13 January 2010 · 2 Comments
I must now attempt to walk that fine line between discretion and rashness. Let’s see how I do.
I can tell you that I have a new sock pattern coming out. That really shouldn’t be a surprise to any of you, and it certainly isn’t breaking any vows of secrecy. I could probably also tell you that it’s for a sock club. Now if you’ve ever looked into sock clubs, you likely know that they have only a limited number of spots, and that you have to sign up by a certain date. So this leads me to believe that it might be ok if I were to mention which sock club it was. You know, just so you’d have a chance to get a spot if you wanted one. It’s also worth mentioning that you can buy into this club one month at a time, so there are no long term commitments.
Alas, I cannot tell you the details of the pattern, nor can I show you pictures of the socks themselves. This is a great hardship. I am completely taken with these socks. I want fairly desperately to brag about them and tell you all about their nifty qualities. Blasted confidentiality. I will have to settle for telling you that they are marvelous, and I’m unreasonably pleased with them. I can go into more detail once they make their official debut, but by then they won’t be available to non-club members!
So, if you want to take it on faith that they’re good, and you want to get your hands on some truly luxurious yarn in the process, head on over to Gaia’s Colours and look at the Imbolc/Candlemas installment of the Sacred Sabbats Yarn Club. Club memberships are available through January 29. I know it’s a leap of faith, but it might be worth a look!
13 January 2010 · 1 Comment
Thanks to everyone who left comments on the Craft Sanity post. It was great to see which patterns you guys like! As promised, the three winners are: Mariah, Bethany, and Carol in TX! I’ll be sending you all emails with your patterns later today.
11 January 2010 · No Comments
Over the past week or so I have had three, yes three pairs of socks wear out at the heels. One of them is an early pair of The Boy’s (made during that period of deeply unsuitable yarns I mentioned earlier). The other two are mine and were made a bit later and with more suitable yarns. Alas, even with appropriate yarn, socks are not everlasting. In all three cases I caught the damage when it was just a thin spot and not a full-fledged blow out. This means darning them isn’t actually all that hard, and I have very little excuse not to do it. I even have remnants of all the yarns. I just need to collect the necessary fortitude and dedication and actually do it. If I waver, I’ll just have to compare the time to make new socks (at least 20 hours a pair) versus the time needed to repair them (about an hour a pair) and brow beat myself into doing the right thing.
I am, however, taking the spate of holes as a sign that I need to buy some of the mythic ‘wooly nylon’ reinforcing thread. I’ve heard it’s perfect for carrying along with the main yarn while working heels and toes. My socks (and The Boy’s too for that matter) always wear out at the ball of the heel. I think it should be fairly simple to reinforce that area in upcoming socks. I may even take the reinforcing thread and work it into our existing socks in that area to see if it helps stave off future holes.
I’ve got two other small administrative notes. First, Wednesday is the last day to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win one of three free patterns. Second, a new sock is coming out either at the end of this week or the beginning of next week. This is one of the (many) secret projects that’s been depriving you of pictures over the last few months. It’s finally ready to go and will be here soon!
10 January 2010 · 3 Comments
One to go. I’m fairly madly in love with these. They started out as something calm and quiet and soothing and have transformed into something bordering on obsession. I haven’t actually knit on anything else since I cast these on. The second one is now on the needles and I’ve got the pattern mostly written up.
I’m writing this pattern in two different sizes and including instructions to either do that fancy instep swirly bit or do straight ribbing all the way down the foot. If you’ve fallen in love too and are itching to test them, keep an eye out on the Ravelry testing forum over the next few days.
8 January 2010 · 2 Comments
At its heart, knitting is just using sticks to tie string into an overly complicated slip knot. It really doesn’t take much in the way of tools. You certainly can go out and buy a closet full of supplies and gadgets, but you don’t need to. All you really need are needles and yarn. So if that’s all you need, why not use the good stuff?
That’s what I’m doing here. The yarn is Hand Maiden’s Casbah Sock in Pewter, and it is a treat to work with. It is a bit more expensive than what I normally buy, but it is absolutely worth it. The color, feel, and durability are all outstanding. The needles are my new Kollage square DPNs in a size 2. I’d been pondering these for a long time, but I finally gave in and am glad I did. They give me the gauge I’d get with 1.5s but are as comfortable to use as 2s. I’m a loose knitter, and tiny needles hurt my hands, so this helps me get a sturdy fabric.
The combination of really nifty yarn and super comfortable needles is making this a marvelous sock to work on, even though it’s quite simple. It’s the only thing I want to work on at the moment, in part because it’s so much fun to do and in part because I want them done so I can wear them!
6 January 2010 · 2 Comments
Gray with a chance of graupel. Yeah that’s right graupel. According to Wikipedia, graupel is “precipitation that forms when supercooled droplets of water condense on a snowflake, forming a 2–5 mm ball of rime.” Yup, you can guess what the weather is like around here. However, it is an excellent incentive to find some super soft, super warm gray yarn and make something cozy. I’m only an inch or two in but I love these already and I will be naming them Graupel.
