Adventures in Sock Knitting

I actually finished these a couple days ago, but since I have been really busy I didn't photograph or post them until today.



They were made with the rest of my Opal zebra yarn. I foolishly believed I had enough for a pair of adult socks, but I didn't so if anyone has a kid with feet roughly 6 to 6.5" long let me know and the socks are theirs! (In case of more than one request I'll draw randomly.)

Now I'm off to a science-filled couple of days where I'll likely be able to get a good chunk of knitting in. :)

Our reporter Purl Stitch caught up with Stariel and her Amazing Lace team member Elizabeth I on their way to the Massachusetts Sheep and Wool festival on Saturday. Since they met in February, this cute couple has been taking it slow.

"A few weeks ago I got the urge to cast on for something while chatting with MJ on IM." says Stariel. "I cast on and knit a few rows on Elizabeth I. During that conversation MJ might have convinced me to knit all of the variations of the Elizabeth I pattern, but for this first shot I'm sticking to Dainty Bess."

Saturday was their first real date together, and the couple spent it dodging paparazzi and experiencing the pleasant weather and species diversity. Stariel even managed to resist the other yarns for sale at the festival!

Although the new couple has been tough to catch up with, their friends have been more than willing to give their thoughts on the partnership.

"I always thought there was something missing in Ariel's life - someone special, someone exciting, someone lacey! When I saw Elizabeth I, I knew she was the one for Ariel! On Valentine's Day I introduced Elizabeth I to Ariel and the rest is history" says MJ, who introduced Elizabeth and Ariel earlier this year.

Though their relationship is still in the early stages, knitting friends have great hope.

"Elizabeth and Ariel, what can I say? The beauty between them moves me, like light across Elizabeth's lacey edges. I feel more alive when I see Ariel make her magic on Elizabeth." says Veritas.

The famous lace knitter Monkeemaven even had her say: "Ariel and Elizabeth will do well as lace and life partners... though I do worry that Ariel has a wandering eye. She has a bit of a thing for sock yarn, I fear, and Elizabeth may get jealous... oops, are you writing this down? Stop!"

In fact, it seems that Monkee was right, as tabloid reporters have purportedly caught Stariel in bed with the promiscuous sock Hedera!



It looks like this team has some challenges to overcome if they hope to win The Amazing Lace, but those who know them both are still optimistic. And, in conclusion, "Lace makes pretty holes!" says Cheese

Kittens!

I know, it's cliche, but these kittens practically fell in my lap and I needed a K. A stray cat who has been hanging around a friend's house had three kittens, and I got to meet them yesterday. Luckily for me this isn't the last time since I know people who are taking two of them!

This morning I sent out a couple of things in the mail.

First off, a pair of socks that I knit as part of a swap:



Pattern: Dublin Bay (again)
Yarn: green handspun
Started: 5/15/06
Finished: 5/21/06

I liked how the inset turned out in these better than the last ones, actually. Different yarn, much different results.

And second, my yarn for



For some reason the green is looking very yellow in this picture. It did turn out a bit more yellow than it looked in the dyeing picture last entry, but not as yellow as in this one. Hope my pal likes it!

Yesterday I went over to Catherine's to dye yarn, order pizza, and watch Amelie. We accomplished all but the pizza, when for the second time we were foiled by the fact that there really doesn't seem to be a pizza delivery place near her apartment.

First we got ready for our yarn dinner:



Mmm.... yummy!

Then we made some tasty beverages:



I dyed some sock yarn for Dye-O-Rama:



And I made a beauteous roving cake:



We watched Amelie while it was all soaking and then I stuffed mine in plastic bags and made a run for the last subway. On the way I got a "Hey Beautiful" and "How ya doin' honey?" from two totally seperate drunk guys. Ah, the joys of Fenway at night.

There has been knitting going on, but since I'm not one for WIP pictures I haven't been posting. Here, however, is a picture from NHSW with actual people:



That's the dedicated knitting club girls that made it to S&W in the rain and cold, and all for the love of yarn. ;) Notice the large bags of purchases too.

I even won something in the raffle - a skien of angora!

So, why are they famous?

These are the socks I wrote about starting at Jessica's The Princess Bride party. I stole her yarn, and cast on for a pair of ankle socks.

On my Journey to NYC I brought these socks. I turned the heel in South Station and worked on gusset decreases in line. They were filmed by MTV will waiting in the line for the AFI video premier, and I knitted them more inside the Nokia Theater and on the bus home. Last night they came to the listening party for the new album at Axis!

Today they came to New Hampshire Sheep & Wool with me and I just kitchenered the toes a few minutes ago.

Pattern: none
Yarn: Regia Strato, 1 50g ball
Started: 5/6/06
Finished: 5/13/06

The socks are for Jessica, but since they seem to fit me that might be a problem... Hopefully they'll stretch.

It was wet. Very very wet. We got soaked, and by the time we left people were packing up their sheep. One of the barns looked like it might flood if the rain kept up! The little creek was a raging river and lakes formed all over the fairgrounds.

But look, cute sheep:





I bought some roving and a little bit of yarn, and used my free day in a most satisfying fashion. :)

I'll be heading out pretty soon to go to the Sheep and Wool festival in New Hampshire. Hopefully this journey will be more comment-inspiring than the last. ;)

I'll be sure to take pictures. This is also my Stashalong free day so I'll probably be buying some yarn, and definitely a little bit of roving for a swap.

Journey

I went on a quick (less than 24 hours) trip to NYC to see AFI's Miss Murder video premier. This post has very little to do with knitting. I did bring and do quite a bit of knitting on a pair of socks, but the one picture of me knitting (at South Station waiting for the bus) makes me look like a total doofus. So here are the knitting-free pictures.

We boarded the bus at about 2:30am. I was very tired.



After a long bus ride with much napping we got breakfast in NYC.



We waited in line for a very very very long time. Then finally went inside, waited more, heard the new album, saw the video, and AFI played a live show.



And then I came home. So that's my very quick Journey.

And my pal is Christine!

Thanks so much for the great socks! I now have my very own Pomatomus socks, and I didn't even have to knit them!





She also sent me the extra yarn, and a cute little book-map of Chicago. :) They should have been here on Friday, but I wasn't home and the post office left a slip. Then I was out too late to call and have them redeliver on Saturday, didn't make it to the post office, and was out of town Monday. Whew! But today I did make it to the post office to pick them up.

Thanks again, the socks are amazing and fit great.

This evening I went over to Jessica's for knitting, planning, and The Princess Bride - which I haven't seen since I was about 8 years old and thus did not remember, except for the part where she nearly commits suicide. While I was there I finished the ladybug socks, my first ones with an afterthought heel. I think they turned out well.



Since I hadn't brought any other knitting I had a knitting crisis and started knitting socks with some yarn Jessica had lying around. I couldn't finish watching the movie without my knitting!

I also got my wheel back, and it's finished now. It looks great!



Java is the official wheel inspector around here. That's about enough knitting excitement for one evening.

ETA: The wheel is a Kromski Symphony, as a couple people have asked. I love it! :)

I got my last "cherry on top" package from my SP on Tuesday, but didn't blog it because I wasn't sure it was from her. (Ok, like anyone else would randomly send me STR yarn.... but you never know!)



It's Azure Malachite, a color I had never heard of but am very glad that I have now. :)

Now to figure out what to knit with this precious yarn....

My first socks for May are done!



Modelled by me. These socks have a short row garter stitch heel. I think I like it better than a stockinette short row heel, mostly because it's harder to see the lines up the side of the heel. However, Johanna was telling me about a yo short row heel that I may try.



Pattern: Sixth Sense Socks from the Six Sox KAL
Yarn: Alpafina a 50/50 alpaca/wool blend
Started: 4/16/06
Finished: 5/3/06

They're not for me, but amazingly there is someone else in the world with the same small feet that I have. ;)