Socks on the Line

Here's how my laundry room looks when I do socks. Weren't you just dying to know?This was from the first week of cool weather--before our current Indian Summer! I have tossed out my hand made wire hanger sock blockers--too much fiddle-faddle and then there's the problem of where to store those unwieldy, tangley things. Now I only block socks right after finishing them on a proper sock blocker. After that, they're on their own.

A new project started. Although the yarn is beautiful, I'm not sure it's the right yarn for this pattern. Maybe a multicolored sock yarn would be better. I'm thinking about that.

I'm also thinking about this Pagewood Farm sock yarn that lives in my stash. Luscious colors! Have any of you knit with this 80/20 Merino/Nylon? It's nice and squooshy. Of course that's a word.

Tres Trax Socks 2 - Finished

Yarn:  Jojoland Melody, 100% Wool Superwash,  colorway MS26

Pattern:  Tres Trax (see sidebar for free pattern)  It's a simple pattern, good for practicing purl stitching around corners.

Needles:  #1 (2.25mm) dpns

Comments:  This subtly changing coloring is somewhat like Noro's, only without the thick/thin variation that Noro has.  The yarn is fine and silky, and therefore slippery (at least for me) to knit with.  I found when I would drop a stitch, it would slide down more than two rows.  This may not be a problem if you use bamboo or wood needles.  The softness of the finished sock is really nice.

Aren't the color changes grand?

Still knitting...

Noro Persuasion

Many of my readers know I am just blown away by the ever-so-subtly changing, eye-pleasing, like no other, colors of Noro yarn, especially the Kureyon.

I also love seed stitch for the sheer simplicity and beauty of the fabric it produces.  Mindless knitting, for certain, but don't we all need bubble gum projects from time to time?  It's like comfort food for your fingers--and your mind.  So here you see two of my favorites combined: Noro and seed stitch.  Up close and personal.

Still knitting...

Two-fer One

These started out as a gift I thought might match a scarf that I knew my friend was going to receive from someone else.

I kept knitting and the second one looked like this (not a match, for sure).

So I kept knitting and the third one matched the first.

And the fourth one matched the second. See a pattern here?



So I ended up with a pair for my friend...

And a pair for me...

And the blue ones blend with a scarf I'm making! Sometimes the stars align.

Pattern: Hands Up! by Aileen Cahill
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn, colorway #252 (100 grams)
Needles: #1 (2.5 mm) dpns
Comments: Am I tired of Noro yet? No.

An Old Handbook

The Handbook of Knitting and Crochet, published in 1918, is available at Project Gutenberg, where they have all sort of books you can download free of charge.I like the scarf (without the toothy edging and fringe, though)...

And this "Sport Scarf"

And the gloves are spiffy...

Child's mittens, too...

But Kneecaps? Haven't we seen this before?

This site is worth a look, although the patterns have the old needle sizing and you will probably have to figure out the gauge yourself. You might get some good ideas from it. Just don't tell me if you knit the kneecaps, okay?

The Mess and the Stash

My desk is quite a glorious mess these days. I will get things sorted out and cleaned up soon. Now where is that fingerless mitt I was knitting?

And When She Was Bad...

She bought knitting books and a DVD.
Not all in one day, though (as if that makes it better).

Slip, Sliding Away...

I knit socks out of the same yarn some time ago and remembered my frustration as I got further into them. The yarn is quite fine and slippery on these needles. It's very easy to drop a stitch and when you do, the stitch slides quickly down several rows. I know I should have used wood or bamboo and didn't want to change once started. The colorway is so pretty but they will be fraternal socks.

And beneath it all, my St. Paul Chamber Orchestra season tickets for the Friday evening concerts! Calm in a troubled world.

Chrome

Google has a new browser called Chrome.  At this time it's only for PC, but a Mac version should be coming soon.  It's still in Beta version (but so is Google Search), so has not been perfected.  All you tech geeks out there probably know about it, but in case you missed it, here's the link for the download.

One major feature is the ability to import all your shortcuts and favorites from Firefox (and probably IE, I'm not sure since I have used Firefox exclusively for years) so you are up and running right away.  And you can search right from the address box.  It has tabs and your favorites on the top and out of the way of your browsing screen.  Your home page can have the "speed dial" similar to Opera's browser.  I have found it to be really fast.  

Here's a Rueter's review.  And a cartoon of the Google story behind this browser.

I'm a major Google fan, having used many of their programs.  And I know there are a couple of geeks out there, reading this blog!

Okay, tech time finished!

Rainy Lake Socks

I declare, these socks remind me of an old maroon Pontiac--or school colors--or my Grandpa Vee. They just look sturdy and timeless and sincere, if socks can be all that. Another knitter looked at them and asked me if it was an old pattern. No, just an old designer! I was aiming for a vintage look and it was good to hear someone else say they seemed so.
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM, colorway P71672, 100% Merino Wool (very soft) and on the toes and heels and cuffs, Patons Kroy Sock yarn, colorway 54405, 75% Washable wool, 25% Nylon (very durable).
Pattern: My own.
Needles: #2 (2.25mm) dpns
Comments: I like the juxtaposition of these two yarns--the luxury Koigu on the foot where you want softness and the hard-working Kroy where you need it most.
The slight difference in the thickness and texture of the two yarns does not seem to be noticeable, especially after washing and blocking. Both yarns have a nice drape (not that drape is important in socks, you know).The Koigu yarn colorway is best shown in the very first photo of this post where you can notice the slight greenish background. It was very difficult to get a good representation of it even in natural light and tweaking the exposure.

Nearly Finished...

This project is almost complete; a little more knitting and too many ends to weave in.

Rainy Lake Weekend

Friends of ours have owned an island on Rainy Lake in Canada for many years. They are so good to invite us to share a couple weekends a year with them, and we do enjoy it! It's a twenty minute boat ride to the island (on a good day with smooth water) from the five mile dock in Fort Francis.

The cabin greets us; the windows seem to smile their welcome...

The island was called "Tar Island" because the fishermen used to tar their nets here, and remnants of that remain on the large rock in front of the cabin.

Our view each morning over the Labor Day weekend was breathtaking. I have uploaded a very large photo for your to see for yourself: Click the photo in this link twice to get the panoramic view. (Be sure to click twice on that photo, then you can scroll left to right to see the whole picture.)


We had spectacular Canadian sunsets...

The Judge did a bit of reading...

And we saw a young eagle from the front porch...

Later, I got as close as I dared while he just gave me the "eagle eye" (sorry, I couldn't help that)...
Hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!