Socks on a Cat

Well since I can never seem to pin down D for his sock pictures, I called upon his stunt double Gustav.

First up we have Bittersweet Woolery's Frog Prince socks. With all the winter we were having I decided I needed something bright. Oh boy did these fit the bill. Good thing they were in my purse when I had to wait at the service station for a new battery. Winter killed off my old one.

Now the astute among you will note that the socks are in fact two shades the one on the left being more yellow while the one on the right is more green. I swear to you they were knit from the same skein of yarn. Now D has some totally unique super bright socks. Since he really is my Frog Prince.

Next up we have Gus modeling the first Pining for You sock from Socks that Rock Mediumweight. 

I did a nice little cable down one side since it adds a bit of excitement to a lovely plain-ish yarn color. 

This was not a warm day so Gus was not opposed to having wooly things draped over him. 

Finally my sock was still on the needles for the photo shoot and that does not make for a happy kitty knitting model so Jack nosed in to prove my knitting is kitty approved.

Now up on the needles for D is Mt. Rutsen Studio Margarita socks. I was saving this yarn for the dark winter days but somehow it missed the rotation twice now. I could not think of it sitting till next year, and since the grass may be uncovered it still is not growing yet. This color shall amuse me in the mean time. Totally not in my normal color selections but I am adoring it so far. Now if I could just find a cable to highlight the color.

I'm going to go feed the cats then look through a few knitting books

Rhinebeck 2014 The Haul

We did something new this year, we finally went camping for Rhinebeck! It was great and I will tell you more later, today it is about the yarn. But first I have to tell you what a mighty fine man I have. As we were waiting to get in to the festival I was fussing over him and worrying about how he was going to keep himself entertained. He looked at me and said "I need you to be selfish today. Don't worry about me." What a mighty fine man, yes he is.

I know I bought way less than in years past. Don't worry I am feeling alright. I did come back with more than half of the money I took down. I am a thrifty girl, ha ha, thrifty girl buying hand painted sock yarn I think not.

I made a bee line to the farthest back barn to check out Dragonfly Fibers. I was told I have a very determined walk. Apparently I was scanning but on a mission.

To the left is Starry Night in Djinni Sock. Look at me who claims to hate yellow and orange getting in touch with my inner color love. On the right we have Zombie Apocalypse in Damsel. D kept calling us yarn zombies so it seemed appropriate to get the yarn. Plus it is beautiful, no really beautiful.

As always I had to get me some Socks That Rock. Bottom is Muddy Autumn lightweight. Top is Tea and Alchemy in medium weight. I was happy to lend some advice to a lady near me that asked which weight would be better for socks. That is me the crazy sock knitting lady.

At Bittersweet Woolery I found Inverted Zombie Queen, I miss read the label and it has been Introverted Zombie Queen in my head since then. That is me an Introverted yarn Zombie Queen. What I can declare myself Queen of my own realm.

Since I love Star Trek I just could not walk away from the Trek colored yarn on the left. I remember watching those uniform colors all the time.  Into the whirled has some very nice colors. I resisted the one called Bazinga, but now I don't know how I did that.

The bag of odds and ends on the right is what I though would be great to practice some spinning. I can try out some things without feeling as if I am wasting good wool. I bet once I am done it will make a very interesting something or other. I really like the idea of being able to play with my spinning for a time. I learned a couple of different ways to ply that I want to check out.

So six pairs of socks, some replacement cubic needles and a bag of spinning fun, not bad for a days play.

Rhinebeck Stash Enhancement

I found a lot of great yarn at Rhinebeck this year so you best get yourself a nice cup of tea and settle in for a show. I of course took my mandatory yarn on the grass poses. 

My first purchase this year is was what must be my favorite commercial sock yarn, Socks That Rock. I picked up two skeins of lightweight, because with all the exercise I am getting I should be a lightweight too soon. (I know it really does not work that way but a girl can dream, right?) This yarn makes some of my most reliable socks. I just wish Hubby felt the same, ah well that just means that I keep trying all the new yarns I find for him.

Shelridge Farm had some Opal colored yarn that I could not resist. I've made D a few pairs of socks from this yarn and they seem to be holding up fine. The yarn is called soft touch but to me it has a nice rustic feel, I find it quite enjoyable to knit with.

I finally decided to get a new circular needle case, my plastic one from Knitpicks never really won me over. And the best part of this one? I found one that holds dpns too. Crippenworks makes a fine needle case. Want to see the inside?

It is quite stylish. The maker will replace the elastic closure if I simply send it to her.  I told her I was still happy with my original dpn case I bought about five years ago. She inquired how the elastic was holding up. It has just a bit more play so it is good to know that I can get it fixed if required.

I found some lovely green cashmere sock yarn at Ellen's Half Pint Farm, smooshy smooshy yarn. I always think of how Pa called Laura Half Pint in the Little House on the Prairie books. If you have not read them maybe you should. Ya know since one of them was set in South Dakota. Of course that was also the book that had a terrible blizzard.

I bought a button! Mostly because I've been wanting this one for a while now. 

I even made it into the souvenir tent for some shirts. I almost saw a fight breakout too. There is a very fine line between line jumping and asking way too many questions. Especially when the person answering your questions tells you the best way to get service is to get in the line.

After the ruckus I grabbed a falafel for lunch and took a trip out to the car. You know for unloading purposes. It is pretty hard to manage the crowds and your over filled bag. Plus I had to pick up my book for Ann Budd to sign. She told us in class the day before that sitting alone at a book signing is very lonely and boring, and you all know how badly I wanted another knitting book signed.

D could not figure out what the inscription meant. "Enjoy your trip to the Masters." He was trying so hard to figure out how golf was related to the book. Sock knitting Master Class, get it?

A new shawl pin from KokoNoelle. This year I decided to go with a neutral color so I can confidently wear if with my more colorful shawls like say my Color Affection AKA the-shawl-that-will-not-be-photographed.

Bittersweet Woolery finally got me to buy Frog Prince. Every time I see the colors they call to me, this year I answered. Plus that name is almost as good as the name on my first skein of her yarn, Terrible Lizard.

Into the Whirled called to me with a skein of Martini & Rossi and a braid of Romney fiber in the Aurora Borealis colorway. It is so hard to chose fiber, first I zeroed in on the colors I wanted then you have to decide what fiber content you want. I've heard good things about Romney being a good beginner fiber.

My surprise find of the day was Tucker Woods. I must have walked by their booth three times before something lured me in. When I first started knitting I listened to podcasts and found out what was popular and in demand. As my stash has grown I've been able to purchase some of these well known brands. But now I find myself looking more toward the lesser known and local farms. I find it very gratifying to be able to purchase yarn from the shepherd, or at least someone that knows how real sheep smell. Plus look at that awesome bookmark! This Iverness colorway just keeps making me smile.

My surprise purchase of the festival was this particular colorway from Mt. Rutsen Studio, limey green is so not me. But it is called Margarita and something inside me hummed at the thought of limey socks. I don't even care that much for Margaritas, but seriously happy to make some limey socks. It is like knitting has broken all my color hatred rules. Things ten years ago that I would have wrinkled up my nose at, now make me happy. And those stitch markers there? They were the ones I missed buying at the Southern Adirondack Festival. I came for the stitch markers and stayed for the yarn.

Not a bad haul if I do say so myself. Eight new pairs of socks just waiting to get on my feet and worn out. I am a happy knitter. Are we taking any bets as to what gets cast on first?

A tale of two socks

Have you ever had yarn just call to you? You know the color is just perfect and you've never seen something like it? I fell in love with Bittersweet Woolery's Terrible Lizard yarn a few years ago.

It made some beautiful socks if I do say so myself. I really love that almost fluorescent green in there. Plus it knit without pooling or any other funky color things going on.

Then at Rhinebeck that same year I bought my first (and only) skein of Miss Babs in Maple Surrender. See how the skeins look nothing alike?

Well except for the green, brown, rusty red colors. How was I to know?

At knitting group this last weekend I finished my Maple Surrender socks. Pretty aren't they?

The heel is nice and jazzy too.

I just happened to be wearing my Terrible Lizard socks that day. When I tried on one of my new socks next to one of my old socks...

OK on the grass they don't look as similar as the did inside, but I sure do understand that feeling of deja vu while I was knitting on these.

Don't worry I won't mix them up and I won't love one less. We have a must love wool rule at our house.

S ADK Fiber Festival Oh Yeah!

Well this festival was a great time. Perfect weather and lovely vendors with beautiful wares.

True to my word I stopped at Stitched by Jessalu first. (She may be working on her site.) Well I did visit the ladies room first, but she was my first purchase of the day. As you can tell I love sheepy project bags, she has other prints but me I need to see happy sheep and a touch of London too. 

I then made a preliminary run through of all the barns just to do a mental inventory. I kept saying "I'll be back" and I was too.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of farms shared a booth and had I've been looking for but always seem to miss, Icelandic sock yarn. (It is from Icy Acres.) I've heard people rave about Icelandic sock yarn and soon I will be joining them. It is the lovely natural cream skein on the left.

In the same booth was Ensign Brook Farm whose name always makes me smile. D was an Ensign in the Navy when we married and I've always liked the word. Anyways they had lovely sock yarn too, called Great Scott cheviot. They had done some research and decided the sheep that are good enough to be used for kilt hose in Scotland is good enough for them. I am anxious to put this yarn to the test too. I bought both a dyed skein and a natural one. She used heavy metal free dyes too.

I did not buy any of their Romney sheep yarn but one of the funniest things of the festival was the lady telling me that people kept asking her if the yarn was from Mitt Romney's farm? I was then forced to ask her where her Obama yarn was. I'm guessing they were new festival people. Welcome to the club we take red and blue states. But we don't discuss politics on my blog.

Back to the yarn you say, well if I must. I then stopped into the Liberty Fibers to show off my socks and pick up something new. I'll be showing you the socks again in another post since I now have better pictures so you can see how truly lovely they are. (I may be a tad biased.) And while I was showing off she even remembered reading about them here. You may not recognize my face but my socks can be fairly distinctive.

I wandered back to the front of the show to pick out a skein for D socks. That is a pretty handsome, manly blue right? While he likes the crazy colors socks he also enjoys a subdued pair. Subdued manliness courtesy of Ball and Skein. This one is called After Midnight.

Periwinkle Sheep is sometimes stocked in my LYS, but some colors can not be resisted, plus if we want vendors at the festivals we need to buy from the vendors. I was there when a few of her knitting group cohorts were there. I heard "Well if it is not enough you know where to get more." quite a few times. It made me giggle. Now when I knit this one I will be constantly thinking of a Frenchman saying "Your mother smells of Elderberries." because its name is Elderberry. It remains one of the most creative insults I've ever heard.

Ah Bittersweet Woolery you tempting seductress you! I picked up Beloved on the left first, in the Glamourous Gams yarn base that includes cashmere. Oh cashmere I am loving you so. Then I noticed Debutante on the right in the Guilty Pleasures yarn base. Finally I tucked the middle one Oxblood in to my arms too. I thought for a bit and reasoned I should put Oxblood back and get another color of the less expensive Guilty Pleasures colorway when I realized it was in that base. Oh happy day, since I absolutely adore my Terrible Lizard socks from last year.

As I thinking this would be a nice combo for the Color Affection shawl, the owner asked me if that would be what I was making. I said no and we both agreed that the two darker ones are too close to be a good contrast but hmm, I need to buy that pattern and get the yarn requirements before I go to Rhinebeck because I am so jumping on that knitting train.

And I bought my first knitting tea cup. I packed it safely in with all my yarn. It was either Yarn Diva or Yarn Snob but this cup fit my hand best to that is what counts the most. I have the potter's card around here somewhere but I'll have to find it before I can post about them.

Now I was headed for the car with my overpacked bag when I decided to peak in on St Mary's on the Hill. Boy was I glad I did, where else can you get an ounce each of silver Romney roving and Tunis roving for less than $5? What more can a beginner spinner ask for? Plus I got to relive my high school cashier days when I offered help in using the old school credit card imprinter. My cashier skills are still intact!

Lastly I found some lovely roving at Foster Sheep Farm. Dyed Romney roving on the left and natural Wensleydale X Romney roving on the right. So I picked up some fiber with my yarn. Thanks Honey for suggesting that I take up spinning.

I did see several beautiful spindles but I just don't have the experience to buy another one. I may just need to try a few out at Rhinebeck, who knows?

Well here is my haul, in all its glory.

A great mix of things to enjoy. I better get knitting as Rhinebeck is closing in on me. Oh and D correctly estimated the value of my pile. Dude may be getting too smart for his own good. Nah he knows how many hours of entertainment it is for me too.

Sock Saturday

I just love New Sock Saturday! You know why? Because it means I have new socks to show off! A little obvious I know but still...

These came from a new to me yarn company that I will be looking for come fall fiber festival season in upstate New York. Bittersweet Woolery named this colorway Terrible Lizard and I could not resist either the name or the color.

While I like to see how yarns pool, it is great to find one with such short repeats that I can not make it pool. I may be the only one in this house that thinks this is an interesting color combination but I am definitely the one that counts in that aspect.

I was so mesmerized by the quick color changes that I knit half of a sock in a day. I cast on, blinked, then turned a heel. The second sock took a bit longer it seemed, but not that much. I think these guys took me two weeks to finish, even being my purse project and getting side tracked be spinning yarn too. That is not the fastest I've knit a pair of socks but it is pretty quick for me.

Well I am off to sort through the stash to pick another victim yarn. I only have one sock on the needles and this situation simply will not do!