A pair of socks...
Look – a pair of socks!:
Pattern – from Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns: Basic Designs in Multiple Sizes and Gauges by Ann Budd using picot edging (not that you can see it!).
Yarn – Opal Rodeo
Needles – 4×2.5 dpns
They are finally finished. To be honest I can’t say I’m very happy with them – they’re baggy (I didn’t realise the “subtract 10%” part of the “measure, multiply by gauge and subtract 10%” rule when I started them), and I’m afraid it feels like cheating to have used self-striping yarn – and I’m not mad on the colours. But if I ignore all that – hey!!! I knitted a pair of socks!!!! And I will wear them (I’m wearing them now) – and I don’t need to be all prissy about keeping them nice, as they’re just sloppy socks for wearing round the house – or hiding in boots when I want a secret to cheer me up.
A number of people have asked me about the yarn I used for Swatch (so-called because I couldn’t justify starting another project, but swatching is surely essential? No?)- it’s Kauni handpainted Estonian wool from here. It is a German website, but Uta was very helpful and was happy to email me in English. (I just about managed to fill in the order form with lots of help from an online translator, but I wrote what I really meant in the comment box just to be sure lol.) I love the subtle colour gradations – and having checked the URL for the link, I’ve just seen that she has a whole load more colourways in – I want, I want, I WANT!!
I’m a slightly heartbroken Mummy at the moment – Ruth doesn’t love me. She loves Adam, she loves Daddy, but she doesn’t love Mummy. 
To be honest, I don’t believe a word of it, but still…
Oh, and having finished one pair of socks, I’ve already cast on for another pair – this time for Adam (dinky little socks – should grow quickly 
) – they’re sort of what I remember Thuja to be like, but can’t be bothered to look up properly…
And I’ve ordered a cone of Cotton Cashmere from Coldspring Mill (yes, if you follow the link you’ll find a camping shop, but they have yarn in the basement – cones of Debbie Bliss stuff for 1/4 the RRP – if you email them they will send you a list of what they have in stock – and if you phone them you can hear them running up and down stairs as they coordinate yarn and payment!) for a jumper for John. Again, I’m thinking some sort of not-quite-rib – probably K5P1 alternated with K knitted in the round.
And I’ve balled the Opal Handpainted ready for knitting my Sockapalooza socks – it’s definitely got a Jekyll and Hyde personality – in artificial light it looks drab and boring – in daylight it looks bright and vibrant.
I’ve been listening to lots of Brenda Dayne’s podcasts – Cast on – sadly I’m almost up to date, so I shall have to start waiting until the next one is produced before I can get my next fix. Still, there are lots of other ones for me to try. (See Brenda’s sidebar for a list). I love what she has to say – especially her Knitters’ Manifesto.
Oooh – hello Daisy – sorry for reposting this – my first attempt was interrupted by bathtime!
four comments:
Your socks look groovy even if they are baggy! And I’m sure you’ll appreciate the warmth if it’s as cold with you as it is here!Daisy () (link) - 28 February '06 - 21:16
Hee hee that’s funny! Hope bathtime went well. I’d forgotten about the Coldspring person running up and down the stairs! Did you get lots of comments about how fit she was going to be soon with all this yarn buying to sort out?!Daisy () (link) - 28 February '06 - 21:43
Hey, handknit socks are handknit socks!Peeve () (link) - 02 March '06 - 22:07
Knit Durrow for John! It has looked great in all the pics I’ve seen of it, and I’m not going to knit it, but it’d be fun to watch you do it! Vicarious knitting….Mary de B () (link) - 03 March '06 - 10:04
