My Lantern Moon Sox Stix have arrived!

I am so giddy today because my Sox Stix have arrived and I've started on my second pair of worsted socks. Of the two woods I thought the Ebony was the loveliest, though the Rosewood is still more beautiful than anything I've knit with before. I don't need two sets of the same size though, so I am selling the rosewood set. Something inside me wants to keep them too, but its best they go out into the world to someone who will use them more.

I love the short 5 inch length of the needles, but I was disappointed in the slickness. My Knit Picks sock needle set in "Harmony wood" are much more polished and slicker, though I suspect these will get slicker with use like my bamboo needles. They have a much more natural feel to them than the Harmony wood, which is nice too. In any case, they are lovely and have enough grab to keep their short little selves from slipping out of place while I knit, and that is important.

Sock Fever

WARNING: I don't shave my legs. LOL!


I am knitting socks again. I love socks! All my current socks which I have worn for years now have holes in the heels, so its time to replace them. This time I decided to use worsted weight yarn instead of sock yarn. Its cheaper and thicker, making it a double plus for me! I can't stand wimpy socks. I wear them out too quickly, and it takes a lot less time to knit socks with worsted than sock yarn, let me tell you!

Its not just a time and money saver though, I really like the extra comfort I get from the thickness. I got some great super wash merino wool from Knit Picks (Swish Worsted) in some great colors; Allspice, Jade and Truffle. I used their pattern for boot socks as a launching pad, but knit them using DPN's instead of two at a time on two circulars. I find it faster to knit on DPN's personally. I hate all the time it takes to pull your stitches in place with the circular needle methods of knitting socks, and I don't have problems with ladders or "second sock syndrome" anyway, so why take more time?

I knit them in K2 P2 ribbing for the whole length of the leg as well as the top of the foot (I don't care for ribbing at the bottom of the foot because it is not as comfortable as stockinette). And of course, I hate gusset heels so I did a round heel instead for a much better fit. Like I said, I used their pattern as a launching pad. I did like their idea of casting on more stitches the first row and then decreasing them out on the next row. It does make it nearly impossible to knit the cuff too tight. I think I'll borrow that tip for all my socks.

I knit the first pair using size 5 needles, but thought it made the fabric just a bit "airy" so I plan to knit my next pair using size 4 instead. I tried size 3 in a small swatch but I thought it made the fabric too rigid. Elasticity is very important for socks. I think size 4 will be my magic medium. I don't have that size yet, so I decided to get a really nice set. I've always wanted a set of Lantern Moon Sox Stix, but they are so expensive. On a hunch I checked Ebay and won two sets for an amazingly low price! One is rosewood and the other ebony. I couldn't choose between so I got both. They haven't arrived yet but should be here next week.

While waiting for my needles, I feel antsy. I was hoping to work on my second pair of socks this weekend. The mail won't run today because of the holiday, so at the soonest they might be here Monday. I can't wait! I knit the first pair in Jade with Truffle heel, toe and cuff. For the second set I plan to knit in Allspice with Jade heel, toe and cuff. I may even add a decorative motif around the ankle.

KIP Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is Knit in Public day! I'm very excited, except the yarn I ordered from Knitpicks earlier this week hasn't arrived yet. I was hoping to have it in time, but I have a project to take with me anyway. I plan to take some extra needles and balls of yarn with me too in case any passers-by want a quick lesson. That would be awesome!

I find myself in desperate need of an entirely new set of socks. Every pair of socks I own now have holes in one or both heels or ankles. I tried to find adequate replacements in the store, but could find nothing that even comes close except for a few pair that were $15 each! Its cheaper to knit my own, but it will take some time. I hope my old ones can last a few more weeks. The yarn I ordered from knitpicks is for the socks. I decided to go with a worsted weight superwash wool so they will knit up faster. I am more fond of heavy socks anyway. I'll post pictures when I've started them.

Knit In Public Day

Knit in Public day is just around the corner (Sat, June 13th). Unfortunately, I have to work that day. I do get off earlier though, so I plan to take my knitting with me to work (as I often do anyway) and sit outside on a park bench knitting during lunch and then go to the park afterward and knit for a while. I may even make myself a T-Shirt announcing KIP Day, and hopefully I'll stir some interest/awareness.

Many people in my area still see knitting as a grandmotherly endeavor. I guess I have trouble falling for this stereotype because, well, my grandmother didn't knit. Neither did my mother or any of her sisters, or my great-grandmother, etc. and so on back to the beginning (or so I assume, really impossible to know for sure). I'm a first generation knitter, and I'm not even a mother, let alone a grandmother!

I often knit in public, and am amazed by the responses I get, general interest being the most common. It seems so unusual to most people, which is really amazing considering the fact that not so very long ago it was commonplace to see people of all ages knitting on the bus, in waiting rooms, lecture halls, etc.; pretty much anywhere someone would be sitting for any length of time, you could find people knitting. Now, I almost never see fellow knitters at work. I actually only saw one once at a presentation at the local university (and she did look like a grandmother). Seeing her made me wish I had brought a project myself.

In my area it still seems to be a craft dominated by older women, be they grandmothers or spinsters. There really isn't anything wrong with that, but the craft stores tend to cater to the acrylic baby blanket and afghan crowd. This makes it nearly impossible to find what I need locally, so I order most of my yarn online or purchase it out of state when I go on vacation. Don't get me wrong, there are some knitting stores that sell more artsy yarns, but not anywhere close to me or my budget. I do get quite a bit of specialty yarn from the local thrift stores, but its hard to predict what you will find, or if there will be enough for an entire project.

Well, enough ranting about acrylic etc. I'm looking forward to KIP day, even though its much more frequently celebrated by myself than once a year. I hope to see more fellow knitters out this year. Maybe I will. :)

Thinking of Mitts

I have been very busy with all sorts of things lately and haven't really been knitting regularly. I did finally finish the scarf I was working on in time for the cold to really settle in. I now am hoping to finish the pair of spiral socks I was working on and start working on a pair of fingerless mitts to wear while typing or knitting in my room. We are trying to save money on our electric bill by keeping the thermostat set to 67 degrees. So far, its working but it gets a bit chilly. I saw a great pair of mitts in Interweave knits not long ago I think I'll go back and knit. I'll post a picture when I finish them.

Reusable Knitted Shopping Bags

I have been trying to recycle my plastic, paper, cardboard, and aluminum, which has reduced my trash output considerably. Usually, unless we do a major cleanout, we have at most two bags of trash to pickup per week. This is mostly cat litter and food/bathroom/kitchen waste. I also save my plastic grocery bags to be returned to the recycling bins they have at most grocery stores now. I have purchased some of the cheap recycled plastic reusable shopping bags but I can't seem to remember to use them, and I find they wear out very quickly. One developed a slit in the side after one use! It makes me nervous to carry anything heavy in them. There are sturdier bags available from various suppliers, but they cost more.

I was listening to NPR yesterday morning on my way to work when they were interviewing a woman who started a reusable shopping bag company after visiting Europe where they were the norm. She first began importing the bags they used, then started making her own. She now has a multi-million dollar company. She said that until this year, she really had little or no competition here in the US. Now its ballooning. Her biggest beef was with the cheap recycled bags so many stores are selling now because even though they were made of recycled materials, they didn't last long and needed to be replaced again quickly. She urged people to seek out more permanent bags that would last for years. (I was reminded of the one that ripped after one use!) This got me to thinking...

I did a search of patterns on Ravelry and found a multitude of free patterns for shopping bags, most made of cotton, linen, hemp or a combination of these. Some of the yarns they used were very expensive, so I searched Elann.com and found some much less expensive options. I queued some nice looking freebies and plan to start on one when I finish my Felted Carpet Bag (the pattern was actually intended as a farmer's market bag, but I made mine smaller for use as a project bag). The mesh patterns I found on Ravelry look very practical and easy to make. I should also be able to repair them when/if they become worn. I'll post pictures when I finish my first.

Felted Carpet bag

My latest project is the Farmer's Market bag from the book Weekend Knitting. I really like the pattern, but mine isn't going to be as bright or as big since I chose different color yarn and I think my yarn weight must be lighter than what she used. I'm not familiar with Classic Elite Montera. It just said it was bulky so I used a chunky wool. In any case, I'm glad its going to be smaller because I had intended to use it as a project bag and I need a smaller one.

I'm using my Boye Knitmaster and its doing great. I haven't had the connection even loosen and the join is so much smoother than my Denise set that it makes it much smoother and easier for the stitches to slide along. I'm tickled to death with them!