mistake until I had reached the heel flap. I tried to rip back to the end of the first repeat to correct myself, but I couldn’t get the stitches back on the needles. I ended up ripping back all the way to the ribbing. Oof. There goes half a sock.

No worries though as I enjoyed this pattern so much I didn’t mind the reknitting.

For as much as some people rave about Shepherd Sock, I’m a little ambivalent about it. It’s not very springy and I like it when my sock yarn has some elasticity. The Shepherd Sock almost reminds me of a cotton blend yarn.

Still, the Shepherd Sock gives magnificent stitch definition and shows off the pattern to perfection. It’s also incredibly soft. So I really shouldn’t complain.

Did you notice a creature encroaching in on my photos? Pressie just wouldn’t leave me alone during my photo shoot, so I thought I’d give her a little face time on the blog since she’s so rarely mentioned here.

Happy Thursday everyone! I’m going to try and post before I leave, if not see you wish me luck!

*If you’d like to meet up with me, leave a comment!

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After a week long battle with the flu, I’m back with a completed project.

Pattern: Gothic Spire Socks by Cookie A

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids in Burgundy

Needles: US 1 1/2 or 2.5mm (2 circs)

Started: June 6, 2007

Finished: April 12, 2008

No modifications.

I am so happy to have these socks finished! It’s not that I don’t like the way the pattern looks. I think it’s pretty nifty. It’s just those wrapped stitches. They irritated the crap out of me. It’s not that they were difficult or anything like that. They were just a nuisance.

For all my whining, in the end I think they were worth it. They give a lovely texture to the pattern and they’re definitely unusual.

I did like the yarn. Yes. The yarn I liked. It’s springy and tightly twisted, which gave the pattern some great stitch definition. It’s also shiny and soft. The color has a lot more depth then what the pictures are able to reflect. Reds are so hard to photograph. So really, what’s not to like?

It really does feel good to have these socks all wrapped up (ha!) and I’m feeling more like myself every day. I really got knocked for a loop last week. I was so sick that I didn’t touch my wheel all week. That’s a definite sign of illness. Though I really shouldn’t complain too much, at least I was able to knit.

Thank goodness I’m now able to sit at my wheel again and sleep through the night. Now I just need to catch up with email and blog reading. A week behind? Ouch.

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In an effort to clean up the cobwebs in my knitting basket, I dug up some old projects to decide whether or not they would live on.

There doesn’t seem to be a lot going on in this picture, but I didn’t include all the projects I already have on the go. This process wasn’t about how many knitting pies I have my fingers in. It’s more about whether I want to continue on with the ones that I’ve left on the wayside.

First up, is the ubiquitous Forest Path Stole that I started back in March of 2007. It’s been a very rocky relationship and I think it’s more then time for us to part ways. Unfortunately, an easy dissolution was not meant to be.

I got out my handy ball winder and set to it. I immediately ran into knots and the yarn kept breaking on me! I was left with little increments like these:

I got so frustrated, I gave up before I was halfway done. If anyone has any helpful hints on how to frog this monster, please let me know. I’d hate to have to toss the rest of the stole. It would be such a waste!

Next up, are the Gothic Spire Socks. I started these back in June 2007. I love the design, but the wrapped stitches really bugged me. So I put it away after I had finished the first sock and the ribbing of the second. In the spirit of Do or Die! I picked it up again this week and I managed to get most of the second sock done.

Finally, we have the Flower Basket Shawl that I started in August 2007. I’m really not sure what I’m going to do with this one yet.

My initial excitement has died down. While I love knitting with my handspun is great, I’m no longer thrilled with this particular yarn. It’s a little scratchy for my taste and I’m not sure that this pattern is right for the yarn. But I’ve gotten so much done that I don’t think it would be right to rip it all out. I’m probably going to try and finish it once I have a couple other shawl finished.

So there you have it, my little effort to eradicate my little pile of UFO’s into FO’s. Now if I could just finish my current WIP’s before they get relegated to UFO status too.

31 Comments »

This Saturday the Final Four played for the championship game. It was a historical event with all four No. 1 seeds playing against each other. The icing on the cake was that both of the teams I was rooting for won.

I could go on and on about the two games, but I realize that this is not a basketball blog. This is a knitting blog. So I won’t bore you to tears with my game analysis. ;-)

Despite the excitement, I did manage to get some knitting done during commercial breaks. And lo, a pair of socks were finished.

These socks are more a fraternal pair then an identical pair and I don’t mind at all. In fact, I think it adds a certain charm to it.

Pattern: Socks Of Kindness, A recipe

Yarn: My own handspun (Ravelry link)

Needles: Size US 1 / 2.25 mm

Started: March 26, 2008

Finished: April 5, 2008

Modifications: I used a French heel, aka round heel, via Heels By Number instead of the short row heel suggested in the pattern. I’m just a heel flap kinda gal. I’m very happy with the decision as it fits great.

I did stick with the spiral toe suggested in the pattern. I’m not sure if I’ll use it again, but I like how it turned out.

The second sock surprised me with a block of pink right near the ankle. You all know how I feel about pink, but I think my assimilation is nearing completion because I actually think it’s kind of pretty.

(No, Cookie. I still do not see pink lace in my future, but at this point anything is possible. Thinking back, I actually did make a shawl in pink. It was. Not. Fun. ‘Nuff said.)

With all the handspun goodness that I’ve been indulging in, I feel like my commercial sock yarn stash has been neglected. So I’ve cast on for socks in some of this. Pattern to be announced at a later date, because I like to keep you guessing.

Happy Monday everyone! GO MEMPHIS!

24 Comments »

Most of my time online has been spent on a Ravelry group called Spinner Central. No thanks to the lovely JudyMac, I’ve become addicted to the fiber from Enchanted Knoll Farm.

You may recall some singles I spun up earlier. They’ve now been transformed into a laceweight yarn totaling 1,040 yards from a 4 ounce batt. Shame on my camera for not picking up the sparkly Angelina fibers in it.

Gratuitous close-up shot.

I want to make a shawl, but I’m not sure what pattern. Most of the patterns I’m attracted to call for at least 1,100 yards. I may have to beg for more fiber to make up the difference. I’ll have to think on this for awhile.

Included in the package of the batts, Farm Witch put in a little sample of silk. It was a lovely surprise since I’ve never spun pure silk on my wheel.

I split the top lengthwise into two, so I could make a 2-ply and off I went.

Even though the silk had felted a little, I had a lot of fun trying out a new fiber on my wheel. I’m thinking that this yarn would make a lovely little case for Tarot cards or Moo cards.

My love affair with Enchanted Knoll Farm continued, because even though I’ll be going to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival, I could not resist another purchase. I lusted and coveted after this particular roving for a couple of weeks. I bothered and harassed my friends every day by showing them the listing on Etsy while the following conversations ensued.

“Isn’t this pretty?”

“Yes, you showed me that yesterday. And the day before.”

“Do you think I should get it?”

“Yes, I told you to get it yesterday. And the day before.”

It’s a wonder they didn’t clobber me with a blunt instrument.

I finally got the message and I finally purchased it. It came in the mail this week and I’ve been petting it and loving it ever since.

On one hand, I can hardly wait to spin this up and see what beautiful yarn it’ll produce. On the other hand, I love the unspun fiber so much that I hate to see it’s pristine state disturbed. But I do have plans for the yarn so I think the urge to spin it up will win in the end.

Because I can’t resist, I’m going to leave you with another feline picture. I give you Scheyer.

Happy Friday, you all! Have a great weekend. I plan on watching the Final Four and hanging out with the monkeys cats.

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