The Wool Palace

Sockapalooza'd!

We're off to Cornwall later today but I couldn't leave without showing you the wonderful parcel that was waiting for me on the doorstep on Friday.

Ruth, my Sockapalooza pal put together a great assortment of goodies.

First up the socks

These are Ruth's own design, knitted in yarn from the Yarn Yard.  They fit perfectly and feel wonderful.

Ruth also included another skein of yarn from the Yarn Yard for me to have a play with.

Coincidentally, I had made my own purchase from the Yarn Yard this week, for the first time, so I am now overflowing with Yarn Yard goodness.

As if that wasn't enough, Ruth also included yummy chocolate, some Lush goodies and this little project bag which she made herself.

Thank you so much Ruth.  It's always such a luxury to recieve socks knitted by somebody else and all the other extras made it really special gift.

Now I'm off for a week camping in the rain, if the weather forecast is anything to go by; have fun while I'm away! 

In triplicate

The deadline for Sockapalooza 4 sort of crept up on me.  August sounded so far away when we started.

Then of course, there was the whole 'knitting three socks' due to my monumental stupidity.

Thankfully, they are all done and I have indulged in the usual cavorting and contorting that is required to take photos of one's own feet.

Pattern:  Diagonal Rib Socks by Ann Budd.  It was in Interweave a while back, but you can get it as a download from Knitting Daily.

Started:  4th June 2007

Finished:  3rd August 2007 - remember that's for 3 socks people!

Yarn:  Lovely Koigu, bought from Stash a good while back.  I can't remember the number, but if I find the ball band I'll add it in.

Needles:  2.75mm Clover bamboos

Such a nice pattern - very easy to remember the repeat.  Not having a cuff was a little surprising; it would be interesting to see what a pair would look like with some sort of ribbing at the top.  I knitted the pattern pretty much as is, although I made the legs a smidge shorter as I was worried about running out of yarn.  They fit very well and I would definitely do another pair at some stage.

Now the socks are off for a bath and I am off to find a suitably cheesey postcard of Somerset and some other goodies to include in my pal's package.

Unfinished business

I don't know about you, but I find if I have a project lying around that I know I need to finish, it messes up all my other knitting plans and I just end up doing nothing.

My second attempt at the Diagonal Rib sock has been about an inch shy of the toe for far too long.  Every time I thought about knitting something else, my mind would slip guiltily back to the unfinished sock and I couldn't bring myself to pick up my needles.

After days of non-knitting I finally realised I just needed to finish the sock, so I did.  Now I'm sticking with that feeling and getting straight on with sock number two of the pair.

A compelling sense of familiarity

Guess what?  There is enough in a skein of Koigu to finish one Diagonal Rib sock.

'But Mary', I hear you ask, 'How can you know this when you've only knitted another centimetre or so since the last photo?'.  Ah, well, you see, I actually knitted the whole sock, even grafted the toe.  I was very happy but then I started to think that seeing as I had quite a bit of yarn left over, I should unpick the cast on edge and add another ½ inch to the leg.  Can you see where this is going?

Yep, I completely messed it up and after an hour or so of poking and prodding and dropping stitches and swearing, I realised that I was going to have to rip out the whole sock and start again.  So I did.

At least I know I have enough yarn for the whole sock, when I get it done.

Can't wait to start on the second one.

Measuring the marigolds

Thank you so much for the good wishes about my driving test.  What a difference a week makes!  What I didn't tell you is that the day after my driving test I started a new job.  So I've gone from working from home, not driving, to driving myself into Taunton each day to work in an office.  It's all a bit strange, given that I haven't worked in an office for almost a year and even before that I worked from home two or three days a week.  Strange, but in a good way.

So, given that we live 8 miles outside of Taunton, plenty of driving is being done each day.  Public transport isn't an option from here; the bus from the village leaves at 9.30am, when I'm already at work, and comes back at 12.30, which is a bit early really, so car it has to be. 

The new job is part time but I'm still doing some work from home for my other job, so together they make up virtually full time hours, which is taking a bit of getting used to.  I have done a bit of knitting on the Diagonal Rib socks.

They are coming along well, the Koigu makes a very nice fabric.

As you can see, I have turned the heel and am past the gusset.  My Sockapalooza pal's feet are 9½ inches long and I have just under 20g of yarn left.  Do you think I'm going to make it?

Fits and starts

It's another rainy day here at The Wool Palace.  I was working until gone 11.30 last night so I figured I could take it easy today and do a bit of knitting.

Now, you all know that I would never do anything as foolhardy as cast on another pair of socks when I already have two pairs on the go, don't you?  The following was done for research purposes only, I swear.

I decided on the pink/lilac Koigu for my Sockapalooza socks, wound up one skein and got researching.

First up, Spey Valley.  Now, it's all very nice, with its Vikkel braids and everything, but when you come down to it, it's basically a ribbed sock with a little bit of fancy stuff happening on the cuff.  I felt that I wanted to do something a bit more special for my pal, so it was back to the pattern books.

I found this lurking in my computer and decided to give it a go.  I've got it saved as a PDf but I think it was in one of the old IK magazines as well.

At first I was excited, but then I was doubtful.  Then I started comparing it to the photo and thinking they didn't look very alike.  Then I stopped and actually read the instructions for the cable all the way through and realised I had messed it up.  I think the clue is in the name - Broken Cable Rib Socks.  If it's called broken cable, chances are it won't just be a normal, unbroken cable, like the one I had done.

Next up :

Yes.  Research over for today.  See, I told you I wouldn't start another pair of socks.

Fancy feet

Yes, it's Sockapalooza time again.  I got my pal's details at the weekend and preparations are being made.

I'm thinking texture this time round, but have to settle on the yarn as well.  I'm on a bit of an economy drive at the moment due to my London job finishing - which wasn't unexpected, but as yet I haven't been able to get anything locally to replace it.  Isn't writing job applications boring?  Especially when you don't get the job. 

Anyway, one of the benefits of a healthy stash is that one doesn't always have to spend to find something good.  I've had a little excavation this morning and pulled out a few contenders.

I think either of these would look good in the Gentleman's Sock with Lozenge Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks.

Going down the variegated route.  I think the Fleece Artist would suit the Friday Harbour pattern from Knitting on the Road.  The Koigu, I'm not sure, maybe one of Anna's patterns?

More Koigu, this one is subtle shades of pink and lilac.  Spey Valley appeals, as does Small Capitals from Sensational Knitted Socks.  Small Capitals has the benefit of being knitted toe up, which would be good given the relatively short yardage of KPM.  On a different note, have you seen there is a sequel to Sensational Knitted Socks, appropriately titled, 'More Sensational Knitted Socks'.  Anyone seen a copy?

Of course, before I can start, I need to clear those sock needles.  Pomatomus is proving to be a reasonably quick knit (but pretty hard to photograph well).

One down, one to go...

The days of our lives

Thanks for all your good wishes on the move.  We are currently in the second stage, prefering a long drawn out process rather than a simple move from property to property, because that would be too easy wouldn't it? 

All our belongings and children were moved to Somerset last week and are living with Toby's mother.  Toby and I spent a week living in an almost empty flat in London, which took me right back to our squatting days - no furniture, eating, sleeping and socialising in the bedroom, although at least this time round we could afford to go out for meals most nights rather than eat veggie burger mix and rice for dinner.  Now I have come to Somerset too and Toby is left to get the flat up to letting standard in a fortnight, then we can move into our house.

One good thing about having to pack up all my yarn and books is that I have been forced to concentrate on my WIPs.  My Rowanette exchange project is all done - not that I should be too proud as I am a few weeks past the finish date for that.  I flew through the Diamond Fantasy scarf, which I plan on blocking tonight.  Pictures will have to wait I'm afraid as I have internet connection but the cameras' USB cables are 'in a bag somewhere', to quote Toby.  Given that one whole room of the house is currently filled with our boxes and bags I don't hold out much hope of finding them anytime soon.

In the meantime, I need your help.  I've posted before about me and short row heels, but I refuse to be beaten.  I am almost done with the second of my Trekking socks but the heel is giving me problems.  I'm doing the hourglass heel, taken from the Twisted Sisters sock book.  Two things are driving me mad.  1.  I end up with an uneven number of stitches on one side when I'm doing the decreases and 2. While the p3tog side looks nice and tidy and tight, the k3tog side looks horrible - all loose.  Has anyone done this heel with success?  If you have, please let me know how you managed it.

Blinded by the light

Well, it would appear that my PC thought that it was entitled to a break from blogging as well.  It wasn't entirely unexpected but the monitor has finally given up the ghost.  This means no pictures for a while I'm afraid, as the USB port on the laptop doesn't work.  However, there's too much going on for me not to blog, so I'll blog as usual and add pictures in when things are up and running again.

I've received some great packages in the last week - I really wish I could show you the photos.  Marie, my BackTack pal, sent me a very cute rabbit and some other great goodies.  The rabbit has gone to live with Josie, as has the button bowl Marie made - now a jewellery bowl.  The rice crackers and chocolate stayed firmly with me and Toby, although I did have to explain to Toby that the seaweed wrapping on the crackers is meant to be eaten, not removed and thrown away.

If you've come here via the BackTack list of 'Outstanding' people, I'm not that bad really!  With the monitor down, I couldn't access any of my saved emails or other files, which included my recipient's address.  I got the details forwarded to me again last night, so Niki will be receiving her stuffie (or is it a softie?) very soon - it's all done and ready to go.  I have no intention of not keeping to my end of the bargain.  How's that for a double negative?

In other great mail, I also got my Dye-o-Rama yarn from Julia, along with some very yummy chocolate.  I really wish I could show you this yarn.  Julia sent me not one, but two skeins, as she was worried that one skein had some knots in it.  You can read about what happened on her blog - every knitter's nightmare!  Both skeins are gorgeous and I'm looking forward to knitting with them.

Two exchanges wrapped up, one to go.  The Rowanette exchange for 2006 has the theme Home & Hearth.  I think I have settled on the perfect project.  It will involve another trip to Stash tomorrow - I'm definitely leaving the credit cards at home...