Finally Finished!

I finished the seemingly endless Socka socks for DH I've been working on for months. They've been my "take in the car just in case (JIC?)" socks. I used the alternating 2 X 2 rib pattern from SKS. They were supposed to be done for Christmas. I guess they'll be an April Fool's day present now.

Since I had a free set of needles, rather than finish another sock project, I cast on for a new sock using an Opal yarn from the pre color names/numbers/dyelots era. It's in rusty red, burgundy, navy, eggplant and brown. It looks better knitted up than on the skein. Somehow I didn't expect stripes. A friend brought it from PT Yarns in Oregon (the US Opal distributor's store). I traded some of my Opal Tiger to her for the yarn and considered myself lucky (except when I think of what I could have sold the Tiger for on Ebay a few years back.) I didn't like the Tiger: it was too coral pink, not really tiger colored at all.

I thought I was going to make the Monkey socks but this yarn is not right for that pattern. When I got home today my new book More Sensational Knitted Socks had arrived from Knitpicks. I picked out a six stitch broad spiral rib pattern and it's looking good, very subtle and somewhat masculine. I have some Shelridge Farms hand dyed yarn that may look better in the Monkey pattern. I'm already itching to start them too. I will have to curb my enthusiam for new projects and hunker down to one sock at a time if I want to finish a pair every week for the 52 pair plunge challenge.

Knitter's Treat Swap Questions

I signed up for yet another swap/exchange. These are fun! I have to post the questionnaire on my blog, so here goes.

1. What's your favourite type of yarn?
SOFT! (angora, silk, cotton, linen, chenille, superwash wool, bamboo)
2. What's your least favourite type of yarn?
SCRATCHY! (mohair, Lopi, shetland wool, rayon chenille, acrylic)
3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop?
Touch all the sock yarn, then go to the sale section and feel the yarn there.
4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do?
quilting, dyeing fabric & yarn, crochet, hmmmmmmm...fiber art in general
5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to? Too many!
Knitter's, Interweave Knits, Knit Simple, Creative Knitting, Knit n'Style, Vogue Knitting, Quilter's Newsletter, American Quilter, Sunset, Time, National Geographic, Smithsonian
6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference:
Knitting / Garden / Food / Home / Crochet / Other Craft / Fashion (Isn't knitting fashion?) / Celebrity Gossip
7. What items do you like to knit / crochet?
Socks, felted bags, slippers, sweaters, hats, scarves
8. Are you allergic to anything?
Mohair, yak hair, perfume, cigarette smoke, dust and mold.
9. What do you like to* smell of?
(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of)
lavender, vanilla or chocolate? I can't smell, so definitely not perfume, especially after I figured out I was allergic to it.
10. What's your favourite way to relax?
knitting or reading (or both together!)
11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first?
Wow, that's a hard one. I think the Italian cafe.
12. What do you come out with?
A mocha and an almond biscotti dipped in chocolate, plus a cannoli for later.
13. Where do you go next?
The yarn store of course! Unless I have to go to another one of the sweet shops. I'd choose the bakery next, or maybe....it's just too hard.
14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal?
Have fun, enjoy life, knit socks, and drink wisely

50 Songs of My Misspent Youth

Wendy of Wendy's Woolies tagged me with this one. You take the top 50 records from the year you were 18 from this website, post the list and then -

bold the ones you liked,

strike the ones you disliked

and italicize the ones you knew but didn’t particularly like or dislike.

The ones you don’t know will still be in normal text. The year I was 18 was 1971, not a great year for music. 1970 was much better. There are a few classics on the list, though. I chose the US top 50 list, and this is what I came up with:

1. JOY TO THE WORLD Three Dog Night
2. MAGGIE MAY c/w REASON TO BELIEVE Rod Stewart
   
3. IT'S TOO LATE c/w I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE Carole King
4. ONE BAD APPLE Osmonds
5. HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART? Bee Gees
6. INDIAN RESERVATION Paul Revere & the Raiders featuring Mark Lindsay
7. GO AWAY LITTLE GIRL Donny Osmond
8. TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS John Denver
9. JUST MY IMAGINATION (RUNNING AWAY WITH ME) Temptations
10. KNOCK THREE TIMES Dawn
11. ME AND BOBBY McGEE Janis Joplin
12. TIRED OF BEING ALONE Al Green
13. WANT ADS Honey Cone
14. SMILING FACES SOMETIMES Undisputed Truth
15. TREAT HER LIKE A LADY Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
16. YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND James Taylor
17. MR BIG STUFF Jean Knight
18. BROWN SUGAR Rolling Stones not my favorite Rolling Stones song
19. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN Lee Michaels
20. THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN Joan Baez
21. WHAT'S GOING ON? Marvin Gaye
22. UNCLE ALBERT - ADMIRAL HALSEY Paul & Linda McCartney (Wings)
23. AIN'T NO SUNSHINE Bill Withers
24. SIGNS Five Man Electrical Band
25. SHE'S A LADY Tom Jones
26. SUPERSTAR Murray Head & The Trinidad Singers
27. I FOUND SOMEONE OF MY OWN Free Movement
28. AMOS MOSES Jerry Reed
29. TEMPTATION EYES Grass Roots
30. SUPERSTAR Carpenters never heard of this one
31. MY SWEET LORD c/w ISN'T IT A PITY George Harrison (what was he thinking?)
32. SWEET AND INNOCENT Donny Osmond this one somehow escaped my radar
    
33. PUT YOUR HAND IN MY HAND Ocean
34. CHICK-A-BOOM Daddy Dewdrop
35. FOR ALL WE KNOW Carpenters
36. HELP ME MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT Sammi Smith
37. RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS Carpenters
38. IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND Gordon Lightfoot
39. GYPSYS, TRAMPS AND THIEVES Cher I like Cher but this one was not one of my favorites
    
40. NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE Jackson 5 barely escaped the dreaded overstrike
41. ROSE GARDEN Lynn Anderson
42. DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
43. IT DON'T COME EASY Ringo
44. MR BOJANGLES Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
45. I LOVE YOU FOR ALL SEASONS Fuzz
46. WHATCHA SEE IS WHATCHA GET Dramatics
47. THAT'S THE WAY I'VE ALWAYS HEARD IT SHOULD BE Carly Simon still a favorite
48. IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME Stevie Wonder
49. SPANISH HARLEM Aretha Franklin
50. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM Helen Reddy

Sunday Seven/Eighths

Seven things I'm grateful for this week.
1. Stick shift cars
2. Trader Joe's
3. The Sunday paper
4. Spring Weather
5. The Yellow Pages
6. Rotary cutters for quilting
7. Kleenex

I took a class yesterday with Judy Sisneros on making a quilt pattern called Winding Paths. The quilt pieces are still pinned to the design board in my car, since I went to visit my mother instead of going home. Today we're going to Trader Joe's. I finished one of my Madtini socks last night and cast on for the other one. I forgot the pattern and the extra ball of yarn, so I didn't get very far. Luckily I had another sock project along with me. I hope to finish these boring socks really soon so I can work on more exciting projects.

Sock Madness Est Fini

I've gone down in flames in the second round of sock madness. I was paired with one of the faster knitters in my bracket from round one. I was the last to qualify, what were they thinking of with the matchups! She is already finished with both socks and I have just finished the heel and gusset on sock one! I knew when they announced that the pattern was coming on Thursday afternoon that I was a goner.

The pattern is quite nice and very easy once I got the rhythm. I think I'd like it in a solid or heather much better. I used some Silja sportweight yarn in red, violet and navy, and it looks very nice in person. Now I can return to my double spiral mosaic socks and go to my quilt class tomorrow, if they haven't already given away my space.

Edited to add: My mom LOVES the socks, and they do look much better in real life. Sock one is done, sock two is cast on, but I forgot the second ball of yarn at home. UPDATE: I finished sock two last night while watching Island at War on Masterpiece Theater again.

Knit Wiki Encyclopedia of Knitting

Thanks to a post on the socknitters list, I just discovered a new site to help knitters connect, learn and explore the world of knitting. It's a wiki: a free, user developed, online encyclopedia for knitting patterns, history, stitches, links and connections. I've put a link to the site in my sidebar and hope every knitter will visit, enjoy the site and contribute. The developer of the site is Sarah Bradberry, who devotes much of her time to enhancing the information available free to knitters on the Internet, and to archiving and making available vintage knitting patterns. Look for the KnitWiki button on the right. Thanks, Sarah, for all your hard work.

I spent some time writing a little article about mosaic knitting for the Wiki instead of working on my new sock madness sock. I got the pattern today at 2:00 PST. May the best knitter win!

A Knitting Book List Meme

I like it!
This is only a partial list of the thousands of knitting books, how-to's and fiction available. Copy the list to your blog, italicize the ones you’ve read, bold the ones you own, **the ones on your Wish List, change the color to red on the ones not worth the money. Note alongside any one that is very special to you, or that you use most often. Have FUN

1. Dyed in the Wool: A Knitting Mystery by Mary Kruger
2.Knit One, Kill Two (Knitting Mystery) by Maggie Sefton
3 Needled to Death (Knitting Mysteries) by Maggie Sefton
**4. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
5.The Knitting Circle: A Novel by Ann Hood
6. A Deadly Yarn: A Knitting Mystery by Maggie Sefton
7. Knitting: A Novel by Anne Bartlett
8. The Shop On Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
9. A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber
10. Mason-Dixon Knitting: The Curious Knitters' Guide: Stories, Patterns, Advice, Opinions, Questions, Answers, Jokes, and Pictures by Kay Gardiner
11. Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
12. One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit and Crochet by Leigh Radford
13. Wendy Knits: My Never-Ending Adventures in Yarn by Wendy D. Johnson
14. At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
15. Knitting Rules!: The Yarn Harlot's Bag of Knitting Tricks by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
16. Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns by Nancy Bush
17. One-Skein Wonders by Judith Durant
18. Knit 2 Together: Patterns and Stories for Serious Knitting Fun by Tracey Ullman
19. Arctic Lace: Knitting Projects and Stories Inspired by Alaska's Native Knitters by Donna Druchunas
20. Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmermann A wonderful reminiscence illustrated with EZ's own watercolr sketches and great patterns.
21. Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann
22. Knitting Without Tears: Basic Techniques and Easy-to-Follow Directions for Garments to Fit All Sizes by Elizabeth Zimmerman Hilarious and empowering all at the same time. YOU are the boss of your knitting!
23. Knitting from the Top by Barbara G. Walker
24. The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmermann
25. Sweater Workshop by Jacqueline Fee
26. Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmermann
27. A Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker The Bible of Stitch patterns
28. Knitting Beyond the Edge: Cuffs and Collars Necklines Hems Closures - The Essential
Collection of Decorative Finishes by Nicky Epstein
29. Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby
30. Cables Untangled: An Exploration of Cable Knitting by Melissa Leapman
31. Lace Style: Traditional to Innovative, 21 Inspired Designs to Knit by Pam Allen
32. A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen
33. Knitting Under the Influence (Paperback) by Claire LaZebnik
34. Not Tonight Darling, I'm Knitting by Betty Hosegood
35. Knitting Nature: 39 Designs Inspired by Patterns in Nature by Norah Gaughan and Thayer Allyson Gowdy Very intriguing ideas and beautiful projects
36. The Knitting Experience: Book 2: The Purl Stitch (Knitting Experience Series) by Sally Melville
37. The Knitting Experience: Book 3: Color (The Knitting Experience) by Sally Melville I love the ideas and projects in this book. I made a cardigan last year using an idea from the linen stitch chapter.
38. The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie M. Wiseman
39. The Knitting Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face; Answers to Every
Question You'll Ever Ask by Margaret Radcliffe
40. The Knitting Experience: Book 1: The Knit Stitch (The Knitting Experience) (Paperback) by Sally Melville I like the clear how to pictures in the book and the different ideas for beginner projects.
41. 440 More Knitting Stitches - Volume 3 (Harmony Guides) by Harmony Guide Staff
42. 250 Creative Knitting Stitches - Volume 4 (Harmony Guides) by Harmony Guide Staff
43. Knitting Techniques - Volume 1 (Harmony Guides) by Harmony Guide Staff
44. 220 Aran Stitches and Patterns - Volume 5 (Harmony Guides) by Harmony Guide Staff
45. Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns by Inc. Sterling Publishing Co.
46. 450 Knitting Stitches - Volume 2 (Harmony Guides)
47. Weekend Knitting: 50 Unique Projects and Ideas by Melanie Falick and Ericka McConnell
48. Knitting With Balls: A Hands-On Guide to Knitting for the Modern Man by Michael Del
49. A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker
50. Charted Knitting Designs: A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker
**51. A Fourth Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker (I think I already have this in its original title of Sampler Knitting)
52. The Baby Knits Book: The Ultimate Collection of Knitwear Designs for Newborns to 3-Year-
Olds by Debbie Bliss
53. Special Knits for Babies: 22 Gorgeous Handknits for Babies by Debbie Bliss
54. The Yarn Girls' Guide to Kid Knits: Patterns for Babies and Toddlers by Julie Carles
55. Quick Baby Knits: Over 25 Quick and Easy Designs for 0-3 year olds by Debbie Bliss
56. Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss
57. Knitting Color: Design Inspiration from Around the World by Brandon Mably and Kaffe
Fassett
58. Knitting Heaven and Earth: Healing the Heart with Craft by Susan Gordon Lydon
59. Yarnplay by Lisa Shobhana Mason
60. Natural Knits for Babies and Moms: Beautiful Designs Using Organic Yarns (Paperback) by Louisa Harding
61. Simply Baby by Debbie Bliss
62. Itty-Bitty Hats: cute and cuddly caps to knit for babies and toddlers by Susan B. Anderson
63. Knitting for Baby: 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions by Melanie
Falick
64. Special Knits for Babies: 22 Gorgeous Handknits for Babies by Debbie Bliss
65. Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle
**66. Folk Socks by Nancy Bush (lots of info for new-to-socks knitters)
67. Folk Vests by Cheryl Oberle
68. Stahmans Shawls and Scarves by Myrna Stahman
69. Fitted Knits by Japel
70. Twinles Big City Knits by Wenlan
71. Big Girl Knits by Jillian Moreno
72. Mary Thomas' Knitting Book by Mary Thomas
73. Knitting in the Old Way by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts
74. The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook by Lynne Vogel
75. Andean Folk Knits by Marcia Lewandowski

I don't think any of the books on the list above that I own aren't worth the money. There are a few I own that aren't worth the money but they aren't on the list. It seems to be slanted towards baby knits. I would have added a few more to the list, maybe bring it up to an even 100. Here are some of my favorites, those books in my library (amd some that aren't) that I feel are useful additions to any collection. I'm sure I've left off some great titles, too. It was hard to add just 25.

76. Felted Knits by Bev Galeskas
77. Modular Knits by Iris Schreier
78. Module Magic by Ginger Luters
79. Slip Stitch Knits by Roxana Bartlett
80. Unexpected Knitting by Debbie New
81. Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch
**82. More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch
83. Socks Socks Socks by Elaine Rowley and XRX Books
84. No Idle Hands, a Social History of Knitting in America by Anne Macdonald
85. Fairisle Knitting by Alice Starmore (OOP)
86. The Art of Fairisle Knitting by Ann Feitelson (OOP?) wonderful on color
87. Designing Knitwear by Deborah Newton (OOP?)
**88. Knits from a Painter's Palette by Maia Landru
**89. Confessions of a Knitting Heretic by Annie Modesitt
**90. Knitting for Anarchists by Anna Zilboorg
**91. A History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt
92. Cool Socks, Warm Feet by Lucy Neatby
93. A Treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi
94. Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi
95. A 2nd Treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi
96. A Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd
97. A Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Ann Budd
98. No Pattern Knitting by Pat Ashforth and Steve Plummer
**99. Free Form Knitting by Prudence Mapstone
100. Fabulous Felted Knits by Jane Davis