Skip to main content

WIPs

Lately, socks seem to languish on the needles.  I'm not sure why - I love knitting them!  And yet, the colorwork socks I started last month have been cryogenically frozen since before TNNA...no real reason, but I just can't seem to progress past the heel turn:
I'm having similar issues of inertia with my toe-up socks. While I love the yarn and the pattern, second sock syndrome - something I've never had to deal with in my seven or so years of sock knitting - has set in. Getting the toe started on sock #2 is my main stumbling block; I'm either too tired or stressed or pressed for time to sit down and work through the cast-on and first few rounds of toe shaping.  Here's #1 - it looks great, right?  If only it had a friend!
Meanwhile, my Narwhal Mittens are also progressing at a glacier-like pace. I started them at the beginning of June (before the colorwork socks but after the toe-up socks, for those of you keeping track) and have yet to proceed to mitten #2. The yarn is amazing, though - a natural brown color contrasting with a hand-dyed goldenrod of Lhasa Wilderness, a bamboo/yak blend.  It's heavenly.
I'm just going to assume that my Color Affection is going to be a slow burner, too.  I'm thrilled that I've made it as far as I have, to be perfectly honest. I'm planning on doing the WestKnits Mystery Shawl KAL that starts on July 15, and while it would be nice to be mostly finished with the shawl that currently resides on my needles, I'm trying hard not to entertain such delusions.
I ordered the yarn for my Color Affection the same night my dad called me to give me the news that Grandpa wasn't doing well; something about a big, stripey shawl knit in The Fibre Company's Canopy Fingering sounded incredibly comforting.  I happened to have a gift certificate to Doodlebug Yarn - all the better to enable my retail therapy.  I'll be using two new colors, Manatee and Conifer, plus an old favorite, Sarsparilla.

Comments

  1. Great projects! I wanted to join the Westknits mystery shawl too, but not sure I'll be home in time...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I might start a little late - we'll see if I can get a few more things off the needles before the KAL starts!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n...