Strings & Yarn

Sorry I’ve been away so long. If you left a comment it’s not here, it probably got erased accidentally. I had over 2,000 spams to go through today, so I decided that they were all going to be erased. Hopefully as I get used to my new schedule, blogging will be more regular again.

I’ve finished my Sock Knitters Anonymous Challenge for August. I know, it’s not August anymore, but we have until September 30th to get them done. Here they are!

Even though I didn’t get them up on the blog in time, I actually finished these in time for Summer of Socks as well. Just barely. I only did 1 1/2 pairs of socks this summer! I guess I was more concentrated on lace.

I pretty much always use the Grumperina way to pick up stitches. I find that it makes a very neat and tidy way of picking up stitches. I wanted to include a picture of the heel so that because I love the way they look and feel. If you haven’t tried this yet, click over and see what it’s about.

This was my first STR experience, and of course, like everyone else, I love it. It really helped make these socks fly by.

I also have goodies to give away!

Woohoo! It’s time for a blogiversary contest. This is some of my own hand-dyed fiber and sock yarn. The sock yarn is 100% Superwash Merino, 3 ounces and about 400 yards. The fiber is 100% Merino, 4 ounces. So what do you have to do to win the wonderful squishyness? Name the colorway!

If you’ve been to my shop, you’ll see that I name all of my colorways after classical music. Since not everyone is as familiar with classical music, I want to open it up to any song. That means it can be disco, rock n’ roll, r & b, soul, jazz, heavy metal, whatever! You just have to make sure to find a song you think matches this color well. Please include if you would prefer the sock yarn, fiber, or either. I will put all entries into a hat and pick for each one. The contest will end a week from today on October 4th at noon pacific time.

Can’t wait to see what songs you come up with!

Time for something non-knitting. Anthony and I are devoted This American Life listeners. I have a secret (or not so secret) crush on Ira Glass. I also think that Anthony will look somewhat like him in 10 - 15 years. Anyhoo, a few weeks ago they featured a segment off of Radio Lab. We liked it so much that we started downloading Radio Lab too, and if we didn’t sound like NPR junkies before, we certainly do now.Every time we are at a party or a social function, somehow this show comes into the conversation. Radio Lab is a show that explains the science of life. They explore topic such as Sense of Self, Morality, Beyond Time and Mortality. Anthony and I listen to them together so we can have discussion, often times pausing in the middle.

I have to say this is one of the many reasons I love Podcasts so much. I love that we have access to shows we wouldn’t normally know about, can listen to them when it’s convenient for us, and stop in the middle if need be to discuss what we just heard.

I immediately felt that Radio Lab was an audio version of Good Eats. They both explore things by look at them through science and they have great little sound effects to make the point more interesting.

Have any podcasts/radio shows you regularly listen to? I’m always looking for something new to listen to while knitting away.

I’ve been working on my August challenge for the Sock Knitters Anonymous on Ravelry.  It took me awhile to find a pattern that I liked, but I finally decided on Nancy Bush’s Fancy Silk Sock for a Child of 5 or 6.  Of course, this sock is adult size and destined to be for a friend.

This was the first time I’ve used Socks That Rock.  The colorway is Tidepool and it was one of my great finds at the Black Sheep Gathering.  I never really mind pooling, and have been very happy with the way the colors look on the pattern.

The requirement for August was Lace or a Sockbug pattern.  I’ve done the River Rapids pattern and loved it, but many of the Sockbug patterns are to big for me.  Typically 64 sts is to many.

I am very happy with how quickly this pattern is knitting up and am excited about finishing them up!  I’m already thinking about what I’m going to make for the September Challenge.

I started this cardigan in March as a spring break project.  The pieces were done quickly, but the it sat unfinished for awhile.  Partially because it was just to hot to wear anything like this sweater.  Now that it’s starting to cool down, I’m looking forward to wearing it.

This is the front.  It’s full of cabley goodness and it was quick to knit up.

Always need a good picture of the buttons.  I got these at a local thrift store for 50 cents.

The back of the cardigan with the center panel.  This sweater was originally supposed to be two things; a sweater to knit while reading and a sweater to knit while in the hot tub.  The hot tub was for spring break in the vacation home we were staying in and reading was to have an easy knit to fill some time on the trip.  I know I heard you all gasp, “how would you take a knit into the hot tub!  Quick call the knitting police, this woman has committed yarn abuse!”  I will say, I didn’t actually take it into the hot tub, but the reason it would have been able to is it is made of craptastic acrylic and I love it all the same!

There I’ve admitted it! I do knit with Red Heart.  I wanted this sweater to be something that I could throw in the wash and it would be easy to take care of.  I cost me about $5 to make and I love it.  It keeps me warm, it’s not the softest, but neither is a lot of wool.  I am however thinking of knitting it again, in a nicer yarn to write and offer the pattern.  Any suggestions for yarn that is about the same weight as my beloved Red Heart?