On track....... sort of

I finished my Fraggle Squiggle Socks! This was the May kit of the Rockin' Sock Club. I'm quite happy with how they turned out. They were a fun knit for me. The pattern wasn't difficult, but I did need to pay attention a bit. It was a change of pace for me and I really enjoyed it.Last post I mentioned that I had made a plan and was going to stick to it. First order of business was keeping up with Sock Club Kits. May RSC kit done, May Woolgirl Oz Club is under way. May Oz Club is "Over the Rainbow". The pattern is by Lisa Dykstra and the yarn is Zen String Lotus Toes in fingering weight. One of the things that encouraged me to sign up for this club is the opportunity to sample many different yarn brands. This is the first time I've used Zen String and it has a much finer feel to it when compared to the Socks That Rock which is my "go to" sock yarn. I have to say that it makes a very nice fabric! This is sock 1 and I need to move this back to priority 1, because the next Oz shipment should be shipping by the end of the month and I want to be caught up before it gets here. The next Oz Kit is Dorothy!
Now, this is where my plan took a detour. I went to Alabama last week to attend Orientation with Justin. I've been fighting a serious case of startitis and I was able to come up with at least 97 reasons why none of the WIP's I had made any sense to bring on my trip. Clearly I needed to start something entirely new. So I started Waving Lace Socks by Evelyn Clark using Claudia Handpainted fingering yarn.
Maybe I need a new plan. Finish 2 start 1? Finish 1 start 1? Or maybe just "start" whenever the mood strikes! LOL!

Summer of Socks Begins

According to the calender it is summer. However I heard on the news this morning that the "Boston Area" has had 3 sunny days since May 1st. Yes, that's right, 3. I can count them on one hand. What this crappy weather has been good for though is knitting and reading. I've decided to focus most of my efforts on socks this summer so that I can have a nice new assortment to add to the mix for fall, and maybe knit a pair or two to set aside as Christmas gifts.

First up, I have finished a pair of Cottys. These were for the Q3 KAL for the Socks That Rawk! Group on Ravelry. I knit these out of STR mediumweight using the Typhoon Tina colorway. I love how well this colorway works with this pattern. In fact I loved this pattern so much, I'm sure I'll knit it again and again.

Now I need some goals for the rest of the summer, or else I could easily fill all my needles with different patterns and yarns and get nothing accomplished except overwhelming myself.
Goal 1 - Keep up with Sock Clubs. This is sock 1 of the May Rockin Sock Club. Sock 2 was cast on last night and is on it's way. I also have the January RSC kit to do. Honestly, I can't believe I haven't started it yet, because I love it. It must be the beads. I must make time to string the beads, then I will be ready to go. I also joined the Woolgirl Oz Club. The May kit, Over the Rainbow, is here, wound and ready to cast on.
Goal 2 - Finish any WIP's. I have this Hedgerow that needs a mate, Twilight from the Two at a Time book to finish, a pair of Twinkle Toes by Cookie A to finish, and a pair of Fritzy's Socks from Mountain Colors. There may be more, but this is what comes to mind for now.

That's seven pairs of socks! Once I get caught up on these, then I can dive into my long list of Wanna Knits. Plus the July clubs will be arriving in the next few weeks!

Thanks Mom & Dad!

My birthday was in May and my parents gave me a gift certificate to Blue Moon Fiber Arts which is one of my favorite places to buy yarn. Mostly I've bought their sock yarn in the past, but in the past 6 months I've been branching out and trying some of their other bases too. So far I love it all! Having just been to Sock Camp in April and stocking up a bit, I decided I would wait until the summer changeover of colors and get anything that was being retired that I loved and would miss.

The top picture is Woobu, a merino/bamboo blend. The colorway is Rose Quartz. This is still a current color, but I want to try to make the Luna Moth Shawl and I saw a beautiful sample of it knit up in Woobu in another color while at camp. So I added it in to my order.

The 2nd picture is all Socks That Rock. From top to bottom the colors are Watermelon Tourmaline (current color), Cobblestone County (retired), and Count Cluckula (retired).

I am now on a yarn diet! My goal is to not buy any more yarn until Stitches East in October. That's 16 weeks from now. Goodness, that's a big goal! But I'm really looking forward to getting away for a couple days with my friend Nancy and seeing, in person, some of the beautiful fibers I have seen on Ravelry that are not available locally. Wish me luck and stop laughing!