I didn't think I would be able to finish this pair by the end August, but I managed to get it done! I love these socks! I love the yarn, the color, and the way they look! Once I got back into them though, I remembered why I had set them aside. As much as I love them, knitting this pattern was slow and tedious for me.
Challenge #1 - This sock pattern was written as a Mystery Sock KAL in multiple sizes. For some inexplicable reason, I had printed 3 clues for the 72 stitch size, 1 clue for 64 stitches, and 1 clue for all sizes. I knit the 72 stitch size and yet the leg directions and chart I had was for the 64 stitch size. I went in search of the clues in my documents library, and I didn't have them. Hmmm. So I went to Ravelry to download it again only to discover that the pattern is no longer available as the file had been lost.
It was time to examine my completed first sock and figure out how to make the 2nd sock match the first one. I was successful!
Challenge #2 - I made really lousy notes on my first sock! I had to measure and count heel flap rows so I could get them to match, and I didn't note on which row I ended the foot. So I knit and ripped that twice, then decided it was close enough. I'm keeping these for me, so they didn't need to match my ridiculous perfect standards. But now they are done and I am tickled pink!
Details:
Pattern: Through the Loops Mystery Sock 08 by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn: Skinny Bugga in Cotton Stainer
Needle: 2.25mm
Cast On: September 4, 2010
Bind Off: August 31, 2012
Tomorrow is the beginning of Year 6 for Sock Knitters Anonymous. It's also a new KAL for the Hazel Knits Group. I already have a couple patterns picked out to cast on! I'm sure you'll see them soon!
I've finished another pair of socks from my orphan sock collection. This was the oldest single sock, started way back in 2009, so I'm glad to have it finished!
It's a simple textured pattern, and was very easy to memorize. Add in a garter stitch short row heel and toe and it's a cute sock.
This was the Over the Rainbow kit from the Woolgirl Oz Club. What I liked was that it was an opportunity to try a yarn that is new to me and I was also introduced to a designer, Lisa Dykstra, that I was not familiar with. The pattern was well written and I would knit one of her patterns again. The yarn.... not so much. There were a few places where 1 ply of the yarn was broken and/or frayed and that annoyed me. This is also a much lighter fingering weight yarn than what I am typically drawn to. I wonder how much I will actually wear these? Who knows, I may surprise myself and decide that I love them after wearing them.
The Details:
Pattern: Over the Rainbow (fingering) by Lisa Dykstra
Yarn: Zen String Lotus Toes
Colorway: Over the Rainbow
Needles: 2.25mm
CO: July 10, 2009
BO: August 26, 2012
Do you know the expression "Everything Old is New Again?" That's how I feel right now. My friend Christine started a challenge a of couple summers ago to finish as many pairs of socks as she could in August. She also challenged her fellow Sock Knitters Anonymous friends to see if anyone could finish more than she could. I've followed along for the last couple of summers but didn't really participate. The only rule, if you will, this year is that the socks have to have been started before July 1, 2012. It's time to finish up all those WiP's that I have kicking around!
I finished this pair today. These are the Queen of Beads socks. I think this was the Rockin Sock Club kit from January 2009 and I started these in January of 2010! This is the second pair that I've finished in August.
Which project should I tackle next?
The ones on needles are all first socks, so I'm thinking that I should cast on the mate for one of the single socks. Too many choices! I do think that I'm going to frog the top left sock though. I wasn't sure that I liked the yarn/pattern combination when I started it. It's been hibernating for a little while now and I'm still ambivalent about it. Time to frog it. What do you think?
After a crazy busy summer I am so happy to have life slowing down and getting back on schedule! Which means that I can make time to participate in Ten on Tuesday again and this is a great topic to get back on track with.
10 Favorite TV Shows from my Childhood
1. Little House on the Prairie. Hands down, this was my favorite show growing up and the first one that came to mind when I read this topic. Who wouldn't want Charles Ingalls as her Pa?
2. Happy Days. I'm not sure who I had a bigger crush on, Fonzie or Richie? And I loved that Mrs. C always called Fonzie, Arthur.
3. Laverne and Shirley. Those girls had some crazy times!
4. WKRP in Cincinatti. I. loved. this. show! It drove my mother crazy but she let me watch it anyway. To this day my favorite line is still "As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly" Poor Mr. Carlson :-)
5. The Brady Bunch. My favorite character was Alice.
6. Quincy. I wanted to be a coroner for the longest time because of this show! LOL
7. The Love Boat. It was just a fun show with fun cast a guest stars.
8. Charlie's Angels. I spent most of my teen years trying to have "Farrah Fawcett" hair. And I loved that they were girls that were kicking butt and taking names.
9. Emergency! I remember that this was must watch tv in my house. Everybody loved it.
10. Gilligan's Island. Gilligan was so lovable! And the Howell's cracked me up.
I also have a couple of Honorable Mentions that just didn't make the cut.
11. Fantasy Island. The Plane, the plane! I used to watch this on Friday nights while babysitting.
12. Dallas. I loved to hate JR!
13. Mork and Mindy. Robin Williams was so funny.
14. Zoom. This and The Electric Company were the only PBS shows that I liked as a kid.
All the events are done, the last of the medals have been awarded, the flame has been extinguished, and the athletes are traveling home. I have to admit that I enjoyed the Olympics this summer more than I expected to. Well done London, well done! The Opening Ceremony was fantastic and the Closing Ceremony was fun. I loved the cycling, swimming, diving, rowing, water polo, and both hard court and beach volleyball. I'll even admit that I cried when Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings received their 3rd Gold Medal!
As for the knitting, as usual I set my goals pretty high! I really shouldn't be surprised or disappointed that I didn't finish all that I hoped to finish. What I did get done is the Raven Swirl socks and I was just shy of starting the heel flap on the Queen of Beads sock. I also finished both sleeves for my Que Sera sweater and 8 inches of the body. The sweater calls for 8 skeins of yarn and I am 2 rows from joining the 5th skein, so I'm going to call it 50%. All total I figure I knit about 1000 yds! Not too shabby!
How about you? Did you meet your goal? What was your favorite part of the Olympics this year?
I am proud to say that I have been called to the Podium to collect my medal! My first completed WiP for the WiP Wrestling Event is Raven Swirl Socks. This was the Rockin Sock Club Kit from November 2009. I cast it on in April 2010 and completed the first sock. It was an orphan until I cast on it's mate during the Opening Ceremony. It was a fast and fun knit! I honestly don't know why I didn't finish the pair before now.
I'm also making progress on my sweater. I finished the second sleeve and am casting on for the body now. I don't know how much of the body I will get done, but I'm going to give it the old college try anyway!
I still have the Queen of Beads sock that I can finish too. I'll save that for when I need a break from the sweater. Gotta go! It's just about time for tonight's Olympic coverage to begin!
