Summer Cotton Socks - Finished!

It's either way too much light....or not enough. So much for my photography skills.
Yarn: Katia Mississippi 3 Print, colorway 201 (60% cotton, 40% acrylic)
Pattern: My own
Needles: #1 Susan Bates Quicksilver dpns

Comments: They feel soft and cushy. I have used this yarn before for socks. See here. But I gave those socks away, so this time I'm going to wear them and see how well they hold up. And I have more skeins for another pair. Ever since I learned to do the kitchener stitch, I have been doing my toes in that fashion. They are smoother and might fit into my shoes a little better. But I still miss the rosebud.

Stuck on Noro

I just could not help myself. This Noro sock yarn looks happy all by itself, but alongside the sticky notes it could be a party. Or at the least some eye candy to share with you.

Soon they will be some happy socks.

If you are like me and knit two pair of socks at a time and have the need to divide the skein into two cakes, I must warn you that this yarn likes to tangle up in itself as you wind it. Takes patience. But just wait until you see the beauteous finished product. Sort of like childbirth, all tangles will be forgotten!

Trekking Pro Natura Socks - Finished!

Another pair of socks...

Yarn: Trekking Pro Natura, colorway 1510
Pattern: My own
Needles: Susan Bates Silvalume (you know, those old cheap needles)

Comments: The socks go great with my first reversible cable scarf (see post here), but we mustn't get too matchy, so it's a different sock yarn and there are no cables.

And the shoes? Old standbys--they have been around for at least two years. Yes, they are Doc Martens! And to think I almost bought them in pink as well.

Noro Socks - Finished!

Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock , colorway #S149
Pattern: My own
Needles: Susan Bates Quicksilver #1 dpns
Comments: Ooooh. These socks feel good. Never mind that the yarn looked and felt like string in the skein.
The Noro Effect. It draws you in, beguiles and mesmerizes as you knit to the tune of fascinating color.
Before I knit with Noro, I thought the yarn must be overrated and most certainly overpriced. But I am completely won over.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I chose a color immediately passed over by most people . My sock drawer is filled with lovely colored socks, some bright and some muted, and all to my liking. But there are select pairs that I choose first because they go with my clothes! The rainbow-colored socks seemed like a good idea at the time, but they are not the ones that get the most wear. It's the neutrals and the blues that mostly work with my wardrobe (with an occasional red). And I wear my hand knitted socks every day in the winter.

In a Sock and Scarf Rut

Another reversible cable scarf is taking shape:And a pair of socks in--some of my favorite colors--browns and grays. This is the new Noro sock yarn, and the color nobody else wanted but was my first choice.

As some of you know, I do two socks at a time so that I don't ever come up with the dreaded "second sock syndrome" although one could conceivably get a "two sock syndrome" where neither gets finished! I divide the skein of yarn so that I'm not knitting from both ends but from two skeins. The yarn wanted to knot up as I wound it from the skein, and it looked and felt like string. This concerned me, but once I started knitting, it was pure Noro bliss. The colors are amazingly rich and tweedy and ever-changing and the yarn has that rustic look that I like. I have run into two factory-produced knots so far and, as always, a bit of barnyard vegetation.

Gentleman's Sock - Finished!

Yarn: Trekking pro natura, colorway 1603
Pattern: Gentleman's Sock (without Lozenge Pattern) from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Needles: #0 Susan Bates Silvalumes

Comments: These socks are for the Judge. He didn't want the Lozenge Pattern on the leg and foot--thankfully--so I left it off.

As you can see by the ruler, these socks are big. And notice the needle size: Zeros! What was I thinking? And they are both the same size, even though it doesn't look it on this photo. Must be the positioning of the socks that does it.

I am glad to get these off the needles and blocked. Next pair of socks for him might just be worsted weight!

The Hokie Scarf - Finished!

Yarn: Blue Sky Sport Weight baby alpaca colorway #512 and 531.

Pattern: My own

Needles: Bryspun #7








Comments: This yarn is like butter! Soft and beautiful to work with, it behaves like alpaca--which it is!

This scarf is for my dear granddaughter, who will be starting at Virginia Tech in the fall. I'm hoping it will keep her warm on those nippy winter days all through her college years and that she will pass it down to her children when they follow her to the same school!

Now I need to block it and send it off to Virginia...I hope she likes it.

Maine Morning Mitts - Finished!

Yarn: Noro Kureyon, colorway #195
Pattern: Maine Morning Mitts, from the book, "The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes.
Needles: #7 Susan Bates Quicksilver dpns

Comments: This pattern takes only one skein of the precious and colorful yarn, so that's a real plus. The pattern is free at the above link, but I highly recommend the book. I thought I knew a little bit about yarn, but this book has real good information on the subject, plus it includes 40 very nice patterns, each with more than one suggested yarn.

Usually I try to match striping, but have found that almost impossible with Noro. Once you can get over the need for absolute, symmetrical color and texture perfection, you will be completely won over by this yarn.

The photo shows the mitts fresh off the needles before blocking.