Thistle Lace Socks

As part of the Socks Knitters Anonymous Ravelry group's Design Your Own Sock June challenge, I've been busy designing a new sock and writing up the pattern. It's now available on the sidebar and on Ravelry.

I'm using a solid color Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in a mauvey cocoa brown color. I used a lace pattern from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury and charted it out to be knit in the round using a wonderful little app I found on the web. It's knit toe up, with a reverse Dutch heel and seed stitch side panels (or you could use ribbing) to customize the fit.

It's here!!! My Knitter's Treat Exchange package

I arrived home yesterday after a really bad day (sinus infection, aching muscles, no time to even sit down for 5 hours straight) to a satisfyingly stuffed mailbox. My package had arrived from my upstream treater in the Knitter's Treat Exchange. I sent a package to Chrissie in Singapore, and in return I got a wonderful package from Amanda in Tasmania. She sent me a great package with incredible hand dyed yarn (from the etsy shop Monsoon Winds) that is extremely soft and achingly bright (but in a good way.) This yarn will make great socks. I'm now looking for the right pattern to show it off. Amanda also included a really pretty bag from Crabtree & Evelyn (my favorite!) with travel sized Rose Petals lotion, soap and shower gel, lots of great Australian chocolates, the latest issue of the great Australian knitting magazine, YARN, and a collectible Hello Kitty candy dispenser. I don't have a camera right now, so you'll have to be content with a scanned image of the yarn. Amanda also sent me a postcard with a great picture of the greenest gorge I've ever seen. She says it is right in the middle of her town. It also had a great stamp (I collect stamps, sort of.) The one thing she didn't send was her email or blog address so I could thank her in person. Thanks so much, Amanda. I am enjoying all of the goodies.

25 things about my knitting life

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? My favorites are soft yarns and natural fibers. I have trouble with mohair and scratchy wools like Shetland and Lopi. I like cotton and wool blends for socks, merino wool, silk, angora, cashmere, baby alpaca.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a nice ceramic vase on my desk for the long 14" straights that I don't use very much. I didn't buy any of these long needles, except for one pair of Brittany's in black walnut with carved ends. I inherited some from my mom and others somehow arrived at my door.
I use toothbrush holders for my double points, which I store in a plastic school supplies box. I have a fabric roll for my 10" straights and a pouch with plastic bags for my circs, which have size labels on the cables. I have all of my 16" circs in a zippered pencil case to go in a 3 ring binder. I store my crochet hooks in a wooden pencil case that slides open, which was my mom's when she started school in 1930. I've been using this case since I learned to crochet in 1971 and inherited my great grandmother's steel crochet hooks.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I've been knitting for about 8 years this go round. I learned the first time (if you don't count the time my mom tried to teach me when I was 8) in college when I knit a top down sweater on circs for my mom from Bernat Berella. I stopped knitting for about ten years, and started again when Kaffe Fasset's first book came out. I paused for quiltmaking after a few years until 1999 when a quilting friend dragged me to Stitches West. This time it seems to have stuck, and I now have a SABLE (stash acquired beyond life expectancy) just of sock yarn, not to mention the other stuff.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Not really, just a save for later cart at Knit picks and Amazon.

5. What's your favorite scent? I'm allergic to most perfume, and I can't smell because of the allergies. I wish I could smell chocolate!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Chocolate, chocolate chocolate. Home made cookies.Favorite candy? See's almond truffles

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Mostly knitting and quilting. I can crochet, used to do cross stitch and macrame.

8. What kind of music do you like? Eclectic, a wide range. Jimmy Buffett, the Beatles, Carly Simon, George Winston, Celtic harp, Dixie Chicks, vintage rock, Elvis, Broadway shows, Billie Holiday, Joan Baez

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Blues, teals, some purples, rose Any colors you just can't stand? Orange, beige, tan, puce, blah.

10. What is your family situation? Married 1 kid who's grown up but still at home Do you have any pets? a dwarf bunny named Handsome Benjamin

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? hats, scarves, mitts, sometimes ponchos

12. What are your favorite item/s to knit? Hard to say. Socks, felted bags and slippers seem to be most popular, with hats, scarves and now fingerless mitts bringing up the rear.

13. What are you knitting right now? socks, felted bags, stranded vest

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Doesn't everybody?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I usually knit on circulars or dpns. I don't like long straights at all. Bamboo, aluminum, or plastic? wonderful Wood, steel Addi's, good bamboo, vintage nylon circs, vintage Balenes.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? The swift is broken (too much use?) but I have two ball winders

17. How old is your oldest UFO? 1973, a turqouise cotton crocheted pineapple tablecloth which I may make into a shawl.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect? yarn, fabric, books, stamps

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to
get your hands on? Of course. Sea silk and wool sock yarn is the latest obsession. Ebony and rosewood double points & circulars, ebony anything! I want the Koigu book and more Koigu yarn to go with it.

21. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Knitter's, Creative Knitting, INKnitters, Interweave Knits, Knit Simple

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I just learned entrelac, and need more practice with cables. Intarsia is intriguing, too. I love Kaffe Fassett's work.

23. Are you a sock knitter? Yes
What are your foot measurements? 9.75" length 10" around ball 11" ankle

24. When is your birthday? May 3

25. What is your preferred sock knitting method? I like to use one 12" long ADDI turbo for the body of the sock, and I use douible points to knit the heel and the toe decreases. I also use the three needle bind off to finish the toe.

Sunday Seven Part III

1. Dave Mackay's wonderful page of heels for knitting socks. I just recently came across Dave's blog and was happy to see he's still knitting and feisty.
2. The Knit List
3. The Socknitters group website full of great patterns and ideas.
4. Netflix
5. Rosamunde Pilcher's books
6. Folk Socks
7. Chocolate Muffins