Magic Stripes socks and the duckie DPN holders

Hey, I like this yarn! LOL I know there are some yarn snobs out there that will never entertain the idea of using it. I've used this for some fingerless mitts, and it's soft, wears really well, washes and dries really well, and IMHO, gets softer with each wearing/washing.

I'm using one skein per sock, since I have plenty of it, and wanted the stripes to match. I CO 64 and am using 0's. It's a basic sock pattern, 2x2 rib for the cuff, then stockinette for about 1 1/4", then SR heel, then stockinette for the foot. I'll most likely do the toe the same way I did the Austermanns.

A word about my DPN point protectors/holders you see here and in other posts........aren't these the absolutely most adorable thing you've seen in like......I dunno.....forever? LOL Seriously, when I saw them here: http://veganknitter.blogspot.com/2007/09/dpn-project-holder-tutorial.html I just had to make some for myself. I ran right out to Hancock's for some elastic cord (the ditz at jackman's had absolutely NO clue what I was on about....), then bought some of the pencil toppers. You can search for your best deal on these. The regular tan rubber ducks are too big, IMHO. The pencil topper holes are the same size, but the ducks themselves are about 3-4 times bigger than the devil ducks and pirate ducks.

So allow me once more to thank Vegan Knitter for sharing this great idea on her blog. Thank you, Vegan Knitter!!! :D

Online socks

I haven't made much headway on these, and I don't really know why. I think this is very pretty yarn, and it's working up nicely. I CO 70 on 0's and am doing a 3x2 rib on the cuff. Then I'll just a SR heel and stockinette foot. It's Online Supersocke Melange, 974. I bought this yarn at Loopy Ewe in Chicago when I was there for the Genesis concerts in October 2007. I stayed at the downtown Travelodge with Jennifer and her mom, and this shop was about 2 blocks away. For more details on the Genesis shows, see http://ssudio.livejournal.com/.

I also bought some clear clogs at that shop. It was nice to be able to try them on. Ummm, nope, I haven't actually worn them outside the house yet! lol

Ned's socks

Ned wanted some socks, so this is what I've done on his so far. I'm ready to start doing the heel, so I suppose I'm ready to try to figure out how to use that reinforcing thread that came with this yarn. I've never used this before, and nobody can seem to tell me exactly how and where to start using it. LOL So I'll muddle along and hope it works out.

If you can't see the label on this yarn, it's Lang Jawoll color. It seems a bit thinner than the Austermann, so I've gone down to 0's for this and CO 72 st.

Austermann step socks

This is the first time I've used this yarn and I have to say, I really like it. It has aloe vera embedded in the fiber and it's really nice to work with. Nice and easy on the hands. And it works up nicely, too. I just did a regular 2x2 rib for the cuff, then stockinette for the foot. I CO 64 stitches and used 1's and short row heel. I am doing the toes a bit differently than what I've seen in patterns. When I've done most of the foot, I start my decreases normally....every other round. After I get to about 1/2 the stitches on each needle (8 each in this case), I start dec every round. Then I'm left with 4 st on each two needles, and do the Kitchener/graft stitch at that time. The toes end up looking nicer, IMHO, and they don't have those annoying square "ears" like most socks do.

The first shot looks very washed out, and the second is too yellowish. Flash/no flash.



I've since started another pair in the red/black/grey colorway, and am almost done with those. I made them about 2 inches longer.

Even more fingerless mitts!

Yep, you guessed it......

First pair are made from Regia Stretch. When I first started knitting this up, I was very disappointed in that it seemed that the yarn plies were separating from the elastic ply. I was assured they would "bloom" after washing. It took a couple of machine washings and dryings to make them do that to my satisfaction. I'd use this yarn again for socks. I think I used a size 1 for these and I might be happier with 0's for socks.


These are some more of that gorgeous yarn I talked about in November. Yummmy stuff!

These blue/green numbers are Sockotta 6 ply. I bought this at my fave LYS, Heathstone, and I think it was the last skein of it. I sort of had to jigger a bit to get them to match, but they turned out kind of neat, IMHO. I usually wear them over some navy/colonial blue magic stretch gloves, and I feel quite stylish. LOL I used 2's and it's just a 2x2 rib all the way.

Scarf update

My son volunteered me to do scarves for a few select friends of his. I had made him a Cornell scarf-purple and white-for Christmas last year, and several of his friends admired it and wanted one. The kids picked out their colors, and Nathan and I shopped for yarn. I finally finished them so he could take them back to college after Christmas. I was surprised and pleased to get thankyous from nearly all of the kids. I enjoyed making them-very simple pattern, and something that I could do while watching tv-and I think they turned out pretty nice! Here are some of the results. Thanks to Nathan for the pics!