I finished the Winterberry socks I was knitting in Tofutsie yarn. They turned out delightful, don’t ya think?

They were December’s Sock-of-the-Month from the Tofutsie club through Southwest Trading Company and local yarn shops. I get mine from Heritage Spinning & Weaving in Lake Orion, Michigan.

The colorway is not quite what the yarn selection was for December. I decided that the beautiful pastels were not what I need at the moment since I was thinking ahead to spring already and have a hand dyed dress that needed socks to go with. This colorway is a perfect match for my summer dress.

I think the beautiful little bobbles were a hoot to knit (I’ve never done any bobbles before) and they were not as hard as I expected. They did slow me down a bit but I knit for the pleasure of knitting. A finished product when I’m done is just a bonus! I also like the picot hem instead of a cuff but I have used this before because it’s easy.

I deviated from the pattern in only one place, the toe. Debra Lake, the pattern designer, used a standard top-down toe and I had been wanting to try a spiral toe from the 2006 Holiday Gifts Issue of Interweave Knits, page 54. I think they turned out rather nice! And they fit well too.

Can you tell I like my socks?

Deb H

PS - 3/20/08, I added the link to Debra’s web site for those of you who would like more info on the pattern designer.

I’m a sock addiction enabler, a pusher if you will. If someone indicates to me in even a very small way that they would like to learn to knit socks, I slip them that little taste that might get them hooked. I’m evil, I admit it.

Mom just e-mailed me and said she wished I live closer (than 25,000 miles away) so I could help her learn to knit socks. I recommended my favorite book on that very subject, Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch, then went on an Internet quest for a good beginner pattern or tutorial. I found one that is so fabulous I had to share.

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Silver’s free sock classes are fabulous, as is her enitre site, check it out and happy sock knitting!

Deb H

It seems like I have not done anything but knit socks since Christmas. On my long list of things to get done in January, only the hall got painted, and one class got written… OK, I did more than that, I polished my Etsy and added some more yarns. I also learned a little about using Flickr and Ravelry but that is a huge learning curve at this point (well, for me).

I’ve been knitting socks.

Well, I did knit about 100 (slight exaggeration) sock toes as I was writing a class on alternative toes for socks to teach at Knit Michigan, which was a blast! Here are some of the round toes that survived the Grim Frogger (being ripped out).

But I had finished the grey silk socks and then began the December Tofutsie Club socks; Winterberry (top two photos) when my DH decided he needed heavy socks for his winter boots. His house socks I knit him last year (I hand dyed Cascade 220 Superwash for these and knit them on size 3 (US) needles) were perfect so could I just do another pair like that? But longer?

I love dyeing sock yarn, didn’t the colors come out nice and manly?

So two more balls of Cascade later (I did not dye these, he wanted them this winter) and I got them finished.

Not very exciting as far as color or pattern but somehow satisfying to work on. Even if they did take a very long time for such a big gauge - his has big feet! And the lovely green heather was soothing to work on. These were a basic pattern done toe-up, two-at-a-time, my favorite sock knitting method.

So, what is ABD? And, what does it have to do with sock knitting?

Avoidance Behavior Disorder. Before you run to your shrink for medication, I think I may have made this one up. Of course, that’s what they (the Dr.’s and the pharmaceuticals) do too, isn’t it? ABD is what you do when you really should be doing something else but are avoiding it… like cleaning up the studio.

Sigh,

Deb H

Is it sinus? Is is hormones? No, its too many ideas! The best kind of dilemma but it can also be paralyzing. Not only do I have a bazillion fiber projects I want to accomplish in 2008 but I also have 906 home improvement projects (including gardening), 618 organizing projects, and 356 (as of today) things I want to Blog about. Where to start!?!?

I also seem to be suffering from start-itis. Just because I finished a pair of socks, I felt compelled to start another, and then another. So I finished one but have 3 started. This does not take into account the sweater I started last winter that is stalled because I’m not wild about the yarn, now that it’s being worked with - too scratchy. Hmmm, at least I have plenty of “travel” knitting. and a good excuse to buy more yarn (to replace the scratchy yarn that will be a good “felted” project someday).

And I haven’t done anything with my Ravelry account yet.

I did do some yarn dyeing and got my Etsy Shop updated. That was a biggy as it needed attention. The yarns; an alpaca and pima cotton blend, turned out delicious (see sidebar) and as always, I have mixed feeling about them selling. I have to keep telling myself, these are not my children.

The socks I finished? My silk/wool mock cable in gray. They turned out lovely and I think I feel a pair of hand warmers to match coming on.

I do believe I will wash these by hand though. As soon as they were done, I threw them in the washer (gentle) and dryer (low) and they did “fuzz” a bit, leaving the cabled pattern a little less defined. But, I’m still happy and they are wonderfully soft!

And since today is a real “rambling on” day. I have to share a new toy that is just too cool. One of the things I love to do besides play with fiber is play in my herb garden. Since Michigan winters are so long, I have a short part of the year I can do that. My wonderful hubby found me a terrific solution. An AeroGarden that grows my herbs indoors with minimum fuss. It’s only been planted for a few days and I already have sprouts, I’m very tickled with this new winter solution! He found mine at Sam’s Club, I’ll keep you posted.

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Well, to find some focus in this New Year; one of my favorite mentors, Laura Cater-Woods has told me, write it down in your journal, make a list, use the SMART method to plan goals.

So, I’m off to plan and reduce the overload trauma a New year always gives me

Deb

It’s been such a busy week, I haven’t been home long enough to work on much of anything fibery, or to Blog. So consider this a catch-up and just to let you know I did do something(!) I’ll show you my new hair style ;o)

I was inspired by the cover picture of the latest Yarn Market trade magazine (you can see it partially on the right edge of the first photo). I took 3 colors of roving (wool, combed into long strands but not spun) and braided them into a 1 yard braid. Just for reference, the colors are grape, dark teal, and chartreuse. Incandescent lights strikes again!

I needle felted the ends so it would stay a braid. I thought that was rather clever (she said smugly).

I then coiled it into a cute little “bun” and proceeded to embellish it with leaves and berries from the floral section of the local craft store. Abracadabra, a festive hair bun! I wore it to work (in a yarn store) where it was a great hit. And the crown of my head was nice and warm 

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So I did do something fibery!

And I knit, if I’m a passenger in a car, I knit. If I’m sitting in a meeting, I knit. If I’m watching a movie with my honey, I knit. If I’m waiting for anything, I knit. I’ve been working on my socks, the grey cabled Silk socks I mentioned in an earlier post are coming along wonderfully and I’ve actually done my first short-row heel. I’ve knit dozens of pairs of socks and this is my first short row heel! It was stupendously easy and I sort of miss the durable looking and feeling heel stitch I’m used to but I did not (can I say that again?), did not miss picking up stitches. I’m now on the home stretch and will knit until I run out of yarn or patience, which ever comes first.

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And, because a girl can only look at sooooo much grey, I started another pair of socks. This is the Tofutsie yarn that came as the August installment of the Tofutsie club. The accompanying pattern is the one being used for the grey Silk socks and so this fun and colorful yarn is becoming a “Bartholomew’s Tantalizing Socks” from page 27 of Cat Bordhi’s book; New Pathways for Sock Knitters, book one.

I’m also doing a few things for Christmas presents but you’ll have to wait for peeks at those. Meanwhile…  off to knit!