Sock Yarn Swap

Check it out! I signed up for a Sock Yarn Stash swap in Ravelry (link to Ravelry Group). The premise is that you choose sock yarn from your stash, add a few other knitterly items & treats, and send it on. My upstream partner is DeusXMachina on Ravelry, and she lives in Vienna! How cool is that? She sent me two skeins of Socken Effekt Strickgarn in this cool red-gold-peachy combo that I can't wait to knit up. Also, some chocolates (partially consumed now), tea, mints (Orbit Professional Mints!), a Vanilla candle, Orange fragrance oil, because I love orange and vanilla together, sewing pins, and bubble bath!

My downstream partner is Stefanina from Switzerland. I sent her package out today, but sadly, forgot to take a picture before I sent it off. I won't post what I sent just in case she reads my blog - Hi Stefanina - I want you to be surprised! This is an ongoing swap, in fact sign ups for Round 3 started today. Each swap is limited to 50 participants, so you've got to move fast. I don't think I'm going to sign up again just yet - I love all the yarn in my stash too much!

I've decided not to participate in Secret Pal 11 this time. I've been waiting and waiting for months for it to start up again. Sign ups started a couple of weeks ago, and I've been reconsidering it. I've decided we've got so much going on this summer, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up with the packages I would want to send, as well as the posting and contact requirements. Between family stuff, house stuff, and work stuff, the rest of this year is going to fly by, I'm afraid.

WIP Wednesday

Here it is - I'm finally knitting something besides socks! This is my cardiganized Wicked, ala FlintKnits. I'm using Dream in Color Classy in Dusky Aurora, and I hope to have it finished by June 1st for the Loopy Ewe's Dream in Color KAL.

I'm showing a close up because the subtleties of this colorway fascinate me. Still this picture doesn't do it justice. In the sunlight it almost sparkles or glows.

I am very close to being finished - hopefully it will be blocking by the weekend!

FO Report: Leafling

Pattern: Leafling by JC Briar
Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock Mediumweight
Needles: US 2, 2.75mm
Started: April 25, 2008
Finished: May 8, 2008
Modifications: I used the modified toe pattern by KnittingSuzanne (ravelry link)

This is the March sock kit from the 2008 Rockin' Sock Club. An alternate name for these socks could be The Third Pair of Green Socks I've Knit in a Row. Seriously, I really enjoyed knitting these, but I'm a little tired of all the green. I wanted to do the Stretchy Rib cast on I've used for the last couple of top down socks, but it sets you up for a 1 x 1 ribbing, and these needed a 2 x 2 ribbing to flow into the leaf pattern. I know these pictures don't show pattern well, but check out the other photos on Ravelry for some truly beautiful socks. I think I could have figured it out how to do the Stretch Cast on or something like it in a 2x2 rib, but I've been fairly brain dead by the time I am able to sit down with my knitting lately. And the last thing I want to do at the end of the day is sit in front of the computer any longer. Actually, the hand out we received at our last K.N.I.T. Guild meeting will help me with this I think. If I have time to sit down and figure it out for 2 x 2, I'll write it up and post it here, if anyone's interested.

The heel was really interesting too. It started out as a slipped stitch heel, but the slipped stitches continued down underneath the heel until all the gusset stitches were decreased. The creates a little padding under the heel, which is great on my hardwood floors!

It's time for the May sock club kits to ship, in fact I think they are shipping this week. In the meantime, I've cast on for a Wicked cardigan, and am nearly finished with it. Hopefully I can get another FO report up this week for that one! I have another cardi swirling around in my head that may need to be knit before I start anymore socks. Plus, I've got to get that ladybug cardi knit for Sweetpea....

FO Report: Paddy's Lucky Clover

Pattern: Paddy's Lucky Clover socks by Angela Dominey
Yarn: Shelby B's Designs Superwash Merino
Needles: US size 1 1/2, 2.5 mm
Started: April 10, 2008
Finished: April 22, 2008
Modification: used Stretchy Rib cast-on and 1 x 1 ribbing instead of long tail cast on and 2 x 2 ribbing.

Was it really nearly a month ago that I finished these socks? Wow, I really am behind... Anyway, this was the March sock club kit from Robyn's Nest. She has a month to month sock club with a different indy dyer each month (I think) . It came with the yarn and pattern (of course), plus some beaded stitch markers, a St. Patrick's Day pencil and pin. I signed up for the March kit because Shelby was my downstream SP9 pal.

I really liked knitting these and the lacy pattern made them go really fast. I especially liked the heel. It is sort of like an Eye of Partridge heel, but the yarn is carried on the right side in front of the slipped stitches. It made for a really pretty heel, but I couldn't get a picture of it that does it justice.

That's the thing I like the most about sock clubs, is that you are presented with a pattern or technique or yarn color that you might not normally try. I've never been disappointed :)

One note on Robyn's Nest, I also ordered an ebony shawl stick from her (at a fantastic price!) and despite the good packaging, when it arrived it had been snapped in half. I emailed her, and she replaced it, no questions asked, and was very apologetic about it. So, I can doubly recommend her for the great products she carries, as well has her excellent customer service!

Pay it Forward

I am horribly late in this post, but this is the package I received from my Pay It Forward upstream pal, Rachel. As you'll recall, you agree to send packages containing something handmade to up to three people.

Rachel send me a set of six coasters, some rose scented lip balm, and a set of glass bead stitch markers! I love them all, and don't know why it took me so long to post. I think it's probably because the items got separated almost immediately, the coasters next to my favorite chair, the stitch markers into one of my knitting bags, and the lip balm on my bedside table. I had to gather everything up for this picture, and then had several days of not being able to upload to Flickr. (When I finally got into it, the picture was there three times!) As Rachel can tell, the stitch markers are still on the piece of yarn she tied them together with. I don't know what it is, but I have a hard time using gifts people send to me, whether stitch markers, yarn, tea, or whatever (except for chocolate - I don't have a problem using chocolate.) It's like I have to find a project worthy enough of using the yarn or stitch markers, or whatever.

I posted my own PIF post in February, and to date have only one downstream pal. (Jen, I am working on something for you!) Feel free to comment on that post if you'd like one of the two remaining spots.

In other news, I'm slowing getting caught up on Bloglines, I'm down to about 350 posts to read. I'm also cranking out a new cardi, cast on (top down) just over a week ago, and I'm already working on the second sleeve. The body is to about the waist, and once the sleeve is finished, I'll complete the body.

Catching up

Oh, my, I am so far behind! Has it really been nearly 2 weeks since I posted last? My bloglines has over 800 posts, I have two FO reports to do, plus I started a new cardi yesterday, but I haven't made the time to write about them. I haven't taken photos of the roving I dyed at Yarn School, I haven't told you about my new spinning wheel, or about the craptastic spinning I did earlier this week. I am, thankfully, up to date at work, and expect to be so finished with projects by the end of May that I will have time for some CPE.

The thing I feel most horrible about is that I received a package from my upstream Pay It Forward partner, and I never thanked her for it. Rachel, I am so sorry, hopefully you understand how family, work, and life can push everything else out of the way sometimes.

My very next post will be about Rachel's package, and following that will be proper posts of fiber and FOs, complete with pictures.